Black currant, créme de cassis, sage and cut flowers merge seamlessly from the glass of this elegant Cabernet. The palate is tremendously complex with layers of raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, and hints of bouquet garni working together on the soft, plush palate. The finish is well-focused and powerful, suggesting that it will continue to evolve in the cellar for 10 years at least. Enjoy tonight after decanting an hour or hold onto it until 2025.

Keever Winery

Bill Keever enjoyed a long and successful career in the telecommunications industry before retiring at the age of 57 to become a grape grower and vintner. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Asia Region, a wireless telecommunications company, when he retired at the end of June 2003. Olga, who also worked in telecommunications, retired in 1998, while they were still living abroad. With Olga’s retirement at hand and Bill’s not far off, they began thinking about where they’d like to spend the rest of their lives and what they’d like to be doing.

They spent the 1990’s living in Europe. They and their children (Jason then 13, and Ashley then 7) moved to Dusseldorf, Germany from California in 1990. Jason returned in the fall of 1995 to attend the University of California at San Diego. The rest of the family remained in Germany until January 1st of 1999. They then moved to The Netherlands and finally returned to California at the end of July in 1999.

Living in Germany and The Netherlands presented incredible opportunities for travel and they took advantage of them whenever possible. Their love of wine began in Germany where wines from all over Europe were plentiful and reasonably priced. There were not many bargains available in Germany but wine, beer and cut flowers were the best deals they’d ever seen. Their exposure to good wine increased with every vacation and weekend get-a-way to Italy, Spain, France and Portugal.

Thoughts of retirement lead to thoughts of home. For Bill, who graduated from Napa High in 1963, the Napa Valley was a logical choice. While he only lived in the Napa Valley during his senior year of high school, his family lived in the area for ten years and he returned again and again during college vacations and military leaves. When they began speaking about and dreaming about growing grapes, the Napa Valley called out to them. They have never looked back and are so very thankful they answered the call.