Why I love Napa Cab

It may be controversial to say, but I really love Napa Valley Cab.

What I often hear these days is that Napa Cab “all tastes the same,” that it’s “overpriced,” “it’s all made by the same few consulting winemakers,” that it has been “corrupted by the focus on scores,” and that it’s just “boring.”

I can understand where this attitude comes from. Many of the wines are quite expensive. There are some very famous consultants whose status as “Rockstar Winemakers” rivals that of any celebrity chef, and many Napa Valley Cabs have received high scores. But, to me, the wines are anything but boring and certainly don’t all taste the same.

Napa Valley stretches nearly 30 miles from North-West to South-East, encompassing two strikingly different mountain ranges, the cooler, more coastal-influenced Mayacamas mountains to the South-West, and the much hotter, more inland Vaca range to the North-East. Just by looking at the flora and fauna native to these different microclimates, it’s obvious that they present vastly different growing conditions. Even on the valley floor, which has recently been my home base, there is so much diversity in soils. From alluvial fans to fluvial soils, even a small valley floor vineyard can produce distinct wines expressing a diverse a range of flavors. Adding clonal and rootstock selections, row orientation, cultural practices and many other viticultural choices into the mix, the diversity becomes nearly limitless. And that’s before a winemaker makes a single decision about fermentation or élévage.

I found a recent conversation with a winemaker friend of mine, Molly Sheppard (Assistant Winemaker and Environmental Manager at one of my favorite Napa producers, Spottswoode Cellars), about the future of Napa Cabernet, to be very inspiring. Molly pointed out that the authenticity and the artisanal nature of the wines we are producing in this valley often goes overlooked in this narrative that “Napa Cab is boring.” From its vintners’ deep connection to the land, to the strength and interconnectedness of our community, to the region’s leadership in the areas of organic and regenerative farming, soil health and other holistic farming techniques (thanks to the efforts of Molly and others at Napa Green, among other leaders in the area of sustainability and inclusion), there is another narrative here that is easy to overlook simply because Napa Valley wines are an expensive luxury product.  

While it takes some effort to find a bargain in Napa Valley, there are many to be found. And, in my opinion, the flagship wines of the Napa Valley are reasonably priced relative to the world’s other great wine regions. It's true that there are some very famous consulting winemakers working on numerous projects in Napa Valley. I work closely with some of them at Tamber Bey, and I’ve found them to be talented, hard-working, and also incredibly kind and supportive of their peers. I also count among my close friends numerous other slightly-less-famous but equally driven, passionate and talented winemakers who are focused on just one or a few projects. I have not had to look far to find winemakers within the valley doing exciting, creative things, both with Napa Cab and with offbeat (for Napa) varieties like Falanghina and Touriga Nacional.

As far as scores and critics go, in my opinion, sharing our wines with the press is beneficial to both producer and consumer. Compared to many other luxury products, such as perfume, skincare products, clothing, etc, the quantities of luxury wines that are produced are extremely limited. Wine reflects both its site of origin and the moment in time in which it was created, while also evolving dramatically as it ages in bottle; furthermore, its character can’t be understood until the cork is pulled. This makes buying a bottle of wine a much bigger risk than buying any other product that the purchaser can evaluate sensorially (visually, by sound, touch, smell or taste, etc) in advance. Investing in an expensive bottle of wine, holding onto it for years, and then opening it on a special occasion is a significant wager. Critics are a valuable resource for communicating the character of a wine to consumers and taking some of the unknowns out of this equation. And, from what I observe, the field of wine criticism is more diverse at this moment in time that it has ever been before, creating new space for exploration of a much wider range of wine styles.

These are some of my thoughts as I reflect on my role as a winemaker in this fascinating, diverse and beautiful region that I truly love. I find it incredibly rewarding to have made my career here and to be a part of this community. I am excited about the future for the Napa Valley, and I will continue to argue with anyone who tells me that Napa Cab is “boring.” Though I disagree, I’m sure that I can learn a thing or two from an open discussion with anyone who holds this view, and I hope that I can also share my enthusiasm and my vision for the future.

Today’s Wine Recommendation: 2018 Chimney Rock Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, $140

https://www.chimneyrock.com/cabernet_sauvignon_2018

This wine is made by a great friend of mine, longtime winemaker/GM Elizabeth Vianna, and her exceptional assistant winemaker/marathon runner Laura Orozco.

I chose this wine for this blog post because it illustrates my point about diversity in Napa’s wines. Stags Leap is such a unique site, on the South-Eastern edge of the valley where it’s influenced both by the warmer inland Vaca mountains, as well as the cool, breezy San Pablo Bay. Elizabeth’s wines are always balanced, optimally ripe but never over-the-top, and hold onto their beautifully lively natural acidity. The wine I chose from among their exceptional portfolio is the one that is easiest to find out in the market, whether on the wine list at fine dining establishments or at high end retail shops, but if you really want to support the winery, it’s always appreciated to buy direct, or to visit when you can.