2009 Staglin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley, California, USA

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.

Staglin Family Vineyard is situated at the base of Mount St. John, in the Napa Valley district of California.The vineyard was purchased by the Staglins in 1985, and prior to this date had been passed down a long line of owners, including Andre Tchelistcheff, who the Staglins have worked closely with. They have fifty one acres of vineyard that are organically cultivated, and now the whole company runs solely on solar energy. Often when the weather is good, they produce more energy than is needed, and so is kindly shared with their neighbours. There is a variety of other plants grown at the vineyard, such as olive trees, clover and sweet peas. Once they start to bud they are mown and turned over into the soil to provide natural fertiliser and nutrients for the vines to soak up. Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Sangiovese are examples of some of the grapes grown at the vineyard. With such a tiny carbon footprint, the Staglins really do their upmost to protect the land and their crops.