2014 Fiancetto Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Block 18

Block 18 and the Water Witch

Ry Richards is not superstitious. He doesn’t care which side of the bed he gets out of in the morning, whether or not he spills the salt after sprinkling it on his breakfast, or if one, two, or 12 black cats cross his path on his way to the winery. When he makes the call to harvest, it’s because the grapes are ready, not because of signs from the stars.

BUT, when it comes to water — the valley’s most precious resource in drought years like 2014 — Ry covers all his bases. Enter the “water witch.”

The most famous account of a water witch leading vintners to deep wells hidden from geological instruments may be that of Dr. Jan Krupp, owner of the legendary Stagecoach vineyard on Atlas Peak. In 1990, Krupp’s water witch, Jonathan Newman, directed him to drill deep down into the mountain, where geologists claimed there was nothing but rock. In a spot about 450 feet below the surface, Krupp hit paydirt, an underground river.

Of course, there is also Marc Mondavi (yes, that Mondavi), who is himself a water witch. In more than 40 years of “dowsing,” Mondavi has reportedly located over 100 wells, many in places where geologists found zilch.  

And so it was in the case of Block 18. The water witch in question, as Ry explained, was a rather reclusive figure, born in the ‘40s to a Napa ranching family, who purportedly learned the practice of dowsing from his grandmother, an Italian immigrant. Ry first crossed his path in 2009 when both were surveying lots in the largely unplanted southeastern corner of Napa — what would soon be designated as Coombsville. Five years later, in the third straight drought year in the valley, the two met again, this time at a pristine site upvalley, on the western bench of the Napa River. The circumstances were different in that Ry was looking for fruit to source, and our dowser was monitoring a well he had discovered some 15 years earlier.

In a move that Ry couldn’t explain, but never questioned, the dowser directed him to the vineyard’s Block 18, claiming that it was directly above the deep well he had found a decade and a half prior. As Ry explained, “There was something about the fruit that made it stand out just a little bit from the surrounding blocks. There was no real evidence of an underground water source. Berries were still tiny and massively concentrated — stressed from the lack of rain — but the way the fruit stood up on the vine! It showed a subtle vibrancy that wasn’t present anywhere else in the vineyard. I was sold.”

After a hefty pour into Zalto stemware, so were we.

The incredible liveliness that Ry had seen in the fruit on the vine had translated directly to what was in our glasses. A sexy, deep garnet in color, the 2014 Fiancetto Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Block 18 shows opulent dark cherry and red currant on the nose, with hints of spice, crushed flower petals, and cocoa. Round, supple, and juicy on the palate, finessed and elegant, with raspberry notes accented by black tea complexity. Buoyant and upfront, bursting with fruit and finishing with plush, mid-weight tannins.

Think this “water witch” stuff is all bogus? Way out of left field? We thought so too. Then we tried the wine. Or to be exact, we tried a case — 12 bottles disappeared from WineAccess HQ last week. We think Tom from Engineering may have brought a quarter of them home, but really, we don’t blame him. Set for $60 on release. Just $24 today, while 600 bottles last. ONLY on WineAccess.

• ABV 14.80%
• Enjoy right away
• % Cabernet Sauvignon