Hello and welcome to this week’s dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.
It’s not quite clear what qualifies as “Napa cult wine” anymore, or whether that term even continues to be relevant. In its broadest sense, it could continue to have some relevance as a catch-all for a group of luxury wines that are sold exclusively to (hard-to-get-on) mailing lists of customers for several hundred dollars per bottle. These rarefied wines often also receive scores in the high 90s from top critics. Off the top of my head, I’d say a few dozen such producers exist in Napa.
Within this group, however, some brands are louder and more “cult-y” than others. One of the quieter players in that echelon I’ve always appreciated and respected is FUTO Estate. Started by businessman Tom Futo and his wife, the winery is based on a jewel-like property tucked up off of Oakville Grade a stone’s throw from Harlan Estate. Their terraced hillside vineyards (including some they purchased across the valley in the Stags Leap District) produce some exceptional wines that are guided from grape to bottle by the unassuming head winemaker Jason Exposto, who has been on the job for 13 vintages. Recently I had an opportunity to taste some of their latest wines, and they are stronger than ever. Some of them I reviewed already in my lengthy article on 2021 Napa Cabernet, but this week I’m reviewing the two exceptional Sauvignon Blancs produced at the estate, the first a blend of fruit from their Oakville and Stags Leap vineyards, the other a single-vineyard wine from their Stags Leap property. Both are delicious, and both are extremely expensive. If your buying habits regularly fall at the intersection of those themes, then these are for you.
The Antinori Family of Tuscany rarely requires an introduction for most wine lovers, given their 26 generations of making wine in Italy and several other countries around the world. Their Antinori Napa Valley project began with the care and deliberation you’d expect a winemaking empire to employ, purchasing land in 1985 and releasing their first wine, the 2004 vintage, in 2007. Interestingly, the family wasn’t quite ready to put their name on the project at the beginning, so the wines launched under the brand name Antica Napa Valley. In 2023, the family decided to rebrand as Antinori Napa Valley. I also reviewed their Cabernet-based wines in the article referenced above, so this week I’m reviewing their Chardonnays and a very impressive Merlot that I got a taste of, which hasn’t yet been released commercially. The Chardonnays show a nice balance between richness and minerality that will give them broad appeal to California Chardonnay drinkers. Of the two, I prefer the slightly cooler vintage of 2021. The Merlot is extremely impressive and it will be interesting to see what the estate does with it — whether it becomes the 4th “named” wine in the estate’s portfolio, or whether it will remain a minor bottling sold sub-rosa to their mailing list.
Staying in rarefied air for just a little longer, I continue to be extremely impressed by the wines of Almacerro, a small estate high on Howell Mountain that is the reincarnation of a property that used to be the home of the W.H. Smith brand. Started by Bill and Joan Smith, the people who founded La Jota Winery and eventually sold it to the Jackson Family. Current owner Frank Scherkenbach purchased the property in 2016, and hired Matilda Scott as winemaker, with Françoise Peschon as consulting winemaker. The tiny estate produces only about 1000 cases of wine each year but the wines are extremely impressive. This week I’m highlighting their 2018 and 2019 Cabernet as well as a red blend.
Closer to earth (in terms of pricing) and over the Mayacamas Mountains in Sonoma County, the tiny Spur Road project is the work of the young couple Amanda and Sam Buckingham. The two met while working a harvest in Burgundy, and are now married and starting their own label based on a family friend’s neglected 4-acre vineyard that they’ve revitalized. Accompanied by their chocolate lab, Duke, the two are making small quantities of Pinot Noir, including a very compelling white Pinot Noir. Check them out, these wines from the couple’s second and third vintage suggest this might be a brand to watch.
Notes on all these wines below!
Tasting Notes
2022 FUTO Estate “Seta” Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of passionfruit and green apple, wet chalkboard, and star fruit. In the mouth, wonderfully juicy and faintly saline flavors of passionfruit, star fruit, green apple,e and lime juice have a fantastically bright acidity and wonderful length, with a hint of chalky texture in the finish. Outstanding, with very little wood influence despite the barrel fermentation. 13.5% alcohol. 120 cases made. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $150.
