Coeur à Coeur

The name 'Coeur à Coeur' (Heart to Heart) was inspired by the romantic and precious nature of this very limited bottling. The second of our estate-grown Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc blends, 'Coeur à Coeur' is equal parts of each variety, resulting in a wine with a broad palette and fleshy texture. The fruit is whole-cluster-pressed and does not forgo a secondary malolactic fermentation to preserve its vibrancy. The varieties are aged separately sur-lie, with gentle bâtonnage before the assembly of the final cuvée.

Vintage Notes

Cooler weather and significant rains in December through March delayed budbreak until mid-April, nearly a month later than most years. Flowering and fruit set were similarly delayed until early June with very small clusters setting, resulting in a smaller crop than in 2022. The growing season was temperate, without major heat events which allowed the berries to maintain a lively acidity as conditions were ideal for slow, even ripening of small, concentrated berries. The Sauvignon Blanc harvest was a full month later than in 2022, beginning on September 21st and finishing on October 13th while the Sémillon harvest stretched to November 2nd.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit is grown alongside our red Bordeaux varieties in the L’Après-Midi block of our Knights Valley Estate. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, whole-cluster pressed, and then naturally fermented in barrel. No malolactic fermentation is conducted to preserve the vibrant acidity. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for eight to nine months with gentle bâtonnage before the assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The 2023 'Coeur à Coeur' shimmers a light yellow-gold in the glass as a serenade of jasmine, yellow peach, mango, and springtime flowers beguiles with supporting notes of beeswax, cinnamon and candlewax. An inviting burst of acid during the entry gives way to a creamy, plush, round mouthfeel and a textured, intense mid-palate. This well-structured 'Coeur à Coeur' finishes with an elegant, soft, lengthy finish. This is a wine that will continue to gain complexity and breadth for many years to come.

Vintage Notes

Coeur à Coeur is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit is grown alongside our red Bordeaux varieties in the L’Après-Midi blocks of our Knights Valley Estate, Les Pavots Vineyard. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, whole-cluster pressed, and then naturally fermented in barrel. No malolactic fermentation is conducted to preserve the vibrant acidity. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for eight to nine months with gentle bâtonnage before the assembly of the final cuvée.

Winegrowing Notes

After December brought a respectable amount of rain, January and February were fairly dry and budbreak occurred slightly earlier than normal. Cool and rainy weather in March, April, and the beginning of May resulted in less fruit setting and a lower-yielding year, very similar to 2021. While July was moderate, June and August both witnessed three-digit heat spikes. The early September heat wave saw one day with temperatures over 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the last two Sauvignon Blanc blocks to be harvested. However, rain soon followed and temperatures dropped significantly allowing the Sémillon to gradually ripen to perfection in early October. The Sauvignon Blanc harvest commenced on August 25 and finished September 7th and the Sémillon harvest was from October 4-11.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The 2022 'Coeur à Coeur' showcases the complexity of a 50/50 Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend with an expressive collection of beeswax, honeycomb, melon, fresh peach, and lemon meringue pie along with hints of mango, pear tart, and vanilla cream. A rich, textured entry leads to a weighty, generous, multi-layered mid-palate with accents of Meyer lemon, orange zest, and hazelnut and significant body and length. This is a thought-provoking wine for connoisseurs.

Vintage Notes

Compared to 2020, the Sauvignon blanc set smaller and fewer clusters resulting in a lower yielding year. Although most of the summer had moderate temperatures, there were some heat spikes in mid-June and early July. Despite the early budbreak the ripening slowed to allow for fairly normal harvest starting dates for the Sauvignon blanc and Sémillon; however, the smaller clusters compressed the overall picking window for the Sauvignon blanc. Harvest spanned from August 31-September 9th for the Sauvignon Blanc and September 25-October 5th for the Sémillon.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit is grown alongside our red Bordeaux varieties in the L’Après-Midi blocks of our Knights Valley Estate, Les Pavots Vineyard”. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, whole-cluster pressed, and then naturally fermented in barrel. No malolactic fermentation is conducted to preserve the vibrant acidity. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for eight to nine months with gentle bâtonnage before the assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The brilliant, light yellow 2021 ‘Coeur à Coeur’revels in a fragrant bouquet of lime blossom, guava, apricot, and jasmine with supporting notes of honey, vanilla cream, and crème brûlée. The broad entry showcases rich beeswax and raw honey followed by a mouth-watering, fleshy mid-palate with generous mouthfeel overlying a well-structured, acid-supported frame. This seamless Coeur à Coeur shows exceptional balance and length and will reward with extended cellaring.

