What Makes Miguel’s Wines Different?
Miguel spent over thirty years on the look-out for vineyards that are like no other: highest vineyard in a mountain appellation, exceedingly old vines, unusual soil composition, etc. Then he turns on his winemaking savvy, sometimes defying conventional wisdom, along with uncommon instincts and relentless attentiveness. In other words, while most winemakers try to make wines to a common standard Miguel has spent most of his career making wines that are different.
Miguel’s starting point is the same as his ending point. “When you eat grapes fresh off the vine they have so many flavors and textures,” he says. “They are perfectly balanced. And a juicy finish too. How could any winemaker do better than that?”
The Vision
Miguel’s purist vision rejects techniques commonly used to enhance perceived richness – and mask imperfections – in top end wines, such as extended ripeness, hefty extraction, lavish oak treatment or surging alcohol. He is not backed up by on-site oenologists who measure and test his every move.
This leaves Miguel no options by which to cover up flaws; he must prevent mistakes in the first place. His is a risky, bare-all approach attempted by very few.
“For ten years I focused on texture,” says Miguel. “I wanted to see if I could get the texture of Pinot Noir in Cabernet. That forced me to rely on the grapes for everything. When I got the texture right, using just the grapes, everything else came out right too. Structure and balance. Fine tannins. Long finish. But what really surprised me were the flavors. Every sip tasted different. There were so many. The old winemakers told me about that. That’s what I really wanted.”
Complexity of Palate
Miguel’s wines are always fermented to very dry (<0.5% residual sugar) but give the impression of juicy, natural sweetness.
In blind tastings, Miguel’s wines often start a little shy, but they can soon be singled out by their energizing palate, rapidly evolving complexity, and barely perceptible tannins. You can sense a rendition of terroir and vintage that comes from the heart because there is no artifice. His Cabernets routinely exhibit highlights of both red and black fruit aromas and flavors, followed by myriad secondary flavors such as herbal, floral, mineral, leather, etc. that reflect his artistic flair for yeast selection. The wines exhibit the richness and structure you would expect of a Napa Valley Cab but surprise with the kind of intricate complexity, balance and exquisite finish that appeals to Bordeaux fans. The wines never tire or bore the palate.
Whether fresh off the bottling line or laid down fifteen years in the cellar, Miguel’s wines’ fruit-borne flavors and supple texture always precede the (very fine) tannins, they never run behind the oak. The finish also stands the test of time, vibrant, long and fruit-focused.
Miguel likes to say he wants to give back everything that nature puts into the grape. In that regard his wines speak for themselves.
Venerable Vines Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon 100% / 100-year-old vines / Coombesville, Napa Valley
My hope for Venerable Vines is to make it so supple and expressive that no one would know it was made from tiny, tannic berries coming off tired century-old vines. The flavors are very unique because it is a very old clone and the vines are so old.”
– Miguel
This is reminiscent of old-world style Cabernet Sauvignon, perfectly proportioned on release or after cellaring for many years. Opens with lively aromas of fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries) and distinctive old-vine florality. Flavors start gently with tart black cherry, blueberry, and citrus, followed by intense black cherry, citrus, and black tea in a denser mid-palate, expanding to notes of cherry pie, subtle cigar box, and pencil-lead on a juicy finish that continues to offer new flavors with each sip. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins support a filigreed structure that gives the wine a polished, appealing texture despite the high tannin content of the meager berries from which the wine was made. Fewer than 200 cases are produced each vintage. Drink upon release or cellar up to ten-plus years.
Venerable Vines is harvested entirely by hand in pre-dawn hours on a single morning from a historic 100-year-old vines in Coombesville. The yields from these old vines are amongst the very slightest in Napa Valley, less than one ton per acre, with berries so small that they give barely 2/3 of the normal juice per ton. The fruit is destemmed, hand-sorted, and cold-soaked for 4-5 days and fermented in small batches for 12-15 days. After approximately 20 days on skins, the wine is gently pressed and transferred to 50% new air-dried French Oak barrels, and 50% French oak barrels 1, 2, or 3 years old. Délestage (rack and return) is applied twice in the early months. The wine rests in the barrels for 20-23 months before sterile filtration for long-term stability. Actual alcohol ranges from 14.0% to 14.6%.
