2008 Dana Estates Lotus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Dana Estates was started in 2005 when Hi Sang Lee, a South Korean businessman and wine importer, bought a winery and vineyard in Rutherford, Napa Valley, and started his own label. Lee built an impressive new winery and named his enterprise Dana, which is Sanskrit for “spirit of generosity.” Lee hired Philippe Melka as his winemaker and the label’s first release was the 2005 vintage. The aim is to make world class Cabernet Sauvignon in very limited quantities of 300 to 400 cases annually, though Lee has said he eventually expects to produce up to 2,000 cases a year. Dana makes three single vineyard Cabs from the Helms, Hershey and Lotus Vineyards. It also makes Onda, a mostly Cabernet Sauvignon blend of grapes from the various vineyards.

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.