2001 Merlot Napa Valley

This may be California's wackiest 40,000-case winery, with winemaker Abe Shoener seemingly not satisfied unless his wines have at least some funkiness. Luna is one of California's few serious producers whose pinot grigio has really caught on in the marketplace, and as a result the winery's production will go from 50/50 red and white in 2002 to nearly two-thirds white wine in 2003 (merlot production will fall from 8,000 cases to 4,500). Luna also works with tocai friulano, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, although much of this fruit goes into its reserve white blend. The 2002s, by the way, are the first set of wines made completely by Shoener (he finished but did not vinify the 2001s). Among the early samples of 2003 I was able to taste were a superripe and hugely rich wine made mostly from teroldego, and a voluptuous, highly complex Canto blend that also included some teroldego.

Original partner and winemaker John Kongsgaard left to pursue his own ventures but continues to consult here. New winemaker Abe Shoener, whose background includes a doctorate in ancient Greek philosophy, came here as a cellar rat in 1999 and, following the end of Kelly Wheat's tenure (Wheat vinified the '01s), took over as winemaker. Schoener shares Kongsgaard's approach to grape growing and winemaking. Superripeness in the vineyards, including the harvesting of vines on the verge of collapse, vines that have given everything they have to give" is his picking strategy. The emphasis in the winery is then on preserving the fruit," he explains, "but we also want good acidity and tannic structure, as well as length on the palate. We do no chemical intervention and allow the microbiology to flourish, without worrying too much about exposure to oxygen." Shoener describes 2001 as a tricky year for sangiovese, as this variety did not ripen evenly. Two thousand two was much better for this grape, he added. I continue to be amazed that a commercial-scale operation like Luna could be releasing such individual wines, and this is not likely to change as long as Shoener is running the show. These wines are priced as if the winery actually plans to sell them.