Balanced and approachable, this red blend explodes with blackberry, blueberry and ripe plum. With milk chocolate on the entry, the midpalate has nicely balanced tannins and the wine finishes long and fruit filled.
Vineyard/Vintage Notes
Vineyard
The Climber is a Bordeaux style red wine blend made from grapes grown in the Calistoga and St. Helena AVA’s of the Napa Valley. The warmth of these two locations creates a ripe and balanced blend.
Winemaking
Hand harvested in the cool morning hours, the fruit is sorted before and after the destemmer. After a three day cold soak, the juice is inoculated with cultured yeast. During fermentation, temperature and extraction are carefully managed. The wine is then pressed off the skins and placed in French oak barrels for aging.
Specs
Vintage:2016
Composition: 52% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Napa Valley
Oak Program: 18 months in 40% new French Oak
Alcohol: 14.8%
Harvest Date: October 2016
Release Date: November 2018
The Climber on the front label: Ron Kauk finds his balance inside and out as he climbs “Heaven” in Yosemite Valley.
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
3x 2016 Clif Family “The Climber” Red Wine, Napa Valley
Case:
12x 2016 Clif Family “The Climber” Red Wine, Napa Valley
Price Comparison
$456 for a Case/MSRP $38, Not Sold On Website, Anymore
About The Winery
Winery: Clif Family Winery
Owners: Kit Crawford and Gary Erickson
Location: St. Helena, CA
“We’re working to run a different kind of company: The kind of place we’d want to work, that makes the kind of food we’d like to eat, and that strives for a healthier, more sustainable world – the kind of world we’d like to pass on to our children.” – Kit Crawford, Co-Owner
Kit inherited a passion for natural food from her mother and father who instilled in her the value of growing your own food and caring for the natural resources of the land. At Clif Family Farm, Kit has fun creating meals for family and friends from the organic fruits and vegetables that she grows on the Farm. Kit’s interest in wine began when she worked at a popular artisan pasta, wine and cheese shop in San Francisco and expanded when she and Gary purchased a home and farm in the Napa Valley. Kit has a passion for animals and raises chickens and turkeys on the farm. Kit plays a very active role in her local and global community. As a St. Helena High School parent, she is very active in fundraising activities for the local community. As President of Clif Bar Family Foundation, she is responsible for the fiscal oversight of the foundation and its programs.
Gary has been cooking and baking since high school under the watchful eyes of his mother and grandmother. He began Kali’s Sweets and Savories (named after his grandmother) in 1986 as a small bakery making calzones and gourmet cookies. Kali’s went on to become Clif Bar & Company, the leading maker of organic energy food and drinks. Gary’s love of food and wine began with his cycling trips through Europe. A day of cycling would inevitably end with a long meal and a great bottle of wine. The European’s connection with their food was an inspiration for what would later become Clif Family Winery & Farm. Whether it’s cycling in the French & Italian Alps or a mountain bike ride on his Napa Valley property, good food and wine are always part of the adventure. When he’s not busy running his two companies, Gary can be found at home, cooking eclectic dishes for his family or playing jazz trumpet.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
“The Climber” Red Wine by Clif Family Winery
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $229.99 $19.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 “The Climber” Red Wine by Clif Family Winery - $30 = 11.53%
This sounds familiar. Ever offered here before? Maybe the other site, with a different label. (And I’m not talking Clif Bars either) It also sounds very good.
@ttboy23 yup
2010 vintage a couple of times in '12 & '13
but a substantially different blend of
50% Zinfandel 36% Cabernet Franc 6% Petit Sirah 5% Cabernet Sauvignon 3% Merlot
@rjquillin@ttboy23 I think they have rebranded this into a higher end blend. I can’t make any suggestions on quality though. The older bottles I always thought were good in the sub $10 price point.
@rjquillin@ttboy23 This blend sounds more to my liking. I had some bottles of “Kit’s Killer Cab” I recall liking for the price. Pretty sure those came via Woot. So long ago…
There was a 2008 White Blend (also confusingly named “The Climber”) sold on WW in 2010. My memories of are was not fond, but of course this is not even remotely the same thing.
Hi everyone and Happy Holidays! This is Katie from Clif Family. I’ll be online periodically until about 3pm today to answer any questions about The Climber.
Great questions about earlier versions of The Climber. That is a wine that we no longer make, which came from different North Coast appellations. The current Climber is all Napa Valley fruit and the blend is carefully curated by winemaker Laura Barrett who joined our team in 2014.
@ClifFamily Hi Katie!
Thanks for coming by for the inquisition Any chance you could enlighten us regarding vineyard sources, picking stats (date, brix, pH, TA), and the same stats for the finished wine?
Also, what style are you aiming for with this wine?
@klezman Haha, the inquisition! Love it! The Merlot came from a small vineyard on the Silverado Trail in Calistoga and the Cabernet came from a small valley floor vineyard on the southwest side of St. Helena.This is a blend of several different lots that were picked between late September and early October 2016. Finished wine pH is 3.5, TA 6.6.
The goal of The Climber is to produce a wine that is rich and concentrated but approachable at a young age. We also aim to provide exceptional quality at a value.
