2019 Nine Suns ‘Sunbird’ Red Blend Napa Valley

Estate fruit from the Houyi Vineyard and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.  Showing textbook attributes of what Pritchard Hill is famous for, this exhibits a deep, rich color that coats the glass.  Aromatics and flavors of chocolate, coffee, blackberry, violets, and bramble are abundantly expressive followed by hints of dried herbs and graphite.  The palate is robust yet texturally smooth, with soft, plush tannins and balanced acidity, leading to a remarkably long finish.

The Vineyard:
At nearly 1,400 feet above sea level on south-sloping acreage, HOUYI Vinyeard sits above the fog line, basking in the morning sunshine. Twenty-two acres are planted primarily to Bordeaux varietals, with several Rhone blocks. HOUYI’s oldest vines were planted in 2004.

Situated in the Vaca Mountains – the eastern-most range of the Napa Valley – the Hambright soils of HOUYI Vineyard originate from volcanic basalt flows. Since the end of the last ice age, when sea levels began rising and 120” of annual rain was common to the area, boulders began to take on a rounded shape. Continued intense weathering pulled potassium and iron-rich minerals off the rock face, leaving today’s spherical boulders floating in a sea of red clays.

To develop and farm HOUYI Vineyard, vast quantities of boulders were excavated from the top five feet of soil. Stones remaining below the five-foot datum provide deep fissures for grapevine roots to forage down, seek out moisture and draw nutrients. These geologically young, inhospitable, yet intensely mineral-rich soils are what give HOUYI vines their superior vigor and the fruit its extraordinary concentration.

The Chang family bought the former Spanos-Barberian Ranch on Pritchard Hill in 2010 and rechristened it Houyi. Since then, the Changs have spared no expense in redeveloping their vineyard and building a winery on site. Much of the fruit is sold to other producers, but the Changs bottle a small amount of wine under their own label, Nine Suns.