Newton Vineyard - The Mountain Wines
Newton Vineyard was founded in 1977 by English businessman Peter Newton, an eclectic innovator with a pioneering spirit and a deep respect for nature. Peter’s ambitious quest was to create mountain wines that embrace contrasts, delivering a classic freshness and precision while inviting the supple ripeness that Napa Valley’s climate offers. Peter left the valley floor, where he had founded Sterling, to plant new vineyards on Spring Mountain’s steep hillsides, whose volcanic, well-draining soils would deliver a distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon expression. Today, with the addition of vineyards on Mount Veeder and the slopes above Yountville, Newton’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons and flagship Bordeaux blend, The Puzzle, embody the fulfillment of Peter’s vision.
Newton’s winemaker Andrew Holve is right at home in this environment. “I’m Californian, I grew up around these mountains. I want to showcase the distinctiveness of our mountain terroir, which delivers a lively balance of bright freshness and ripe Napa fruit,” he says. “Ultimately the environment shapes these wines, and I nurture them and allow them time to make a wine that spotlights and stands true to the Napa Valley.” And, committed to sustainable practices from the beginning, Holve is proud that Newton now has CCOF organic certification for all three of its estate vineyards.
2018 Newton The Puzzle, Celebrating 30 Years
A hallmark of Newton winery since 1992, The Puzzle puts the pieces together to form a picture not only of different terroirs but also of the five different classic Bordeaux grape varieties. Holve experiments with different varieties, styles, and techniques every year to ensure each vintage of The Puzzle has a unique personality. With Spring Mountain as its backbone, components of Mount Veeder and Yountville add more dimensions to its depth.
“Getting to play with different vineyards in order to come up with a blend that is my own interpretation of the property, and being able to capture the particular vintage expression and season is why I get out of bed in the morning,” said Holve, who admits that his favorite Newton wine is The Puzzle. “The Puzzle allows me to fully express our unique mountain top vineyards and share this sense of place. To be able to create this incredible wine with my own interpretation is very rewarding to me.”
A singular wine with a vivacious personality and exceptional drinkability, Newton The Puzzle offers a dark fruit profile. The 2018 blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep ruby in color with a purple hue, its notes of black fruit, bay leaf and sage mingle with iodine and oyster shell characteristics to create a complex, enticing bouquet.
2016 Newton Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
In a word, Elegant. The. At an altitude ranging from 500–1600 feet, this original Estate property purchased in 1977 features a complex combination of both sedimentary and volcanic soils as well as diverse, moderately fertile and well-drained conditions. On Spring Mountain, a refined, red fruit character reigns, typically expressed in this wine as a distinct pomegranate note. The spicy nose entices with sage, thyme and rosemary lifted by floral aromas of violet perfume and red flowers. The wine is concentrated but the structure is subtle, elegantly underpinning the aromatic high tones with layered texture. Because this vineyard was mostly destroyed in the 2020 Glass Fire, these remaining vintages of Newton Spring Mountain Cabernet are even more precious and rare. The vineyard is in the first stages of a multi-year replanting plan.
2016 Newton Mount Veeder
Cabernet Sauvignon
In a word, Powerful. The vineyard’s steep southern aspects are cooled by both altitude (800–1400 feet) and proximity to San Pablo Bay, creating the longest growing season of all the Napa Valley AVAs. With well-drained, sedimentary soils, the Mount Veeder vineyard produces vibrant, mineral-driven Cabernet Sauvignon with well-defined structure and a dark, inky, black fruit character. Distinctive aromas of hillside chaparral rise in the glass alongside cassis, cedar, musk and slate, while powdery tannins frame black currant and black cherry on the palate. The complexity continues with a saline mineral quality and hint of peppery eucalyptus. This wine’s phenolic structure gives it the longest aging potential of all the Newton wines.