The Undiscovered California – 2015 Edition

One of the most intriguing aspects of the California wine scene is the pace of change. It seems like interesting new projects pop up virtually every year. These are some of the most exciting emerging wineries I have tasted within the last year or so. Most are in their first or second commercial release. Production levels are often tiny, so readers will want to jump on these wines.

Ampère

Cloverdale Peak isn't exactly the first place that comes to mind for top flight Cabernet Sauvignon, but here, in these high altitude mountain vineyards in Mendocino planted at about 2,600 feet above sea level, proprietor Hien Nguyen and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown are on to something special. I first tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon Ampère last year. This mini-vertical confirmed my very positive first impressions.

Nguyen was first exposed to wine as a teenager in France. Academics took him to the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris and then MIT, where he earned a PhD in mathematics. Nguyen later joined the University of Montana faculty and then founded a successful software company. Brown is of course known for the Cabernets he crafts for some of Napa Valley's most sought after wineries, but he is also deeply interested in understanding the essence of this site, which can be described as sharing some similarities with Howell Mountain, especially in the wine's dark blue/purple flavor profile. Based on the vintages I have tasted so far, the wines are intensely aromatic, but have less prominent tannin than is typical in Napa's top mountain sites, Howell and Veeder in particular. More than vintage specific differences, these four Cabernets show an evolution in the understanding of this site that points to a bright future. Readers who want to check out something new will want to taste these gorgeous Cabernets from Ampère.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Pine Mountain Vineyards is striking in its aromatics and bright, chiseled fruit. Dark red cherries, mocha, plums, mint, new leather and cedar open up as the 2010 shows off its hugely appealing personality. Floral and lifted, yet also wonderfully expressive, the 2010 is all about balance. The new oak is a bit prominent in this vintage, but the 2010 is nevertheless an impressive debut. 92/Drinking window: 2015-2025. Dark red and purple stone fruits, spices, menthol, new leather and licorice meld together in the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Pine Mountain Vineyards. There is lovely depth in the dark blue/purplish fruit, along with hints of graphite, lavender and spice that add complexity. This is a very strong showing, especially for the year. 93/Drinking window: 2016-2026. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Pine Mountain Vineyards is the raciest and most voluptuous of the wines I tasted. Dark red cherry, plum, smoke, menthol and spices flesh out in a large-scaled, generous wine built on pure texture. In 2012, there is a bit less mountain character and tannin, but in exchange, the wine will drink well pretty much right out of the gate. There is no shortage of vintage 2012 explosiveness and raciness. This fruit was brought in on October 7. 93/Drinking window: 2017-2027. The most promising wine yet off this property, Ampère’s 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Pine Mountain Vineyards is shaping up to be a real gem. Dark, powerful and explosive in the glass, the 2013 saturates the palate with stunning depth and power, both signatures of the year. Hints of jasmine, orange peel and white pepper punctuate the finish. This is a fabulous showing in a vintage that continues to deliver the goods. (92-94+)/Drinking window: 2018-2028.

Arcudi

Tony Arcudi is the associate winemaker at Fantesca by day, but he also makes a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Black Sears Vineyard on Howell Mountain under his own name. These two Cabernets capture a highly appealing middle ground that brings together intensity of fruit and structure. Arcudi hopes to grow his label to include a collection of single-vineyard Cabernets. Judging by this effort, he is off to a great start. I can't wait to see what Arcudi comes up with next.

Arcudi's 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sears Vineyard is perhaps a bit more tannic and vibrant than the 2012 tasted alongside it, but the flavor profile is essentially the same. Smoke, black cherries, blueberry jam, cloves, menthol and lavender are all laced into the highly expressive finish. (93-95)/Drinking window: 2019-2033. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sears Vineyard is every bit as special in bottle as it was from barrel. Graphite, lavender, mocha, smoke, blueberry jam, cassis and sage are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. Over the last year the tannins have begun to soften, but there is plenty of Howell Mountain energy and tension. The ripe, exotic finish is a thing of beauty, though. 94/Drinking window: 2017-2032.

Beta Wines

The winding road goes up above Diamond Creek, Von Strasser and Reverie. We are in Diamond Mountain, one of the more isolated spots in Napa Valley. A sharp left turn leads to the dramatic property, with its huge clearings and two log cabins. The estate shares a border with Constant off in the distance, but otherwise, the feeling up here is pretty solitary. This is where proprietor Ketan Mody lives and plies his craft.

