Wine Each Week ~ ZD 2019 Sauvignon Blanc

A Sauv is born. Yep, ZD Wines never had a Sauvignon Blanc in their portfolio, but they do now. This inaugural offering is a far cry from the grassy, herbaceous iterations out there, something ZD wanted to keep away from. Instead, this is light, refreshing and crisp - a bit of cut grass but mainly lemon zest, lime Kiefer, green apple, a bit of honeysuckle, white peach and nectarine. That’s balanced against a light minerality and pleasant viscosity. It really reflects what Napa does well with Sauvignon Blanc, which is bright clean fruit. The grapes were hand harvested at night to keep the grapes cool, and aging was a combo of stainless steel, American oak barrels and concrete tanks, and no ML. The result is a wine to be proud of. ORIGIN: Napa Valley ALCOHOL: 13.5% PRICE: $27 /750 ml SCORE: 90 POINTS ZD WINES

Wine Each Week ~ Shafer 2018 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay

For a quarter of a century one of the quintessential Chardonnays of the Napa Valley has been Shafer’s Red Shoulder Ranch, located on 68 prime acres near San Pablo Bay and named for the red shouldered hawks that claim the spot as home. The area here is cool, sometimes downright cold, and often breezy, at times utterly windy. Perfect for Chardonnay. Like other vintages before this one, the 2018 shows a beautiful viscosity, with notes of lemon verbena, lime kefir, vanilla, papaya, butterscotch, hints of sandalwood and a mild acidity. The creaminess comes from lees aging, since there is no malo-lactic fermentation. It was then aged in both French Oak and stainless steel. In the early 1990s when Shafer was first making Chardonnay, they used American oak, and they also grew the Chard in the Stag’s Leap District, way too hot for Chardonnay. They have perfected their Carneros Chardonnay and what’s in the bottle is truly an ideal wine, one that celebrates the clarity of California Chardonnay.

ORIGIN: Carneros, California.

ALCOHOL: 14.9%

PRICE: $52 (750ML)

SCORE: 91 POINTS

SHAFER

Wine Each Week - 2016 Paraduxx Proprietary Napa Valley Red Wine

The word supple is often overused when describing wine. Yet with this wine it fits like a glove meaning it hits every note in your pallet balancing the acidity the fruit the wood and the tannic structure of the wine to make a seamlessly enjoyable drinking experience. Mature blackberry raspberry blueberry, with back notes of huckleberry black currant this wine gets better overnight if you don’t drink it all the first night. Allowing the aeration to mature it and allow the aromas and the texture and flavor of the wine to come more alive. The judicious use of oak allows for a subtle and seamless vanilla charcoal mocha expression that you barely notice but it hides in the background. It’s mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with 20% Zinfandel, 19% Petite Verdot and a touch of Merlot blended in. The 18-month aging process used both new and second-use French oak barrels.

What Can I Pair it With? Pan seared Mahi Mahi with basil-butter sauce; Grilled duck breast with fig reduction; Chanterelle mushroom risotto.

18,000 cases

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

ALCOHOL: 14.9%

PRICE: $50 (750ML)

SCORE: 93 POINTS 

PARADUXX 

Wine Each Week – 2017 Newton Chardonnay

You may not know Newton. It’s been quietly going about making wine since its inception in 1977. Quietly. That’s rather the whole point. This is a quiet wine, one that offers classic Chardonnay qualities of lemon-lime, lemon verbena, white peach and Asian pear, but does not flaunt it. There are mid-to-back notes of caramel, honeysuckle, toasted almonds, and baked brioche. The elements are all subtle, a bit of lees stirring noticeable, but all in all, this does not draw attention to itself in a gregarious way. The grapes are mainly from the Carneros region though some portions were harvested out of Rutherford, Mount Veeder and a few other smaller vineyard sites. The wine was 100% barrel fermented, then aged for just 12 months in some new French Oak barrels and bottled unfiltered. The end result is a Chardonnay that acts respectful and is a pleasure to drink.

