April 2024 Napa Report: 001 Vintners, Tidings, Beta-Jasud, and others!

[Rohit_B]

Made a trip to Napa this past week. Seems like there’s been quite a bit of rain this spring! Apologies for the long post.

Day 1

Corison

A good friend and a wine mentor suggested I take a visit with Corison. Most people here know Cathy’s reputation, but if not I highly recommend listening to her story on the Bedrock podcast. As a brief summary, Cathy has been in the valley since the 70s. She is famous for staying true to her style, picking with elegance and freshness rather than ripeness. Meaning, she picks way earlier (and had no problems in 2020). So much so that the winery hit some very hard times when the trend was bigger riper oakier and she stayed true to her style. Things are much improved now and I am personally glad she stayed the course.

Had the opportunity to try several wines, including the 17 syrah, 17-19 Napa cab, 99 Kronos, and 2020 Cab Franc. In summary, they are phenomenal quality and you should try them at least once. I imagine these wines to be what the wines “old school Napa” tasted like when young (with respect to ripeness and pick dates etc.). If you don’t like them, no harm no foul. Good from an “experience” and “education” perspective IMO.

• 2017 Corison Syrah Helios Sunbasket Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (4/9/2024)
  Tasted at winery. Medium light bodied Syrah. Nice lighter red fruits with hints of syrah meat underneath. Drinks well now and has structure to go awhile longer. 91-92 (91 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

• 2017 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (4/9/2024)
  Definitely has a touch more fruit than the 18 or the 19 but still elegant and drinking beautifully. Starting to integrate more. I'd say this will be best in 10y but can drink very well now. (92 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

• 2018 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (4/9/2024)
  Tasted at the winery.
  
  Little bit darker with more serious fruit than the 19. Bit more coiled up in structure too. Comparatively dark and inky but still has the classic Corison elegance. Mineral-driven tannins with red and darker fruits.
  
  Should cellar for 15y no problem. 93 (93 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

001 Vintners

Originally scheduled for lunch but my flight was delayed–Jack was very gracious in being flexible to meet me at Charter Oak for some pre-dinner nibbles (the raw vegetables were very good, and I’m a carnivore).

There’s a lot of interest in this wine on the board considering the vineyard and the winemaker. In summary, this is the former Abreu Thorevilos vineyard (now renamed Ecotone) and Graeme MacDonald is making the wine. Jack is an industry veteran with a very strong reputation in the valley (rightfully so, recommend looking him up). Graeme needs no introduction on this board.

The elephant in the room is the two 93pt scores from AG and WS on this wine. I personally do not agree (note below). I’ve been told by many people when a new project gets scored for the first time, critics can be reluctant to score highly upfront and not leave room to ramp up in following vintages.

My understanding is Graeme got first dibs on the blocks that went into this wine. It is a BDX-style blend and does taste like it (83.8 CS 13.5% CF 2.7% PV). I think the release notes are pretty spot on–there’s a lot of savory earthy old-world character here and also some proper fruit. I liked it a lot, but think it will be glorious in 15+ years. If you want to drink one in the near future, I’d wait 2-3 years if you’re able.

• 2019 001 Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Ecotone Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/7/2024)
  Tasted with Jack over some pre-dinner nibbles. Made by Graeme MacDonald from Ecotone vineyard (former Abreu thorevilos).
  
  Just my opinion, but this wine will shine in 15-20 years. Right now it showed powerful fruit with profound structure and a notable savory earthen character. I would not say it straddles the line between new and old world—rather, it distinctly shows some new world qualities side by side old world qualities. Like one foot on each side of the door.
  
  Wait 5 years on this one. It is a pretty unique wine that shows differently from majority of Napa wines I’ve tried. (95 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

Tidings with Reid Griggs

Met up with Reid for dinner at Compline in downtown Napa. Good spot with solid food! Reid is very thoughtful and very knowledgable. He recently planted his own vineyard in Glen Ellen, which due to timing I unfortunately did not get to see. He was (is? unsure if still) Graeme MacDonald’s assistant winemaker and Tidings is his personal venture. He is also the current winemaker at Stony Hill. He brought the 2021 Tidings Moonridge CS. He views this as his flagship wine. It has a certain elegance and refinement while maintaining true mountain fruit. I personally think his Bien Nacido syrah is a stunner and could also be his flagship. In summary, he is a great guy making killer wines. Highly recommend reaching out to him if you’re planning a trip to Napa/Sonoma in the future.

• 2021 Tidings Cabernet Sauvignon Moonridge - USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District (4/9/2024)
  Tasted with Reid at dinner.
  
