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63 Gus and Phyllis Anderson are pioneers in the modern wine-cave world as well as strong advocates of wine caves, having built two. In 1983 they purchased 40 acres of rural land in Conn Valley, a small valley within Napa Valley and, along with their son Todd and his wife, began development of Anderson's Conn Valley Winery and Vineyards. Within three years their new vineyards were developing well and they contacted Alf Burtleson to build a cave. There were only eight caves built at the time, but for the Andersons the decision to go into the earth was straightforward. Gus recalls, "The temperature and humidity in a cave are ideal for the storage of wine. We had a perfect place to put a cave and the cost was no more than it would be to build an aboveground storage building, which would require much more money to maintain." The simple design was dictated by the hillside, and by using side tunnels, the winery became more functional: "I didn't want just one long tunnel." The design of the cave allowed for natural drainage by having a two-degree slope from the back to the front, as well as a two- degree slope from the walls to the drainage channels and a slope from the center of the tunnel sideways to the drainage channels. The concrete floor was so rough and poorly finished that Gus didn't think he could live with it. So, he had the floor tiled with pavers from Mexico, which has proved to be both functional and good looking. The cave, having been built in the 1980s before regulations required two portals, is one of the few "dead-end" wine caves one will experience in the valley. The cave has such acoustical qualities that visitors can whisper at the end of the cave and be heard out near the entrance. This was most evident when the owners had a harpist play for their daughter's celebratory wedding reception. Thirteen years later with vineyards maturing and business successful, Gus, Phyllis and Todd needed to expand and had a second cave complex built on a facing hill above the vineyards. This one had two portals. By 2002 Todd had taken over the operation of Anderson's Conn Valley Winery, and Gus retired from making wine to concentrate on running the vineyards. It was less than a year before Gus realized how much he loved and missed making wine. So, at a time when most people his age were retired, he and Phyllis founded Eagles Trace, a winery dedicated to making small lots of great wine. The entire winemaking facility is in the cave. Like an alchemist in his favorite laboratory, Gus finds the conditions of his old familiar cave ideal for creating his Eagles Trace Bordeaux- style wines. After early morning picking, the crew brings the fruit into the cave where it is crushed into the tank with the temperature at 50 degrees or cooler. Gus believes a long cold-soaking of the grape must, before the start of fermentation, encourages development as the grapes "get to know each other." As the fermented wine cools down over many weeks in the cave he feels he gets a better, softer tannin development before the wine goes to barrel. Gus makes three different wines that follow the footprint of three distinct areas of Bordeaux: Pomerol, Pauillac and Graves. 1987 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards, home of Eagles Trace Winery Cave Size: 3,000 square feet Cave Designers: Alf Burtleson Construction; Gus and Phyllis Anderson Cave Contractor: Alf Burtleson Construction Winery Specialties: Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot, Latitude 38, Pinot Noir

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