Exploring the Latest Releases from the Napa and Sonoma A-List
To someone outside of California, saying “North of the San Francisco Bay” would indicate a large territory, including the lumping of Sonoma and Napa Counties together. Being just a quick 30-minute drive apart from each other means that many out-of-town visitors make plans to hit both areas in one go, especially for wine tasting expeditions. Yet, separated by the Mayacamas Mountain Range, these two wine-driven counties are, surprisingly, incredibly different from one another—in personality, in terroir, and ultimately in the wines that they produce. A few weeks ago, the Key Accounts team had an opportunity to spend a day in Sonoma and surrounding areas, and a day in Napa, side by side.
The first day of our trip we were welcomed to the West Sonoma Coast AVA by a thick blanket of fog hanging low over the redwoods. With no one else in sight, we were quick to see why Sonoma has the nickname “Slow-noma.” With Redwood City staffer Alex Schroeder wearing a few of our Domestic Buyer Ryan Woodhouse’s extra t-shirts to keep warm, we petted some vineyard cats and talked with Ross Cobb of Cobb Winery. Thankfully, they make a small amount of Riesling, a variety I have always considered a top candidate for breakfast wine (second only to Champagne), so we didn’t have to head straight into red wines at 9am. Cobb has several great vineyard sites but focuses on their two estate sites, Coastlands and Doc’s. The 1150ft high Coastlands vineyard where we stood engulfed in the thick fog sits SW facing, ideal for slow ripening of the fruit once the fog lifts around noon. The deep and rich soils combined with the elevation and aspect make for quite a unique Pinot Noir and Chardonnay site, allowing Cobb to grow small grapes that yield wines with complexity and intensity. With cats, fog, and excellent wines, it was a rewarding first stop of the day.
To get a taste of Cobb’s 2021 vintage, try the 2021 Cobb Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $69.95 94TWI and the 2021 Cobb "H. Klopp Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay $59.95.
We were welcomed next at Raen Winery, a collaboration between descendants of Napa royalty brothers, Carlo and Dante Mondavi. Raen is far from an off-shoot of Robert Mondavi’s current wineries; it is instead a passion-driven, farming-focused project nestled in the trees in Occidental-Freestone area. A vineyard tour included call-outs to the animals that were being assisted in re-integration on their property. Underneath an old oak tree, we sat and tasted their elegant and ethereal coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, and we discussed the Monarch tractor—this is a tractor that has made Carlo Mondavi quite the talk of the town. It is essentially the Tesla of tractors, as it has an option to be driverless as well as is 100% electric. Monarch is working hard to help farmers have access to in order to help cut the costs of organic and environmentally friendly farming. Their care in farming the woodsy estate shows in these lifted wines of coastal Sonoma County.
Check out Raen’s 2021 vintage with the 2021 Raen "Royal St. Robert Cuvée" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $64.95 97-98JS 96JD 95WA 95WS 94VN.
The discussion of wine with future generations in mind continued as we discussed the Occidental property with Catherine Kistler next. Yes, that name should ring a bell, as Occidental is the project of Steve Kistler (formerly of Kistler wines) and his daughter, who is also the assistant winemaker. Their sprawling and tidy vineyards made sense next to the top-of-the-line winery recently built. In a gorgeous glass-walled tasting room surrounded by rolling hills of vineyards, we were able to get a sneak peek at the focused and concentrated 2021 single-vineyard cuvées. Occidental is entrenched in the ever-present coastal influence, and is blessed with the ideal SW facing sites. A quick jaunt through the vineyards showed grapes far from varaison (or color change) indicative of the nearing harvest. With some of the latest-ripening fruit on the Sonoma Coast, we are not surprised by the concentration and character of Occidental’s wines—we are thrilled to share this new release with K&L customers: 2021 Occidental "Freestone-Occidental" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $64.95 98WA 96TWI 95JS 95VN 94WS.
Our final high-elevation Sonoma tasting was at the toe of the Mayacamas Mountains in Moon Mountain at Hanzell Winery. The farming theme of the day continued as we learned of Jason Jardine’s Integrated Farming approach to managing their estate. With rattlesnake guards on his shins and bean leaves on his elbows, Jason walked us through some of his plans to help the wine industry become more forward thinking and how he plans to help cut the cost of living (and carbon footprint) for his employees. While some might associate Hanzell and their emphasis on farming with the idea of domesticated animals roaming around, the carbon-footprint-reducing and soil-microbiome-health driven farm truly stands apart in its processes, all to the effect of producing a diverse set of delicious wines! A surprise delight to most of us was the Cabernet. We had been in Pinot and Chardonnay land all day, and balanced, minty, blue-fruited Cab was a welcome change and excellent expression of Moon Mountain. The Cab is not released yet, but you can try their excellent 2021 Hanzell "Sebella" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $39.95.
