“Be bold. Take Risks. Always Stay Connected.” This is the mantra for Kimberly Jones’ Tether. As wine broker to many highly sought after stars of the wine business, Kimberly has access to some of the best sites and brightest talents in California. With secret sources from some of the most coveted vineyards in the Napa Valley, Kimberly and winemaker Anna Monticelli teamed up to produce an extraordinary blend of the Valley’s best. Kimberly’s first vintage, in 2013, was made by esteemed winemaker Benoit Touquette, and their small 168-case bottling sold out instantly. For the 2014 vintage, Kimberly brought on her talented friend Anna Monticelli, to craft a relatively larger bottling with just over 1000 cases. After earning her degree at UC Davis and studying across Europe, Anna worked her first harvest at Bordeaux’s famous Château Cheval Blanc. She has served as assistant winemaker for Seavey Vineyard as well as Bryant Family Vineyard and is currently the winemaker for Piña in the Napa Valley. She has brought her sharpened skill to Kimberly’s passion project and together they have created something magical that is still well under the radar.

 

This balanced composition of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec takes the majesty of left bank Bordeaux and transforms it into a delicious wine with an unmistakable Napa Valley footprint. Although the sources are top secret for this red blend, 58% of the fruit hails from Napa’s Wooden Valley, 26% from St. Helena and 16% from Howell Mountain. The grapes are all from sustainably farmed vineyards and the soils are predominantly volcanic and loam, which lends a hint of soft minerality to the wine. The pristine fruit is aged in 80% new French oak, 12% of that is barrel-fermented, and the result is an enchanting expression of modern Napa red with freshness and verve that is hard to come by.