Anakota Wine Offer

THE STORY
The story of Anakota begins deep in the heart of Knights Valley in rural Sonoma County.  Located in an ancient volcanic zone, this relatively untouched and unknown place offers incredibly unique and diverse soils with a climate perfectly suited to Bordeaux varietals. Sourced from estate-owned vineyards, Anakota is a collection of single vineyard, single varietal, Knights Valley wines that personify the rustic elegance and spirit of Sonoma County. Rising more than 4,000 feet above sea level, Mount St. Helena looks down on our two prized estate-owned vineyards, Helena Dakota and Helena Montana, which are quietly situated on the rugged flanks of the Mayacamas Mountain Range.

WINEMAKING
Vigneron Pierre Seillan crafts pure Cabernet Sauvignon from stressed vines that are deeply rooted in the rocky soils of this special place. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Seillan takes his micro-cru approach to the ultimate level and embraces the true terroir of each distinct vineyard. Struggle, stress, mineral-rich soils, and notably cooler temperatures best define the growing conditions for our Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines of Anakota stand alone as singular expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon from two very unique vineyard sites.

Single Vineyard - Single Varietal - Single Appellation

Helena Montana Vineyard

VINEYARD
Running northeast to southwest on the eastern side of scenic Highway 128, the Helena Mountain vineyard offers ever-changing topography.  Rolling hills abut steep benches with slopes of up to 30 degrees. This juxtaposition of hills, knolls and trees routes cool, westerly winds away from the vines. Planting vines perpendicular to the prevailing winds provides even more protection. A pure mountain stream and rocky ridge separate this vineyard from our Helena Dakota vineyard.

SOIL
Distinctive yellow-white soil that does not yield easily to touch typifies this vineyard. This pale, sandy and gravelly loam at first glance resembles solid rock. A stringent pruning process forces the roots of vines down through this firm soil strata rather than allowing them to grow parallel to the surface as they would on their own. All the same, the roots do not deeply penetrate the earth, which results in smaller, more stressed vines than those of our neighboring Helena Dakota vineyard.

ACCLAIM
94 Points – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate
– Robert Parker, Jr., October 2013
“The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard comes across as one of the most tannic, backward wines I tasted from any of the four vintages I was looking at during my extensive trip to Napa Valley in late August and early September. Very extracted with high tannins (almost excessive), this 2009 is built like an old style Bordeaux with lots of red and black fruits, graphite and noticeable oak”. 

Helena Dakota Vineyard

KNIGHTS VALLEY
Distinctive soil and notably cooler temperatures than those found in adjacent vineyards best define the growing conditions for this Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We planted our Helena Dakota Vineyard on the foothills of Mount St. Helena which rises more than 4,000 feet above sea level. This distinctive, two-peaked mountain remains the heart of an ancient volcanic zone responsible for the complex, mineral-rich soils of Knights Valley and nearby grape-growing districts.

VINEYARD
This 12.4 acre vineyard runs southeast to northwest on the eastern side of scenic Highway 128 and possesses slopes of up to 15 degrees.  Prevailing westerly winds pass over a large, cold pond and blow uphill,parallel to the rows of vines. These cooling breezes slow down the ripening of the grapes and result in wines that are packed with elegance, complexity and finesse. A pure mountain stream and rocky ridge separate this vineyard from our Helena Montana vineyard.

SOIL
Silt-loam soil that is reddish brown in color prevails in the Helena Dakota Vineyard. Although the soil is rocky in some places, overall it is softer than the soil in our neighboring Helena Montana Vineyard. The softer soil allows vines to establish deeper root systems and grow larger vines. Without fail, the fruit each vintage possesses mineral qualities characteristic of this unique combination of soil and temperature.

ACCLAIM
95 Points – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate
– Robert Parker, Jr., October 2013
“An extra special wine, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard possesses full body as well as a terrific bouquet of blue and black fruits, crushed rocks and spring flowers. A super-muscular, rich, powerful Cabernet built for long-term cellaring”. 

BUILD YOUR OWN OFFER

Wine for this offer is limited.
There are only six of each magnum available. Magnum orders may be allocated.

Helena Montana
750 ml - $75
1.5 ltr - $175

Helena Dakota
750 ml - $75
1.5 ltr - $175

All orders placed through the Wine Director's Diary will receive a 10% discount (password: golf).

ORDERING
For all questions and orders, contact Jeff McCarthy at 707 569 2906 or [email protected]. Let us know if you would like your wine shipped or placed in your wine locker. Sales tax and appropriate shipping will be added to all orders. Allow 2-3 weeks for account processing and shipping. During extreme weather, wine orders may be held until it is safe to ship.