The Mascot
— Portfolio —
“The Mascot is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon made from distinct hillside vineyards; specifically, the younger vines of BOND, Harlan Estate, and Promontory. It started out as a small project shared among the family, winemaking team, and close friends. Drawing fruit from blocks of recently replanted vineyards, The Mascot shares a glimpse into the evolution of its parent estates: a youthful snapshot of their future” – Notes by The Mascot
The first vintage of the The Mascot was available for purchase in 2008 however the wine had been made several vintages prior but simply shared with friends, family and loved ones, unlabelled, sharing their love of the region. Sounds just charming to me. One key part of the message of The Mascot is it not a second wine of any of the estates that the grapes are sourced from. A wine very much made in its own right.
The vineyard’s Harlan, BOND and Promontory are part of a yearly replanting program, albeit a very small percentage of the overall size of the vineyards to maintain vine health. This of course means each estate has a small evolving parcel of younger vines which when ready are selected for The Mascot. Each parcel is made separately at its respective wineries then blended during the middle to later stages of the barrel aging.
At the core of the philosophy of The Mascot is the family’s passion to ensure the wine is ready for enjoyment immediately on release, hence its aged for a significant time in barrel and bottle before being made available to purchase.
The Mascot is a Cabernet Sauvignon predominant blend alongside a balance of Cabernet Franc, Merlot & Petit Verdot.