2022 Ehlers Estate, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA

Producer: This historic winery was founded in 1886 by Bernard  Ehlers, a German immigrant, who replanted vines & olive groves & built the initial structure. After undergoing many changes in name and ownership, including bootlegging that kept the winery going during prohibition, it was then known as the ‘Mill Winery’.

French entrepreneurs & philanthropists, Jean & Sylviane Leducq purchased 7 acres of the land in 1987, 15 years later they had purchased the rest of the land, producing their first Ehlers Estate wine in 2000. Their goal was to produce wine in Napa concentrating on bordeaux varietals, also to ‘make wine with a purpose’ serving humanity. Today, Ehlers estate is owned by the Leducq foundation, established in 1996, an international organization supporting research in cardiovascular disease. Proceeds from wine sales support the foundation’s cardiovascular research programs – disease that killed Jean’s father & grandfather. Ehlers is the only non for profit winery in Napa. Philippe Melka has been a consultant since 2017 &  Adam Casto is now head winemaker.

Place: The winery is located 2 miles north of St. Helena, in the heart of northern Napa Valley. The Vineyard lies between the Mayacamas Mountains & the Vaca mountains -small vineyard parcels with a diversity of soils, clones & rootstock, divided into 5 blocks based on soil types.

Farming: Organic & Biodynamic certified – with a unique employee vineyard management program : each employee manages 10 vines of their own, helping with pruning, harvesting…

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc, from the musque’ clone.

Winemaking: Fermented & aged for 6 months in a mix of concrete egg, stainless steel, once used & used french oak barrels.