The Top Napa Valley Cult Wines
Promontory Winery in Oakville
What makes a “cult” wine? These wineries may not command their followers to wear specialized undergarments, but they do breed obsession for their brands the same way a cult might. When you talk to the collectors of cult wines, prepare to be converted, because the love they have goes beyond infatuation and is built on genuine appreciation for the deeply defined philosophies that go into producing these wines, as well as the winemaker’s willingness to spend whatever it takes to make a wine into a myth. It’s said that true greatness is rare and for cult wines their rarity is their defining trait. Each of them produces such small amounts each year that it can be next to impossible to purchase, which is why some of them will cost thousands of dollars to obtain. However, if you’re a collector then you know it’s worth the price. Let’s look at some of the best Cult wines of Napa Valley and see what it is that makes their fans so devoted.
Screaming Eagle
You can’t talk about cult wines without talking about the originator. Indeed, it was Screaming Eagle that broke the $50 price barrier which Napa wines had been held to before the 1990s. Screaming Eagle started in 1986 when former real estate agent Jean Phillips bought a 57 acre parcel of vines in Oakville AVA. Initially they didn’t even make wine, choosing instead to sell their grapes to some of the local vignerons in their area. It wasn’t until Robert Mondavi advised Jean that she was sitting on a goldmine that she decided to reach out to the now legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett to craft the first vintage of Screaming Eagle. That was the 1992 vintage and because Robert Parker awarded it 100 points, it became one of the most legendary wines in Napa history. It even broke a record for the most expensive wine ever sold when in the year 2000 a 6-liter Imperial bottle sold for $500,000 at auction. Over the years Screaming Eagle has continued to accrue acclaim and has received 100 point scores for its 1997, 2007, 2010, and 2012 bottlings.
As in life, all things eventually change, and in 2006, Philips sold Screaming Eagle to Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams and a number of other sports teams in the US and UK. Then in 2007 there was another major shake up when Heidi Barrett decided to leave to work on a number of other projects. Screaming Eagle saw a brief consulting stint by winemaker Andy Erickson (of Harlan Estate and Bond), then in 2010 Nick Gislason joined Screaming Eagle as Head Winemaker, fresh out of U.C. Davis and just 26 years old. He has been a wunderkind in Napa Valley and has continued in maintaining the ultra high standards that made Screaming Eagle famous.
Screaming Eagle is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with minor amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In general the wines are known as dramatic and plush with concentrated berry, cherry, and cassis fruit notes. It’s complex and layered with floral, spice, and oak flavors and it continues to develop in bottle as it ages. In addition to the flagship bottling they produce a second red called The Flight, which contains a higher percentage of Merlot that gives it a very different character. Recently Screaming Eagle has ventured into making a Sauvignon Blanc in extremely limited quantities of only 30 cases per year. Total wine production here is so low that it only amounts to 500 to 800 cases per year, which means that they aren’t taking tasting appointments. It also means that their allocation list is impossibly hard to get on and at this moment, it takes an average of 12 years to be added to it. Wine prices can vary based on vintage year, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000 for a 750ml bottle on the open market.
Promontory
When Bill Harlan started Bond in 1984 he built it on the philosophy that the best land with the best fruit, made in a winery that spares no expense will make a legendary wine. He has built a huge reputation with that philosophy at Bond and Harlan Estate and now his son Will is carrying on that tradition with Promontory.
The Promontory property, which is located in the Mayacamas mountains adjacent to Oakville, has been on the Harlan’s radar since the 1980s, but it wasn’t until 2008 that they were able to purchase and develop it for their own purposes. In 2010 Bill purchased another section of the property – which now puts the total acreage to just under 900 acres, a huge amount when compared to some of the other properties in the Napa Valley. This land is dominated by rocky outcroppings and steep slopes stretching across 500 feet of elevation, and the soil is so diverse that it changes from volcanic to sedimentary to metamorphic, all on the same property. Currently only 30 acres out of the 900 are under vine with the majority being planted to Cabernet Sauvignon with small blocks of Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, however, the goal is to expand that to full 65 acres, which would more than double current production.
