Checkerboard Vineyards is located on the southeast-facing slope of Diamond Mountain in Napa Valley. The estate includes a winery, cave and four vineyard sites, joined by a two-and-one-half mile drive spanning the valley floor to the top of the ridge. Winery notes: "The warm and dry growing season of 2011 produced a later than usual harvest date allowing us to achieve optimum ripeness. The 2011 Checkerboard showcases the rich concentration of our hillside vineyards and yields a consistency of character that increases as the vines continue to mature. There is a lovely finesse to the wines, a complexity of ripe red fruits, spice and dried currants."