The 2023 vintage at Sleeping Lady was one of Napa’s coolest on record—slow to ripen, demanding patience, but ultimately yielding Cabernet of striking vibrancy and nuance. Minimal vineyard intervention let the vines self-regulate, while careful timing at harvest captured floral lift, fresh tension, and layered dark-red fruit complexity. Deep yet refined, 2023 joins 2021 and 2022 as part of an exceptional trio of distinctive, age-worthy vintages.

Deep, opaque garnet-red, the 2023 Ad Vivum offers plush aromas of black plum, blackberry, and ripe raspberry, with subtle hints of fennel and forest floor. Silky tannins unfold gracefully on the palate, leading to a long, expressive finish that mirrors the wine’s vibrant fruit and savory layers. Finely structured and precise, this is a wine of elegance and depth.

AD VIVUM was founded by Chris Phelps, the consulting winemaker for Inglenook and founding winemaker at Dominus Estate. The genesis of what would become AD VIVUM dates back to 2005 when Chris Phelps began working with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Sleeping Lady Vineyard on a purely experimental level. By 2007, he was convinced that the site could produce world-class wine. Lary Bettinelli, the owner of Sleeping Lady, agreed to set aside a small block of vines for Phelps. Since 2007, Phelps has produced AD VIVUM, his single vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet sourced from the Sleeping Lady Vineyard in Yountville, California.