Season and Vintage:

The 2025 growing season’s moderate temperatures & cool nights were extraordinary early on— I haven’t seen a summer as mild since moving to California in 2002. I’m optimistic this vintage will be one for the record books. Later in the season, it warmed up allow for the fruit to ripen adequately & develop depth and complex flavors. We were lucky to harvest all of our grapes before the major rain events.

Pedroni Merlot

Picked on September 24, we brought in 1.8 tons — slightly less than last year, but just right for the season’s conditions. Since we source all the fruit from this small vineyard, we’re fully at the mercy of nature’s rhythms. The crop load felt perfect, and the wine is already showing it. Pressed in early October, it’s now undergoing malolactic fermentation to soften its edges—and honestly, it might be our best Merlot yet.

Beatty Ranch Cabernet Franc
Harvested in a flurry on October 13, just ahead of a major rainstorm. We’d hoped to pick the Cabernet Franc earlier, but as a small client of the esteemed Beatty Ranch, we had to wait until their long-standing customers finished. Their year-round vineyard crew is exceptional—deeply familiar with the vines and incredibly skilled. Thankfully, our fruit was picked in the morning just in time before the rain hit, preserving quality and character.

Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

This vintage comes from a new vineyard site perched on one of Coombsville’s higher elevation hills—and we’re beyond excited. The owners and vineyard manager are some of the kindest people we’ve worked with, and the site is stunning. We let the grapes hang as long as we dared, but ultimately picked on October 14, just before the storm. Pressed on October 28, this lot is lean, elegant, and bursting with dark fruit. It’s really delicious already!

Bottling Success:

We wrapped up bottling at Matchbook Wineryi, where I’ve been making my wines. With help from their cellar team & my husband, Yong, we bottled two 2023 red wines. We used gravity flow from tank to five-bottle filler & vacuum corking (preserves freshness), labeling, boxing, & palletizing. We produced ~70 cases of each — 50 more than our first year! The Merlot is stunning, with bright acidity, fresh fruit, & a vibrant profile.

Introducing Coombsville Cabernet:

I’m thrilled to announce our newest wine: a Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville, one of my favorite Napa appellations. Located just east of the city of Napa, Coombsville is a highly regarded AVA (American Viticultural Area) known for its cooler climate & volcanic tuff soils. These conditions create wines with deep color, refined tannins, & beautiful dark fruit flavors.

Experience the New Reds:

We have officially released the 2023 reds, just in time for red wine season! They’re both only 13.6% alcohol and stunning examples of the style and quality of wine I’m aiming for at Ophiolite Cellars.