2007 Lineage: The Wine

The potential quality (now realized) of the 2007 vintage was apparent shortly after our Bordeaux varieties finished malolactic fermentation in the spring of 2008. The best lots had an uncommon richness and abundance of structure and varietal character that hinted at what our inaugural vintage of Lineage would be.

After 18 months and a score of mock blends, We arrived at what we thought was the best representation of the Lineage mission. 2007 Lineage is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon (clones 30, 4, and 191), 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, and 2% Merlot.

The resulting wine, which was bottled on January 14, 2010 and will be released on October 17, 2010, promises to be a benchmark for Livermore Valley wine.

In the nose one senses a complex interplay between the dark-fruit, Cabernet notes of cassis and black cherry; the subtle contribution of Cabernet Franc's herbal signature; the dark chocolate and mocha of French and American oak. In the mouth, 2007 Lineage is a very big wine. From an entry of constrained dark fruit to a mid-palate full and tight to a tannic and long finish, the wine showcases the very highest attributes of each variety and promises the forthcoming elegance and maturity that are now subsumed by the exuberance and muscularity of youth.

2007 Lineage should be laid down under proper cellaring conditions for 3-5 years before drinking, and it will reward patience for 15-20 years.

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What is Lineage? Is it Worth Caring About?

Ever since I started in the wine business, I have had as my chief goal the creation of a single wine from the Livermore Valley that eventually could take its place among the world's best. After years of effort, I am very excited to introduce you to a new brand and a new wine - LINEAGE.

Handcrafted from the five classic Bordeaux varieties, all of which were harvested from the Ghielmetti Vineyard, Lineage highlights the elegance, complexity, and age-worthiness that the best of these wines contain. 2007 - one of the finest growing seasons in memory - marks the inaugural vintage of Lineage. After tasting hundreds of barrels only five were considered great enough to be included in this first offering.


If you are a lover of great wine, someone truly devoted to drinking wine that is a product of a vision, of great farming, of meticulous barrel choices, then Lineage is worth caring about. It doesn't hurt, either, that this is the first wine of its kind from the Livermore Valley: it is consciously crafted with the knowledge that it must and can compete on the world-stage.

A partnership between the sixth generation of America's oldest winemaking family and the world-class growing area that is the Livermore Valley, Lineage represents a mission and a promise to spare no effort to handcraft one of the world's great wines.

We look forward to sharing Lineage with you. 

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