Across the Mayacamas we went to Calistoga, spent the night resting up, and back out to the vineyard we went. Where Sonoma’s coastal influence is a hallmark, Napa is defined by its glacier-carved valley that connects it to the San Pablo Bay, as well as its marked “diurnal shift.” The diurnal shift is what makes a warm area so perfect for grape growing. As the cool air sneaks in from the bay in the evenings, the spread of temperatures from day to night can be as wide as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows the ripening process and sugar production to slow in the grapes, while the ample sun and warmth during the day moves that process along. This leads to lower sugars, higher acidity, and more complex wines. All things we want to see!
The Napa Valley is flanked by the Mayacamas Mountains on the west and the Vaca Range on the east. We began our day exploring this different mountain terroir at the historical Dunn Winery, a winery that has become synonymous with Howell Mountain, and which brought us back up to 1400’ elevation. Being above the fog line, but with wind to keep the vineyards from getting too cool, Dunn is known for bold, bodacious wines. We ducked into the cellar to taste some experimental projects in barrel, as well as some of the upcoming 22s. For most of us, this was our first taste of 2022 Cabernet! We’re looking forward to the 2021 and 2022 releases down the road after those sneak peeks. Graced with vintages back to the early 1990s, we were thankful to explore where Dunn has marked history, where they are today in barrel, and where we can’t wait to see them go. While we’re waiting for the 2021 and 2022 releases, we have the 2018 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $169.95 97VN 96WS 96WA and the 2019 Dunn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $109.95.
Up we went some more to 2300’ to visit the iconic Robert Craig Winery, where temperatures on average are up to 10 degrees cooler than the valley floor. The striking, boulder-filled, red volcanic and tufa soils create a unique, darker berried and mineral/spice driven expression in their wines. In contrast to the rich soils of somewhere like Cobb, these sites are shallow, forcing the vines to be judicious about their water usage. Tasting through the 2019 lineup and enjoying some sandwiches, we went over the influence the specific terroir of their site has on the Robert Craig wines. Elton Slone walked us through how they do enough to transform grapes into an excellent wine, but are careful to let this rare and hard-fought mountain fruit shine. He shared with us a new t-shirt slogan they’ll be releasing soon: “You wouldn’t eat off the floor, why drink off it?” They truly are lovers of their terroir. For the reasonable price that they are, there are few values like Robert Craig that still exhibit such pure Napa mountain expression. The 2021s aren’t here yet, but we have 2019s in stock: 2019 Robert Craig "Estate" Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $99.95 97VN 96DC and 2019 Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $54.95.
Picture this adventure: it’s 3pm in Napa, it’s hot, you’re in a 15-passenger van with a gregarious winemaker bouncing up the hills behind Oakville. This is quite the opposite from our dreary fog-soaked morning just 36 hours before, and not just because the red berries are, albeit behind for Napa, seemingly lightyears ahead of their Sonoma neighbors. Turnbull Winery is one of the few family-owned and operated wineries left in Napa, and has entrusted gregarious winemaker Peter Heitz with the reins. Jokes about his driving aside, Peter took us up to one of the rockiest vineyards we have ever seen. Leopoldina Vineyard had single volcanic rocks in between vines that were larger than us humans visiting. There we enjoyed their Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, overlooking the valley below, while Peter showed us the teeny dots that were wineries we had already been to or driven by. As a fourth generation in Napa, Peter’s sense of place comes through in the thoroughly Napa expressions of Turnbull. I was again surprised to see the price points of these as well, feeling as though both Robert Craig and Turnbull carry so much more power and prestige to their wines than their price-tags say. Lucky us.
Next, down and back up, with a clear line of sight to Colgin, we were back up high at the newest estate site for Realm on Pritchard Hill. Here a breathtaking view and a peaceful mid-century-decorated tasting area sit atop a state-of-the-art winemaking facility, equipped to even block out smoke in the air if needed. The cellar beneath the facility was also beyond top notch, with a secret room shaped like a guitar hiding in the back. Story has it that the patriarch of the Houyi family, responsible for building the grand estate, was an avid guitar collector. Now, this guitar room it is filled with some of the wine world’s most coveted treasures. We were able to experience a full line-up of 2021s for Realm, as well as share a delicious pasta- and meat-focused meal with the Realm team. The wines are as meticulous as their facility and their makers. Focused, powerful, deep, and so classically Pritchard Hill. We are excited to share the Realm releases with loyal K&L customers: 2021 Realm "The Bard" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Pre-Arrival) $174.95 97TWI.
From quiet, foggy, coastal Pinot Noir to Napa’s powerful mountain wines, the Key Accounts team had an action-packed few days. Refreshed with knowledge and love for our two wildly different but home-turf wine regions, we look forward to sharing our personal connection to these lovely wines with K&L customers.
- Chelsea Herholdt, Key Accounts Specialist