ORIGIN: Napa Valley

ALCOHOL: 14%

PRICE: $55 (750ML)

SCORE: 92 POINTS

NEWTONVINEYARD

Wine Each Week – 2016 Shafer Relentless

Syrah from California is still underappreciated and typically it’s improperly grown. Shafer has long done it right. Relentless has always been a focused Syrah project, this vintage with 10% Petite Sirah added in. It was a warmer growing season and this shows a more bright red fruit indicating that. Overwhelmingly however the 2016 offers subversive black cherry, mocha, blackberry, and blueberry, with mid palate notes of earth, herbal, and smoke, fresh leather, and menthol. Aged 30 months in French oak, this is an exceptional deviation from the standard wine offerings out there and allows for a broader expression of foods to go with it.

3,300 cases

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

ALCOHOL: 15.8%

PRICE: $95 (750ML)

SCORE: 92 POINTS

Shafer

Wine Each Week – Pahlmeyer 2016 Napa Valley Red Wine

30 years and Pahlmeyers’ Proprietary Red keeps impressing.

Comprised of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec, this has been a stalwart wine from Napa.

There’s a brambley berry quality about this with notes of boysenberry, lingonberry, blackberry and blueberry. There are also notes of violet and rosewater, bark chocolate with a very subdued, yet judicious, use of oak. Aged for 20 months in mainly new French Oak, this is that kind of wine you can drink on its own without food because it is so complete in and of itself. The tenants are still there but are also subdued and the acidity creeps around the corners of the tongue. There’s a smoothness, a seamlessness that typifies this wine, something you should expect to be elegant, lithe and graceful, and indeed it is.

ORIGIN: Napa, California

ALCOHOL: 15.1%

PRICE: $200 (750ML)

SCORE: 93 POINTS

Pahlmeyer

Wine Each Week – Paraduxx 2016 Howell Mountain Napa Valley Red Wine

Paraduxx is known for its blended wines. In fact that is its mission statement - to blend wines from Napa Valley to create the best possible assemblage. Their Napa Valley Red Wine is a wine I’ve had over multiple vintages and it is a wine that has literally never failed to impress. Comprised mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon with 35% Syrah blended in grown on Howell Mountain, this is a beautifully delicate wine with everything you want - subtle blueberry, black cherry, elderberry, boysenberry, soft judicious use of oak, vanilla, black cherry. But what makes this stand out is the harmonious nature of the fruit, the acidity, the oak to produce a seamless wine that is thoroughly enjoyable to drink and has a wonderful palate feel. But this is what Paraduxx excels at with their red table wines. That they manage to do this year after year shows an impressive level of consistency and dedication to producing the best wine they can.

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

PRICE: $82 (750ML)

SCORE: 92 POINTS

Paraduxx

Wine Each Week: 2016 Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon

As you traverse through your wine life you realize there are a handful of producers who, over the course of your tasting their wines for years, perhaps decades, actually never seem to fail. Such is Spottswoode Winery in Napa Valley. I’ve had the pleasure of tasting their wines for years, meeting with winemaker Aron Weinkauf at their Napa Estate, and the truth is there is never a bad wine from their portfolio. Their secondary label, Lyndenhurst - a reference to the property being named such for a time back in the early 1900’s, provides the quality of the Spottswoode wines at a lesser cost.

This is a seamless wine, embracing all the elements of great Cabernet, wood, fruit, acidity, soil and a deft touch of winemaking know-how. It is both elegant and gently aggressive. Comprised of Cabernet with small amounts of (in descending order) Petite Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. It offers black cherry, black berry, light blueberry, rose water, sandalwood, raspberry, vanilla, cedar and a hint of tobacco. The tannins and acidity support the structure of the wine without compromising it. This is a wine that commands attention but not in a bellicose way, rather it nods and smiles at you from across the room, drawing you close for a personal conversation. 1,826 Cases.

