2018 The Crane Assembly ‘Disciples’ Napa Valley Red Blend

Estate Notes: Strawberry preserves leap from the glass initially, followed by a bouquet of floral aromatics: lavender, violets and roses. Rich earthy notes of freshly plowed soil, fresh rain on warm granite and petrichor. Spicy, but not a peppery spice, more of a star anise spiciness, tart raspberries and sweet plouts, with a very long, dusty finish of strawberry cream, vanilla and caramelized sugar that lingers…smooth and luscious!
Blend: 49% Zinfandel, 19% Petite Sirah, 10% Charbono, 9% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 6% Merlot

The Crane Assembly is centered around a unique eight-acre vineyard located in the gravel rich soils of southern St. Helena. It is believed that George Beldon Crane, or simply G.B. Crane, first established grapes on this site in the year 1885, making it one of the oldest vineyards in the Napa Valley. Although records are scarce, it was most likely planted as a field blend commonly known as “mixed blacks”. This field blend traditionally consisted of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, and a smattering of lesser-known grape varieties such as Alicante Bouschet, Mourvedre and Valdiguie.

Of the eight acres in production, approximately four acres are Crane’s original plantings. This four-acre block has been continuously farmed for nearly one hundred and thirty years by a number of different people…and now it is our turn to take on that responsibility. In addition to Crane’s old vine section, there is also a 1.6 acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon, a 1.4 acre block of Petite Sirah, and two rows of Merlot.  

Winemaker Kevin A. Fox:
To replicate the style and structure of the G.B. Crane Vineyard we began sourcing from other iconic vineyards in the area. The backbone of the 2018 Disciples Red Wine comes from the Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford and the Tofanelli Vineyard in Calistoga. The Morisoli’s have been farming their plot of land for 5 generations, dating back to the 1890’s. The Tofanelli’s have been farming their ranch since 1929 and grow some of Napa’s most coveted field blend varietals.