By Nikki Scott
It is often assumed, particularly by envious friends, that wine industry professionals spend all of our time sitting around dressed in monocles and berets, sipping the finest vintages of Cabernet while nibbling on a perfectly-aged gouda and discussing the nuances of French existentialist cinema.
In fact, a more realistic tableau of our professional lives would include images of us frantically attempting to scrub red wine stains off of our teeth (or our clothing) in a restaurant bathroom before heading back to the office after a tasting of particularly tannic Italian reds, desperately scrounging for a cracker or a piece of cheese because we forgot to eat lunch before said tasting, or aggressively elbowing our way through a crowd to clear a path to the spit bucket at a popular producer’s table. It’s not all glitz and glamor all the time!
Occasionally, however, we do get the opportunity to throw on a pair of heels and hobnob with industry elites (although unfortunately there’s still not much that can be done about the purple teeth).
Each February, members of the wine trade from across the country converge on the Napa Valley to take part in Premiere Napa Valley, a series of events focused on exploring the high-end wines of the appellation and culminating in a grand tasting and and small-lot futures auction. Over the course of several days, winemakers open up their cellar doors and private homes to sommeliers and wine buyers eager to taste the most recent releases from boutique wineries and sample from barrels of still-evolving, yet-to-be-bottled wines.
As one would expect from a Napa-focused event, the wines are typically Cabernet Sauvignon, or Bordeaux-style blends (that is, a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and/or Petit Verdot), but other offerings, often sourced by Napa-based wineries from vineyards elsewhere in California, are poured as well. The tasting events are an excellent chance for buyers to discover new producers and wines to share with their clientele and to chat with the winemakers themselves in an intimate setting.
For us, Premiere was a fantastic opportunity to revisit the producers we love and get excited about their new and upcoming releases, and also to try many new wines that had not previously been on our radar. We have managed to secure some special, hard-to-get allocations of limited production wines, as well! We are very much looking forward to sharing our new discoveries. Here are a few of our favorites:
2014 Pulido Walker, “Panek Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
A concentrated, richly textured Cabernet with opulent fruit and notes of violet and spice. Mouth-coating tannins ensure a long life ahead for this wine.
2014 Chappellet, “Pritchard Hill Estate” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot from a small lot of only five cases. This wine showcases the power typical of wines made from mountain fruit, with notes of coffee and dark berries. A streak of minerality makes it excellent when paired with food.
2014 Sexton Vivier California Dessert Wine
Without a question one of the most intriguing wines we encountered, and incredibly refreshing after a full day of tasting tannic reds. Inspired by Pineau des Charentes and the mistelle dessert wines of France, this sweet aperitif should be enjoyed chilled (on the rocks optional) and tastes of apricots, spice, and orange peel.
2013 Nine Suns Red Wine, Napa Valley, California
We have loved every vintage of this wine, and 2013 is no exception. Elegant, complex, and aromatic, with notes of earthy truffle, dried herbs, and blue and black fruit, this one steals the show at every tasting.
2013 Dyer Vineyard Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon, California
This Cabernet shows lots of bright, almost candied fruit, but in a restrained and balanced way. Neither jammy nor sweet, this is a bold, juicy style of Cab that manages to avoid fruit-bomb status.
2014 Aubert Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros, California
A Chardonnay strikes that perfect, evasive balance of rich and creamy yet crisp and mineral-driven. Candied lemon, white flowers, and hazelnut mark the palate and aroma. This is the Chardonnay for people who say “I hate Chardonnay,” but it is also the Chardonnay for people who say “I love Chardonnay.”