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

PRICE: $85/ 750ML

SCORE: 92 POINTS

SPOTTSWOODE

Aron and I at the Spottswoode Estate

Wine Each Week – Newton 2016 Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon

Too many Napa Cabernet Sauvignon suffer from a character flaw: they want to be big, bold, and brash. But Napa Cabs that assault you are just that: assaulting. Then, Newton walks through the door. What’s interesting about the 2016 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon is that it provides all the Cabernet qualities you want but in a much more subtle and subdued package. The oak treatment is not nearly as obvious, the fruit is more restrained yet a little brighter. It’s a big Napa Cabernet without being a big Napa Cabernet. To put it in a theatrical perspective; many Napa Cabs act like Jack Nicholson busting down the bathroom door with an ax in The Shining. Big, bold, brash. Certainly entertaining. But Newton is a Cabernet that is far more nuanced - not Jack Nicholson, but Tom Hanks tapping on the bathroom door with a pen, slipping a note under it.

The 2016 offers beautiful notes of huckleberry, blackberry black cherry, raspberry, and boysenberry. Pulling fruit from three distinct sources – Spring Mtn., Yountville, and Mt. Veeder, this is comprised mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon with less than 6% of Petite Verdot and Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Eschewing a big oaky style this had a mere 14 months of oak aging with just 15% new French oak. That it is unfiltered adds to its quiet generosity.

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

ALCOHOL: 14%

PRICE: $59/ 750ML

SCORE: 94 POINTS

NEWTON

Wine Each Week: Duckhorn 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

1982. Napa. Duckhorn debuts its Sauvignon Blanc. Reality check - AVA’s only came about a year earlier. Back then Sauv Blanc wasn’t much of a popular wine but Duckhorn dedicated themselves to planting it.  Nearly four decades later this is one of the most consistent Sauvignon Blancs to come out of Napa. It presents bright lemon zest, lime kefir, light honeysuckle, quince, mango, white peach and a bright acidity that dances on the tongue. Blended with 15% Sémillon part of the success is that winemaker Renee Ary blends both warmer and cooler vineyard sites together to offer a much more balanced approach to Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve had well over 15 vintages of this wine and it never fails to impress.

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

ALCOHOL: 13.5%

PRICE: $30/ 750ML

SCORE: 91 POINTS

Duckhorn

The Paraduxx Paradox

Paraduxx, originally an offshoot of Duckhorn wines, was formed in 1994 to celebrate the idea of blended wines, as opposed to single varietal wines, which Duckhorn had more of a focus on. Winemaker Don LaBorde says Paraduxx is “inspired by the iconic blends of the world, and made for the modern palate.” And that’s pretty spot on. The 2014 Candlestick Napa Valley Red Wine shines a light on just how excellent a blend can be. Mainly Syrah with 38% Grenache this is an opulent wine: rich, ripe, creamy and mouth filling. It expresses sweet fresh picked blueberry and blackberry, sugared almonds, boysenberry preserves, a light acidity but a drop dead gorgeous experience, viscerally; part tactile but part emotional. Yes, wine can do this. And this wine is not for a variety of foods - it’s big and commanding, like when you have a piece of really excellent chocolate that’s so rich you just need one piece. Yeah, this wine is like that. Aged 18 months in oak, (95% French Oak, 5% American Oak) the Candlestick is that immensely satisfying experience.

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

PRICE: $58/ 750ML

ALCOHOL: 14.7%

SCORE:  94 POINTS

Shock Then Awe: Napa’s Chateau Montelena - 50 Years of Shocking the Wine Business

(NOTE: This article was originally written for The Hollywood Reporter)

I was invited to participate in a 50-year retrospective tasting of Chateau Montelena’s Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at their historic winery, built in 1888. So, 50 years may not seem impressive. After all, many French Château have been around for hundreds of years. But if you are Château Montelena eclipsing French wines in the famed Judgment of Paris in 1976, you already have a storied provenance, not to mention Hollywood made a movie, Bottle Shock, about you.

Originally the Gothic castle-like winery was called the A.L. Tubbs Winery named for Alfred Tubbs who commissioned it. 129 years later the name Tubbs would take on a new meaning as the Tubbs Fire swept through Napa and Sonoma in October 2017, destroying nearly 38,000 acres and over 5,000 buildings.

