In June, we are featuring a momentous online special from Brassfield Winery, based out of Lake County, which is just north of Napa Valley. Brassfield is a small estate winery, and Steve's is the first location in Texas to be able to sell their wines. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the available wines; inventory is limited, but if you are interested in more product, contact Cheryl to order more at winemanager@steveswinebar.com.
Pickup will be at Steve's; we will package the wines for you and have them ready for your next visit.
At the top of High Valley AVA in Lake County, CA, is an Estate and winery unlike any other. Planted at an altitude matched by only 1% of vineyards in the world, Brassfield Estate Vineyards & Winery is not bound by the traditions of the valley floor. Precision, sustainable farming is our base to craft 17 varietals; from vine to bottle, the wines never leave our hands. They go above and beyond for the land they reside on, the animals they share it with, the people who join them, and of course, their award-winning wines.
Read more about Brassfield Estates.
Brassfield's home ranch on the west side of the High Valley AVA has been known as “High Serenity Ranch” for over one hundred years. The blocks planted to this idyllic site include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Gewürztraminer. Each block is comprised of ancient lakebed and alluvial soils from the surrounding mountain range. The transverse valley winds create some of the coolest sites in Lake County. The lower temperatures on the valley floor allow for diurnal temperature swings of more than forty degrees, enhancing flavor development while retaining a crisp acidity.
Brassfield's home ranch on the west side of the High Valley AVA has been known as “High Serenity Ranch” for over one hundred years. The blocks planted to this idyllic site include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Gewürztraminer. Each block is comprised of ancient lakebed and alluvial soils from the surrounding mountain range. The transverse valley winds create some of the coolest sites in Lake County. The lower temperatures on the valley floor allow for diurnal temperature swings of more than forty degrees, enhancing flavor development while retaining a crisp acidity.
Adjacent to an ancient volcanic cinder cone and nestled into the remote eastern edge of High Valley, our Volcano Ridge vineyard features steep slopes and strikingly red volcanic soils. Originally planted in 2003 and 2004, the vineyard totals 85 acres and is planted to a sizable number of varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Zinfandel. The vineyard elevation ranges from 1900 ft. to 2200 ft. The volcanic sands and tephra (small, fused sand pebbles) of the Konocti series make for excellent drainage. Vines struggle in these soils, and the intensity of that struggle is reflected in the layers of complexity and structure, in the concentrated fruit, and in the final expression of Volcano Ridge wines.
Brassfield's winemaking philosophy emphasizes quality and the use of traditional handcrafted techniques, which create wines that have both power and finesse. This Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested at the peak of ripeness in the early morning to retain freshness and acidity. They kept the fermentations healthy with twice daily pump overs in stainless steel tanks. After sending wines to French and Hungarian Oak barrels, Brassfield allowed the wines to undergo malolactic fermentation in our extensive wine caves. This wine aged with French and Hungarian oak for 18 months and was lightly fined and filtered before bottling.