Vintage Notes

While the winter of 2019 was wet with generous amounts of rainfall, the rocky, volcanic soil and subsoils of our estates were able to drain efficiently, releasing the excessive moisture content in the soil. From the physiological steps of budbreak to veraison, the temperatures were variable with some lows and highs. Aggressive canopy management and fruit thinning brought the crop into optimal balance. An extended summer allowed our Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon to gradually reach ideal ripeness. The moderate temperatures permitted a gradual harvest, resulting in a refined vintage with classic flavors.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit is grown alongside our red Bordeaux varieties in the L’Après-Midi blocks of our Knights Valley Estate, Les Pavots Vineyard”. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, whole-cluster pressed, and then naturally fermented in barrel. No malolactic fermentation is conducted in order to preserve the vibrant acidity. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for eight to nine months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The nose is striking and complex, displaying mineral, propolis, melon, honeysuckle, lemon, white currant blossom, and white rose. The mouth is rich, elegant, and round, balanced with ample tension and a background of brioche, apricot, and white peach. Intense acacia honey flavors mixed with touches of Muscat, almond, and strong mineral elements focus into an extremely long finish. The 2019 ‘Coeur à Coeur’ will benefit from five years of cellaring and will age gracefully for two decades and express additional tertiary aromas of quince and toasted hazelnut.

Vintage Notes

The 2018 growing season began with abundant winter rainfall. Spring weather was cool and blooming, while delayed a bit, took place in almost perfect conditions resulting in a generous fruit set. The vines were vigorous thanks to the winter rains. Aggressive canopy management and fruit thinning brought the crop into optimal balance. Summer temperatures were moderate with no severe heat spikes. An extended Indian summer allowed our Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon to gradually reach perfect ripeness. The moderate temperatures permitted a gradual harvest, resulting in an elegant vintage with classic flavors.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur translates as “Heart to Heart,” and is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit is grown alongside our red varietals in the L’Après-Midi blocks of our Knights Valley Estate, Les Pavots Vineyard”. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and then naturally fermented in barrel. No malolactic fermentation is conducted in order to preserve the vibrant acidity. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8 to 9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The nose is seductive and complex, displaying mineral, propolis, melon, honeysuckle, lemon, white currant blossom and white rose. The mouth is rich, elegant and round, balanced with ample gras and a background of brioche, apricot and white peach. Intense acacia honey flavors mixed with touches of Muscat, almond, Vosges candy and strong mineral elements focus into an extremely long finish. The 2018 Coeur à Coeur will benefit from five years of cellaring and will age gracefully for two decades and express additional tertiary aromas of quince and toasted hazelnut.

Vintage Notes

The near perfect 2016 growing season started early with a warm, dry spring. While California’s drought continued, rains were sufficient to meet the vineyard’s needs. Ideal conditions in May produced even blooming and an excellent fruit set. A green harvest brought the crop load to optimal balance. Overall, the vintage was slightly cooler than average, with consistently warm and sunny conditions and only one heat spike. A long Indian summer gave us excellent ripening and flavor development in all varietals. Moderate temperatures at harvest allowed gradual picking as each block achieved perfection, yielding a bountiful crop of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, and wines of uncommon depth and concentration.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur translates as “Heart to Heart,” and is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit is grown alongside our red varietals in the L’Après-Midi blocks of our Knights Valley Estate, Les Pavots Vineyard”. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and then naturally fermented in barrel. No malolactic fermentation is conducted in order to preserve the vibrant acidity. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8 to 9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The nose is seductive and complex, displaying mineral, beeswax, propolis, hazelnut, melon, honeysuckle, lemon and white currant blossom. The mouth is rich, elegant and round, balanced with ample gras and a background of brioche, apricot and white peach. An intense honey character mixed with touches of Muscat, almond, Vosges candy, vine rose blossom and strong mineral elements focus into an extremely long finish. Approachable now, the 2016 Coeur à Coeur will benefit from five years of cellaring and will age gracefully for two decades.