  Like many of his cabs, they bloom in the glass. Shows lovely depth of fruit in an elegant style. Has that hint of blue that keeps things fresh. I found the fruit to be a bit more compact and waiting to unfurl compared to the 19 (which of course is 2y older, so that makes sense at this stage). A young wine that will do very well with time. (94 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

[Rohit_B]

Day 2: two good friends joined with.

First stop:
A project that is not public yet and I’m not sure what the modus operandi is so I will refrain from letting the cat out of the bag.

Beta-Jasud, on the mountain with Ketan Mody

The vineyard is coming along incredibly well, and Ketan was in full form. We tried the 2011, 2012, 2013 (mag), 2021, 2022, 2023 Monticello, as well as the 2022 and 2023 Jasud wines. We grilled some phenomenal hanger steaks and large shrimp, in addition to a lovely salad. He has a picnic table under some trees on the mountain top, compared to others with a big fancy tasting room. Bare bones and all about the product.

Most of us are familiar with the Beta wines–Ketan emphasizes site. He picks earlier than most and uses much less new oak, usually in a much larger format. The result is a complex and ageworthy wine that shows classicism and grace.

And then there is Jasud…everything you’ve heard? It’s true. All of it. This is the purest and most complex young wine I’ve ever come across. The 22 stopped me in my tracks. I actually had to get up and take a walk. Then later I had the 23 and was speechless. If you are able, buy every bottle of this you can and protect it.

Ketan is the torchbearer and will change the paradigm in Napa. 2022 note copied below.

• 2011 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District (4/9/2024)
  Tasted on the mountain with Ketan. Loved this.
  
  Just starting to turn and show some age. After about 6h of air it is shows a great balance between aged fruit and mountain structure. The more air it sees the more the aged notes come out.
  
  A lovely wine that is drinking at peak for me. Will comfortably cellar for another 5+ years. (93 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

• 2012 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District (4/9/2024)
  As good as I remembered. Tons of life left. Mountain purity with excellent complexity underneath. Should go another 10+ years. See my prior note from 2022, it is showing very similarly. (95 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

• 2013 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District (4/9/2024)
  From magnum. This is a wow wine. Deep complex fruit with classy earthen notes underneath. Mountain shrub. At least from magnum this will go another 20y without issue. (95 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

The 2022 and 2023 Monticello were just babies but still incredible at this stage. Yes, 2022 had more heat and there is a little bit more density of fruit compared to 2023. Not so much so that you should skip the 2022 vintage as a whole. My friends actually preferred the 22 to the 23 for both Monticello and Jasud. Know your winemaker and know your preferences!

• 2022 Jasud Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain (4/7/2024)
  Just a barrel sample. Not sure if this was the final blend.
  
  Imagine the purest, most delicately complex, balanced blackberry and wild berry bramble you’ve ever had. But you’re looking right through it, as if it is transparent in some way. Now add on Turkish spice, sumac, subtle purple florals and fruits. Now add in mountain power but give it grace and elegance and class. Incredible precision, clarity, and weightlessness.
  
  Ketan and his Jasud wines will bring a paradigm shift to Napa. In 40 years he will be in the same breath as Togni, Dunn, Mondavi, etc. A future legend making what will become one of the great historic wines of Napa.
  
  The fruit is a bit deeper and denser compared to 23 (didn’t try 21) and some actually preferred it for that reason. This is a conservative 97 and will blow your socks off. That being said, the 23 is better. (97 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

Mowe Napa Valley

From our very own Dustin Mowe! This is a personal project from him and his wife Renee. He’s been active on the board recently and contributing quite a bit of insight. I was introduced to them by a friend who suggested I need to try the wines. Dustin and Renee were very very generous and hosted us at their home. To unequally reciprocate some of that generosity I brought some of the wines Ketan sent us on our way off the mountain.

The vineyard itself is 1 acre right on their property. It was planted by Abreu 34 years ago and the grapes used to go to Spottswoode. The vines clearly have some craggly character representative of their age. There are two wines from this project thus far. An estate cabernet from the property and a sauv blanc from Coombsville.

As Dustin has posted here, he wanted to emphasize freshness and authenticity to site on his wines. I tried the 2022 Cab and there definitely is an elegance to it that I do not think you will find in many wines from that vintage. There is definitely fruit but it is not there to knock you over the head. There’s great structure and mouthfeel and I think it will do well in the cellar. While some may shudder at a ‘22 debut for a new project but I would not shy away, you will be pleasantly surprised.

