Winemaker Notes:
Hartwell XX is an estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from blocks at the very top of our property on Wappo Hill. This 2-acre parcel was planted in 1986 by Bob Hartwell, who used cuttings of Grace Family Vineyard’s Bosche clone he had acquired from his friend, Dick Grace. 1990 was the first vintage from those vines, and the early wines of Hartwell Estate Vineyards were made at the Grace winery. Realm was given the opportunity to purchase these blocks in 2020, having acquired nearly 20 acres from the Hartwell family in 2015.
As Hartwell’s winemaker, Benoit had made a separate wine from these upper blocks for many years. Although our inclination could have been to simply fold these blocks into Moonracer, Benoit knew from experience that the Cabernets from the upper and lower blocks are quite distinct. When Benoit had Scott taste the upper block wines going back to the 1990s, the difference was obvious. The Grace/Bosche clone is part of that, but the soils up top are also different, more homogenous with pure, fragmented sandstone. And because the top is relatively flat, the exposure is more uniform than the lower hillside blocks.
The 2020 purchase of acreage included the 2018 and 2019 wines from these blocks, and we will continue to make Hartwell XX – named in part for the year we purchased the land - as a separate wine. The blocks need to be replanted, and our plan is to expand a bit to create five one-acre blocks, each one planted to a different Napa Valley heritage clone - the second origin of the XX name. One acre will consist of the Grace/Bosche clone, preserved from clean budwood. There’s a legacy here we want to honor, a continuity that goes all the way back to the relationship between the Grace and Hartwell families.
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How do we ship?
We ship all our packages using FedEx and other approved carriers with an adult signature requirement (individual aged 21 years or older) at the time of delivery.
Where should you have your package delivered?
Shipping can take place to your home, office, or work. We recommend shipping to a location where an adult will be present during normal package delivery hours to fulfill the adult signature requirement. The courier will make a minimum of 3 delivery attempts and if those attempts are unsuccessful the package will be returned to sender. In the event a package is returned to sender due to an unsuccessful delivery a refund will be issued for the product, but courier fees are nonrefundable. Shipment to PO Boxes are prohibited.
Are deliveries tracked?
Once an order is fulfilled a tracking number will be issued and emailed to the email captured at the time of order placement.
When are packages shipped?
Orders are fulfilled daily, however, we do not fulfill orders on holidays, Saturdays or Sundays. Orders placed over the weekend are subject to delivery the following business day. Packages may be held at our discretion if the contents are sensitive, and the order timing jeopardizes the safety of the parcel and its contents.
What if the shipping address needs to change?
Due to the nature of our fulfillment process changes in address are difficult to accommodate. If a change of shipping address needs to be made contact us at info@boutellierwines.com.