New Napa Cab Projects

As my friend Justin Wittkopf just posted, we need to see more Napa cab buzz on the board. Haters please stick with your other threads and battles. :slight_smile: Here’s some nerdy geek out on new quiet projects.

I was fortunate to be exposed to a ton of new projects last month in Napa. I have a young new world preference so keep that in mind for big fruit and tannin. Many of these are extremely high priced out of the gates but have other lower level wines in the lineup. In no particular order…

Davis Estates Phase V - I guess the regular Davis bottlings have been around for awhile but the premium offering is the Phase V. Melka is the winemaker. Mega million dollar estate and winery is worth the visit for the technology and architecture alone. The Phase V really stood out as killer (2012 current release). Really nice people too… http://www.davisestates.com

Hertelendy - Primary vineyard on Howell Mountain with additional fruit from Pritchard, Oakville and Atlas Peak. 2013 inaugural release on cab and Parker gave it 95 (96 for 2013). Not knowing that, this really stood out in a big tasting. Ralph is a great guy as well. http://www.hertelendy.com

Alejandro Bulgheroni - Purchased the Founder’s Room property at Meadowood/NV Reserve. 2014 inaugural vintage just released. Big estate cab and then a second line called Lithology (a Napa Valley, a BTK and a Las Piedras each). Had the Lithology Napa Valley at it was excellent. Tried the Estate cab last year and it was also outstanding but double the money. Melka is winemaker. http://www.bulgheroniwine.com

Zakin - Another Melka new one. Howell Mountain estate. 2013 inaugural. http://www.zakinwines.com

Nellcote - Two cabs. Sourced fruit from multiple sites I believe. Tried the 500 Chevaux bottling and was very impressed. Inaugural vintage in 2014. Titus is winemaker I found out afterwards. http://www.nellcote.com

Marciano - A former portion of the Bourn vineyard in St. Helena. Sold fruit in the past and the other side of the Bourn property is owned by Beckstoffer providing fruit to Realm and Kata (others too I’d guess). Andy Erickson making the wine with 2014 as inaugural vintage. Three cab based offerings. http://www.marcianoestate.com

Sarocka - Spring Mountain estate. Two cab based wines. I had 2013. Mike Hirby is the winemaker and I’ve long been a fan of his cabernet work. http://www.sarockawine.com

Cheers!

Phil, I think you may get some haters on this one. I would not necessarily consider myself one, but I’ll start nonetheless.

Just more billionaires invading the Napa valley wine game.

Davis Estates. How about some fresh personal on the team? We got Melka! again! Just so tired, perhaps a decade or two past. A quick search shows the Phase 5 at $205. I think I am going to pass on this one.

Alejandro Bulgheroni, Argentine tycoon. He’s got Melka too, and Michele Rolland, and this guy commands more of a premium than Beckstoffer fruit. Couldn’t even imagine what these might go for, but my guess is somewhere north of realty. Despite all foreign flair here, this is another easy pass.

Hertelendy. Great label! and Philip Titus as winemaker. Titus made one of my all time favorite wines, the 2001 Chappellet PH. Don’t know about pricing here?

Zakin Family Estate. Melka is here too. I lost count, is this his 42nd or 43rd gig as a consultant/winemaker?

Marciano. Any relation to Rocky?

Here we go.

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I agree that more Napa Cab buzz would be a great addition to the board. Thanks for sharing about these new producers. I had not heard of any of them before. I really like the dynamism of Napa Valley; there is always something new to discover.

What is it about having the money to afford high quality resources that some find so objectionable? With the sea of wine being made, if one doesn’t like the final product then pass, regardless of price. Aren’t the rich allowed to have hobbies and advocations? Would it be better if they were big game hunting?

It’s cool to hate the rich. It’s all the rage these days. Come to think of it, it’s been popular for awhile. [snort.gif]

I agree that we need more buzz, but I’ve tasted many of these projects and wasn’t that impressed. Bulgheroni I tasted some of the early vintages (they started in 2009, but I think 2014 was the new winemaking team.) Maybe the new team is better, but I heard the wines are like $300+ per bottle? I haven’t had Marciano, but I’m sure Wally’s will send out some grand promotion in the near future on it (since they own Wally’s, for those that didn’t know that). I’ve had Sarocka, as they’ve been around a while, but I preferred the label they stopped making (name is escaping me, but was a steal at $45).

Nellcote has had my attention since I heard about it, but it’s my understanding the wine is more reserved in style, and wasn’t of the profile you say you prefer?

Finally, more Cabernet in Napa. Bout time!

I tried a $35 blend from Napa called Protege that really impressed me.
https://www.protegewines.com

I read an interesting perspective following the purchase of Stagecoach by Gallo: displaced producers will be forced to go elsewhere for fruit to stay afloat, and these very deep pockets buying estates and making Melki/Rolland/et al wines will only drive up the costs and prices for the displaced. If you are only interested in the product of these displaced independents then this immigration of the superrich to NV is a depressing generational trend.

You forgot the zero at the end, otherwise it’s not from high quality resources.

I don’t think it’s like that.

I see at more as people feeling bummed out that the upper end of a hobby they used to be able to participate in has inflated to a point of inaccessibility.

Soon enough, people who can recall those times will be gone and there will be no dissent when it comes to proper worship of ‘high end projects.’

Want some buzz? Togni, Forman and Dunn are making exceptional wines for half of what newcomers with zero experience, zero dirt on their hands, and a mercenary winemaker are charging. So are Cathy Corison and Mike Smith, even if the latter buys overpriced grapes from Beckstoffer.

Hell, if you want substance over buzz, try some Montelena, or some Smith Madrone, or Black Cat, or even if you like fruitbombs and oak sodas most Napa Cabs with solid track records are going to come out of the gate with lower prices than these.

There is such a glut of Napa Cab, both good and bad, that most new projects and products hold very little interest. I’ve bitten on a few - Di Costanza and Dakota Shy, but they’re not bringing in consulting winemakers.

#H8r

Noah, don’t forget Heitz…

Perhaps the problem is having such a narrow scope of interest to be “only interested in the product of these displaced independents”.

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I have no interest in the homogenized cassis/baker’s chocolate domestic Cabs. I have no interest in wines I can’t afford a 3-pack of.

I have no problems understanding my own interests.

It’s probably a worthwhile endeavor, for zealots such as ourselves, to be reminded periodically what a tiny percentage of wine consumers that we represent.

Thanks for the mention, Noah. It is indeed difficult to watch the moneyed move in in big numbers. But I will continue to do as I have done, which is to keep my little place going, buy no fruit/make only what I grow. My “regular” Black Cat, my bread and butter, will open in June at $75/bottle. Each year I count on my mailing list to vote with their wallets that they appreciate the wine, and particularly at the price. My 2 higher end wines will open in about a week or so. Man, I have bills to pay!

Chris - Hertelendy is $125 retail.

Ian - These are not all in the same style. I like a pretty wide variety as well so my intro was not meant to homogenize these. The Nellcote and Hertelendy are in a less bombastic style with great dark fruit expression at the core but structure to last (at least in Napa years, not Bordeaux years). The Marciano is also not in Melka style, made by Andy. I had a 15 barrel so it was primary but with huge bones to be an exciting wine. Hirby’s Sarocka had it’s own character as well. The Davis and Bulgheroni were the most Melka like but with their own character.

Cheers guys.

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