The sauv blanc I tried was a tank or barrel sample (can’t remember which). Dustin said based on the method or the manner in which it was pulled the wine was showing 70-80% of what it should be. Whatever percentage I tried was damn good. We spoke about the DANA sauv blanc (you know, the one for $600+) and this wine reminded me of that. It had a distinct minerality, streak of acidity, layered mouthfeel, and lovely fruit notes that keep you going back from more.

All in all, for me what makes Napa special is visits like this. You see the place, you meet the people, you get to know them and get an understanding of what they are trying to do and why. There is certainly a time and place and a market for tasting rooms and hosting staff etc., but that is not what I’m looking for and not the goal of this project. It didn’t feel like a visit or an “experience” so to speak, was just a couple of folks sitting at a kitchen table drinking some wine and talking anything and everything. What’s better than that?

[Rohit_B]

Day 3

Promontory

One of the Harlan properties, a bit of palace intrigue for me so figured why not check it out.

First of all, the facility is gorgeous, but you are not at the vineyard. You are about 2 miles away, and there’s a flowing waterfall artistic construct that points at Harlan Estate and promontory vineyard is sort of behind those hills. There are vines on the property but they go to Mascot. The vineyard itself is about 60 acres in the trough between two mountains. Production is a few thousand cases (it may have been 6000 but maybe I am just repeating numbers).

I was welcomed by a glass (and a refill) or 2013 Dom Perignon. Great for a 9am start. My host and I spent quite a bit of time in their “main area” (don’t know what else to call it. They have a really lovely 3D terrain map with the Harlan family properties which I spent quite a bit of time on to get an understanding of the land.

Learned a lot about the Harlan history and essentially they view themselves as a first growth. They have a 200 year vision for their vineyards and winery. Bill Harlan has more or less turned over the reigns to his son Will Harlan.

I was told their winemaking facility is designed by the same architect as Dana Estates, another incredible facility. It is absolutely gorgeous, though to me it seems that visitors were definitely taken into consideration as well. I personally found the lighting to be quite dim in many areas for aesthetic purpose. I actually asked my host of the lights turn brighter LOL.

They use 3 different kinds of tanks, often used for different blocks depending on what characteristics they are trying to get from the wine. Oak (I believe French), stainless steel, and concrete. The barrel room is gorgeous. They are moving away from new oak entirely and are focusing on large format used (like 4800L). I was able to taste the 2021 from barrel and it was quite good.

I walked about the property, saw some vines, and then eventually sat down for a tasting with quite the view. I tried the Penultimate (I think 2018 but don’t remember), 2017 Promontory, and 2020 promontory as a sort of bonus.

Important to note is they have changed their stylistic preference in recent years. They have started picking at the end of August and their 2020 was well in production before the fires started. This is a decision they are carrying forward, pick a bit earlier and use no new oak.

The wines themselves are very good. I really liked the 2020, the 17 was also very good but shows some riper fruit that is true to the vintage. There is no pressure to buy and obviously the wines are not inexpensive. Whether they are worth it is up to you, but I do like the direction they are headed stylistically.

I will post my CT notes when back at my computer but here are some photos for now.

Forman

Ric Forman is a legend in the valley. His style of wines is BDX style with less ripeness and tons of aging potential. Unfortunately I was not able to meet Ric (think he was on vacation) but was told he typically stops by.

His vineyard up the hills in St. Helena below Howell Mountain. One portion is U-shaped with different orientation of the vines for what I believe to be optimal sun exposure. If I remember there are 11 acres but ~8 or so are in front of you.

The cave is as long as a football field, and his library has some really old dusty bottles that unfortunately are not for sale (I did try!). The wines themselves are quite lovely. I was told it is around 40% new French oak but the barrel influence was not very strong IMO. I tried the 17, 18, and 20. I did not perceive any smoke taint on the 20 and it was pretty good. I liked the 18 the most as for me it had this extra layer of depth and complexity.

It’s a good visit and worth checking out one of the stalwarts of Napa.

Tench Vineyards

I’ve been trying to meet Margaret for quite awhile now and was finally able to make it work. Tench is in a prime location in East Oakville, a famous vineyard in its own but also some very famous neighbors. I believe it is around 60 some acres and Margaret says the best blocks go into the Tench wine. Given the size of the vineyard and how close to the hillsides vs valley you are the soil can change a bit. This also means different varietals are planted in different places.

It’s an old vineyard with a lot of family history to it. They were primarily selling grapes to other winemakers but starting in 2017 they decided to launch their own in-house label. Notably there was a consultant winemaker change from Russell Bevan to Philippe Melka. I think it was ultimately a stylistic preference that led to it. They also have a full time winemaker who is on site basically every day (I think the name is Katie but can’t remember). The reason I say this is I often wonder (and asked) how involved consultant winemakers are that make 40 or 100 wines. The answer is it depends.

