The Napa Valley Vintners Open the Cellar
Harvest time in the Napa Valley is always a very busy and exciting time of year. Different than much of the Bay Area, you can actually start to see the seasons changing – maybe not the weather, even though it does get a little cooler at night – but definitely the scenery. Verdant green vineyards turn to deep oranges, reds, and yellows. Long hanging amber and purple grapes come off the vine and make their way to wineries where some of the most skilled hands in all the world will turn them to liquid gold. Yet, Harvest doesn’t just bring hustle and bustle – it brings an edgy anticipation. And every year around this time there’s another compelling storyline that’s being written – hundreds of wineries preparing to release their Cabernet wines that have been gracefully aging from previous years harvests.
The emotional mix of what’s ready to uncork and what’s headed to barrels to wait its turn definitely creates an invigorating vibe that settles over the Valley. With so many great vignerons, winemakers, and vintners in Napa there is no shortage of wine to get excited about. The Napa Valley Vintners – who you may know from their large scale productions such as Premiere Napa Valley and Auction Napa Valley, which are two of the hottest event tickets in the wine world every year – have put together something truly special to continue shining the spotlight on the incredible world of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Open the Cellar is perhaps the greatest collection of pre-release Cabernet Sauvignon ever assembled in the Napa Valley. The list of wines available reads like an anthology of greatest hits by some of the worlds greatest bands – and these are wines I can definitely rock out with – after all, “Big Cab” is the language spoken most in my home. Starting on Tuesday, September 8th and winding down on Thursday, September 10th, the cellar doors will be open for just a short time – and that probably means I will not be getting any work done those days. But, it also means that selections of the best-of-the-best of what Napa does are available to all of us, from the collector, to the aficionado, and to the genuinely interested treat-yourself buyers. If you want a little helping hand on a few of the wines available, I was lucky enough to sneak into the cellar when the Vintners had their back turned and scored some wines I want you to know about. In an effort to showcase different regions in the Valley, as well as focus on smaller, more boutique producers, the names you see you may not know, but they’re absolutely worthy of your attention (*you don’t have to love my tasting notes, but I’m salivating re-reading them now, so there’s that).
Zakin Estate – Rising above the fogline on Howell Mountain at over 1,200’ above the Valley floor sits the impressive Zakin Family Estate – a wonderfully gracious family that is salt-of-the-earth genuine. With four beautiful acres of vines and Philippe Melka at the winemaking helm, these wines showcase the strength and concentration of mountain fruit, but the finesse of a skilled craftsman. The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is a commingling of red and black fruits; plums, blackberries, dried black currants, and cherry cobbler are displayed in an incredibly fresh and bright wine that also showcases some black tea, mint, and cranberry notes. Excellent wine from a producer to seek out.
Vineyard {511} – Perched at 750’ above the Valley on Calistoga’s Diamond Mountain, Vineyard 511 (pronounced five-one-one) produces powerful, concentrated mountain fruit. Founders Irene and Ed Ojdana have a beyond impressive CV, and like most things they do, this project has turned to gold. Winemaker Rob Lloyd – instrumental in the rise of the famed Rombauer winery in Napa – crafts an exceptionally well balanced 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine opens with classic Diamond Mountain characteristics, deep, dark blackberry and currant notes met with subtle cedar and cigar box. However, there is an elegance to this wine that expresses itself as it sits in glass – good acidity balanced by a softer structure. Mocha, ground coffee, graphite, and an obvious mineral quality. Beautiful wine from a real hidden gem.
Meteor Vineyard – Nestled into one of Napa’s southernmost AVAs, Coombsville, Meteor exudes pure luxury in their wines – and they only make two! Proprietors Barry and Tracy Schuler (ever heard of AOL?) teamed up with winemaking legends Dawnine and Bill Dyer to produce one of Napa Valley’s best kept secrets in one of the Valley’s more untrodden appellations. The 2017 Perseid Cabernet Sauvignon is fabulous, and everything I love about Coombsville fruit. Big extraction of deep blue fruit – blueberry compote, figs, elderberry. Hints of anise, eucalyptus, chocolate, and cassis. This is a big wine – but not unapproachable, even though I should lay it down for 15 years before I decide to open the next one as more cellar time will only enhance the balance of this well structured, complex wine.
Corison Winery – Okay, you definitely know this name, but I had to add Cathy’s wine to this lineup. She’s a pioneer – and there may be no one else in the Valley who understands fruit from the Valley floor better than she does. There aren’t enough superlatives for her talent, or for the 2017 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon. Still young, the bouquet wafts of fresh lavender, lilacs, and violets. Pops of ripe red cherry, cassis, and black currant. Well integrated tannins and acidity mean a long life for this wine, but damn it’s hard to keep Corison Cabernet out of my glass at this or any point.
These are just a snippet of what’s going to be available during the Open the Cellar online event. There are hundreds of Cabernet Sauvignon wines being pre-released and I’m eagerly counting down the minutes until I can dent my credit card. With that being said, it’s really important to know that this event, like all of the events put on by the Napa Valley Vintners, benefit the winery workers and their families. Premiere NV and Auction NV are headliners for the great work Napa Valley Vintners do in this farm working and hospitality driven community – Open the Cellar is yet another way this group commits to improving our community through wine – and if you ask me, adding a few bottles to my cellar is a really easy way to get involved and make a difference.