On each trip to Napa Valley with friends and family, my brother-in-law and I enjoy “discovering” a wine or winery that we were not familiar with. If we don’t find it prior to arriving, we enjoy asking “locals” during tastings we schedule what they enjoy drinking.
On a trip a few years ago we had left a tasting at Continuum on Pritchard Hill and began to traverse our way back down to the valley floor. Within Napa Valley there are 16 regions (e.g. St. Helena, Oakville, Howell Mountain) that possess distinct microclimates and terrain which influence grapes grown there. Pritchard Hill is not an official “region” in Napa Valley but will likely become one. The area between the valley floor and Continnum is heavily wooded and the roads were narrow, rugged and steep. Not what many people envision when you mention Napa Valley!
As we slowly progressed we saw a small wooden sign among the trees with the word Ovid and an arrow on it. Not being familiar with Ovid we quickly Googled it and called to see if we could stop in for a tasting. Unfortunately, we were told tastings were by appointment and limited to members on their mailing list. When I returned home I called Ovid and added my name to their waiting list. After a few years passed I received a call I was “officially” moved to the mailing list and provided my first opportunity to purchase Ovid wine.
Since my initial purchase I have been looking forward to finally visiting the winery. I guess I have to get closure on where the arrow on the small wooden sign leads to! A visit had been scheduled as part of a trip to Napa in 2020 but had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. Hopefully the visit will happen in 2021.
Ovid specializes in red wine blends:
- Ovid Napa Valley (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot)
- Hexameter (Cabernet Franc)
- Syrah
In certain years, Ovid produces Loc. Cit. which is a 100% single block Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2017 vintage was only the third vintage of Loc. Cit. to ever be produced. Loc. Cit. is a term used in footnotes, an abbreviation of the Latin term loco citation, which means “in the place cited” or “from the same place”. The significance as it pertains to the wine is the grapes are sourced from a distinctive block within the vineyard.
There was a time when I would tell people I enjoyed wine from California or wine from Napa Valley or Sonoma County within California. From there, you discover you particularly enjoy a wine from a specific region within Napa Valley (e.g. Oakville, Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain). As your preferences develop, you may discover certain vineyards (Hyde, To Kalon, Dr. Crane, Bacigalupi) within certain regions of Napa Valley. It’s hard to believe certain blocks within a vineyard are now a focus.
I plan to enjoy a bottle of Ovid’s Loc. Cit. in advance of visiting the winery. While at the winery I am anxious to learn more about their decision to periodically produce a wine from a distinctive block of grapes in a 15 acre vineyard.
For those of you with inquiring minds I’ll ask if we will shortly be talking about wine produced from specific vines within a block. Depending upon the answer, I’ll ask the “last mile” question. What about wine from specific clusters of grapes on specific vines or specific grapes on specific clusters!
Stay tuned.