Vintage Notes

The winter was dry, with only 75% of normal rainfall, continuing four years of drought. Unseasonably warm temperatures accelerated bud break for all varietals by three to four weeks. While May brought welcome rain, the cool moist conditions extended the blooming period and led to an uneven fruit set. Steady warm temperatures dominated the remainder of the growing season providing ideal ripening conditions. Multiple green harvests were performed to balance the crop load. A surge of hot temperatures at the end accelerated the pace of harvest, giving us the earliest finish date in the history of the winery. Meticulous sorting of the fruit resulted in wines with depth, concentration and balance

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur translates as “Heart to Heart,” and is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit is grown alongside our red varietals in the L’Après-Midi blocks of our Knights Valley Estate, Les Pavots Vineyard”. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and then naturally fermented in barrel. No malolactic fermentation is conducted in order to preserve the vibrant acidity. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8 to 9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The bouquet is seductive and complex, displaying mineral, beeswax, hazelnut, lemon, hawthorn, peony, dried apricot and melon. Intense aromas of honey combine with hints of white peach, candied fruit, pineapple, quince paste and marshmallow. In the mouth, the wine is round, tactile and seamless, balanced by ample gras, with a background of brioche and mineral notes. The focused finish is extremely long, lasting over 70 seconds. Approachable now, the 2015 Coeur à Coeur will reward a few years of cellaring with additional complexity and will continue to age gracefully for 10-15 years.

Vintage Notes

The winter was dry with 70% of normal rainfall, continuing three years of drought. Unseasonably warm temperatures in early spring accelerated bud break by three to four weeks. The growing season, bloom through veraison, benefited from moderate temperatures. While dry conditions aided the evenness of the fruit set, early use of drip irrigation was critical for the health of the vines. Multiple green harvests were performed to balance the crop load. Ideal Indian summer conditions allowed us to harvest each plot at optimal ripeness. Due to dehydration, the skins and the pulps of the berries were thicker than normal, resulting low juice yields at the press, and exceptional concentration in the wines.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur translates as “Heart to Heart,” and is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit is grown alongside our red varietals in the L’Après-Midi blocks of our Knights Valley Estate, Les Pavots Vineyard”. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and then naturally fermented in barrel. No malolactic fermentation is conducted in order to preserve the vibrant acidity. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8 to 9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The nose is seductive and complex, displaying beeswax, roasted hazelnut, acacia blossom, white currant blossom and dry apricot. The mouth is round, tactile and seamless, balanced by ample gras, with a background of brioche and mineral notes. An intense complex honey character is combined with passion fruit, melon, mangosteen and candied lemon. The focused finish is extremely long, lasting over 2 minutes. The 2014 Coeur à Coeur will reward a few years of ageing with additional complexity. It will age gracefully for 10-15 years.

Vintage Notes

A warm and dry spring led to a remarkable 2013 vintage. Canopy vigor was full, which helped protect the clusters throughout flowering and fruit set. Unwavering temperatures, with the exception of one heat spike mid summer, allowed for consistent veraison throughout the Sauvignon Blanc vineyard. An earlier harvest than we have seen in years allowed the vineyard crew time to bring in the fruit at a measured pace. Overall, 2013 shows unbelievable structure and balance with optimal fruit development and exceptional quality.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur translates to “Heart to Heart” in French. As with L’Après-Midi, this fruit is grown alongside our Les Pavots Bordeaux red varietals at 1,400 feet on the west side of Mount St. Helena. The subsoil is rocky, volcanic Rhyolite covered by a silt alluvium. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and naturally fermented in oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation was conducted in order to preserve the vibrancy of flavors and fragrances. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for eight to nine months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The nose is seductive and complex, displaying mineral, beeswax, roasted hazelnut, acacia blossom, white currant blossom, dry apricot and honey. The mouth is round, tactile and seamless, balanced by ample gras, with a background of brioche and mineral notes. The intense complexity of honey (propolis, acacia honey, wild flowers honey) is combined with dry apricot, peach, vanilla beans, crème brûlée and orange marmalade. The focused finish is extremely long, lasting over two minutes. The 2013 Coeur à Coeur is a wine that will reward a few years of ageing with additional complexity such as royal jelly, fig and quince paste. It will age gracefully for 10-15 years.