2022 FUTO Estate “Blanc” Sauvignon Blanc, Stags Leap District, Napa, California
Pale gold in color, this wine smells of passionfruit and wet chalkboard with hints of white flowers. In the mouth, gorgeous passionfruit and pink grapefruit flavors are welded to a quartzlike minerality and stony character. Crisp with fantastic acidity and crystalline length. Faint chalky texture. Outstanding balance and zip. Nice salinity. 13.5% alcohol. 100 cases made. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $350.
2024 Spur Road “Nozzari Vineyard White Pinot Noir” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Basically colorless in the glass with a hint of blonde, this wine smells of orange peel, raspberries, and unripe apricots. In the mouth, electric acidity makes for mouthwatering flavors of citrus peel, unripe and ripe raspberries, and a touch of white flowers. There’s a faint touch of bitterness in the finish, but this is a zippy, delicious wine. 12.7% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $35. click to buy.
2022 Antinori Napa Valley “A26” Chardonnay, Atlas Peak, Napa, California
Pale gold in the glass with a hint of green, this wine smells of candied lemon peel, pineapple, and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, pineapple and candied lemon peel flavors mix with orange peel and wet chalkboard. Very good acidity. Somewhat rich. 13.7% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $89. click to buy.
2021 Antinori Napa Valley “A26” Chardonnay, Atlas Peak, Napa, California
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon peel and lemon curd. In the mouth, bright lemon peel and lemon curd mix with a touch of pineapple, fresh bright acidity, and nice length. Nice balance between richness and zippy minerality. Spends 7 months in new French oak. 13% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $89. click to buy.
2023 Almacerro Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Pale pink in the glass with a hint of bronze, this wine smells of citrus peel and hibiscus. In the mouth chopped herbs and green strawberries mix with a hint of hibiscus and raspberry. Nice stony and crisp. Excellent acidity. 10 cases, not for sale publicly, but a very fun wine. 13.8% alcohol. Score: around 9.
2023 Spur Road “Nozzari Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of bright raspberry and cherry fruit. In the mouth, raspberry and cherry flavors are bright and juicy thanks to excellent acidity, while muscular tannins fill the mouth and gradually squeeze the palate. Notes of dried herbs, raspberry, and flowers linger in the finish. Slightly brawny tannins suggest a couple of years of bottle age might improve this wine. 13.5% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $36. click to buy.
2022 Spur Road “Nozzari Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of raspberries, chopped green herbs, and a touch of wet earth. In the mouth, raspberries, raspberry leaf, wet earth, and chopped green herbs are wrapped in a fine-grained suede throw of tannins that coat the mouth and stiffen slightly. Excellent acidity accompanies a slightly stony quality in the wine. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $58. click to buy.
2019 Almacerro Proprietary Red, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry, chocolate, carob, and dried herbs. In the mouth, cherry, plum, chopped green herbs, tobacco leaf, and a touch of wet earth have a lovely fine-grained tannic texture, with excellent acidity and balance. A blend of 38% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc. 14.9% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $??
2019 Almacerro Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry, black currant, and sweet oak. In the mouth, velvety tannins coat the mouth and wrap around a core of vibrant and juicy black cherry, blackcurrant, licorice, and earth. Excellent acidity. Poised and polished, and fantastically delicious. 14.9% alcohol. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $220. click to buy.
2018 Almacerro Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cedar and cocoa powder, earth, and licorice root. In the mouth, muscular tannins wrap around a mouthwatering core of cherry, chopped herbs, cocoa powder, and wet earth that has a shimmering depth to it. Fine-grained tannins and excellent acidity round out a superb package. 14.7% alcohol. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $220. click to buy.
2021 Antinori Napa Valley Merlot, Atlas Peak, Napa, California
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry and plum. In the mouth, very fine, subtle tannins coat the mouth, and great acidity makes plum and black cherry flavors bright and juicy as a little chopped green herbs, and some lovely floral elements surface. In the finish. Possesses some impressive structure for a Merlot and excellent acidity. Super suave and balanced. Contains 2.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.5% Cabernet Franc. Score: around 9.5. Not yet released.
