St. Helena, Napa Valley, Nov. 15, 2022 — Newton Vineyard is proud to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its hallmark wine, “The Puzzle.” A flagship for Newton since 1992, The Puzzle puts the pieces together to form a picture that blends different terroirs and the five classic Bordeaux grape varieties into a singular mountain wine. “It’s an honor to continue highlighting this wine’s vivacious personality and mountain character,” says head of winemaking Andrew Holve.
Originally, this historic wine was produced from a single vineyard block on Newton’s Spring Mountain estate that was shaped like a puzzle piece. Envisioned by founder Peter Newton as a classic Cabernet Sauvignon, over time The Puzzle has evolved to become a Bordeaux-style blend with different varieties, styles, techniques and estate-owned vineyard sources. “We want to let each vintage have its own unique personality and exceptional drinkability,” explains Holve. “With time we’ve seen this blend evolve to not only showcase Cabernet Sauvignon but also highlight some of the other varieties that thrive in the mountain terroir of the Mayacamas range like Cabernet Franc and Malbec.”
With Cabernet Sauvignon as its backbone, Newton The Puzzle offers a dark fruit profile, with round generosity from Merlot and an intriguing, spicy Herbs de Provence note from Cabernet Franc. Petit Verdot and Malbec complete the full portrait.
“There is an oft-cited adage that says, ‘everything I know I learned after 30’ and I find this quite fitting for our celebration of The Puzzle’s 30th anniversary,” says Holve. “We celebrate all that has been produced over the past 30 years and look to these wines as a foundation and guiding pillar for our post-fire redevelopment of the Spring Mountain estate. The real learning begins now and I look forward to ushering in the next ideation of The Puzzle blend and to seeing the new heights that can be achieved.”
About Newton Vineyard
Newton Vineyard was founded in 1977 by English businessman Peter Newton, an eclectic innovator with a pioneering spirit and a deep respect for nature. Peter’s ambitious quest was to create mountain wines that embrace contrasts, delivering a classic freshness and precision while inviting the supple ripeness that Napa’s climate offers. Peter left the valley floor to plant new vineyards on Spring Mountain’s steep hillsides, whose volcanic, well-draining soils would deliver a distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon expression. He also explored Carneros, where the influence of the sea would shape a multidimensional Chardonnay. To unlock the terroir’s full potential, Peter turned to a time-honored Burgundian technique: Unfiltered winemaking. Committed to sustainable practices from the beginning, Newton now has CCOF organic certification for three of its estate vineyards. Part of the LVMH portfolio since 2001, Newton continues to champion mountain vineyards and their unfiltered, truthful terroir expression.
