By — October 31, 2025
Harvest Reflections & A Rare Release
As another harvest comes to a close, we celebrate a season that balanced ideal growing conditions, a steady pace, and the hallmark character of Napa Valley wines. From a plentiful winter to a steady fall, the 2025 vintage offered both challenges and rewards that will be remembered fondly.
Harvest Overview
We harvested 480 tons of grapes for Ghost Block Estate this year—marking another successful vintage. The season began with our first pick of MorgaenLee Sauvignon Blanc on August 19th and wrapped up with Pelissa Montepulciano on October 16th—slightly later than 2024’s finish but following a similar rhythm.
Thanks to abundant winter rainfall, mild spring weather, and a summer with minimal heat spikes, vine health and balance were exceptional. The generous moisture allowed us to dry-farm 97% of our total planted acreage—a rare luxury in modern viticulture. These vines received no irrigation, relying entirely on stored winter rainfall. We monitored their water status through evapotranspiration data, soil moisture readings, and stomatal conductance—ensuring water was applied only where absolutely necessary.
Classic Conditions
Unlike the 2024 season, which brought several significant heat waves, 2025 was defined by stability. Temperatures hovered consistently within the optimal range, allowing fruit to ripen evenly. Early growth progressed quickly, granting the vines extended hangtime for flavor and tannin development. The cool, steady season enhanced color intensity and preserved natural acidity across all varieties.
Ripening occurred in balanced phases, giving our team time to carefully plan each pick. While harvest always brings urgency, this year offered rare moments of calm between surges. The real sprint came in mid-October, when a forecasted rain prompted the final push to bring in the last fruit before conditions turned. Thanks to seamless coordination between vineyard and winery crews, everything came in at peak quality.
A Vintage to Remember
The 2025 vintage embodies the patience, precision, and teamwork that define our farming. From our dry-farmed vines to newly planted blocks, each parcel told its own story this year. The result is fruit with remarkable depth, purity, and freshness—a reflection of a growing season that gave the vines exactly what they needed, and little more.
As we look ahead, the winery is already filled with the first aromas of fermentation and barrel aging. Another remarkable vintage is quietly taking shape, and we can’t wait to share its story in the glass.
Cellar Spotlight: 2008 Oakville Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Our Oakville Winery Montepulciano remains a wine club exclusive—crafted in small quantities and cherished by those who know. But this week, we opened a true piece of family history: the 2008 Oakville Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. Seventeen harvests later, it continues to astonish. Deep garnet in color, it greets you with aromas of cassis, cacao, and hints of blackberry and cedar. On the palate, dark fruit and fine-grained tannins reveal a silky texture, while notes of cacao and tobacco carry through to a long, graceful finish.
We were blown away by its elegance—a reminder of how our vineyards and family hands shape wines that stand the test of time.
