Those of you who have been following CHW for a
while know all about the Hughes-Wellman project. For the uninitiated, please
allow me a moment to explain this project’s provenance. It all started back in
2005 when our good friend Sam Spencer approached my dad and me with a proposal
to make Cabernet Sauvignon for us out of the La Herradura vineyard he farmed in
Napa Valley (and also sourced from for his Spencer-Roloson label). While making
wine really wasn’t my model, my dad and his friend Sandy Wellman jumped at a
chance to start their own label. An agreement was struck, Steve and Sandy would
finance the project and Colin (Sandy’s son) and I would help sell the wine. We
launched the inaugural 2005 vintage in fall 2008 and are now proud to offer the
2006 Hughes Wellman Cabernet Sauvignon.
As you may know, Sam Spencer has gone on to become our full-time winemaker here at CHW. One of the reasons we had to have Sam as part of our team is because of the care that he has taken with this special wine. One of the most oft repeated lines in the wine business is "if you liked the xxxx you’ll love the yyyy". Well, the adage holds true here, as I think the 2006 is a qualitative improvement over the 2005, which I think is a great bottle of wine.
Read the full story of how two friends came together to produce this amazing wine »
This unbelievably lush, monster cab comes from the Nell-MacVeagh Vineyard. The site is located on the lower slopes of Howell Mountain to the east of Saint Helena. The property is comprised of several large alluvial deposits and an array of weathered soils that have eroded from atop Howell Mountain.
The blocks that contributed to this wine are planted with Clone 377 and Clone 7 on rootstocks of 101-14 and 4453 respectively. Located upslope of Conn Creek, the soils are mostly gravels that provide excellent drainage and exposure. The vines naturally yield 5-6 pounds per vine, roughly 2½ - 3 tons per acre, offering fruit with concentration and excellent structure.
The 2005 Vintage was long and temperate with a near perfect drift into late October. The last weeks of October were warm and clear. Giving the last push needed to get to harvest. We harvested ripe and balanced fruit that possessed tremendous purity and depth.
The grapes were gently de-stemmed and sorted into open top fermenters. They were cold soaked for 4 days and punched down thrice daily during fermentation. At dryness the must was pressed directly into barrel where it rested for 22 months. The wine was aged in a balance of 70% new and 30% neutral French Oak, from Tonnelleries Remond and Ermitage.
We bottled the wine last July and have been patiently waiting for this baby to settle into the bottle. My Dad and I recently asked Sam to put together a blind panel tasting of other 2005 St.Helena and Howell Mountain Cabernets all priced in the $50 to $100 range to see where we stood. The clear winner and top ranked wine for all five tasters was the Hughes-Wellman Cabernet.
So, here’s the deal. After fierce negotiations, I have arranged exclusive access for our customers to the entire production of this wine - only 199 cases were made (Please Note: As it’s not a Cameron Hughes Lot it will not be a Wine Club selection).
The price is $50 a bottle. Yeah, I know its not cheap, but this is extremely small lot, hand crafted wine and relative to other Napa Valley Cabernets in the same league it’s a great value - compare at $75-125.