I tried the 2021 lineup and the 2022 SB. The labels have changed as well to reflect the different areas of the vineyard and seasons of the year. Creative!

The SB was very complex and deep. It is definitely one of the better Napa SB I have come across from a quality perspective. The BDX blend (merlot dominant) was very nice and not flabby at all as many Merlot can be. Drinks well now and should be had within 8-10y per Margaret. Their Cab franc was very nice and has a lot of potential, and their cab sauv is quite serious and will do very well in the cellar. I think for the two big reds the best of the wines are 10+ years out. Stylistically there is some California sunshine in the wines but not so much that you lose the site.

Margaret is very gracious and generous and highly recommend reaching out to her if you are interested in the wines and planning a trip to the valley.

Togni

One of the stalwarts of the valley, more specifically the mountain wines. This may be my recency bias but my impression is people have somehow forgotten or overlooked Togni.

Phillip Togni is a legend by every definition. He is (mostly) retired and his daughter Lisa is running the show. It was not an abrupt transition, rather she has been intimately involved in the winemaking for the last 20 years or so. He still lives on the property and is in the cellar when they are racking etc., but for all intents and purposes Lisa is making the wine.

The property itself is high up the winding spring mountain road where I was met by Lisa. Here you are far away from the hustle and bustle and activity on the valley floor. It is peacefully recluse up there. The mountains are just different.

There are several parcels with multiple different exposures, elevations, tree coverage, etc. I believe there are either certain blocks or vine age that go into the Tanbark Hill wines vs the main wine. One of them is through a forest line and probably 100ft below. The 2020 fires put the land in jeopardy, and some very generous neighbors came and essentially saved the property.

There’s a variety of cover crops that were in full bloom, and the vines show plenty of age and gnarled character. My understanding is the vines are essentially dry farmed. There was some irrigation initially to get the vines going early on in their life but not anymore. I believe they are organic but I can’t remember now.

Lisa and I went into the barrel room and sampled some 22s. I tried the free run as well as the press wine. Both were very very good. Lisa said the main wine is about 80% free run and 20% press wine. They don’t press particularly hard either so the quality itself is very high. I actually said they could bottle the press wine on their own and do quite well!

Then we tried the 2021 and the 2016 Ca’Togni sweet wine. The 2021 is fantastic. We did a PnP and I was expecting to be smashed with tannins and oak but that was not the case. It needed a few minutes but a gorgeously coiled wine was underneath. Tons of cool blue fruit and mountain freshness. There are certainly pyrazines on this wine but not the green pepper or asparagus type, more of the elegant eucalyptus freshness variety. I personally love that style.

The 2016 Ca’Togni is made from an Italian varietal and the name is slipping from my mind. It has a lot of residual sugar, I was told 325g/L. While it definitely has sweetness, it has proper palate weight, depth, and structure as well. I think this is an immortal wine. Unfortunately the 16 is the last vintage for this wine and the vines will be grafted to some BDX varietal.

We then went into the “warehouse” on the property where the wines are bottled and labeled. Interestingly, the Togni wine is labeled as red table wine. You won’t find and alcohol content on the label. My understanding is that it was grandfathered in from way back when. I did try to poke and prod about what the ABV was but was didn’t get too far. Truthfully though, who cares? There’s a 40 year track record on the style and aging potential of this wine. Just a cool historical tidbit. There are some back vintages stored here but not all are available for sale (I definitely tried).

I’m sure Lisa gets a lot of questions about what she is doing compared to what her father did, living in a shadow, etc. I am certainly guilty of asking those questions as well. I have no reservations. All in all it was a great visit and I really enjoyed meeting Lisa. I’ve said this before, but for me it is all about the people and the place.

They do some direct sales but Togni is well distributed at retail and also goes international to Europe (was told it is very popular in Switzerland). You should be able to find it without too much trouble. I left with a bottle of the 2005 to share with a friend I was meeting later. We threw it in a decanter and it showed in spectacular fashion.

Met a friend afterwards and that’s a wrap on the trip!

[Zachary_Mancini]

Got to see your Beta/Jasud Note! Saw it on Cellar Tracker!

[Tom_Chen]

@Rohit_B

001 Vintners

Originally scheduled for lunch but my flight was delayed–Jack was very gracious in being flexible to meet me at Charter Oak for some pre-dinner nibbles (the raw vegetables were very good, and I’m a carnivore).