A mere 35 people were invited to the Dream Tasting

Vineyard Shock

Fire and Napa have a long relationship. In 1981 the Atlas Peak fire charred 26,000 acres, the work of an arsonist who was never caught. A year later the Silverado Fire burned 2,000 acres, and even as far back as 1913 the Sage Canyon Fire corrupted valuable agricultural land. But the Tubbs Fire was something more aggressive. “From ground zero (the fire started at Tubbs Lane) we had the vineyard across the street,” says Bo Barrett CEO and former winemaker at Chateau Montelena who hosted the tasting. “We lost an 11-acre field of Cabernet (equaling 2,300 cases) so one of our vineyards took a torpedo and sank.” Grapevines are notoriously resilient plants. They can withstand drought, erratic weather and can grow nearly everywhere. Yet questions arose immediately about smoke taint and how the fires would affect Napa wines. “You cannot make the smoke go away, you can’t just wash it off,” Barrett admits. However all the “big money fields” had already been harvested he says, roughly 80% of the Napa Valley. But misinformation persists about the 2017 vintage. “People need to know their producers - the wineries with integrity that don’t make compromises will only sell you the good stuff,” Barrett says. Further south in Napa, stalwarts like Duckhorn agree. “Because Cabernet is a thick-skinned variety and because the grapes were so fully developed, we do not expect smoke impact in the finished wines. Even so, we rigorously evaluated these grapes and if they do not meet our standards, they will not be used,” Belinda Weber, Director of Digital Trade and Consumer Marketing for Duckhorn Wine Company told me. “Smoke affects plants in general by filtering the light, which in turn can affect photosynthesis depending on the intensity of the smoke,” says winemaker Pam Starr of Crocker & Starr Winery in St. Helena. “Though Cabernet Sauvignon is thicker skinned and can persist through inclimate conditions, a thicker skin is not impervious to smoke affects. Research is incomplete on quantification of the smoke phenols in the wines, so the final decision to blend and bottle post-fire lots will be determined by our sensory powers in the winery.”

The author, hard at work

Tasting Shock

So on an overcast January day, I sat down for the Dream Tasting, held at Chateau Montelena. The point of this rare tasting was to showcase the resilience of Cabernet from Château Montelena over five decades in diverse growing conditions. Three wines from each decade, poured from magnums, represented the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s, a total of 15 Cabernets. “We didn’t pull out the greatest hits, we were showing how our estate vineyard does well under adversity,” Barrett said as we gathered in the winery’s working barrel room. These are a few selected tasting notes.

1979-This was the second estate bottling and though there was excessive heat for this vintage resulting in a 40% crop loss - this is where you see the identity of Montelena Cabernet beginning to come together. As evidenced from the earlier 1974 and 1975 there is a more comprehensive feel, more seamless integration of the fruit, oak and acidity, finding its stride with better balance. Framed by a brisk acidity and bright, crisp blueberry, blackberry and red fruits, this represents the hallmark they will become known for.

Bo Barrett

1983-From an El Nino year, heavy rainfall hit all of Napa but the vineyard, a rocky well-drained hillside, was not affected. Though a cooler vintage this retains classic Cabernet character with noticeable black berry, raspberry and blueberry. The tannins are less obvious and there is a slightly shorter finish, but this still is a commanding wine.

1994-Nearly perfect weather lays the foundation for this robust Cab offering a bold acidity and gripping tannins. This is a wine that coalesces beautifully, balanced with fruit, wood, acidity and pH, presenting mature blackberry, boysenberry and blueberry, nonetheless elegant in spite of its vibrant character.

2005-Balancing red raspberry, boysenberry black berry, blueberry and black cherry, there is a uniformity of good acids and firmer tannins. It’s less bright fruit and more darker and concentrated with a noticeable polish to it making it velvety and smooth.

Bottle Shock

Clearly Cabernet grapes can withstand climate variations even fire and that is something to celebrate. Also celebratory was the 2008 motion picture, Bottle Shock, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, and starred Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, loosely chronicling the Judgment of Paris tasting in France where Chateau Montelena beat out their French counterparts in a blind tasting specifically designed to show off French wine. “The movie’s a great ad,” Barrett told me. “It taught Americans about wine and how hard we work to make a integrity product.” But when first approached about the project Barrett’s initial response was doubt. “What’s it going to be, like eight minutes long? Everyone knows how it ends. Who the hell’s gonna pay for that?” And though the film was not a financial success it did leave its mark. “It still brings people to our tasting room,” Barrett admits. “I mean, the film’s a little bit made up, they moved things around.” Barrett sites that since director Randy Miller was formerly with Disney they added some additional elements utilizing a traditional Hollywood formula. “Regardless,” says Barrett, “it’s a love story to California wines and it showed Americans they can be proud of our wine industry.” 

