Ashes & Diamonds
Ashes & Diamonds
Kashy Khaledi started Ashes and Diamonds with a singular view - to emulate the great wines made during Napa’s heyday in the 60’s and 70’s. Gathering some of the most interesting winemakers in the world today (Steve Matthiasson, Dan Petroski and Diana Snowden Seysses) and using the technologies available to those iconic wines, Kashy’s ode to the 60’s is an acclaimed success. These wines are stunning, complex and subtle – there is frankly nothing else in the world like the Ashes and Diamonds project.
“So often are you as a blazing torch with flames
of burning rags falling about you flaming,
you know not if flames bring freedom or death.
Consuming all that you must cherish
if ashes only will be left, and want Chaos and tempest.”
“Or will the ashes hold the glory of a star-like diamond, the
morning star of everlasting triumph.”
Region: Napa Valley
Grapes: 75% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot
ASHES & DIAMONDS’ Cabernet Franc is a naturally restrained, balanced wine with subtle power and aromatic finesse that comes from the volcanic clay and sandy loam soils of select vineyards in Napa Valley’s cooler south side (Los Carneros, Oak Knoll District and Yountville).
Region: Mount Veeder
Grape: 60% Merlot / 23% Cabernet Sauvignon / 17% Cabernet Franc
Winemaker: Diana Snowden Seysses
ASHES & DIAMONDS’ Mountain Cuvée “Saffron Vineyard” comes from Lisa Chu’s organically farmed Mt. Veeder site, located high above the fog inversion line at an altitude of 1,500 feet, where daytime temperatures are often 15 degrees cooler than on the valley floor. the deep-rooted Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapevines were planted in 2000 in thin soils comprised of uplifted marine sediment and fractured shale. Soils with naturally low fertility and no irrigation make for naturally balanced grapevines with low yields and small berries. Once at the winery, the grapes are cold-soaked until native fermentation begins. The resulting wine is bouncy and outgoing, with explosive red fruit aromas like biting into a ripe, juicy plum, and fine, focused tannins.
Kashy Khaledi started Ashes and Diamonds with a singular view - to emulate the great wines made during Napa’s heyday in the 60’s and 70’s. Gathering some of the most interesting winemakers in the world today (Steve Matthiasson, Dan Petroski and Diana Snowden Seysses) and using the technologies available to those iconic wines, Kashy’s ode to the 60’s is an acclaimed success. These wines are stunning, complex and subtle – there is frankly nothing else in the world like the Ashes and Diamonds project.
“So often are you as a blazing torch with flames
of burning rags falling about you flaming,
you know not if flames bring freedom or death.
Consuming all that you must cherish
if ashes only will be left, and want Chaos and tempest.”
“Or will the ashes hold the glory of a star-like diamond, the
morning star of everlasting triumph.”
Region: Rutherford
Grape: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
The game changer Cabernet to change all the games. The ultimate example from Ashes and Diamonds with their quest to honour the golden era and the great wines produced, farming in a traditional way, picking at lower brix and gentler extraction - just 12.6% alcohol!
Produced by Steve Matthiasson from the much acclaimed George III vineyard in Rutherford. A portion of it was planted in 1896 by Mrs Thomas Rutherford herself, and later used by André Tchelistcheff to make wine for Beaulieu Vineyards, including the ’68 vintage that so propelled Kashy in to the world of wine. To reaffirm Tschelitstcheff’s quote “it takes Rutheford dust to grow great Cabernet.”
A simply beautiful, elegant and classic expression, beginning with pretty aromas of red currants and red berries woven together with tobacco, herbs, spices, dried roses, black tea and hints of dusty minerals. On the palate this is beautifully structured around a medium body with fine tannins and lovely acidity at its core.
“With lower extraction and less alcohol, this offers a delightful perfumed red fruit charm, vibrant acidity and a real sense of dialled back elegance. Less is definitely more, when it’s done well.” The Buyer, September 2019
Kashy Khaledi started Ashes and Diamonds with a singular view - to emulate the great wines made during Napa’s heyday in the 60’s and 70’s. Gathering some of the most interesting winemakers in the world today (Steve Matthiasson, Dan Petroski and Diana Snowden Seysses) and using the technologies available to those iconic wines, Kashy’s ode to the 60’s is an acclaimed success. These wines are stunning, complex and subtle – there is frankly nothing else in the world like the Ashes and Diamonds project.
