At a GlanceNapa Cellars
7481 St. Helena Highway S.
Napa, CA 94558
(707) 963-3104 • (800) 535-6400
www.NapaCellars.com
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Tasting fees: $10
Wines offered: Napa Cellars Sauvinon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Syrah Rose; Napa Cellars V Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; Folie a Deux unoaked Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Gris; Ménage à Trois NV Prosecco, Midnight red blend, Malbec and Moscato
Reservations: No
Pets: No
Picnics: Yes
Did You Know?Napa native Joe Shirley is also winemaker for Sonoma-based Folie a Deux (a Trinchero family sister property). “Same varietals, same winemaker, but the wines turn out so distinct,” says TFE’s Carissa Abazia. “Each brand showcases what its respective valley is really known for.”
Nestled behind a red stone wall on Highway 29, not far from Mustards Grill, you’ll find an unassuming little tasting room that stands Napa Valley’s reputation for over-the-top presentations on its head. At Napa Cellars, you can sample from a selection of three related wine brands for only $10 (for four one-ounce pours). Yup: $10.
The Trinchero family, which purchased Napa Cellars in 2006, is also proprietor of Folie a Deux and Ménage à Trois brands, which are poured in the tasting room. (The family also owns Sutter Home and Trinchero Family Estates, which have their own tasting rooms elsewhere in Napa Valley.) But we’re here to talk about Napa Cellars, so let’s get to it.
Founded as Napa Cellars in 1968, the winery underwent a series of ownership and identity changes in the following decades before being restored to its original moniker by Koerner Rombauer and Rich Frank in the late 1990s. A decade later, the Trinchero family was looking for a winery property that would capture the essence of Napa Valley; it found what it was after at Napa Cellars.
“The Trinchero family purchased Sutter Home Winery in 1948, so it has a really long history in Napa Valley,” says Carissa Abazia, public relations manager for Trinchero Family Estates. “What we’re doing here is paying homage to where the [Napa Cellars] brand started.”It’s doing that by focusing on the wine. “When we bought the winery in 2006, we inherited a classic lineup and a style,” says Joe Shirley, director of winemaking, who’s been with the Trinchero family since 1998. “And honestly, it’s pretty straightforward: When you order Napa Cellars in a restaurant, you expect something typical of Napa Valley.
“And we’re not trying to throw any curveballs,” he continues. “I want to make clean, well-balanced, varietally authentic examples of what Napa has to offer. The premise is that Napa produces the best fruit in America and can compete on a world stage as far as wine goes, so my role, really, is to not get in the way.”
A bit modest, but his understatement matches the casual, homey vibe of the place. The tasting room is housed in a small geodesic dome originally built by founder Charlie R. Woods in the 1970s to store barreled wine. It’s intimate and friendly, with a central bar and some related retail. Outside is a large, lovely, tree-shaded picnic area where guests are welcome to bring their own food, settle in and enjoy the ambiance (only wine club members can reserve a table in advance, but anyone can drop in and grab an empty spot).
It’s here I settle in for a long conversation with Shirley about the latest Napa Cellars news: introduction of the new V (five) Collection, a reserve tier of subappellated Napa Valley wines that showcases what Napa Valley has to offer. “They’re true reserve wines—the cream of the crop and 100 percent varietal—only about 600 cases [25 barrels], which is less than 2 percent of total production,” says Shirley.
So far, the V Collection includes a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Carneros and a Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena.
“I make these blends barrel-by-barrel,” says Shirley, explaining that, of the more than 50 different fruit sources available to him annually, “there are always a couple that really stand out. There are the usual suspects, but there are always some that just have a great year and have something exceptional going on.” Tasting side-by-side with the classic tier (white label) wines, the difference is easily apparent.
The 2013 V Collection Chardonnay spent 13 months in-barrel (compared to seven for the classic tier): “longer in oak, longer on lees, and a higher percentage of new barrels to balance the more intense fruit,” he says. The wine has layers of fresh and dried fruit, honey and a rich, round mouthfeel.
Likewise, the 2013 V Collection Pinot Noir barrel ages for 16 months (versus nine) in 46 percent new barrels (versus 30). “The Pinot was the most fun to create,” says Shirley. “In part because, the older I get, the more I like Pinot, but also because it was brand new. Our classic Pinot had become our third-biggest seller, and there were three vineyards I had in mind that, every year, I would think, ‘It would be nice to bottle some of this by itself.’” The resulting wine has cherry and plum with an earthy, savory edge; it’s luscious, elegant and food-friendly.
The 2012 V Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, which spent 25 months in-barrel, is plush and not aggressively tannic. It has dark, ripe fruit; a mild, herbal character; and notes of vanilla, coffee and smoke—a terrific interpretation of what Napa Cabs are known for.
In addition to the V Collection, we sampled the classic tier Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. There are no plans to expand these in the V Collection because of availability, but both were delicious, well-crafted varietal representations.
“The reason we named the new tier ‘five’ was because Napa Cellars started with just five acres of land in 1968,” says Abazia. “We want to honor that small, simple history.” Next time you’re out tasting in Napa Valley with a hankering for a little “less-is-more,” head for the dome.
