2006 HāLo

One of the longest growing seasons in our 40 years in Napa Valley began with a New Year’s flood and continued with an unusually cool, wet spring, then segued into a very mild summer punctuated by a record July heat wave. August and September were ideal with morning fog, mild afternoons and cool, crisp evenings, while October was dominated by unseasonably cool weather which slowed ripening, elongated the harvest and tried our patience!

To taste HāLo is to appreciate its heritage, its surroundings. Aromas of blackberries and bay leaves, like those that grow along the spring-fed creek that flows through our Hillspring property, flow too through HāLo. The oak forests that surround the vineyards on the hillsides perfume the ground with their litter, and that enchanting aroma is echoed in HāLo as well. Finally, subtle notes of tobacco, smoke, and earth dance in the background, deriving from the soil itself.
This 2006 vintage is remarkable; the long growing season developed wonderful Cabernet character that is reflected in the abundant flavors of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, juicy plum and dark chocolate. The tannins are ripe and refined, holding great promise for decades of cellar age.

HāLo should be reserved for the finest cuts of full-flavored beef, lamb, and game.