2010 Loc-Cit

Ovid was another of the many highlights of my fall trips to Napa Valley. The estate has done a magnificent job with their new and upcoming releases. Winemaker Austin Peterson describes 2010 as the coldest vintage ever on the estate, even moreso than 2011. As for the wines, well, they are magnificent. It's as simple as that. Proprietors Mark Nelson and Dana Johnson and their team led by Managing Partner Janet Pagano are all about attention to detail and focus. The vineyard was developed by David Abreu and planted in small one acre parcels that are picked and vinified separately in small tanks built to match the size of the blocks. Winemaker Austin Peterson is one of the emerging stars in Napa Valley, and he has the support of consulting winemaker Andy Erickson. The results are in the bottle.

Followers of this estate's wines will have great fun tasting their 2010 and 2009 side by side in about 10 years, as both wines are supernal and true to their respective vintages. Winemaker Austin Peterson, who ranks these two vintages as the best yet for Ovid along with the young 2012, also showed me a small three-barrel lot made entirely from clone 4 cabernet, as well as a knockout syrah made from a half-acre of vines in Hudson Vineyard. Collectors who have not tasted Ovid's Bordeaux blend from organically grown vines high on the eastern hillside above Oakville should attempt to track down a bottle or two. Andy Erickson, who was responsible for the first several vintages at Ovid, continues in an active consulting role here.

Ovid keeps raising the bar with this drop-dead gorgeous set of new releases. Owners Dana Johnson and Mark Nelson have spared no expense in their pursuit to make world-class wines. These new releases are a testament to their unwavering commitment to quality. This year I also tasted two of the ‘Experiment' series wines, which bear creative names inspired by Dana Johnson's background in Library Sciences. The talented Austin Peterson makes the wines, Andy Erickson consults and David Abreu manages the vineyards, but what really counts is what is in the bottle. The results so far from this young property have been nothing less than stellar.