98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc

Food pairings: Grilled ribeye, pan-seared strip steak, braised beef short ribs, lamb shanks, mushroom risotto or truffle dishes, and aged Gouda or cheddar.

Winemaking: The estate fruit was hand-picked and gently processed with a Pellenc sorting and destemming system, then fermented with 100% native, spontaneous yeast in a combination of small-lot stainless steel fermenters and open-top barriques, with 15 to 30 days on the skins. The wine was aged for 22 months in tight-grained French oak barrels, 65% new, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Winemaker Kirk Venge, recruited by the family and now some two decades into the collaboration, crafts the Jax wines for balance, varietal character and a sense of place.

Vineyards and terroir: The Cabernet is consistently sourced from the family vineyard on Highway 128 in northern Calistoga, at the top of Napa Valley, which David Jackson bought after a long search for his ideal terroir. Close to Mount St. Helena, the vineyard has volcanic alluvial soils, and extreme swings between hot days and chilly evenings give the fruit deep color and complexity while keeping acidity and structure. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are planted on the estate.

Family and history: Jax was founded in 1996 by siblings Trent and Kimberly Jackson together with their "green thumb" father David, using the fruit from his Calistoga vineyard; Trent picked the first Jax grapes in 1995. Kimberly took over the business in 2003, and partner Dan Parrott later joined the family. Alongside the small-lot, single-vineyard Jax wines, the family created the Y3 label, named after the cattle brand of their grandparents' ranch, Yarrayne, and today welcomes visitors at the Calistoga estate and at its tasting room in San Francisco's SoMa district.

In the pictures: Co-founder and owner Kimberly Jackson picking grapes at harvest, and harvest at dawn in the Jax estate vineyard in Calistoga (photos courtesy of Jax Vineyards).