2001 GRODHAL VINEYARD SANGIOVESE
The 2001 Grodhal Sangiovese is deep ruby in color, with complex bouquet of violets, coffee, pepper and mushroom. A well balanced, complex medium bodied Sangiovese with raspberries, soft tannins and a supple and velvety finish.

2002 HOWELL MOUNTAIN PETITE SIRAH
Our 2001 Howell Mountain Petite Sirah is blended from two well-known vineyards – 88% petite sirah from the old Park-Muscadine Vineyard and 12% zinfandel from the Black-Sears Vineyard. Aromas of spicy white pepper unfold to flavors of wild cherries, blackberries, and black raspberries that saturate the palate. The wine’s silky texture, long finish, and graceful balance form a wine that is uniquely characteristic of Howell Mountain.

2002 CHAVEZ-LEEDS PETITE SIRAH
The 2001 Chavez–Leeds Petite Sirah is full-bodied, dark purple and opaque in color, lavishly textured and perfectly balanced. It has layers of perfumed blackberries and blueberries with a creamy mouthfeel. Its long, lingering finish is heightened by compatible nuances of coffee, smoky bacon and Asian peppercorns.

2003 HAYNE PETITE SIRAH
The 2003 Hayne Petite Sirah is opaque purple in color, full-bodied and exotically textured. Huge aromas of wild plums, earth, coffee, and toasted almonds lead to flavors of cocoa, anisette and blackberry pie. The complex flavors and aromas of this wine provide elegant palate sensations and lead to deep underlying tannins on the long, satisfying finish.

2000 HOFFMAN LANE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
The Hoffman Lane Cabernet Sauvignon is lush in texture and seductive on the palate. It is deep dark in color with rich fruit flavors of blackberry and cassis that are intertwined with hints of mint and chocolate.

Ray Coursen is winemaker and owner at Elyse Winery in Napa, California. Ray and his wife Nancy run the winery and their children, Elyse and Jake are the namesakes for their labels Elyse and Jacob Franklin.

In 1987, Ray & Nancy started Elyse Winery with 286 cases of Zinfandel from the Morisoli Vineyard, which is still one of their primary fruit sources. Not wanting to leave their son, Jake, out of loop, they eventually named Elyse’s Rhone blend, Jake’s Cuvee. It wasn’t enough. Jake asked them, "When do I get my own label without her name on it?" So in 1998, they began a new label named after Jake: Jacob Franklin.

Ray makes wines that he wants to sit down and enjoy – juicy, rich, voluptuous wines. "I like a little oak, but I don’t want it to be overpowering – I want to taste the fruit. I love wines that pair well with food. A meal without wine is eating; a meal with wine is dining – it’s a conversation, an event. It’s what wine is about. When I make a wine, my tastes and techniques will influence the process, but what’s most important is the fruit. The fruit dictates what the wine will be. We’re fortunate to work with an amazing group of growers and vineyards, whose fruit keeps taking us to wonderful places."

Ray says, "Winemaking is cooking without a flame." Great chefs search for the best ingredients and then carefully prepare them so the layers of flavors in the food all reach the table. They’re constantly searching for wonderful fruit to work with. Besides the vineyard at the winery, we’ve been fortunate to find amazing fruit from vineyards stretching from Carneros to Howell Mountain. As a fellow winemaker once said, "The best wines come from the vineyards with the most footprints in them."