JustNat - a wine to bring joy into your heart and a smile on your face.
Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County is home to the Schreyer hillside vineyard and the fruit of French clone vines from which Raphael Brisbois creates award winning JustNat Cabernet Sauvignon. Benefiting from outstanding terroir and matured in French oak barrels, JustNat is a special, elegantly balanced enduring single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Schreyer Vineyard
The Schreyer Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was conceived and developed to celebrate Gary’s children by producing the very highest quality grapes to blend into a distinguished wine named in honor of his two daughters, Justine and Natalie.
Prior to planting, a soil analysis was conducted to identify the optimal rootstock to take greatest advantage of the vineyard’s soil composition. In addition, research was conducted to identify and obtain three of the most outstanding French clone Cabernet Sauvignon vines. The clones were selected for their very high quality and their ability to produce wine grapes with complementary characteristics from which a memorable and distinguished wine could be created.
Our vines (rootstock and clone scions) were developed in a nursery and subsequently planted on approximately 8 acres of moderately steep hillside near the town of Healdsburg - at the southern end of the Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California. A vertical trellis system is utilized to train the vines in rows spaced 6 feet by 8 feet. Importantly, the vineyard location and specific row orientation was organized to take maximum advantage of the area’s extraordinary terroir and sun.
During the growing season the vines are carefully nurtured by Mitchell Patin and Patin Vineyard Management in accordance with the best viticulture industry practices and standards. The Fall harvest culminates in, what we believe is, exceptional fruit for an exceptional wine.
Winemaker - Raphael Bribois
Born and raised in France, Raphaël received a Masters degree in Viticulture and Enology from Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Agronomie in Montpellier.
From 1976 to 1985, he first worked as a winemaker at a large negociant house, Henri Maire, and then at the Champagne house of Piper Heisdsieck.
He then spent two years running the vineyards and winery operations for Champagne India, East of Bombay on the Deccan Set.
Raphaël joined Iron Horse Vineyards in California in 1987 where he was in charge of the sparkling wine production.
In 1995, he started his winemaking consultancy. Today, Raphaël is a partner in Gary Raphael Vintners LLC which produces JustNat as well continuing his involvement with other winemaking projects in California (Piper Sonoma, Bearboat, San Antonio), Canada, Chile and France.
Raphaël is married and has two adult age sons. We could have named our wine after them (LUBE - after LUdovic and BEnoît), but it didn’t seem quite right!
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