8 NAPA VALLEY Wines I'm Buying NOW (Wine Collecting)
Audio Brief
Show transcript
This episode covers a wine expert's top eight Napa Valley wine recommendations, featuring both classic and modern producers.
There are three key takeaways from this discussion. First, seek out classic style Napa producers for structured, age-worthy wines. Second, leverage mailing lists for high-quality wines at more accessible price points. Third, do not overlook Napa Valley Chardonnay, especially from mountain sites, for exceptional value.
Classic Napa producers like Mayacamas and Dunn offer structured, age-worthy wines that contrast richer, modern styles. These often originate from mountain AVAs such as Mount Veeder, where higher elevations and cooler temperatures yield wines with excellent acidity and firm tannins.
For more accessible, high-quality wines, consider joining mailing lists from producers like Rivers-Marie. This strategy allows access to top-tier winemaking, including from talents such as Thomas Rivers Brown, often for under one hundred dollars.
Finally, Napa Valley Chardonnay, particularly from mountain sites, warrants attention. Wines like Mayacamas Chardonnay showcase a high-acidity, non-buttery, and age-worthy profile. It also represents significant value, with some offerings around fifty dollars.
These insights provide a practical guide for exploring the diverse and evolving landscape of Napa Valley wines.
Episode Overview
- The speaker, a wine expert with a WSET Level 4 Diploma, shares his list of eight top Napa Valley wines he is currently buying after a recent trip to the region.
- The recommendations cover both iconic, classic producers known for their age-worthiness and more modern, highly sought-after wineries that represent great value.
- The list features both Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, challenging common perceptions about Napa Valley styles by highlighting wines with freshness, balance, and structure.
- He provides insights into the unique terroir of esteemed sub-regions like Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain, and Pritchard Hill, explaining how elevation and soil contribute to the wines' character.
Key Concepts
- Classic vs. Modern Napa: The episode contrasts traditional, structured, and age-worthy producers like Mayacamas and Dunn Vineyards with modern cult wineries such as MacDonald and Rivers-Marie.
- Terroir and Elevation: The speaker emphasizes the impact of mountain AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) like Mount Veeder and Howell Mountain. He explains how vineyards at higher elevations (above the fog line) receive more direct sunlight and cooler temperatures, resulting in wines with higher acidity, firm tannins, and significant aging potential.
- Winemaking Philosophy: The video explores different winemaking approaches. For example, Mayacamas Vineyards uses neutral oak and suppresses malolactic fermentation in its Chardonnay to maintain high acidity and freshness, while Dunn Vineyards matures its Cabernet in 100% new French oak for extended periods to build structure.
- Value in Napa Valley: The speaker identifies several wines that offer exceptional value in a region known for high prices, such as the Mayacamas Chardonnay (around $50) and the Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon (around $75).
- Vine Age and History: The story of MacDonald Vineyards highlights the importance of old vines and phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Their vines, planted in 1954 in the To Kalon vineyard, survived because they were on St. George rootstock, unlike many others that had to be replanted in the 1980s and 90s.
- Organic and Sustainable Farming: The episode touches on sustainable practices, noting Mayacamas Vineyards' use of sheep for natural weed and cover crop management, reflecting their commitment to organic principles.
Quotes
- At 01:21 - "The 2020 Mayacamas Chardonnay sells for an extremely reasonable $50 per bottle. This is about the same amount, if not even a little bit less, than some Napa Valley Sauvignon Blancs are selling for these days." - highlighting the exceptional value of the Mayacamas Chardonnay compared to other white wines from the region.
- At 03:07 - "I can assure you, however, that that's not the case with a number of the wines that I'll be discussing in this video, and in particular with the Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon." - addressing the common stereotype that all Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons are overly sweet and syrupy, positioning Mayacamas as a classic, balanced alternative.
- At 13:02 - "Owned and operated by brothers Alex and Graeme, MacDonald Vineyards makes one of the most highly-coveted wines in all of Napa Valley, despite the fact that its first vintage was just in 2010." - underscoring the rapid rise to fame and cult status of MacDonald Vineyards, a relatively new producer with deep historical roots in the prestigious To Kalon vineyard.
Takeaways
- Seek out "classic style" Napa producers like Mayacamas and Dunn for structured, age-worthy wines that offer a refreshing contrast to the richer, more fruit-forward modern style.
- To access high-quality wines from top-tier winemakers at a more accessible price point, join the mailing lists for wineries like Rivers-Marie, which offers the expertise of winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown for under $100.
- Don't overlook Napa Valley Chardonnay, especially from mountain sites. Wines like the Mayacamas Chardonnay provide a high-acidity, non-buttery, and age-worthy profile that represents a significant value.
