Ember & Grain · Field Notes · Wood · Nº 12
Cabernet Barrel Wood
the red wine oak
Oakville, Napa Valley. A narrow valley, a famous tasting, and oak stained purple by Cabernet.
Napa Valley runs about thirty miles between two ranges of hills, the Mayacamas to the west and the Vaca to the east. George Yount planted its first vines in 1838. In 1868 H. W. Crabb planted a vineyard at Oakville and named it To Kalon, Greek for “the beautiful.” In 1966 Robert Mondavi built his winery beside it.
A blind tasting in Paris, and a valley that never looked back.
On the salt
In the Atlas, Cabernet Barrel Wood is paired with Kalahari Salt.
Field notes
| Also known as | French · American oak |
| Tree | Quercus petraea and Q. alba |
| Barrel | Barrique, about 225 liters |
| Home | Oakville · 38°26′ N |
| Appellation | Napa Valley, 1981 |
| Smoke | Rich, dark, fruity · 3 of 5 |
| On the salt | Kalahari Salt · Vol. I, Nº 11 |
Continue in The Origins Atlas
The rest of this chapter lives in the book: the full story of the place, how the wood burns, the people who keep the tradition, and the hand-drawn map.
- The Place · the Judgment of Paris
- The Barrel · from wine to fire
- The Taste · dark and tannic
Sources: Wikipedia, “Napa Valley AVA,” “Oakville AVA,” “Robert Mondavi Winery”; NPR, “The Judgment of Paris” (2016). Imagery is illustrative and AI-generated.