2013 Bure Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Bure Family Winery was started by the husband and wife team of Valeri Bure and his wife Candace. Valeri was a professional hockey player and Candace is a television actor. Born in Moscow, Valeri learned to appreciate wine while playing hockey professionally in Montreal. He retired from hockey in 2005 and he and Candace bought a wine estate in Napa Valley. In a nod to his Russian and Swiss heritage and his life in hockey, every bottle of Bure Family wine includes a bird of prey, once the symbol of the royal Russian family, grasping a hockey stick in a talon. A 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon blend was the inaugural vintage.

St. Helena AVA is at the northern end of Napa Valley just north of Rutherford and south of Calistoga. It is a relatively warm climate thanks to the Mayacamas Mountains on its western edge, which protect it from Pacific Ocean fog. Out of the 9,000 acres in the appellation, some 1,500 are under vine. The principal grapes grown in St. Helena are the Bordeaux grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. St. Helena is considered prime wine producing territory, and it was one of the first important wine producing regions in northern California. The legendary Charles Krug founded his winery just north of the town of St. Helena in 1873, and today the appellation is home to many prestigious producers, including Abreu, Grace Family and Spottswoode.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.