Mody left behind a successful career in Atlanta working for a large credit card company for what he describes as a more fulfilling life surrounded by nature and a decidedly human scale. Along the way, Mody honed his winemaking chops as a cellar rat at Harlan and Failla, which at the time also hosted a handful of custom crush clients, most notably Rosemary Cakebread and Françoise Peschon.

Today, Mody divides his time among several projects; the Beta wines are made from purchased fruit. Currently the range includes Cabernets from Chuy (more commonly known as Montecillo) in Sonoma and Vare in Napa Valley, with plans to add more fruit sources in the near future. Within the next few months, Mody will be planting his own Diamond Mountain property. Naturally, it will be quite a few years before those wines are made and released. Mody intends to plant each vine on its own stake, which is pretty much unheard of in present-day Napa Valley. Aging, bottling and all operations will be done on site, which will entail considerable work given the rugged landscape. In the meantime Mody also spends time developing vineyards for a number of top wineries in Napa Valley.

Don't be fooled by Mody's cool demeanor and tattoos. Despite his classic-leaning palate, passion for living outdoors and desire to do everything by hand, Mody is not part of the younger generation of winemakers who have taken a highly reactionary view to picking dates, ripeness and other hot topics in viticulture and winemaking; his sensibility is more refined than that because it is much more worldly and accepting of different inputs. Even though he is quite young, Mody has been through his share of ups and downs. That life history is reflected in deeply spiritual wines imbued with real personality. The first wines I have tasted point to a brilliant, emerging talent. Readers with a passion for structured, pulsating Cabernets will want to get on the mailing list right away. The world is made up of leaders and followers. By definition, most people are followers. Ketan Mody is a leader.

Ketan Mody expects to plant his expansive Diamond Mountain estate later this year

A huge, powerful wine, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Chuy Vineyard hits the palate with intense red fruit, iron, ferrous notes, chalk and white pepper, all supported by firm, incisive tannins. This is a distinctly savory, mineral-driven mountain Cabernet Sauvignon built on aromatics and structure, with the fruit pushed a bit into the background. Once again, the pedigree of the best hillside sites, and specifically their ability to perform in the challenging 2011 vintage is very much in evidence here. With time in the glass, the 2011 turns darker and more powerful. This is going to be a fascinating effort to follow over the next two decades or so. 93+/Drinking window: 2016-2031. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Chuy Vineyard was picked a little riper than the 2011, and it shows in the wine's radiance and supple, resonant personality. Dark red and black stone fruit, smoke, graphite and savory herbs flesh out in an effortless Cabernet that captures the essence of the year. The use of 25% new oak barrels and the riper vintage soften some of the contours and add considerable sexiness. Dark red cherry, plum, spices, new leather, new leather and rose petals build to the juicy, supple finish. The 2012 will be ready to deliver plenty of pleasure as soon as it is released. 93/Drinking window: 2018-2032.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Chuy Vineyard is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Pungent, deep and explosive, the 2013 hits the palate with magnificent depth and huge, towering structure. Virtually impenetrable in its color, with a super-classic, old school sense of structure, the 2013 is thrilling from the very first taste. Lavender, rose petal and sweet red cherries punctuate the exotic, sweet finish. There is a sense of pure, visceral excitement that takes hold of all the senses in the 2013. This is Ketan Mody's best wine yet. I can't wait to taste it from bottle. (92-95+)/Drinking window: 2020-2038. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Vare Vineyard is another super-impressive wine. A huge core of dark blue/black fruit hits the palate in an explosive, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. This valley floor site naturally yields a riper, more voluptuous style of Cabernet than the Chuy, so the Vare should be ready to drink sooner. An expressive, punchy finish laced with pomegranate, flowers and mint leaves a lasting impression. (91-94)/Drinking window: 2020-2033.

Jolie-Laide

Jolie-Laide is one of the most exciting new projects I have come across in some time. Proprietor Scott Schultz cut his teeth as a sommelier at Bouchon, in Yountville. That led to a cellar job at Realm and then to Pax Mahle's Wind Gap, where he is currently an Assistant Winemaker. Jolie-Laide is a loose translation of the French 'unconventionally beautiful' but that doesn't really apply here, as the wines are gorgeous by any measure. At many times throughout this tasting I was reminded of the young Champagnes of Cédric Bouchard - these wines have a very similar sense of crystalline purity. The Jolie-Laide wines are made with a high percentage of whole clusters, generally crushed by foot and largely aged in neutral oak. Production is tiny. Readers who can find these wines should not hesitate, as they are nothing short of magnificent.

