• Lancaster Estate Sophia’s Hillside Cuvée

    Following the birth of their twin daughters in 2004, proprietors Ted & Nicole Simpkins were inspired to create new wines honoring the next generation in the Lancaster Estate legacy. Created to honor daughter Sophia, this beautiful Cabernet-based wine shows a dual personality, both serious and complex, worthy of thoughtful contemplation. Often blended with Merlot and occasionally Cabernet Franc, this fruit forward wine is very approachable even on release, but will age well with its Lancaster pedigree.

    Sophia’s Hillside Cuvée is a versatile, food-friendly wine with broad appeal. A favorite of our Wine Guild Members since its first release, the Sophia’s Hillside Cuvée has developed legions of fans.

  • 2009 Lancaster Estate Sophia’s Hillside Cuvée

    The 2009 Lancaster Estate Sophia’s Hillside Cuvée is a blend of hillside blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and just a touch of Merlot. A dark, lush wine with balanced tannins, our Hillside Cuvée can be enjoyed upon release. This Bordeaux style blend has beautiful aromas of clove, cinnamon, and violets that come together with hints of fresh berries. A fruit forward wine with excellent balance, the 2009 vintage of Sophia’s exhibits intense notes of berry, plum, and cherry. The long finish and hints of dark chocolate are complemented with rich overtones of French oak. This wine was bottled unfiltered to maintain its truest expression.

    With a dry winter and warm spring the vines awoke early in 2009. Late March brought spring rains, which encouraged vigorous growth prior to bloom. Even fruit and berry set led to a balanced crop while mild summer conditions and a toasty August encouraged ripening. Despite late October rains, the grapes arrived at the winery in pristine condition.

  • 2008 Lancaster Estate Sophia’s Hillside Cuvée

    The young vines woke up to a very dry and frosty spring in 2008. Summer was mild with a toasty August that encouraged ripening and led to a pristine harvest. Yields for all Bordeaux varietals were extremely low - yet the resulting wine has amazing concentration and balance.

    Our 2008 Sophia's Hillside Cuvée is a complex, elegant blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot. It is a tribute to our Estate’s heritage as one of California’s leading producers of Bordeaux style blends and to our daughter, Sophia. This dark, lush wine with layered tannins can be enjoyed immediately upon release. Beautiful aromas of blueberries, cinnamon, and violets all come together seamlessly. The wine has very good balance and is fruit forward with intense notes of berries, plum and dark chocolate with a concentrated finish. Aged 18 month in French oak barrels, our Cuvee was bottled unfiltered. 34 Barrels produced.

Vintage History