Chappellet Hill Country

Chappellet is well known in Napa. Now in their 51^st year, this family-owned winery still turns out an impressive portfolio of wine. And just as Napa is synonymous with Cabernet, Chappellet is synonymous with Pritchard Hill. Named for homesteader Charles Pritchard who in the 1890s was growing Zinfandel and Riesling on this spot, Mr. Pritchard had no idea he was growing the wrong grapes in these alluvial soils. It’s Cabernet that shines light a light on this hill. In 1967 Donn and Molly Chappellet bought property here, in part based on the advice of André Tchelistcheff, then at Beaulieu Vineyard, and since then have been working Cab here.

Their 2014 Signature Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is comprised of predominantly Cabernet with 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Merlot. Upon initial opening…it needs some air time, hang time, a bit of time where the oxygen affects the wine and brings out a deeper resonance. So yes, taste it, but let the glass alone for a while – I suggest a decanting time of at least 30 minutes. Once done you easily pick up notes of blackberry compote, blubbery pie, boysenberry, side notes of cedar and mint, with back notes of eucalyptus and sweet resin, cocoa and anise. The acidity and tannins are fully integrated so that when you drink this, it’s a comprehensive mouth feel. So, let this grow on you, slowly. Wines like this need time to develop in the glass, and that is one of the reasons of making a wine like this. Time. Time and the willingness to explore.

ORIGIN: Napa, California

PRICE: $65/750ML

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

SCORE:  93 POINTS

Nothing Scary: Caspar Estate’s One Stop Christmas Shop

Well, you gotta buy a Christmas gift, right? Same old? No. We don’t need any more ties, gift cards, closeout sweatshirts, Snuggies, candles, or refrigerator magnets.

Holiday shopping should ne cool, fun and provide the gift-getter with something unique and unusual. Napa’s Caspar Estate and Cultivar Wines produces many things from their estate, including wine (Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Syrah, among others), honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (seven iterations of them both), even beer. You can mix and match a gift basket, just pick one item, or whatever you need to assemble quality products that, I truly believe, will make someone happy. So check these things out and start crossing people off your list.

Their 2015 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon pulls fruit from mainly Napa Valley, as well as 25% from Sonoma and 15% Mendocino fruit, and clocks in at a reasonable 14.3% alcohol, being very balanced. With blueberry and black berry, raspberry and violet, mild tannins and bright acidity and fresh fruit. It’s a lovely Cabernet that represents three different counties, a sort of “bringer together” kind of wine and one that at $32 makes it easy to buy it.

Their Caspar Estate Wildflower Honey ($18) is not only organic, but it’s unfiltered, dark, thick and sweet with an almost orange blossom, black tea and honeysuckle note.

Caspar Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($26) is rich and creamy, with fresh cut grass notes and lacking a harsh bitter component.

Find more ideas here:

https://shop.cultivarwine.com/CULTIVAR-SHOP/HOLIDAY-SHOP

On Your Mark: Markham’s 35th Birthday

I don’t recall what I did for my 35^th birthday. And I’m guessing you really don’t care. But Markham Winery’s birthday is a different story, you know, cause they make wine…wine that you buy. It was 1980 when the first vintage of Markham Merlot hit the shelves, and Merlot--that underappreciated grape--has been Bruce Markham’s success since then. The winery in St. Helena traces it’s roots (pun intended) back to the 1870s when it was founded. Bruce and Kate Markham rebooted the old winery as Markham in 1978, keeping the history alive, and creating new wines. Sure there are other wines in their portfolio, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Pinot and others, but it is Merlot they are known for, and what they do exceptionally well. So we’re celebrating with Merlot and cake (no, it’s not merlot-cake, it’s a lovely chocolate cake from WeTakeTheCake) but more importantly it’s the 2014 Markham Merlot that you should get your hands on. It offers ample mild fruit of bing cherry, blueberry, boysenberry and rustic sweet cedar, beautifully integrated tannins and a mild acidity and ultimately is a terrific value - a wine that is truly worth getting to know. Happy birthday, Markham!

