Seavey Vineyard Napa Valley California Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

Everything about Seavey Vineyards Napa Valley California Cabernet Sauvignon wine tasting notes, wine and food pairing tips, best vintages, history of the property, information on their wine making techniques, terroir and soil. You can also read about the Grapes used for California wine and learn about the extensive History of Napa Valley, California Wines

Seavey History, Overview

Seavey Vineyard has a long history in the Napa Valley. It was first cultivated all the way back in 1881 by the Franco-Swiss Farming Company, headed by Charles Volper. At the time, the large 143 acre estate was used for both vineyards, as well as a cattle and horse ranch. By 1894, ranching won out, and the vines were allowed to die. Eventually, the property was turned into a cattle ranch.

That changed in 1979 when the San Francisco couple, William Seavey and Mary Seavey purchased the property and renamed the estate. The entire vineyard needed planting as it had long since gone fallow, used primarily for cattle grazing. They began cultivating their vines in 1981. For the first few years, Seavey sold their grapes to other producers before producing a wine under the Seavey name. The winery made its debut vintage in 1990. Originally, Seavey hired Gary Galleron as their consultant. In 1995, they changed things up and brought in Philippe Mekla as their consultant, becoming one of his first clients.

Seavey Vineyards, Wine, Winemaking

Seavey owns 43 acres of vines. Located in Conn Valley, much of their terroir is in a warm-micro climate, the soils are volcanic rocks, stones and sand. Located close to the Meadowood Resort, the vineyard is focused mostly on Bordeaux varietals. 34.6 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 acres of Petit Verdot, 3 acres of Petit Verdot and 2.5 acres of Chardonnay are currently planted. At Seavey, they try dry farming as much as possible. In fact, a specific, 4.6 acre parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon planted on their steeper, hillside, terraces is exclusively dry farmed.

Initially, in 1990, Seavey released Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. In 1994, they added a Merlot to their lineup of wines.

Today, Seavey produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carivana Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. In addition, Seavey recently added a high-end, limited cuvee’, Founders Reserve. The Founders’ Reserve is a small, 50 case, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon production that is made from the estates oldest vines. The vines are in their oldest, terraced part of the vineyard, that is exclusive dry farmed. The Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the wine to buy, has an average production of under 1,000 cases per year. Caravina Cabernet Sauvignon, which is made from the estates youngest vines, and is made in a forward style has an average production of more than 2,000 cases per year.

On average, Seavey ages their red wines in 50% new, French oak barrels for between 18-20 months before bottling. Based on how well their early vintages like 1991 and 1994 are aging, this is a fabulous wine to lay down in your cellar, as the wines do evolve, taking on additional complexities.

Serving and Decanting Seavey with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Seavey is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Young vintages can be decanted for 1-3 hours, depending on the character of the vintage. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Seavey is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, ribs, hamburgers, barbecue, roasted, braised, grilled dishes and stews. Seavey is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms and pasta.

The white wine of Seavey is best served with all types of seafood and shellfish, sushi, sashimi, chicken, veal, pork and cheese.

www.seaveyvineyard.com