New Napa Cab Projects

WINE TALK
41

I feel I am pretty mainstream in the Napa cab purchases.

42

I’ll buy Pott Napa Cab based on my love of all things Aaron makes, and he had a wine called the Arsenal, along with Rivers Marie Napa for a lot less and at least have a good idea of what I am buying and quality it will deliver. $200+ wines untried aren’t worth the risk with a family eating up income now.

43

A lot of what has slowed down the new Cab ventures in Napa is simply down to the fact that it’s almost impossible to find great fruit. At any price. And the Stagecoach sale is gonna really make it harder as eventually 500 acres of demand will hit the valley floor. There are not 500 independently owned excellent acres of Cab fruit on the entire valley floor!! So what’s going to happen to prices? Won’t be pretty.

Notice how many of the new good producers make their wine off estate fruit. Take those away and there are not even a handful of excellent new Cabs the last 5 years. Being an estate Cab is the ticket. If you can afford the $500,000-1,000,000 per planted acre to buy one.

44

roy- good stuff (as usual) do you think the answer to the supply demand problem becomes expanding reach? im thinking eastern napa county and/or the southern end.

45

Many talents taking the reigns, responsible for projects, from Lisa sculpting Togni’s current vintages, Massimo triumphing with his own label, Aron amping-up quality at Spottswoode, Marc taming Bryant Family, and Graeme with his namesake’s project along with what we’re anticipating to see what he’s on course to do at Blankiet Estate:

Lisa Togni

Massimo Di Costanzo

Aron Weinkauf

Marc Gagnon

Graeme MacDonald

46

Here’s a little known with a deep history, quality wine and reasonable prices: Gibbs

[url][Error | Gibbs Napa Valley]

We happen to be enjoying their 2014 Los Carneros Pinot Noir right now. Their Dusty Red Blend, Cab Franc, Cabernet and Reserve Cab are all very good, affordable and restrained versus the fruit bombs on the market.

1 Like
47

I think Tench Winery is a pretty exciting new Napa Cabernet Project. It has a superb East Oakville location right next to Screaming Eagle, with amazing red rocky soils, a decades-long history of family vineyard ownership, an amazing new cave and winery that were very thoughtfully built, and to top it off, it is made by Russell Bevan.

48

I am not enamored of all the super expensive new wines that will be coming out. Most of these seem to be vanity projects and I doubt the owners will make money no matter what the price. It then becomes simple economics for consumers. If you have the money and the wine appeals to you…buy it. If you answer no to either parameter, then don’t purchase it. No sense arguing as the market will sort itself out.

As for me, due to age , finances, and preferences, these wines have no interest to me. Right now the most expensive wine I still buy is Spottswoode but at least they have been around for 35 vintages and not charging ridiculous prices for their first release. Since I am getting “old”, I remember the outrage over Harlan at $60 and Colgin at about $40. Luckily, at that time, I could afford them! flirtysmile Nowadays, my cabernet purchases are a limited for the aforementioned reasons plus I have an ample amount in my cellar. Luckily, there is still people like Arns, Lewelling, and Myriad who do not always try to squeeze out every last dollar from their clients. Just my opinion, not a hater, so take it for what it is worth. [soap.gif]

Cheers!
Marshall [berserker.gif]

49

Just checked out their website. Definitely looks to be a family operation. I’d be interested in trying their wines, but they only ship within CA.

50

Andrew, check with Randy & Carrie at Napa Valley Wine & Cigar. Perhaps they still ship to NY.

51

Coombsville is now getting a lot of attention. Farella sells to several buyers (I got some last year) and so does Meteor. I think there is more room to plant there and I think Coombsville’s only issue is water rights, which are very hard to get there.

Certain parts of Conn Valley, on the back side of where Phelps is, makes stunners. Three Birds, Fairchild Sigaro, Bond Melbury, the old Parallel Estate was from there before it got sold. Seavey, Anderson’s Conn Valley. I think there is some room for expansion by a couple hundred acres.

More likely is independent growers on the floor and hills needing a replant just get offers they can’t refuse and those vineyards disappear into large corporate hands never to be seen again.

I believe that Stagecoach will honor all EXISTING contracts, but when they run out, I believe almost all of that will go into a massive expansion of Martini and Mercury Head.

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53

How much are the wines? Also, they say on the website that their grapes have been a source for one of the great brands in Napa. Do you know which one?

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55

Thread drift again, one of my hallmarks…

Just what Napa and the wine world needs, more cheese course Cabs.

A couple of years ago in the Spectator’s Nov issue’s top 50 Cal Cab rankings there was a $75 Cab listed. Not only was it one of the least costly ones, it was from Sonoma. Some of the elevated vineyards there produce some very complex grapes and wines in the right hands.

56

Monticello Vineyard is producing some damn fine grapes in recent vintages.

57

Now that they have some road behind them has anyone got more of a read on Alejandro Bulgheron and Lithology? They’ve got their hands on great fruit and got good write-ups, but haven’t heard a ton of chatter about them. Their Lithology BTK cab Franc and cab sauv seem really interesting.

58

I just hopped on their site out of curiosity, as I’ve gladly jumped on with the likes of Di Costanzo, Patria, William & Mary, Fait-Main, Elyse…because of threads like this and was excited at the prospect of another nice Napa Cab find.

Unfortunately, I see that a bottle of Lithology Estate Cab is $600 and the Cab Franc is $300. I’ve never tasted a wine from Lithology and likely won’t because of that price point. Wowza.

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59

For those that play in the price points of beckstoffer heritage vyd wines, Lithology is can’t miss. Fantastic expression of those vyds (they get Tokalon, Dr. Crane, Las Piedras). Single vyds are steep but so are the peers.

They also make a Napa Valley blend that is very good which includes Beckstoffer G3, bourn and many other great vineyards at 150.00.