Vintage Notes

Winter and spring were wet and cold, delaying bud break, flowering and fruit set by two weeks. The bloom occurred in ideal weather. The climate throughout the summer was temperate with few heat spikes. The Indian summer, characterized by the mild temperature and sunny days, was an important factor to the ripening process. The 2012 harvest yielded 3.5 tons per acre, which is slightly higher than our average. The beauty of the vintage was the clean, healthy aspect of the clusters for all the varietals, appellations and vineyards. Our plots of Sauvignon Blanc ripened at different speeds and expressed their unique “Terroir” personalities.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur, “Heart to Heart” in French, is the expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc from our Knights Valley estate. As with L’Après-Midi, this fruit is grown alongside our Les Pavots Bordeaux red varietals on the west side of Mount St. Helena. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and naturally fermented. No malolactic fermentation was conducted in order to preserve the vibrancy of flavors and fragrances. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for eight months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The bouquet is seductive and complex, displaying mineral elements, vine blossom, honeysuckle, beeswax, propolis, honey, Muscat, apricot, and white currant. The mouth is round, tactile, seamless, precise and balanced by ample gras, with a background of brioche and mineral notes. The aroma of honey is combined with dry apricot, white currant, white peach, orange marmalade, candied fruits, mangosteen, quince and toasted almond. The finish, focused on honey, apricot, fresh almond and mineral, is extremely long. Built to age, the wine will benefit from another two years of cellaring and will age gracefully for two decades.

Vintage Notes

Winter and spring were unusually wet and cold, delaying bud break, flowering and fruit-set by a full month. Cool, windy weather at bloom resulted in a fair amount of shatter, substantially reducing the yields. Temperatures throughout the summer remained very mild with no heat spikes. We responded with strict quality decisions, including multiple passes through the vineyard to sustain manicured fruit position, rigorous canopy management and careful crop thinning. In the end, Mother Nature rewarded us with just the right amount of perfectly ripe grapes per vine. During the 2011 vintage, our vineyards were entirely dry-farmed.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur, “Heart to Heart” in French, is the expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc from our Knights Valley estate. As with L’Après-Midi, this fruit is grown alongside our Les Pavots Bordeaux red varietals on the west side of Mount St. Helena. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and naturally fermented. No malolactic fermentation was conducted in order to preserve the vibrancy of flavors and fragrances. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8 to 9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The bouquet is seductive and complex, displaying mineral, beeswax, hazelnut, lemon, hawthorn, peony, dry apricot and melon. The mouth is round, tactile and seamless, balanced by ample gras, with a background of brioche and mineral notes. The intense aroma of honey is combined with hints of dry apricot, white peach, candied fruit, pineapple, quince paste and marshmallow. The focused finish is extremely long, lasting over 70 seconds. Approachable now, the 2011 Coeur à Coeur is a wine that will reward a few years of aging with additional complexity.

Vintage Notes

Winter and spring were wet and cold, delaying bud break, flowering and fruit-set by three weeks. Cool windy weather at bloom resulted in a fair amount of shatter, substantially reducing the yields. Temperatures throughout the summer were the coolest of the decade. To manage these challenges, we made multiple passes through the vineyard to control the canopy and fruit position. In the end, Mother Nature rewarded us with just the right amount of perfectly ripe grapes per vine. During this vintage, our vineyards were dry-farmed.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur translates to “Heart to Heart” in French, and is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc from our Knights Valley estate. As with L’Après-Midi, this fruit is grown alongside our Les Pavots Bordeaux red varietals at 1,400 feet on the west side of Mount St. Helena. The subsoil is rocky, volcanic Rhyolite covered by a silt alluvium. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and naturally fermented in oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation was conducted in order to preserve the vibrancy of flavors and fragrances. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8 to 9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The bouquet is seductive and complex, displaying mineral, beeswax, hazelnut, lemon, hawthorn, peony, dry apricot, melon and white currant. The mouth is round, tactile and seamless, balanced by ample gras, with a background of brioche and mineral notes. The intense aroma of honey is combined with hints of dry apricot, white currant, white peach, candied fruits, pineapple, quince paste and marshmallow. The finish, focused on honey, apricot and mineral, is extremely long

