Topel Winery
- Located in Walla Walla, Hopland, Mendocino County, CA. No public tasting room, but they participate in a co-op tasting room in Geyserville along with 9 other wineries.
- Produce approximately 650 cases per year across 5 wines: Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Hillside Cuvee (Bordeaux blend), Russian River Pinot Noir, Sonoma County Chardonnay, Russian River Rose.
- We blend grapes grown at several different vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley, including the famed Seven Hills Vineyard in Walla Walla, and both Stillwater Creek Vineyard and the Lawrence family’s Corfu Crossing Vineyard outside Royal City.
Our vineyard is located below Duncan Peak at 1,400 feet of elevation. The terroir here is unique when comparing it to valley floor vineyards near us. Our vines grow under very tough conditions on rocky soils (weathered shale and sandstone). The low organic content and excessive drainage lead to low vigor and low yields. However, is this ideal for premium winemaking as berries are small and concentrated. We also have great diversity in our soils and exposures from block to block, leading to uniquely complex flavors within our own vineyard. Moreover our high denticity planting forces us to do all vineyard tasks by hand - no tractors or machinery. This allows us to learn the vineyard extremely well and farm it for quality. Winemaking is minimalistic in order to allow the vineyard to shine through. Although not certified organic, we follow many organic farming practices.
2012 Mendocino Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
- 500 cases produced
- 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot.
- It aged in tight-grain Center of French oak barrels for about 23 months to allow for integration and complexity. 35% new.
Tasting Notes:
Lively aromas of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, and boysenberry. As it opens up with time, dark ripe fruit aromas surface with a hint of thyme and bay to give it a savory component. This medium to full bodied wine is distinctly fruit forward—black currant and plum. It has a smooth structure and mid-palate with flavors of olive tapenade, cedar, and graphite. Its long finish is marked by cacao and a food friendly tension.