ROY PIPER WINES
Dave Dyroff and I began our first full day together in Napa with a visit with Roy. He’s at 11 years now on his own and up to 425 cases. His focus is about making sure his clients–as he calls his customers–and who he values very much, get the best out of him and his wines that he can give them. His proudest thing he’s done, he says, is his 2011s, which was his first year in Moulds vineyard. Roy is really focusing on great vineyards that fit what he wants to do—if you have a great vineyard, he says, you have a much wider pick period. He is enthused about this vintage but he acknowledges it was a difficult one. He cites Tony Soter, Joe Davis and Graham MacDonald as key influences.
He opened the 2019 Roy Piper 60th Anniversary Cuvee for us, to commemorate what would have been the 60th anniversary for his parents if they were still with us. There’s a beautiful photo of their honeymoon that he has used for the label this time. 1/3 each of Houyi, Moulds and Greer fruit—he likes the cooler Rutherford-located Greer site. 14.5%, 80% new oak, Roy uses mostly Taransaud, Sylvain and Bosquet—the free-run juice goes into the new barrels, the press into the used.
Aromatics have lick of cured tobacco and also a dash of tapenade, plenty of black fruit base. This is cool, a real difference from the 12 and 15 I’ve had previously. Very laid back, the fruit is seductive with very pure damson plum. Later some anise and the tabac chimes in as it sits a bit. A lot of likeable wine—fits with a very likeable guy. Great to see him again.
BETA/JASUD
Indirectly, I have to thank Robert Dentice for championing this place. Dave read about it and made the arrangements and, after a harrowing 
drive up Diamond Mountain, we arrived to be greeted by Ketan Mody and his assistant (and crack BBQ chef for our lunch!) Wade for a truly marvelous 3-hour in-depth visit. You’ll read the notes but let me say this at the outset. I am hoping to get on the mailing list for these wines. That will be my first mailing list add in 7 years.
I have been reading Robin Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass and have really fallen for her intimate connection with the land and organic life. Ketan and Wade (whose roots are in farming) both have that respect and love for the land and vines they work with, I would say on the level of an indigenous relationship. It permeates all our conversation and is reflected in his goal to have wines which shine in the secondary and tertiary phases of their lives—which he wants to be at least 30 years. Ketan is proudest of sticking to his mantra throughout this journey. They brought out a spectrum of wines, including 2 from the Jasud site (I’ll try to add a picture eventually when I get photos transferred from my camera)
2011 Beta Montecillo Cab
This used to be the fruit that went into the Kenwood Artist series. 1800 feet elevation, 60 year old vines. They got access in 2008 and this was their first vintage. To scent still plenty of small dark berry fruit. A little woodsy and blue plum Tingly dans la bouche, very currant fruit and some tobacco. A lilting, fresh sweetness here and lots of time left to be enjoyed.
2014 Beta Montecillo Cab
On the nose, a blast of blue fruit and some prune, but it settles quickly. Ketan says they determine time of pick strictly on PH levels. The wines are never racked until bottling and everything is done in foudres and puncheons for 3 years. Black cherry, definitely, also some brisket and christmascake. Really nice expression, right in the wheelhouse, generous fruit and sandalwood and all very much on the elegance side.
2017 Beta Montecillo Cab
Tighter for sure here, takes some swirling to unlock. Small berries again. To taste, tannins are strong but pure with very dark fruit, cassis and blackberry
2018 Beta Montecillo Cab
More primal still here, with riper fruit–but it smells like it’s in context. Reflected in a tight palate, but I am sure this will flower and be very nice wine in 10 years or so. Patience will reward you.
2018 Beta Montecillo Cab Singel Barrel
They did this as a special, in one 300L barrel. I find this to be more open, interestingly, with raspberry and plum fruit. Also tight in the mouth, but spicier and fruit is more red-centric. Delicious tobacco element.
2018 Beta Maus Cab
This and the next are from different vineyards. More a black forest cake sense around cranberry, this is a little broody right now, we all agree. A little racy to taste, yet it’s more open cranberry and currant fruit and more straightforward at this stage. The vineyard is on the same mountain as Montecito, but lower elevation, very rocky soil.
2018 Beta Hamilton Cab
Oakville vineyard. Here there’s more baking spice, straightforward red plum. Raspberry, rhubarb and unripe plum make up the taste, with apple skin and some tomato leaf. It’s awkward now, but fun and interesting wine lurks within and we’ll see what age does.
I didn’t make a note on the 2019 Jasud Cab, which is from their own estate Diamond Mountain vineyard–the ranch tops out at 2000 feet—and initially Ketan was worried about where this was on opening, but I have to say with time, it might have been my favourite of the day, had a marvelous level of levels and complexity about it even at this early stage.
2021 Jasud Cab
Pungent, with anise and pure blackberry. Even this early, remarkable sweet plum and berry fruit combines with gorgeous freshness. It will grow into real balanced elegance, I think, and mineral and earth are lurking. Dave is reminded of Juge, and I can sort of see that, even though it’s a different grape.
Thanks so very, very much to Ketan and Wade.
EMH VINEYARDS
I hadn’t seen Merrill in 7 years and Dave had never met her. We had a fabulous afternoon and evening.
Merrill opened one of her more mature cats, a 2012 EMH Black Cat Cab which I thought was drinking beautifully, and continued to do so through the evening (she gave each wine 2 hours decanting) with very expressive red and black berry and currant fruit and caressing tannins along with an almost-juicy mouthfeel, and she also opened the kittenish 2019 EMH Black Cat Cab which I think is the most approachable wine I’ve had from here. Already bursting with energy and blue and black fruit, it may drink earlier and not be quite as long-lived as the other cats, but will certainly deliver pleasure.
I know Merrill, so I brought the Agrapart Terroirs for dinner. It showed the usual intensity and drive of the house, with lots of mousse, but I did think this was a trifle sweeter than others I had. Dave opened a 2001 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin that will be a very strong contender for Wine of the Trip. As frustrating as the quest for great red burgundy can be, when you have a wine like this, it’s why you make the quest. Astounding aromas of red berry, potpourri, roses and earth-tinged other florals. To taste, it’s just archetypal burgundy, the kind of wine nowhere else makes. Super-elegant and persistent at the same time, with open red berries, dab of cocoa, just a little game and a shiver of minerality to frame it all. Faiveley is not always the most consistent house, but this was a true gem. Thanks Dave for sharing!
Dave’s wine of the trip was one he boldly and adroitly traded some of the Mazis for—the next table (where one of the owners/winemakers at Lynmar Estate was part of) had opened a 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Dave very generously let Merrill and I have a sniff and taste each. And this stuff is archetypal Pauillac. The pencil shavings, graphite, currant, some tobacco—all of that is there. This, I think, is ready and finely-tuned, but still doesn’t grab my soul----I’m just not a Bordeaux lover. Admirer? Yes, there’s a ton to admire in this wine for sure.
Maluhia,
Mike