For the second year in a row, abundant winter rains set us up with excellent soil moisture for a promising 2024 growing season. We experienced some unusually early heat spikes in June and July, but for the most part the season was similar to 2023—until the heat clicked on in early October. It’s not unusual to get a few hot days around that time, but in 2024 the temperature held at over 100 degrees for the better part of a week. That put harvest into overdrive. Valley floor or hillside site didn’t matter; we had the Pulido~Walker fruit off the vine by the end of the first week of October.
The happy ending to the heat story is that, as long as the canopy wasn’t too exposed, we saw some natural shrinkage in the berries that gives the finished wine an extra layer of concentration. The 2024 Pulido~Walker Policy Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was nudged into high gear by the extraordinary weather conditions.
Across the board, the 2024 Pulido~Walker wines are showing great singular site expression; both site and varietal shine above the general attributes of the vintage as a whole. Farming is so on point in the Policy Estate Vineyard that even small adjustments make a massive difference, elevating the wine to new heights. The excellent vine maturity gives us the quality of raw material we love in Clone 7. Early on, the fruit was setting up to deliver a large yield, but the heat helped to reduce that by 10–15%, ultimately making for better wine.
Winemaking & Tasting Notes
I’ve been making wines from this vineyard since 2006, and the site just keeps getting better. Minimal intervention in the cellar unlocks the singular expression of the site, which is beautifully evident in the 2024 Pulido~Walker Policy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. We’re seeing the profile of the wine naturally change as the vines mature. Each year it exhibits more black-fruited notes, lending the wine an increased level of seriousness and a slightly brooding character. The excellent acidity and increased complexity suggest that we are close to realizing the full expression of its maximum quality.
If you are new to Pulido~Walker wines, this is the Cabernet Sauvignon in the Pulido~Walker portfolio to begin with, whether you decide to drink it young or set it aside. It is exuberant now, and will shed some red-fruitiness as it ages and the classic savory qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon come to the fore. Whatever your personal preference, this wine will meet you joyfully.
Thomas Rivers Brown, Winemaker
Data
Estate Grown
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Clone: 7
Aging: 20 months in 100% French oak (80% new barrels)
Barrel Coopers: Darnajou, Remond, and Taransaud
Alcohol: 14.7% by vol.
Titratable Acidity: 5.9 g/L
pH: 3.95
Bottling Date: June 2026
Production: 217 Cases
Site
Appellation: Yountville, Napa Valley
Acreage: 9 acres between the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges, on State Lane north of Kapscándy Family Winery
