Though he has always given careful consideration to every aspect of the winemaking process, winemaker Doug Fletcher sights a critical turning point for the development of the Chimney Rock style. When the Chimney Rock vineyards (and most of the Napa Valley) were infected with phylloxera early in the 1990s, he had to replace every vine on the estate. "What could have been a disaster turned out to be a blessing," he says. "It led me to reexamine every step of our vineyard and farming practices and fine tune them to fully realize the potential of this special property."

Great Vines Make Great Wines
Fletcher's search for the best farming practices led him to the "Balanced Vine" method. First proposed around 1900 and later advanced by such notable viticulturists as Nelson Shaulis and Dr. Richard Smart, it is an approach that works with nature instead of against it. This method encourages the vine to grow naturally, without artificial manipulation. If done right, the vine will only set the amount of fruit it can ripen. This eliminates the need for green harvesting and leaf-pulling. By harvest time, the carefully managed "Balanced Vine" approach results in a generally uniform crop that yields small, concentrated berries.

Fletcher begins his winemaking in the vineyard, with detailed soil analysis to guide his choice of the right rootstock. "Matching the rootstock with the soil is the first key winemaking decision," he notes. The right rootstock is chosen by matching the vigor of each vine to the particular type of soil and angle of the hillside slopes, all to achieve the right degree of moderate water stress. The Fletcher Lyre, a customized trellising system (created by Doug Fletcher), supports his methods of pruning and controlled growth ensuring each side of the vine is equally exposed to the sun.

Terroir is of course a central factor in determining the characteristics of a wine. According to Fletcher, the "Balanced Vine" method demonstrates that in the final analysis, great vines make great wines. And in the noted Stags Leap District this can result in perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon that is luscious, full and complex with a velvety finish.

"Balanced Vine" characteristics include:

• Moderate water stress by early June, which produces the small berries.
• Leaves and fruit mostly in the sun, which intensifies color and berry-like aroma.
• Properly stressed vines produce only the number of leaves required to ripen the small clusters. This assures that the sugar goes to the fruit and not to unnecessary leaves.