The Morisoli Vineyard is situated along Niebaum Lane in Rutherford, California, just west of Highway 29 in the center of the historic Rutherford Bench. The contiguous 53-acre vineyard sits at the base of Mt. St. John, planted in alluvial soils, which have been slowly eroded from the Mayacamas mountain range. This small patch of land became home to the first-generation of Morisolis in 1902 when they settled there to begin farming grapes and start a family. These well-drained, gravelly bale-clay and pleasanton-loam soils have consistently yielded wines of great complexity, firm tannins, and abundant fruit flavors.
Every year since 1994, our winemaking team has received impeccable Cabernet Sauvignon from Morisoli Vineyard and every few vintages we produce a single vineyard Morisoli Cabernet Sauvignon.
As a wine club member, you have been granted exclusive access to the last remaining 2017 Morisoli Vineyard Cabernet from our library. As a member, you will also receive $10 ground shipping on orders of 6 or more bottles during this special re-release. For personalized assistance, please give us a call at 800-851-7841.
The fruit for this wine comes from Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford. Morisoli is an iconic Rutherford vineyard on the famed Rutherford Bench at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains. Gary Morisoli’s old Italian farming style makes use of minimal water and full tilling of the soil and creates concentrated, structured wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon clones included are 7 and 8. The blend is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc.
HARVEST & WINEMAKING
The 2017 vintage started with ground water coffers very full due to an exceptionally wet winter, giving us some relief to the years of drought. Fortunately, spring weather was mild and fruit set was solid though still lower than previous vintages due to the previous drier years. Summer contained a few heat events, followed by an impactful one over Labor Day weekend. Growers who had done their due diligence with correct row orientation, sufficient canopy shade, and good vine health were rewarded. All said, it is a vintage that highlights the skill of the winemaker and wine grower.
The fruit was hand-picked and the berries were hand-sorted. The juice went through a 2-day cold-soak process to settle the solids before inoculating with an assortment of French yeast strains. Fermentation temperatures were kept cool to maintain fresh fruit flavors and pumpovers were executed two to three times daily to extract the rich color and tannins from the skins. After fermentation, the wine was moved to barrel to initiate malolactic fermentation and was racked twice before bottling and extended aging.
This deep, dark reddish-black wine has bright aromas of red cherry, raisin cake, cedar, and a hint of savory sage. The wine bursts with flavors of black cherry and balsamic glaze. The rich dark fruit notes carry through on the palate, and the wine is round, full-bodied and juicy. May be cellared 10-15 years from vintage.
Gary Morisoli is the fourth-generation Morisoli. Raised in Rutherford and St. Helena, he grew up from a very young age working in the vineyard with his Grandfather Plinio and Grandmother Clementine. While still managing Plinio’s vineyard, he began his own vineyard management company, managing over 300 acres on the Rutherford Bench. Gary managed iconic vineyards including; Bosche, Hewitt, Greer, Grgich, Godward, Inglenook, JJ Cohn and Sycamore. Focusing now on his vineyard only, Gary can still be found on the tractor or checking on the vineyard while riding around on his blue bicycle. He enjoys restoring old tractors and jeeps and generally prefers a Pepsi to wine, but he has been known to have a fantastic palate.
Christopher Morisoli is the fifth-generation Morisoli. Growing up free-range on Niebaum Lane, he was always driving a tractor, helping his dad fix things, or racing around on a four-wheeler. After becoming a volunteer and seasonal firefighter during college, Chris decided to join the Army to become a MEDEVAC Pilot in 2006. After 12 years of active duty in Alaska, Honduras, Hawaii, Afghanistan, Iraq and a few other countries, Chris decided it was time to come back home. Now his job title is “Tractor Pilot,” given to him by his dad upon his return.
“Pronounced aromas of spice-box, vanilla, lavender and blueberry jam. It’s full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins. Tasty…with sweet, jammy fruit.” –
“Expressive, with singed vanilla and mocha leading off, followed by warm cherry compote and cassis notes. Polished and friendly, this is a crowd-pleaser.”
“The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Morisoli Vineyard has a touch of dusty earth as well as baked cherries, chocolate, and leather. With good richness and depth of fruit, medium to full body, and some dry, chewy tannins, it’s a solid effort that should evolve for a decade or more.”
“The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Morisoli Vineyard shows super-ripe black cherry, vanilla, white chocolate and new leather, all in an inky and powerful style.”