The 2013 Pinot Gris Windsor Oaks Vineyard is very pretty. A brief period of overnight contact on the skins gives the Pinot Gris a copper-like hue similar to what is known as ramato in Italian Pinot Grigio. Silky, perfumed and exceptionally beautiful, the Pinot Gris impresses for its total sense of harmony. Drink this striking white over the next year or two. 91/Drinking window: 2015-2018. The 2013 Trousseau Gris Fannucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is another compelling, absolutely beautiful wine from Jolie-Laide. Sweet red berries, wild flowers and spices lift from the glass. Everything about the 2013 speaks to finesse and precision. I would prefer to drink the 2013 over the next year or two, while the wine's finessed, subtle personality is likely to be at its most expressive. 92/Drinking window: 2015-2017. The 2014 Pinot Gris Rorick Heritage Vineyard is a big departure from the 2013. Here the flavors are bright, finely cut and chiseled to the core, largely the result of a move to a new vineyard with higher limestone content, which confers brightness and energy. Cranberry and floral notes infuse the saline finish. The 2014 is shaping up to be a beauty. (90-91)/Drinking window: 2015-2019. The 2014 Trousseau Gris Fannucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is bright and focused, but it is also a bit less ample through the mid-palate than the 2013. Typical savory herb and floral notes add nuance. It will be interesting to see if the 2014 puts on a little more weight in aging, or if it remains on the compact side. (89-91)/Drinking window: 2015-2019.

The 2013 Grenache LOVE Provisor Vineyard is plump, juicy and racy, naturally within the context of the more restrained style that is one of the signatures of these wines. Sweet herbs, mint and flowers wrap around a core of sweet red cherry and pomegranate. Bright, silky and polished to the core, the Grenache is absolutely fabulous. The whole clusters are very nicely integrated. This is a lighter, lifted style of Grenache, but it all works, and beautifully. This is a real head-turner from Jolie-Laide. 93/Drinking window: 2015-2021. Dark red cherries, plums, savory herbs, mint, tobacco and licorice all meld together in the 2012 Grenache-Syrah Rossi Ranch Vineyard, another wine that shows the more powerful, firm side of the house style. Today the tannins are a bit firm, so readers would do well to put the 2012 aside for a year or two. 91/Drinking window: 2016-2022. The 2013 Grenache-Syrah Rossi Ranch Vineyard is quite a bit more polished and textured than the 2012, with greater mid-palate sweetness and brighter tonalities of fruit; in other words, more of everything. Chiseled red stone fruits, mint and wild flowers are layered into the super-expressive finish. 93/Drinking window: 2016-2023.

Kata

David Beckstoffer's Kata is quite possibly the single most exciting Napa Valley debut I have tasted over the last few years. By day, Beckstoffer manages his family's impressive collection of vineyards, which includes To-Kalon, Missouri Hopper, Georges III, Dr. Crane and Las Piedras. The most recent addition to the Beckstoffer range is a large chunk of Hayne, which the Beckstoffers re-named Bourn after the original owner. Bourn sits kitty-corner to Dr. Crane, right behind the St. Helena high school, in one of the most unremarkable-looking districts of world-class vineyards I have ever seen. But the wines are magical. Larry Turley's epic Petites and Nickel & Nickel's Cabernets off this site say it all. As part of their redevelopment of the vineyard, the Beckstoffers tore out most of the Petite Sirah and replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a much more profitable grape. The land may have its revenge, though, as the Petite here is truly special. David Beckstoffer took the Petite that was left and blended it with Cabernet Sauvignon, giving birth to Kata, which in its short life is already one of the most striking wines being made in Napa Valley. For more on Kata, readers might enjoy this interview I shot with Beckstoffer and his uber-talented winemaker Benoit Touquette right after the 2014 harvest.

