On Wednesday, May 8th, 2024, we had the opportunity to once again interview Diana Schweiger. Diana is the Sales and Marketing Director for Acumen Winery. As a reminder, the Acumen wines are made by Phillip Corallo-Titus. We covered four new-release wines with Diana during our interview. We also had the opportunity to cover an older Cabernet Sauvignon from the cellar as well. Our previous interview with Diana was in July of 2023. We then covered four of their 2019 vintage wines. Check out what we learned from Diana this time in our latest blog post.
Before we get to the wines, I thought I would share some tidbits that Diana shared.
- The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is mainly “Dutton Ranch” fruit from the Russian River Valley.
- Going forward Sauvignon Blanc will only be “Estate” fruit.
- They are also canceling out the “Mountainside” program. 2022 was the last vintage.
- The “PEAK” name is also going away. It will just be “Acumen” in the future.
- Acumen will focus on 5 wines in the future.
- “Estate” Sauvignon Blanc
- “Estate” Cabernet Sauvignon
- “Estate” Cabernet Franc
- “Edcora Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon
- Sparkling Wine
- Acumen acquired its first vineyard on Atlas Peak in 2012.
- It was originally planted in 1992 and was the “home vineyard” of Dr. Jan Krupp, predating his famed Stagecoach Vineyard by three years.
- The next year, Acumen crafted its debut vintage of estate-grown wines. Made by renowned founding winemaker Denis Malbec (a veteran of Château Latour).
- In 2014, Acumen expanded its estate program with the acquisition of the “Edcora Vineyard”, which is 350 feet higher up on Atlas Peak. “Edcora Vineyard Block 5” is at 1,600 feet of elevation. Like the neighboring Stagecoach Vineyard, Edcora’s high altitude, along with its southwestern exposure, means that it is 10%-to-15% warmer on average than the Atlas Peak vineyard, adding to the diversity of Acumen’s estate program.
- Denis Malbec made the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon that we had the pleasure of trying.
- The Cabernet Franc comes from Diana’s Vineyard. It is 2 acres.
- The Acumen Art Gallery is located in the Acumen Tasting Room at 1315 1st Street in the heart of downtown Napa. They feature emerging and established artists. They are committed to supporting artists and their exhibits. They invite all guests to discover these works of art. All art displayed can be purchased and brought home to your collection.
- Finally, the 2023 vintage wines are right on track. They were not delayed.
Below is a summary of the wine offerings from Acumen that we covered with Diana. The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find some of these wines via your favorite fine wine shop or on top quality wines lists. You can also purchase the Cabs and the Cab Franc on the Acumen current release webpage. The 2014 Cab is available via the Acumen Library release page.
- Acumen 2022 Sauvignon Blanc “Mountainside” (Sonoma County) $40 (KWGTP 93.5)
- Acumen 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon “PEAK” (Atlas Peak) $215 (KWGTP 95)
- Acumen 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon “PEAK Edcora Vineyard” (Atlas Peak) $175 (KWGTP 96)
- Acumen 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon “PEAK Estate” (Atlas Peak) $135 (KWGTP 94.5)
- Acumen 2021 Cabernet Franc “PEAK” (Atlas Peak) $125 (KWGTP 95)
You can find reviews of past and future Acumen wines that we cover on the Acumen KWG winery page on our website. We hope you enjoy these terrific wines as much as we did. Cheers! — Ken