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When British ex-patriots Perry and Carolyn Butler
moved to California in 1982, they never dreamed they
would own 42 acres of prime vineyard land in the heart
of Napa Valley. They arrived in California as high-tech
pioneers and founded their own computer company in
the San Francisco Bay area. After routine 80-hour
work weeks, the couple relaxed during weekend trips
to Napa Valley, where they were bitten by the wine
bug. Dreams of high-tech dominance soon turned to
thoughts of returning to the land and grape growing.
In
1997, their dream became a reality when Perry and
Carolyn sold their computer business and founded Juslyn
Vineyards on a site overlooking the renowned Spring
Mountain Winery. (The name, Juslyn, is derived from
the names, Justine-the Butlers' daughter-and Carolyn.)
In 1998, they made their first vintage of Juslyn from
grapes purchased from Andy Beckstoffer as they waited
patiently for their own vines to mature. Their patience
paid in 2000, when they were able to harvest their
estate for the first time to produce 80 cases of Spring
Mountain cabernet sauvignon.
Since
then, there has been no turning back. Perry and Carolyn
have committed to making the best wine possible in
the heart of Napa Valley's acclaimed Spring Mountain
District. Having received 90+points from accredited
publications like Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (December
2003) and Wine and Spirits Magazine (August 2004),
the Butler's are proving that they are on the path
of success and truly living the American dream.
Developing
our vineyards in the rocky soils of Spring Mountain
proved that wine was truly our labor of love. After
replanting our Estate to a field blend of 90% cabernet
sauvignon with small amounts of merlot, cabernet franc
and petit verdot (for color) in 1997, we achieved
our first Estate Cabernet release of just 80 cases
in 2000. In 2001, we were able to increase the production
to 170 cases of wine that displays elegance in the
style of premier cru Bordeaux. Each Estate vintage
thereafter has been more productive, and, now, 10
years of vine maturation benefits us with about 3
tons/acre from our 8-acre hillside vineyard. Every
vintage becomes more exciting as we experience firsthand
the future of Juslyn right here at home.
Salvador
and Oscar RenteriaWithout the hard work of our team
of wine and grape specialists we never could have
made our dreams reality. Heading up work in the vineyards
is Renteria Vineyard Management, led by Salvador and
Oscar Renteria, who have produced outstanding grapes
for many prestigious Napa Valley vineyards. With their
help, we have been able to select the most appropriate
varieties for our vineyards and consistently farm
the highest quality fruit.
In the cellar, we benefit from the experience and
expertise of winemaker Craig MacLean. With a Masters
Degree from the University of California, Davis, Craig
began his career as assistant winemaker at Markham
Vineyards in 1987. He later worked at Cain Vineyards-another
Spring Mountain estate-for four years. Subsequently
he moved to the eponymous Spring Mountain Vineyard
itself, where he helped restore that historic winery
to its former glory. Craig joined Juslyn in 1997 and
has carefully crafted each of the winery's vintages.
For more information regarding Craig and his wines,
log onto www.macleanwines.com
Since
2003, Stephanie DeMasi has been heading up sales for
Juslyn. In 2005 she was promoted to General Manager
and oversees everything from compliance to quality
control. A New York City native, Stephanie began graduated
from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration
and has worked with an admirable list of industry
Who's Who, including world renown restauranteurs like
Drew Nieporent and Daniel Boulud, and Napa local wine
pundits Cathy Corison and the Bounty Hunter. Stephanie
completed the Advanced Certificate of the WSET in
2002 and has started dabbling in winemaking herself.
Stephanie became a partner in Juslyn Vineyards in
2007. She also achieved a Wine Spectator Restaurant
Wine Award in 2006 for her wine program at Fresh Restaurant
in Tribeca.
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