“So often are you as a blazing torch with flames
of burning rags falling about you flaming,
you know not if flames bring freedom or death.
Consuming all that you must cherish
if ashes only will be left, and want Chaos and tempest.”
“Or will the ashes hold the glory of a star-like diamond, the
morning star of everlasting triumph.”
Napa Valley, California
50% Sauvignon Blanc from Ryan’s vineyard, 50% Semillon from ancient unirrigated, bushvines at Kendall Hoxsey’s Yount Mill Vineyard in Yountville. Vineyards both farmed organically and wine produced by Steve Matthiasson. 100% barrel fermented sur lie for one year, 15% new oak. The fourth vintage of the white from the remarkable Ashes x Diamonds winery that pays homage to the great wines and winemakers that put Napa on the map back in the 60’s.
“Fully ripe and textured, yet bright, zesty and supremely age-worthy” - Steve Matthiasson
Punk rock. Experimental architecture. Polish films of the 1950s. A bottle of 1968 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour. These are just some of the inspiration points that former Capitol Records executive and much awarded advertising guru Kashy Khaledi cites when describing how he came to found Ashes & Diamonds. In just a few years since commencing this project in 2014, Khaledi has established not only a new Napa winery, but an inspired masterclass in collaboration at all levels as well– from the vineyards to the winemaking; the architecture of the winery to the labels on the bottles. Kashy’s dream was to create wines and a winery that pay homage to Napa when it took to the world stage in the 1960’s. Wines that honour some of the mid-century winemaking greats and their more restrained style, from the likes of André Tchelistcheff of Beaulieu Vineyard, John Daniel Jr. of Inglenook and Bob Travers of Mayacamas. With much revered viticulturist/winemaker Steve Matthiasson at the helm of viticulture, working with some of the most and famous and iconic sites in Napa, and winemaking split between Steve and Diana Snowden Seysses, Ashes & Diamonds Winery and Khaledi’s vision of the birth of Napa is certainly in safe hands.
Region: Oak Knoll
Grape: 100% Merlot
ASHES & DIAMONDS’ Merlot “A&D Vineyard” is a limited-edition interpretation of our estate Merlot, inspired by the effervescent, dry Italian dinner table wines, which finish fermentation in the bottle. Every bottle of wine is unique. Expect the wine to be unpredictable but always full of character. Lightly frizzante, vibrant, fresh, highly aromatic, authentic and genuine, this untamed wine reminds us of what makes great wines so very captivating.
Made by Diana Snowden Seysses, this impressive Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the biodynamically farmed Red Hen Vineyard, owned by Bart and Daphne Araujo in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. The wine is produced from four different blocks with distinct characteristics, fermented together by native yeasts.
Region: Oak Knoll
Grape: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
A quiet power and poise, with darker and more intense fruit than the Vineyard I, more liquorice, wild herbs and rocks. It finishes with silky, weightless tannins; a benchmark of this site.
Made by Diana Snowden Seysses, this impressive Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the biodynamically farmed Red Hen Vineyard, owned by Bart and Daphne Araujo in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. The wine is produced from four different blocks with distinct characteristics, fermented together by native yeasts.
Kashy Khaledi started Ashes and Diamonds with a singular view - to emulate the great wines made during Napa’s heyday in the 60’s and 70’s. Gathering some of the most interesting winemakers in the world today (Steve Matthiasson, Dan Petroski and Diana Snowden Seysses) and using the technologies available to those iconic wines, Kashy’s ode to the 60’s is an acclaimed success. These wines are stunning, complex and subtle – there is frankly nothing else in the world like the Ashes and Diamonds project.
“So often are you as a blazing torch with flames
of burning rags falling about you flaming,
you know not if flames bring freedom or death.
Consuming all that you must cherish
if ashes only will be left, and want Chaos and tempest.”
“Or will the ashes hold the glory of a star-like diamond, the
morning star of everlasting triumph.”
ASHES & DIAMONDS’ Cabernet Sauvignon “Rancho Pequeño Vineyard” comes from Bart and Daphne Araujo’s Oakville vineyard, on the east side of the valley floor. Its deep soils are composed of alluvial loam washed down from the eastern Vaca Mountains, maintaining a high water table resulting in little to no need for irrigation. The vineyards bask in the afternoon sunshine and are replenished by a cool marine influence at dusk and dawn. The resulting wine is a kaleidoscope of aromatics ranging from rose to game, bright and crunchy red fruit flavors with weightless power and purity.