@ClifFamily Color me confused, but why would you up the ante on a wine, increase the price, not change the name? If the previous versions of The Climber were value wines, why brand an upgrade with the same label?
Tasting Notes
Balanced and approachable, this red blend explodes with blackberry, blueberry and ripe plum. With milk chocolate on the entry, the midpalate has nicely balanced tannins and the wine finishes long and fruit filled.
Vineyard/Vintage Notes
Vineyard
The Climber is a Bordeaux style red wine blend made from grapes grown in the Calistoga and St. Helena AVA’s of the Napa Valley. The warmth of these two locations creates a ripe and balanced blend.
Winemaking
Hand harvested in the cool morning hours, the fruit is sorted before and after the destemmer. After a three day cold soak, the juice is inoculated with cultured yeast. During fermentation, temperature and extraction are carefully managed. The wine is then pressed off the skins and placed in French oak barrels for aging.
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$456 for a Case/MSRP $38, Not Sold On Website, Anymore
About The Winery
Winery: Clif Family Winery
Owners: Kit Crawford and Gary Erickson
Location: St. Helena, CA
“We’re working to run a different kind of company: The kind of place we’d want to work, that makes the kind of food we’d like to eat, and that strives for a healthier, more sustainable world – the kind of world we’d like to pass on to our children.” – Kit Crawford, Co-Owner
Kit inherited a passion for natural food from her mother and father who instilled in her the value of growing your own food and caring for the natural resources of the land. At Clif Family Farm, Kit has fun creating meals for family and friends from the organic fruits and vegetables that she grows on the Farm. Kit’s interest in wine began when she worked at a popular artisan pasta, wine and cheese shop in San Francisco and expanded when she and Gary purchased a home and farm in the Napa Valley. Kit has a passion for animals and raises chickens and turkeys on the farm. Kit plays a very active role in her local and global community. As a St. Helena High School parent, she is very active in fundraising activities for the local community. As President of Clif Bar Family Foundation, she is responsible for the fiscal oversight of the foundation and its programs.
Gary has been cooking and baking since high school under the watchful eyes of his mother and grandmother. He began Kali’s Sweets and Savories (named after his grandmother) in 1986 as a small bakery making calzones and gourmet cookies. Kali’s went on to become Clif Bar & Company, the leading maker of organic energy food and drinks. Gary’s love of food and wine began with his cycling trips through Europe. A day of cycling would inevitably end with a long meal and a great bottle of wine. The European’s connection with their food was an inspiration for what would later become Clif Family Winery & Farm. Whether it’s cycling in the French & Italian Alps or a mountain bike ride on his Napa Valley property, good food and wine are always part of the adventure. When he’s not busy running his two companies, Gary can be found at home, cooking eclectic dishes for his family or playing jazz trumpet.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, January 16th - Monday, January 20th
“The Climber” Red Wine by Clif Family Winery
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $229.99 $19.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 The Climber
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 “The Climber” Red Wine by Clif Family Winery - $30 = 11.53%
This sounds familiar. Ever offered here before? Maybe the other site, with a different label. (And I’m not talking Clif Bars either) It also sounds very good.
@ttboy23
yup
2010 vintage a couple of times in '12 & '13
but a substantially different blend of
50% Zinfandel 36% Cabernet Franc 6% Petit Sirah 5% Cabernet Sauvignon 3% Merlot
@rjquillin @ttboy23 I think they have rebranded this into a higher end blend. I can’t make any suggestions on quality though. The older bottles I always thought were good in the sub $10 price point.
@rjquillin @ttboy23 This blend sounds more to my liking. I had some bottles of “Kit’s Killer Cab” I recall liking for the price. Pretty sure those came via Woot. So long ago…
Good catch, @rjquillin @scott0210 @ttboy23. We did offer an earlier version which was a much different wine. More details below!
There was a 2008 White Blend (also confusingly named “The Climber”) sold on WW in 2010. My memories of are was not fond, but of course this is not even remotely the same thing.
Earlier versions were a different blend and a different price, $89.99 for a case.
Hi everyone and Happy Holidays! This is Katie from Clif Family. I’ll be online periodically until about 3pm today to answer any questions about The Climber.
Great questions about earlier versions of The Climber. That is a wine that we no longer make, which came from different North Coast appellations. The current Climber is all Napa Valley fruit and the blend is carefully curated by winemaker Laura Barrett who joined our team in 2014.
@ClifFamily Hi Katie!
Any chance you could enlighten us regarding vineyard sources, picking stats (date, brix, pH, TA), and the same stats for the finished wine?
Thanks for coming by for the inquisition
Also, what style are you aiming for with this wine?
@klezman Haha, the inquisition! Love it! The Merlot came from a small vineyard on the Silverado Trail in Calistoga and the Cabernet came from a small valley floor vineyard on the southwest side of St. Helena.This is a blend of several different lots that were picked between late September and early October 2016. Finished wine pH is 3.5, TA 6.6.
The goal of The Climber is to produce a wine that is rich and concentrated but approachable at a young age. We also aim to provide exceptional quality at a value.
@ClifFamily Color me confused, but why would you up the ante on a wine, increase the price, not change the name? If the previous versions of The Climber were value wines, why brand an upgrade with the same label?