Vintage Notes

Winter and spring were very dry. Both bud break and bloom occurred a bit late and resulted in a slightly uneven set. As the fruit matured, the weather was ideal for the flavor development with only a couple spikes of overly hot weather. Hand thinning carefully trimmed the crop for even ripeness and further reduced the yields. Harvest started later than normal. Multiple picking passes insured that we captured the peak expression of the terroir.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur translates to “Heart to Heart” in French, and is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc from our Knights Valley estate. As with L’Après-Midi, this fruit is grown alongside our Les Pavots Bordeaux red varietals at 1,400 feet on the west side of Mount St. Helena. The subsoil is rocky, volcanic Rhyolite covered by a silt alluvium. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and naturally fermented in oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation was conducted in order to preserve the vibrancy of flavors and fragrances. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8 to 9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The bouquet is seductive and complex displaying mineral, bee’s wax, hazelnut, lemon, hawthorn, peony, dry apricot, melon and white currant. The mouth is rich and round, balanced by ample gras and a background of brioche and mineral notes. Combined with dry apricot, white currant, white peach, candied fruits, pineapple, Muscat, quince, pasta and marshmallow, the intense aroma of honey focuses into an extremely long finish.

Vintage Notes

Winter precipitation was near normal, followed by a very dry spring. Unseasonably cool temperatures delayed bud break by about 10 days and slowed canopy development. Late spring wind and frost damage necessitated extensive repruning. This led to a smaller than normal crop, which we further hand thinned to one cluster per shoot. After veraison, the ripening took place in ideally mild conditions characterized by sharply contrasting daytime high temperatures and overnight lows. The reduced yields allowed harvest to begin early. Although the challenges in 2008 reduced our Sauvignon Blanc crop to just over half of normal, the fruit was fully ripe, balanced and concentrated.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur translates to “Heart to Heart” in French, and is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc from our Knights Valley estate. As with L’Après-Midi, this fruit is grown alongside our Les Pavots Bordeaux red varietals at 1,400 feet on the west side of Mount St. Helena. The subsoil is rocky, volcanic Rhyolite covered by a silt alluvium. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and naturally fermented in oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation was conducted in order to preserve the vibrancy of flavors and fragrances. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8 to 9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The bouquet of mineral, beeswax, hazelnut, lemon, hawthorn, peony, dry apricot and melon is seductive and complex. The mouth is round and seamless, balanced by ample gras, with a background of brioche and mineral notes. The intense aroma of honey is combined with hints of dry apricot, white currant, white peach, candied fruits, pineapple, quince paste and marshmallow. The finish, focused on honey, apricot and mineral, is extremely long

Vintage Notes

Winter and spring were dry; bud break, bloom and set occurred a bit early and very evenly. The weather was nearly perfect for fruit development from May through harvest. While there was one sharp heat spike in July, diligent attention by the vineyard staff prevented any crop damage. As the fruit matured, hand thinning carefully trimmed the yields to a moderately low level, allowing a pure expression of our different terroirs. Harvest started just a bit earlier than normal. During ripening, the contrast of the temperature maintained a crisp natural acidity that allowed the vineyard to express its full potential.

Winegrowing Notes

Coeur à Coeur ( “Heart to Heart” ) is the ultimate expression of our passion for Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. As with our L’Après-Midi, this fruit is grown alongside our Les Pavots Bordeaux red varietals at 1,200 feet on the west side of Mount St Helena. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, whole cluster pressed and naturally fermented in oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation was conducted in order to preserve its vibrancy. Both varietals were aged separately on their lees for 8-9 months with gentle bâtonnage before assembly of the final cuvée.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The bouquet is seductive and complex, displaying mineral, beeswax, hazelnut, lemon, hawthorn, peony, dry apricot and melon. The mouth is round, tactile and seamless, balanced by ample gras, with a background of brioche and mineral notes. The intense aroma of honey is combined with hints of dry apricot, white peaches, candied fruits, pineapple, quince paste and marshmallow. The focused finish is extremely long, lasting over 70 seconds.