There’s a lot of interest in this wine on the board considering the vineyard and the winemaker. In summary, this is the former Abreu Thorevilos vineyard (now renamed Ecotone) and Graeme MacDonald is making the wine. Jack is an industry veteran with a very strong reputation in the valley (rightfully so, recommend looking him up). Graeme needs no introduction on this board.

The elephant in the room is the two 93pt scores from AG and WS on this wine. I personally do not agree (note below). I’ve been told by many people when a new project gets scored for the first time, critics can be reluctant to score highly upfront and not leave room to ramp up in following vintages.

My understanding is Graeme got first dibs on the blocks that went into this wine. It is a BDX-style blend and does taste like it (83.8 CS 13.5% CF 2.7% PV). I think the release notes are pretty spot on–there’s a lot of savory earthy old-world character here and also some proper fruit. I liked it a lot, but think it will be glorious in 15+ years. If you want to drink one in the near future, I’d wait 2-3 years if you’re able.

• 2019 001 Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Ecotone Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/7/2024)
  Tasted with Jack over some pre-dinner nibbles. Made by Graeme MacDonald from Ecotone vineyard (former Abreu thorevilos).
  
  Just my opinion, but this wine will shine in 15-20 years. Right now it showed powerful fruit with profound structure and a notable savory earthen character. I would not say it straddles the line between new and old world—rather, it distinctly shows some new world qualities side by side old world qualities. Like one foot on each side of the door.
  
  Wait 5 years on this one. It is a pretty unique wine that shows differently from majority of Napa wines I’ve tried. (95 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

Thanks Rohit.
That note sounds I will enjoy the 001 very much, and glad to hear it’s not the typical big Napa cab style. Not sure I can wait the 5 years, much less 15-20, but we shall see . . .
Looking forward to opening one sooner with lots of decant time.

[Rod.M]

How was that ‘99 Corison Kronos showing? I’ve seen a few at auction and was wondering if I should buy some extra cellar defenders…

Thanks!

[Rohit_B]

Showing very very well.

[David_Bu3ker]

Corison Kronos and “cellar defender” in the same sentence is something I never expected to see.

[Jeff_M1]

Bruh, all those Monty vintages, and Jasud. The mountain tasting taken to extremes. Would be cool to see the vineyard in bloom. I’m sure Ketan has a lot of excitement with the new vines and continued growth of the existing. A lot more Jasud to come online down the road.

[Glen_Gold]

Wow, you really played the hits on this trip. Nice notes - thanks for the report!

[Zachary_Mancini]

All monty. Thats so awesome. And obviously the 22 and 23 jasud tastings. I was sad i missed ketan on my last visit. Need to make a trip up again soon!

[Ed_Steinway]

I am looking forward to your notes from your visit to Forman. We have not been there in several years, and have not tried most of the new vintages in a while.

[Rohit_B]

Updated some have to finish Togni and add CT notes apologies for delay!

[Ryan_A]

Killer notes and lineup. Thank you for posting. Awesome job illustrating the experience helping us live it through you. Very kind of you - love it! Never had Beta but it comes highly recommended. Head to Napa for Inspire and will try to connect with them.

Important FYI: the fire that people ‘picked’ before leads you to believe that the grapes are both phenolic ripe And won’t experience smoke taint… The fire they reference and for the most airtime is The Glass fire but… that’s not the full story and it’s a buyer beware situation.

IMO: The real impact and what we won’t know for years until the molecular level activity in bottle starts to drop particles and change is the devastating LNU Complex fires- these fires started in mid August and I have significant doubts that this fire didn’t play a major role- the smoke layered the valley and hung around causing what might be the more serious ‘unseen’ impact than anyone is willing to talk about. Obviously the Glass Fire was catastrophic but it’s this earlier fire that is the unknown, causes me real pause, and why many, even the ones that picked ‘before the fires’ are not in the clear. I have tasted a number of samples that picked early and they do not have the same phenolic ripeness causing me to believe they will (at the time) Chap and/or manipulate and/or hope the aging process doesn’t reveal issues down the line. Just one man’s two cents.

[Robert_Dentice]

I really love the photos! Thank you.

[D_Mowe]

Rohit,

Great meeting you and thank you for the kind words!

Dustin

[Rohit_B]

Fully updated, sorry for the delay!!

[John_Webber]

Lovely line-up, notes, and pictures. Thank you, for sharing.

I think the style shift at Promontory is interesting and wonder if it is for that label or the wider portfolio. In either case, I would love to know the motivation(s). With expensive wine to sell, I think you would have to be watching critics’ and consumers’ preferences closely.

[Jeff_M1]

Damn what an excellent trip!