I went to a buddy’s Holiday party back in December where the two owners of Riverain were pouring their entire lineup of 2015 and 2016.
All the wines were tasty, but their 2016 BBS (Best Barrel Selection) was off the charts amazing.
That, and Steve and Dean are Two Kool Kats…
For people that like Napa Cab, and who have yet to try the Riverain wines, it’s worth getting some. You get the track record and imprint of Thomas Brown on the wine, who is the winemaker. And, you support a Berserker in Steve Nordhoff who has busted his ass to start this project from scratch. I have no investment in the winery, but feel a deep connection to it, as I helped sort the fruit for the very first syrah in 2011 off Cardiac Hill that made that wine. I’ve also known Steve for over a decade and he’s been generous with the Riverain wines in supporting Falltacular, for us raising money to fight domestic violence. Just that alone, if you want a humanistic/purposeful reason to support Riverain, that is some additional strength for you.
And Steve is a regular on Berserker Day!
Thanks for the kind words Gents. We really appreciate being able to access some great fruit from Tench as Russell has made the site quite famous.
Thomas and his crew is the engine that makes it go. 2016 is a great vintage for us. We also got quite lucky in 2017 that a big canopy protected us from the heat spike and we picked before the fires. Just tried those out of barrel and we are super happy with the quality.
Steve, off topic…I love the avatar.
I found Riverain Tench off this board and ordered three bottles yesterday. Can’t way to pop one and let the others sit.
I’m In the Tench(sic) !
Under a Raging Moon?
I wanted to call the Cabernet bottling Hooligans, but I got voted down.
Another vote for the Riverain Tench here, and I’ve also very much enjoyed what Russell has done with the fruit as well. Really seems a characterful vineyard.
Mike
Looks like this is going live on February 10.
Looks like they are making a Sauvignon Blanc too
seems like the old registrations were tossed out.
anyone care to venture a guess at price? my guess is $540 a 3 pack.
I’m taking the over here…
ha. unfortunately i think you’re probably right.
as usual I wish them the best of luck, but coming out with a 2017 wine now with plenty of great 2018’s on deck is a challenging proposition/endeavor.
With all this hype does anyone really think it will offered for anything south of $250 per? I seriously doubt it!
what ‘hype’ are you referring to?
lengthy period between initial sign up and subsequent release, yes.
high pedigree site, yes.
elite winemaker, yes.
released scores/barrel sample? no
endorsement from 3rd party? no
hype- im not seeing it.
I, along with my wife and a couple close friends, had a phenomenal visit at Tench this past weekend. Margaret and Rem (who were fabulous hosts) poured us through their soon-to-be-released 2017 Cabernet and 2018 Sauvignon Blanc. We also were able to taste some of their 2018 and 2019 Cabernet and Merlot still in barrel. To say they have created something astonishingly special would be an understatement.
I don’t have a ton of notes as I was too busy enjoying the visit but here are my high level thoughts for those wanting info on their inaugural offering… The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc is wonderful and shows a roundness and complexity that is rare with this grape. It is buttery with flavors of vanilla and brilliant fruit. I thought the real magic, however, was found with their Cabernet.
The 2017 is the type of wine that you find yourself still thinking about 3 days later. It has fantastic fruit flavors along with hints of fig and bacon all accented by dark chocolate. The complexity and structure are there and the wine is already well integrated. It is impressive now but I also can’t wait to see how it develops in bottle as I think this will age well. I cannot wait to get my hands on this wine again so I can have another glass. It was hands down was one of the best wines we tasted on our trip. The 2018 and 2019 barrel lots also show exceptional potential. The 2018 which they’ll blend and bottle in a few weeks could be even better than the 2017. The 2019 is still going through malo but I was amazed how well it is already showing. This project is clearly going to produce some great wines.
They are releasing the 2017 at $195. Yes, “another $200 Napa Cab” – and while selfishly I’d love for it to be cheaper I think its still a reasonable price to ask for this wine from this site. The vineyard and family heritage is unique in Napa and the quality of the wine is absolutely there. Margaret and Rem know their property and they want to create something unique. I, for one, can’t wait to follow along.
Mike…Thank you for the great post…might make the purchase decision a bit “easier.”
excellent