Can I make the statement that, despite the current temperatures in Florida, hell has officially frozen over. Three Napa Cabs in the Reserve Club? Surely the apocalypse is near.
At the heart of this is pure economics, there is too much expensive wine being made in Napa and not enough buyers. It was a bubble that was bound to burst and 2024 was the year. So this quarter we will examine Napa in a way that has not been easy for years. Get used to it because unless the millennial generation can suddenly afford $100+ bottles of wine, and a desire to drink higher alcohol, these prices may be the norm for a while.
For this set I picked them on the criteria of appellations of origin. The first selection is a single vineyard, single appellation wine. The second pick is from a blend of two different appellations. Finally, the third selection is sourced from 11 different appellations across Napa Valley. For each selection we will look at the reasons why this was done and the results.
Download Full Club Write-up2021 Amulet Cabernet Sauvignon “AE”
The Amulet winery sits on a 20 acre parcel in northern Napa Valley in what is today called “Italian Valley” but in less friendly times went by another name. The first vines on the property were planted in 2000 by Robert and Paula Brooks, who also built a small winery and cave. For several years they sold the wines under the Dancing Hares label before selling the winery and brand to Tuck Beckstoffer in 2016. Tuck, who is the son of Andy Beckstoffer, one of Napa’s largest vineyard owners, renamed it Tuck Beckstoffer Estate. In 2020 Tuck took on partners out of Canada, who then in 2022 fired him for financial irregularities. Space does not allow for me to detail what has played out in the press over the legal drama that has since unfolded, but you can find plenty online.
“Italian Valley” lies on the east side of Napa, above the Silverado Trail and along the Crystal Springs Road that leads to the old sanitarium. The Glass fire in 2020 created so much damage on the property that the decision was made to replant the entire estate. As a result no estate wines will be produced from their vineyards for several years. To create this wine they purchased the grapes from the Bettinelli family who have extensive holdings across the valley. The Bettinelli family are legends in the Napa Valley grape growing world, championing organic and sustainable practices long before it was fashionable. This bottling is sourced exclusively from one of their holdings in the Yountville AVA in the southern end of the valley.
Visitors to Napa know Yountville, which is the first small town you pass coming into the valley out of Napa city. Best known as the home of the French Laundry, it is a cute little bypass off of 29 that is also home to my favorite restaurant in the valley, Bistro Jeanty. Being closer to San Pablo Bay the climate is a couple of degrees cooler during the day than farther up the valley mostly because the area is also blanketed by early morning fog. The soils are mainly well drained gravel thanks to the shifting banks of the Napa River through the area for thousands of years. This combination of slow ripening and lack of nutrients in the soil means the wines in Yountville tend to be more structured than those of the warmer AVAs farther up the valley. This wine from Amulet is a perfect example.
The winemaking at Amulet is now handled by Shawn Johnson, who previously worked under Phillipe Melka and Mark Herold. For this wine the blend is a 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 5% Malbec, which was fermented in stainless steel then aged in 70% new French oak for 20 months. Decant for a half hour and give a slight chill then the nose delivers a rich combination of black cherry syrup, dried black plums, black licorice, dried rose petals, cigar box and lavender. Unlike previous Amulet wines, which are a bit dense for my liking, this one shows impressive lift and freshness across the palate, with obvious oak tannins rising at the finish. Drink this wine from 2025-2032.
2022 Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve
Legend has it that the name for this wine was given by Robert Mondavi, who upon tasting it for the first time pronounced it a “textbook” example of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It must have been music to the ears of owners Jonathan and Susan Pey, who had financed their venture using credit cards! Since then this winery has become one of the darlings of Napa Valley, for not only producing “textbook” Cabernet Sauvignon but also at an affordable price. The new 2022 was a standout in my tastings and one you can enjoy sooner rather than later.
At the heart of this wine is fruit sourced from two Napa AVAs, Oakville and Calistoga. Oakville is in the middle of the valley, due north of Yountville and encompassing many legendary properties such as Robert Mondavi and Far Niente. Most of the appellation lies on the same alluvial field as Yountville, with fertile soils created by the Napa River since the ice age. The difference between Oakville and Yountville really lies in the temperature, which is slightly warmer, and the “bench” which lies on the west side of the appellation. This bench was created by the degrading of the Mayacamus Mountains over millions of years and creates a less fertile environment that stresses the vines and creates more structure. The famed To-Kalon and Beckstoffer’s Missouri Hopper vineyards both lie on this bench, both producing legendary wines for more than a century.
To contrast the fruit, winemaker Abigail Estrada uses grapes from the Calistoga AVA, one of the most diverse regions in the valley. Calistoga is the northern most of the Napa AVAs and is simultaneously the hottest region during the day and coolest at night. Located in the convergence of the Vaca and Mayacamus Mountain ranges the heat gathers during the day, but then cool breezes from the Chalk Hill gap drop the evening temperatures, locking in the grape acidity. The soils in the Calistoga AVA are also primarily degraded volcanic bedrock, poor in organic material. This stresses the vines more and imparts a smokey, mineral tinge to the fruit. Wines from Calistoga are generally very long lived, like Chateau Montelena, so the addition of the grapes to Textbook lends structure to the riper Oakville grapes.
To craft the 2022, Abigail used a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for 16 months, of which 35% were new. You will want to open this wine a half hour before serving and of course chill to proper temperature. The nose of this wine shows vivid fruit notes of blackberries and black currants before giving way to oak notes of mocha, caramel and soy sauce. This wine has a lovely core of fruit that hits you right away, then the wood tannins start building mid-palate and extend in to the finish. Drink 2025-2030.
2022 Venge Cabernet Sauvignon “Silencieux”
It is safe to say that no one in Napa has wine in their blood more than Kirk Venge. Kirk is the son of Nils Venge, the winemaker who earned the first 100 point rating for a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for his 1985 Groth Reserve. Growing up playing between the vines Kirk got into wine early and by 1999 founded Kirk Venge Vineyards. Under this label he makes wine for himself and almost a dozen clients including former club selections Trespass, Baco Divinio, and Y3. His style is a little bombastic, so the wines are always popular, as undoubtedly Silencieux will be too.
Sticking with our theme, Kirk produces this wine using 11 different appellations in Napa Valley. With such a long history in Napa he has many sites he works with, giving him the ability to craft this wine using the unique character of each of the 11 appellations like a painter uses his palette. For those keeping track, there are 16 sub-appellations in Napa Valley and as far as I know only one winery makes from all of them, Italics Winegrowers. They give it the creative name of “Sixteen Appellations.” If I ever see it I will try and make it part of the club.
Unlike the other two wines this one contains substantial components of the mountain AVAs, Howell Mountain, Atlas Peak, and Chiles Valley. Mountain vineyards produce roughly 30% less per acre than those on the valley floor, so the grapes are smaller and have more intensity. This adds more depth to the finished wine and typically means they will age a little longer too. This wine is also the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in this offering, 92% along with 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot. The wine was aged for 18 months in 65% new oak which builds even more structure for aging.
I suggest decanting this one for at least an hour as it is very big, and give it a slight chill. The nose is a ripe nose of kirsch, boysenberry preserves, toasted walnut shells, dark chocolate, and espresso roast coffee beans. The feel on the palate is very generous and rich, with a moderate frame of tannins into the finish. Drink 2025-2032.