Ovid Experiment W10.3 California
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Our organically farmed, 15-acre vineyard is perched on a secluded mountaintop at 1,400 ft. elevation in the western reaches of the Pritchard Hill geography of Napa Valley. Here, we farm rocky red, volcanic soils to capture a true sense of place and craft longlived wines composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. We ferment only with native yeasts and bottle our wines without fining or filtering. Our Winemaker since 2006, Austin Peterson, combines his site-specific experience with a sense of experimentation, embracing a tension between classical and cutting-edge winemaking methods. Our name was inspired by the Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso [Ovid], whose METAMORPHOSES, a poetic retelling of the Greek myths, celebrates themes of transformation and change. Publius Ovidius Naso [Ovid] was a Roman poet who lived from 43 BC – 17 AD. His most famous work, METAMORPHOSES, is a poetic retelling of the Greek myths, celebrating the themes of transformation and change. Winemaking is a transformation from grapes to the sublime; and the works of Ovid – rich and timely, yet steeped in tradition – inform and aspire our winemaking philosophy. We value lasting relationships and sustainable farming and winemaking, all with the goal of creating wines that transmit a unique sense of place and time. Planted in 2000, our 15-acre organically farmed and CCOF certified vineyard is divided into one-acre blocks, each with a different rootstock and clone combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Our gravity flow winemaking process uses traditional and modern methods, including built-in-place concrete and pre-cast concrete fermenters, all with state-of-the-art controls. Designed by Architect Howard Backen, the winery is classically proportioned and built of timeless materials — wood, stone and concrete, interleaved with modern windows, hatches and skylights – and powered by solar energy. To take the best possible care of our beautiful little piece of Pritchard Hill, we are committed to environmental stewardship. We farm the vineyards organically, keep bees, use cover crops, create and use compost, and encourage beneficial animals and insects through the use of owl boxes, bluebird boxes and an insectary garden. To increase biodiversity, we also farm an assorted fruit and nut orchard, including, cherries, plums, pluots, peaches, pomegranates and persimmons, which we allocate to select local restaurants, including The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood.