https://www.laeliuswinegrowing.com/home daily 1.0 2021-12-13 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61b27ea2d812051ccb6b8d44/t/61b3f6dbf233cf1f72efd619/1639184308431/Impensata+Laelius+logo.jpg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61b27ea2d812051ccb6b8d44/t/61b28b77a378854599467ee0/1639091063302/DSC03096.jpg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.laeliuswinegrowing.com/engelhard-vineyard daily 0.75 2021-12-13 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61b27ea2d812051ccb6b8d44/t/61b286d9ac32fc6b682f0248/1639090762527/DSC00969.jpg Engelhard Vineyard Engelhard Vineyard is a 16-acre wooded property on Franz Valley School Road in Napa Valley’s Calistoga AVA. Positioned at 600 - 720 ft elevation, Engelhard Vineyard’s gentle slopes lie at the toes of the Mayacamas range on the northern border of the Diamond Mountain District AVA. These western hillsides are known for their well-drained soils of volcanic origin, and Engelhard’s Forward-Kidd soil series is weathered from a volcanic ash known as rhotic tuff. The vineyard’s south-eastern aspect, combined with a northwest/southeast row orientation, makes best use of the gentle morning sun, while affording even exposure throughout the day as the sun moves toward its western descent. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61b27ea2d812051ccb6b8d44/t/61b286fa8fda9723e88a33c3/1639090787457/DSC00981.jpg Engelhard Vineyard Engelhard’s four acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot were planted in 2006 by prior owner, Richard Engelhard. The vineyard’s distinctive fruit quickly caught the attention of Winemakers Bob Levy and Thomas Brown, finding its way into Bill Harlan’s portfolio of wines and becoming the primary fruit source for Hobel’s The Grain from 2009 to 2017. When Engelhard sold the property to Louis Ciminelli in 2015, David Abreu and his team were brought on to deliver their telltale precision farming. Expanding the vineyard footprint with one additional acre of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2022 will allow for the production of a vineyard-designate wine from this impressive site. https://www.laeliuswinegrowing.com/ciminelli-vineyard-1 daily 0.75 2021-12-13 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61b27ea2d812051ccb6b8d44/t/61b2881b8fda9723e88a8545/1639090227972/DSC03329.jpg Ciminelli Vineyard None of this was in the mind of Louis Ciminelli when, after following the structured wines of northern Italy for decades, he became captivated by a glass of 1992 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine convinced him that Howell Mountain was the place he would plant a vineyard to fulfill his dream of creating a Napa Valley wine to pay homage to his family’s Italian heritage. The search for the perfect property commenced, and in 2014 a wild and unkempt 40-acre parcel at the summit of Howell Mountain presented itself. At an elevation of 2200 feet, the views of Pope Valley below were breathtaking. It was evident that the gentle slopes of the property, with their southern and eastern aspects, were ideal for a vineyard. To be sure, Louis hired Bob Gallagher, a consultant specializing in the assessment of sustainability for vineyard development. Soil analysis confirmed that the property was graced with red Aiken loam, a soil weathered from andesitic and other volcanic rock, prized for its porous nature. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61b27ea2d812051ccb6b8d44/t/61b288d58fda9723e88aaeec/1639090390006/DSC03014.jpg Ciminelli Vineyard The next step was to hire a vineyard manager, and Louis had one person in mind: the legendary David Abreu. Bob Gallagher had worked with David on many projects and set up a meeting. David does not take on just any client, but when Louis showed him the site and explained how important the quality of the vineyard was to him, David liked what he heard. But he had one last question: Did Louis have the stomach to go through the agonizing permitting and painstaking development process? To which Louis replied that after being in the real estate development business for so long he was accustomed to the “bullshit.” David agreed then and there to develop and farm Ciminelli Vineyard and he and Louis have developed a strong collegial relationship ever since.