Head-trained, dry-farmed Petite Sirah on St. George rootstock, planted in 1950 at Beckstoffer’s Bourn Vineyard in St. Helena

A dark, sumptuous beauty, the 2010 Kata is a real heat-turner. Mocha, espresso, plums, black cherry jam and sweet spices are woven into a luxurious, super-expressive fabric of pure explosive energy. Wild flowers, violets, mint and lavender add the final layers of nuance. 96+/Drinking window: 2017-2032. The 2011 Kata has developed beautifully since I last tasted it. The flavors are dark, intense and brooding, with fabulous depth and resonance. Black cherries, plums, graphite, savory herbs and violets all meld together in the glass, but the 2011 is above all else a wine of texture and resonance. The flavors remain quite primary though, so patience is going to be key here. Kata is a true original. It is as simple as that. 94/Drinking window: 2016-2031.

Kieran Robinson

These are the first wines I have tasted from Kieran Robinson, who works alongside Aaron Pott at Jericho Canyon and a number of other projects. Both the 2009 and 2010 Syrahs are made from the Vivio Vineyard in Bennett Valley. The 2009 comes across as not fully formed stylistically, while the 2010 takes things up several notches. The future sure looks bright for Kieran and Kristie Robinson.

With this 2010 Syrah Le Voyageur, Kieran Robinson really soars. Distinct Côte-Rotie and northern Rhone influences abound in a drop-dead gorgeous, super-expressive wine that dazzles for its class and balance. Black pepper, earthiness, crushed flowers, rosemary, game and lavender add considerable nuance to the dark fruit. In 2010, Robinson used 50% whole clusters, an approach that worked beautifully here. This is a gorgeous, handmade, artisan wine from one of California's most promising young producers. Don't miss it! 93/Drinking window: 2015-2022. Robinson's 2009 Syrah Vivio Vineyard, from a site in Bennett Valley, is full of intrigue. Red stone fruits, game, licorice, tobacco, wild flowers, iron and a host of ferrous notes all add nuance. There is a lot going on in the glass. At times the alcohol is just a bit evident, which suggests this may not be the exact style of Syrah Robinson is going for, something that is driven home by the superb 2010 that follows in this tasting. 90/Drinking window: 2015-2019.

Patria

Tony Biagi made superb wines at Plumpjack for a number of years before moving over to Hourglass in 2012. This is the first wine I have tasted from Biagi's new Patria label. Biagi sources fruit from Oakville Ranch, a striking hillside estate with deep red soils located just above Dalla Valle on the eastern side of Oakville. Vineyard guru Phil Coturri looks after the farming. Biagi's debut effort is terrific. Given his brilliant track record, passion and drive, I have little doubt he will take things to another level in future vintages. This is an impressive debut.

Graphite, crushed rocks, savory herbs and spices meld into a core of dark fruit in the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Patria. Dark, rich and voluptuous, the 2013 brings together the best qualities of the vintage and this great site. The heady, explosive finish is incredibly appealing. A good dose of Cabernet Franc adds aromatic intensity and tons of intrigue. In 2013 the blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Cabernet Franc. (91-94)/Drinking window: 2018-2028.

Shared Notes

Wife and husband team Bibiana Gonzalez-Rave and Jeff Pisoni are making some of the most refined, polished whites in California at Shared Notes. A native of Colombia, Gonzalez-Rave, knew she wanted to make wine at the age of 14. That led to studies in Bordeaux followed by a series of internships in France and the US.

Gonzalez-Rave spent three years as winemaker at Lynmar Estate before leaving to take over production at Jayson Pahlmeyer’s Sonoma wines as well as the Wayfarer project on the Sonoma Coast. Jeff Pisoni’s, father, Gary, is one of the pioneers of farming of high quality grapes in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Today, Jeff and his brother Mark run the family business. These gorgeous, small-production Bordeaux-inspired whites are fermented entirely in barrel and see considerable lees stirring, which gives them an unusual level of textural breadth and volume.

The 2013 Les Leçons des Maîtres is a Graves-inspired Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. Pear, white pepper, flowers and mint all open up in the glass as this rich, voluptuous wine shows off its incredibly distinctive personality. Readers should expect a fat, creamy white built on pure texture. 93/Drinking window: 2015-2020. Even more impressive, the 2013 Les Pierres Qui Décident is 100% Sauvignon from the Musque clone from the Ritchie Vineyard. Exotic, floral aromatics meld seamlessly into a core of generous orchard fruit as this ample, richly textured white shows off its considerable personality. At the same time, there is plenty of underlying energy and salinity to balance the opulence of the fruit. The long, resonant finish begs for a second taste. 94/Drinking window: 2015-2020.

-- Antonio Galloni

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