Bracero Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon 96%, Petit Verdot 1%, Malbec 1%, Cabernet Franc 1%, Merlot1% / Spring Mountain 50% and Diamond Mountain 50% / Napa Valley
Bracero is a multi-faceted Cabernet Sauvignon from two distinct terroirs in which traits from each clearly stand out, a two-for-one terroir expression. The wine begins with robust aromas and flavors of black cherry, black currants and dried bay leaves on a fairly open texture (Diamond Mountain). Tannins emerge on the mid-palate, which introduces more taut layers of blackberries, granite, and plum (Spring Mountain), then unwinds in tension through flavors of cassis, dried cherries, raspberry jam, green walnut, wild mint and juicy black fruit. Medium-bodied with elegant structure and fine, pliant tannins. Drink upon release or cellar up to ten-plus years. Fewer than 200 cases are produced each vintage.
Bracero is a “twin peaks” blend from the tops of two mountains: Diamond and Spring Mountain, the latter with both east- and west-facing slopes for yet more complexity. The grapes are harvested entirely by hand in pre-dawn hours, each vineyard on separate days according to maturity. The fruit is destemmed, hand-sorted, and cold-soaked for 4-5 days and fermented in small batches for 12-15 days. The wine is gently pressed and transferred to 50% new air-dried French Oak barrels, and 50% French oak barrels 1, 2, or 3 years old. Délestage (rack and return) is applied twice in the early months. The wine rests in the barrels for 20-23 months before sterile filtration for long-term stability. Actual alcohol ranges from 14.0% to 14.6%.
Actual alcohol 14.3%-14.6%.
Bracero is named in honor of Miguel’s father, Conrado, who came to California in the 1950s and tended vineyards, fields, and orchards in the Bracero (“arms”) guest worker program.
My intention for Bracero is complexity and finesse. My father taught us kids to really taste things, so I want people to taste all the layers in this wine.”
– Miguel
Starling Way Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc 100% / Rutherford, Napa Valley
It is an honor to make wine from Dalla Gasperina. I want to give Sauvignon Blanc fans a mouthful of everything this famous vineyard has to offer.”
– Miguel
Starling Way Sauvignon Blanc is named for the large flocks of starlings that swirl over the vineyard after harvest. The wine combines creamy texture and zippy acidity, with many layers of flavors. Lemon verbena scents lead to exotic fruit aromas and flavors, including fig and passionfruit, with subtle salinity that is unusual for Napa Valley. The texture gets richer as secondary flavors emerge, such as creamy citrus, dried figs, ripe honeydew, and broken seashells. Meyer lemon lingers on the finish. The palate is medium-bodied while retaining crisp acidity through a prolonged, vibrant finish. Fewer than 100 cases are made each vintage. Drink upon release or cellar up to five years.
The Dalla Gasperina Vineyard lies in Rutherford Bench “Cab Country” but the Sauvignon Blanc grapes do so well here that the owners have kept these Sauvignon Blanc vines for well over thirty years. The vines are farmed organically. The grapes are picked by hand at night at the outset of maturity, before acidity begins to diminish, at +/- 24° brix. They are crushed immediately and separated from the skins to preserve freshness. Yeast choice varies greatly depending on the nature of the vintage. The juice is fermented in small stainless steel tanks, coolly and slowly, for 5-7 days. Half is transferred to neutral oak barrels for 4-6 months, and the remainder stays in stainless steel tanks, before bottling with sterile filtration to preserve freshness and long-term stability. Actual alcohol: 14.2-14.6%.