Our Wine

REVEALING NATURE’S BALANCE

In Coombsville, our signature cool climate is both an asset and a challenge. Here in this breeze-swept caldera, the vines take their time ripening; the hope is, not too much. In most years, the extended harvest at the end of the season comes as a blessing, and the wines—with mature tannins and complex flavors—are exceptional.

The 2019 growing season was just such a year. Even as the vines lay dormant in winter, a steady accumulation of rain through January replenished thirsty soils, priming the vineyard for the natural balance that vines in their third decade can achieve. In drought-plagued California, though, there can be too much of a good thing. February storms dropped 10 inches at Faust, and March rains brought 4 inches more. But the beautiful landscaping of our site, combined with fast-draining, rocky volcanic soils and our three creeks—burbling for weeks with the sound of running water—met the challenge, setting up the canopies for a healthy season. Soon, cool temperatures gave way to a short warm spell that cued bud break the second week in April, just a bit later than average.

Faust Vineyard’s longer hang time softens the tannins in our reds, with no danger in the coolness of losing the fresh acidity that marks our Cabernet Sauvignon. In the end, we took in a pleasing crop that yielded a 2019 The Pact with excellent concentration, pure and vivid fruit, and elegant structure.