ORIGIN: Napa, California

PRICE: $25/ 750ML

ALCOHOL: 14.2%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  90 POINTS

Bruce and Kate Markham

Merlot Me, Maybe

“Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,

so here’s my number, Merlot me maybe.”

Okay, so you might be now singing that pop song in your head. Sorry about that. Anyway…October is the self proclaimed Merlot Month. Really? Does a wine need 30 days in which to prove itself? Ah…with Merlot, yes it does. Merlot has been maligned ever since the film Sideways unapologetically voiced the main character’s opinion, “I’m not drinking any fucking Merlot!” Ouch. It’s not that Merlot was a crappy grape, but that in California, back then in the early 2000s, it was overplanted creating not only glut, but lousy grapes. I love Merlot. Truly, there are some terrific examples, including Lava Cap (Sierra Foothills), and Robert Hall (Paso Robles) and a host of others. So, may I present a Merlot sampler - a range of wines worth considering this month of October that might reinvigorate your red wine consumption. At the very least, try a new Merlot, even one not on this list.

From Sonoma is the inexpensive 2014 Cannonball SonomaCounty Merlot ($14.99), a nifty little number that is a great entry Merlot for those who like more ripe frit and fewer tannins and change in your pocket. It offers rich jammy boysenberry, black berry, a little black cherry and huckleberry, a sweet oak and a pleasant personality - easy to drink, easy to love, easy on the 401k.

Moving up the scale is Peju’s 2013 Napa Valley Merlot ($38), from a certified organic vineyard in the Rutherford area of Napa, which offers more acidity, tighter tannins and more subtle fruit with notes of blackberry, boysenberry, dark plumb and raspberry, hints of sweet cedar and black cherry.

Then we come to the Duckhorn 2013 Napa Valley Merlot ($54) which is the gold standard of Merlot in California. Routinely Duckhorn Merlots provide a tactile, sensory experience with dark fruits of blackberry, boysenberry, huckleberry, pomegranate, charred resin, seamless oak integration and a constant stream of acidity working through the wine making this ideal with food.

Duck(Horn) - The Other White Meat

Napa’s Duckhorn Winery, started in 1976, is known for its exceptional Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. But tucked into their portfolio is little old Chardonnay, that other wine, often overlooked. To be sure, Napa produces a lot of Chardonnay, as does every other major wine region across the globe. Yet, the Duckhorn 2014 Napa Valley Chardonnay is all classic Napa, which means it is smooth, silky and on the nose there is candied pineapple, baked red delicious apple, quince, lemon-lime, sweet almond and cedar, a line of resin on the mid-palate and a breath of mango on the finish. There’s enough viscosity, acidity and oak to make this a very well rounded wine. It’s a surprisingly structured wine, fully fleshed out and very enjoyable to drink. I’ve long been a fan of Duckhorn in part because of their incredible consistency. Now add Chardonnay to a consistent offering and you’re on the right path. DUCKHORN.COM

ORIGIN: Napa, California

PRICE: $35/ 750ML

ALCOHOL: 14.9%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  92 POINTS

The Donn Abides – The Passing of Donn Chappellet

I didn’t know Donn, at least not personally. We had never met. He lived in Napa, and I in Santa Barbara. He started a winery and I started wine writing. My most recent mention of Chappellet wines was May 13th, in a Tweet about the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, which hit over 1,000 impressions. Donn Chappellet passed away on May 22nd at age 84 – too young by my estimation.

I have included Chappellet wines in a variety of articles; for The Hollywood Reporter, IntoWine.com, and most recently for Planet Experts about wineries that support earth-friendly practices writing, “In Napa, Chappellet Vineyard began in the early 1980s (long before the term ‘sustainable’ was even used), to plant cover crops for soil conservation and erosion prevention. In 2012, their 102-acre vineyard earned its organic certification from the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Chappellet has a 20,000-square-foot solar photovoltaic system that generates 100% of the winery’s energy needs. They also installed a state-of-the-art water processing system that allows the winery to return nearly 100% of their processed water (about one million gallons each year) to the vineyard for irrigation.”

