Ehret Family Winery
Knights Valley, on the north-eastern side of Sonoma County, is the warmest official AVA in the county. It is situated in the saddle of the Vacas Mountain range between the northern end of Napa Valley and the southern end of Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.
Ehret Family Winery’s Bavarian Lion Vineyards have been owned and farmed by the Ehret Family since 1996. The estate vineyards showcase the best that Knight’s Valley has to offer. The Knight’s Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is protected from the marine influence of the Pacific Ocean, making it the warmest AVA in Sonoma County. The vineyards on the estate range from 400 feet to 800 feet in elevation, and are located just north of Calistoga and east of Alexander Valley, on the foothills of Mount St. Helena. The unique topography and soil content make this an excellent area to grow grapes that are also planted in the famous Bordeaux region of France. The soil consists of well drained, very gravelly and sandy loams formed from mixed sedimentary and basic rock.
Ehret Cabernet Sauvignon “The Beginning” 2005 – The taste of this wine has benefitted greatly from the origin of, and agricultural practices used in, the vineyard. It is currently dark in color, displaying a fruit with rich, distinctive flavours and intense aromas. The mouth feel is soft, with tannins that are not overpowering, and silky with a long-lasting finish. This wine will thrive in the bottle for the next 10 years. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 24 months in French oak. 977 cases made.
90 points Wine Enthusiast – “Knights Valley, an inland Sonoma County region, is not well known, but is home to some impressive Cabernets. This one, a first release, shows enormous promise. It’s made in the modern style, slightly soft but richly textured, with ripe currant, cherry, chocolate and new oak flavors that are grounded with an earthy note of olives and herbs. This is a winery to keep an eye on.”
Ehret Hillside Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - The Cabernet unfolds layers of dark cassis fruit, plum, violets and fragrant vanilla. Its firm tannins and solid structure will allow for maximum cellaring potential 10 to 15 years. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 20 months in new French oak. 400 cases made.
93 points Wine Enthusiast, Editor’s Choice – “This 100% Cab shows all the hallmarks of an ageable wine. But it’s beautiful now for the complexity of the tannins and the elegant integration of blackberry and black currant fruit with oak. A dramatic, impressive wine that shows you don’t have to spend a lot of money for a terrific California Cab.”
Ehret Bella’s Blend 2006 – Bella’s Blend is a soft, elegant wine that will complement any cuisine. The wine was aged for 24 months in 100% French oak barrels (33% new). Coarse filtered with pink earth, it opens with plum and black cherry aromas and finishes with supple cinnamon and cedar tannins. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18.5% Cabernet Franc, 18.5% Merlot. 400 cases made.
94 points Wine Enthusiast, Cellar selection – “A deeply impressive Bordeaux blend. It comes from this small, but prestigious, appellation, which is a bridge between Sonoma County and Napa Valley. Marked by dryness and a superb tannic structure, it has deep flavors of blackberries, black currants, violets, herbs and cedar.”
