2019 Montesquieu Winery By Hand Cabernet Sauvignon

Montesquieu Winery is part of the Montesquieu wine group, a California-based negociant and importer that produces wines under its own label and custom labels. Montesquieu takes its name from the influential French Enlightenment-era statesman and political philosopher Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu. Besides being known for his political tracts, he was a life-long wine connoisseur, and is often credited with being the first to identify the Cabernet Sauvignon grape in the early 18th century. Montesquieu the wine group works as a negociant with small producers in the U.S. and around the world, importing artisanal wines from Europe, South America and South Africa, and creating private label wines for small West Coast producers.

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.