I included Donn in my IntoWine.com’s Second Annual “Top 100 MostInfluential People in the U.S. Wine Industry,” listing him as #94, writing, “Chappellet was the first winery to pioneer high-elevation vineyard planting, establishing mountain-grown Cabernets as some of California’s most coveted wines. The winery has also served as an incubator for some of California’s legendary winemaking talents, including Phil Togni, Joe Cafaro, Tony Soter, Helen Turley, Mia Klein, Cathy Corison and current winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus. Chappellet has been lauded by every major wine magazine.”

“Dad was the kindest, most thoughtful person,” son Cyril Chappellet said in a press release. “He was our rock, our mentor, and an inspiration, not just to our entire family, but to so many others as well. He was also humble beyond belief. Despite everything he accomplished, he never took the credit. He always preferred to give others the stage. Along with my mom, my dad created the foundation that our family has been building on for the past 50 years. He believed that the best was still yet to come for Chappellet. Now it is our turn to honor that dream, and his wonderful legacy.”

And what better words can be said of someone’s passing – the idea that the best is still out there, perhaps just beyond reach, but likely within reach of another generations. If you haven’t had any of Chappellet wines, do try one, from their Chennin Blanc, or Malbec, Petite Sirah or Chardonnay to the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon ($60), and raise a glass to a man you never met, one who made the world better in a number of ways you never knew about – something we can all strive for. Godspeed Donn.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating in the name of Donn Chappellet to the Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County or to the St. Helena Hospital Foundation.

Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County

PO Box 2571 Napa, CA 94558

www.napawildliferescue.org

St. Helena Hospital Foundation

10 Woodland Road

St. Helena, CA 94574

https://foundation.sthelenahospitals.org

Sock It To Me!

Imagine drinking some of Napa’s best Cabernet Sauvignon without spending a small fortune. “Liar,” you say to me. Not so. Punch Vineyards is a unique animal – they source their Cabernet from various vineyards from Napa, even Sonoma and elsewhere if need be, to craft an excellent wine without the overhead and costs of having their label says it’s from Napa, hence the designate on the label is just “California” (meaning grapes sourced for the wine can come from anywhere in the state.) And this is the only wine they produce. This has it all - a judicious use of oak, black cherry, raspberry blackberry, vanilla a seductive deep, rich quality. Their tag line is “Made by insiders for insiders,” and that’s pretty much true as they have an abundance of experience in and around Napa. It’s not widely available, but you can get it at some retail and online outlets and I daresay if you drink Punch you won’t be punch drunk – you’ll be wildly happy with this wine. PUNCH

ORIGIN: Napa, California

PRICE: $35 - 750/ml

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  89 POINTS

Friends...with Benefits

There’s nothing new about Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Many of the pre-eminent wines reach well over $100, $150 and beyond, which puts them out of the reach of the average consumer.  But what does said average consumer do when they want a true authentic Napa Valley Cabernet, say for a special occasion, or just because it’s Tuesday?

They should reach for the Amici Cellars 2010 Cabernet from Napa.

Loosely translated from the Latin “amici” means friends (seriously, I do think Jennifer Anniston would love this wine if she tried it). The grapes for this wine come from two specific places in Napa – Rutherford, best known for dusty rustic fruit, and Yountville known for it’s cooler influences which produces softer fruit and acidity. At $45 this Cab offers rich fruit flavors like blackberry, plum, and raspberry trailing off to cocoa and vanilla (from the French oak) with medium tannins and a pretty good finish – that slow unresolved flavor in the back of the mouth after you’ve swallowed your wine. So this friend furnishes many benefits. Though I rarely state decanting a wine or letting it breathe, this wine will definitely work better with at least 15 minutes of aeration in your glass before you consume it. Then, drink away and know you’ve had a terrific Napa Cabernet for less than half the cost of other versions. Value? Check. Tasty? Check. Friendly benefits? Double check. 

AMICI CELLARS 

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

PRICE: $45 / 750 ML

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  89 POINTS