This is the last in my series about Napa Premiere Week, an annual event that features almost 200 new wine creations done specifically for this gala. Open only to licensed members of the wine trade (e.g., wine retailers, brokers, importers, restaurants, etc.), the three days of tasting allow those members to see what each participating winery is capable of producing.
Following the knockout massive barrel tasting held at the Culinary Institute, my friend, Dan Rea, and I travelled to Spottswoode Winery in St. Helena. I can’t conceive of a more lovely location. Spottswoode hosted this portion of the week-long wine event in the garden of its pre-Prohibition Victorian home. Enticingly lovely!
Of the numerous wines on offer, Dan and I really took to two wines.
The first was Inglenook 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Blocks, composed of fruit from ancient vines, a blend of 83% cabernet sauvignon and 17% merlot. While technically still in its incubation stage (most of the wines for the week won’t be available for at least a year), the 2023 exhibited limited tannins, allowing for us to enjoy it now. But more than that, the fragrance was inviting and the wine itself offered great soft fruit. Inglenook’s self-description of the wine hit the mark, “[This wine is] the absolute crème de la crème of our 2023 harvest.”
The next was the 2023 KIND-Pott Cabernet Sauvignon, a collaboration between David Yorgensen of KIND and Aaron Pott of Pott Wine. What an amazing wine. Beautiful black color, the aromas of forest floor, dark berry and tobacco bid you to sip and enjoy. Surprisingly, a little nutty, the wine was quite well balanced. With background tannins, this was luscious with flavors of black, velvety fruit, such as boysenberries at their peak ripeness. Also, the aromas continued into the wine itself, making for a sensory delight.
Dan and I then migrated to AXR for our final round of tastings. Here we had some more outstanding wine.
First up was the 2021 The Debate To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon. I first tasted The Debate in about 2019. My understanding was that the wine was called The Debate to set the stage for a discussion about which of the famous Napa vineyards was the finest. Perhaps the crown jewel in the Beckstoffer holdings of prestigious vineyards, To Kalon’s fruit is prized by many. Being able to purchase some is a victory in and of itself. This wine is still very young, probably needing another decade to mature into its best condition. For now, the wine holds hints of eucalyptus and dark fruit.
Following that was a sublime offering from AXR, the 2021 AXR1, which is a blend of fruit from several vineyards. I found the nose to be difficult to decipher (probably needs either more air time or more bottle time or maybe both), but the finish was long and lingering, very delectable. Featuring an opaque black coloring, the wine highlights dark, black fruit, such as very intense blackberries. This wine lingers, an absolute home run.
Our final delight on this winning journey called Napa Premiere Week was another offering from AXR, the 2023 AXR Redwood Block Cabernet Sauvignon. Partner and Winemaker Jean Hoefliger created another hit with this one. As he described it, “Crafted from a block surrounded by 100-year-old redwoods, this wine exudes unique, earthy tones.”
I just read this as I’m writing this column, but my notes mirror this. “Forest floor aroma,” I said. An intriguing blackness to the wine, I got blackberry and black cherry fruit.
So, if you are ever in your favorite wine retailer and see that they have stock on any of the wines I’ve discussed in my columns about this event, then do not miss the opportunity to sample some of the best of what Napa has to offer.
Carl Kanowsky is an attorney, a fledgling baker, an enthusiastic cook and an expert wine drinker. He is certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust at Level II with distinction.
