Creating a World Class Cabernet

With our 2022 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon, winemaker Josh Maloney employed a time-intensive, old-world technique for introducing native yeast to the wine fermentation process—pied du cuve.

Two weeks before fermentation, Josh went to the hardware store and bought two brand new buckets. He then went out to the vineyard and clipped clusters from the vines to transport back to his lab.

This process took place on his back porch AKA “lab,” which is nowhere near the wine production facility. This is important as the native yeasts must be isolated from yeasts growing in the production areas and cellar to prevent cross-contamination.

Josh sprayed his arms and the buckets with alcohol to thoroughly cleanse them. He pulled on gloves and carefully destemmed each cluster by hand. He then covered the buckets and left them, coming back daily to turn the mixture. He also added sulfites to kill any non-native bacteria in the yeast.

The wine yeast began turning to fuel. After about a week, he brought the buckets to the production facility and poured the mixture into the tanks. This process, with two to three dozen yeast strains working together, is true native fermentation.

Why such a meticulous process? Josh wanted to accentuate the terroir and pied du cuve tends to produce complex aromas and textures. For this vintage, Josh also changed the oak program to one-third each American, French, and neutral.

Mark your calendars for Fall 2025 to put in your orders for this unique vintage of the Capital Call Cabernet Sauvignon!