2009 Derenoncourt Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Derenoncourt California is the Napa-based enterprise of globe-trotting wine consultant and vigneron Stéphane Derenoncourt. The French-born Derenoncourt spent his 20s working in vineyards and cellars in Bordeaux, eventually becoming winemaker at Château Pavie Macquin and La Mondotte. Today he consults around the world and owns two domaines of his own, in Bordeaux and Napa. His inaugural Napa vintage was the 2006.

Sonoma Valley AVA is Sonoma County’s original winegrowing district. Designated as an AVA in 1981, it includes 14,000 vineyard acres in a long, narrow valley that runs north-south. Rather romantically, the valley is also called The Valley of the Moon. The oldest winery in the AVA, and one of the oldest in California, is Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 by a Hungarian count who planted vineyards in Wisconsin before moving to California. Today there are nearly 60 wineries in the AVA producing a variety of wines, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer. The appellation is bordered by mountain ranges on the east and west, which partly account for Sonoma Valley’s unique terroir. The mountains protect it from the cooling weather of the Pacific Ocean and fruit ripens well.

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.