2021 · ESTATE ‘BLOCK 5’ CABERNET FRANC

The Vineyard House is a family-owned estate in Oakville’s Halter Valley, overseen by Jeremy Nickel, whose family has owned the property since 1979. Its gravelly, alluvial soils and protected microclimate support slow ripening, with Bordeaux varieties and Chardonnay farmed across diverse vineyard blocks. Farming is Fish Friendly Farming certified and moves away from synthetic inputs through organic practices, sheep grazing, no-till cover crops, drip irrigation, and erosion protection. Vineyard management is led by Jim Barbour, while Atelier Melka’s Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitsky oversee minimal-intervention, micro-fermentation winemaking. The estate produces limited, single-vineyard wines in small batches, reflecting a commitment to land stewardship, heritage, and precise expression of western Oakville.