My favorite Napa winery (even though they are located on the Napa/Sonoma line). I buy a case of their reserve wines every year, as well as some other bottlings, usually their Cab Franc and Merlot. Had to stop buying their Vintner Select wines as I get enough as it is.
They’re one of our only every-year buys.
I really appreciate that they don’t spend a lot of their/my money on elaborate packaging/tchotchkes/etc., and they regularly and predictably do inflation-sized price increases (rather than the, “We got some scores, pay up!” kind).
A friend brought over a 2004 Cab Franc from Pride last Thanksgiving. Was pretty incredible and has made me considering buying current vintage wines from them.
I bit on some 2015 Cab and 2016 Merlot, I have always been a big fan of the Merlot
It is actually a fortified wine. You usually can only pick it up when visiting the vineyard and only certain times a year.
IIRC, it’s fortified unfermented Viognier.
I have had and enjoyed their wines but have never been on their mailing list or sot them out at retail. I believe all of the bottles I have purchased have been at auction. I think their Merlot is a pretty good value.
Partially fermented, then fermentation stopped via grappa addition. Vin doux is the French term for the technique. Some of the best dessert wine around, IMO.
Thanks for the explanation Greg.
Buy every red since 1999. Have 9 cases to pick up. They will store your wine on site til you’re ready to pick up. Amazing customer service. Great people. One of the best winery tours in Napa with a great picnic site. First real “oh that’s what good wine is”. Oh… actually dont buy the syrah. Too many better options out there.
Stopped buying in the around 2003, as it’s not my preferred style anymore. That said we opened a 2002 cab last year that just blew away my expectations. It’s still big with oak ect but it had really developed positive secondary attributes.
It is amazing how then they were on the lower edge of expensive and 15 years later if you like the style they are a screaming bargain. They actually linger on the shelf around here so I might just pick up a bottle to see how the new wine maker has changed things up.
I do, but only at auction for back vintages, which are absurdly cheap. I can often find the reserve wines all in for under $125.
What do the reserves go for direct these days?
The style is pretty different under sally Johnson. It’s nowhere near as big or extracted as it was under foley.
I paid $145 last year for the Cab.
Not really a fan.
I visited them in 2008 - my first NAPA “wine visit” and it was a wonderful tour and really felt special. I bought a few wines for a few years but everything was at the high end of my price range even for the regular stuff and so I dropped off. In retrospect my tastes have evolved but I ha ent really had many of the wines since Sally established her style.
A friend’s dad with a big cellar bought tons for years and never made the reserve list even though he spent probably $10-12k and so he dropped off.
So much great wine coming out of Napa- hard to allocate limited funds if you don’t want to drink big heavy oaky cabs every night…