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Few places in the world make the grade as a perfect site for producing the Cabernet Sauvignon grape like Winfield Vineyard at the base of Mount Saint Helena in Napa Valley. It is that special combination of volcanic soils and cobbled rocks, warm days and cool nights, and naturally small crops. Under the watchful stewardship of a dedicated team, the land expresses this paradise in a rare wine of balance, eloquence and complexity. Pull a cork and taste the place. Growers Tom Thornton and Brenda Mixson entered the California wine industry in 1997 with the purchase of their 32-acre ranch in the Calistoga district. While still pursuing their respective careers in architecture and commercial real estate finance, they focused on the success of their 12-acre Cabernet vineyard – which they named Winfield Vineyard – and on expressing its incomparable character in a wine glass. For several years, Tom and Brenda have been selling their desirable Cabernet Sauvignon fruit to some of the finest wineries and winemakers in the valley. Entrusting a few tons from the 2004 harvest to their own winemaker, they began their own label – THE GRADE – a phrase taken from a passage by Robert Louis Stevenson in “The Silverado Squatters” in which this famous writer chronicles his travels past their vineyard location on the Toll Road. In addition to estate grown THE GRADE Cabernet Sauvignon, their new company – The Grade Cellars – then released its Sauvignon Blanc in May 2009 under the label SEA-FOG – also named from Stevenson’s book. Winemaker consultant Rudy Zuidema has crafted magnificent representation of this estate Cabernet vineyard in THE GRADE. Combining Old and New World fermentation techniques, Rudy “makes the grade” as a balanced fusion of concentrated fruits, rich aromatics and seamless textures. In SEA-FOG, driven by both the acid and crisp fruit coming directly from its up-valley vineyard, he presents a pure look at SB. THE GRADE has been enthusiastically received since its release in 2008. The Bounty Hunter declares THE GRADE “a rising star” in its catalogue. Wine Enthusiast Magazine gave the 2005 and 2007 vintages ratings of 92, and the California Cabernet Shoot-Out awarded it a 94 score. The 2006 vintage was chosen as one of the top ten Cabernets at the California Cabernet Society. Acme Fine Wines in St. Helena recently described THE GRADE in its newsletter: “The wine is simply impressive….DAMN is it nice. Blueberries, brown sugar, rich and creamy. Find a new favorite – we did.”