This is truly one of the most beautiful wineries you can visit in Napa Valley (and yes, you are actually allowed to visit, even th0ugh production is so low). Upon entering the building you are confronted by a sweeping view of the valley below containing the majority of their vineyards, as well as the adjacent hilltop which is home to their sister winery, Bond. While you are basking in the glorious view one of the incredible hosts at Promontory presents a bronze-crafted topographical map built in the middle of the room which features all the Promontory vineyards Your host then goes into detail as to how the vineyard placement equates to the beauty of the wine in your glass. The tour then takes you through the entirety of the winemaking process including their fermentation room, which was designed with an art deco aesthetic utilizing various sizes of custom designed tanks all superficially the same, but differing in size and material (which includes stainless steel, wood and concrete). Wine is moved from vessel to vessel utilizing gravity alone, which means your tour takes you deep into the bowels of the building where you will find the wines aging in large Austrian oak barrels where they will stay for a few years. Instead of aging the wine in new French Oak like most other producers in Napa, Promontory focuses on using neutral barrels so they can show off the greatness of the terroir from which the grapes are grown rather than the greatness of a French forest. Your experience culminates with a tasting of both library wines and their current release. When you visit Promontory it is not hard to see why this Cabernet driven red blend is one of the most beautiful wines coming out of Napa Valley. Meticulous attention to detail and extravagance with a purpose means you get the best in your glass when you drink Promontory and if you want to get the total experience then they should definitely be on your bucket list.
Colgin
Colgin is a name that has been lauded since it was first released in 1992, and it has only grown in reputation and quality over the last 3 decades. Ann Colgin originally came from the auction house world before she made it to Napa in 1988 when she came for the Napa Valley Wine Auction. A couple years later on her return to Napa she met John Wetlaufer, husband of Helen Turley, and he introduced the two of them, which led to Helen becoming the first winemaker for Colgin and a legend in her own right. Helen introduced Ann to the small privately owned Lamb Vineyard located just below the slopes of the Howell Mountain AVA and it was here that she sourced the 13 rows of grapes that would go into her first bottling.
Colgin would continue to source from Lamb Vineyard until 2007. Now most of the wines Colgin produces come from one of the two vineyards which they own, Tychson Hill in St. Helena and IX Estate on Vaca Hill (the Pritchard Hill area of Napa Valley). The Tychson Hill vineyard was originally planted in the 1860s by Charles Krug, eventually being sold to Josephine Tychson, who planted her own vines in 1881 and was one of the first women in the state of California to build and operate a winery. By the time Ann was introduced to the property, grapes had not been grown here since Prohibition and Josephine’s home had fallen into disarray so in 1997, Colgin planted 4 acres of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and brought the once famous vineyard back into production. The IX Estate vineyard was then purchased 3 years later from Donald Long, a longtime owner of Pritchard Hill, and Ann set her vineyard manager David Abreu to work on planting 16 acres of red Bordeaux varieties (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon) and 4 acres of Syrah. Syrah is not a grape widely seen in Napa, and most winemakers steer clear of it because Cabernet can make them so much money, but Abreu and Colgin knew that the land was perfect for it, and it shows in every vintage they produce.
Colgin, and David Abreu are known for their dutiful attention to the vineyard and the fruit that grows on the vine, eliminating a large amount of berries that don’t fit the quality level which they desire (which is obscenely high). A majority of the sorting takes place in the vineyard throughout the growing season, then they sort again when the grapes are ready to be hand-picked and delivered to the winery, then they sort again when they get to the winery and then they are eventually sent through an optical sorter for the final elimination. An optical sorter is a machine that uses a sophisticated computer program, a series of cameras and air jets to analyze and eliminate any grapes that do not fit the parameters that the computer has been given. All of this sorting means that only the best of the best grapes make it into the fermentation tank and eventually into your glass.
One of the great things about Colgin is that they are very active in the world of charity auctions. Through offering many of their large format and library wines over the years at auction they have been able to raise millions for a variety of important causes including healthcare and community services. So when you spend the money to buy this incredible bottle of wine, you know that you’re also supporting a number of good causes.
Vice Versa
Patrice Breton fell in love with wine at the young age of 20 and to this day is entranced by the first great bottle he ever had, a 1983 Château Guiraud. These experiences would send him on a journey that would take him through the great Châteaux of Bordeaux eventually leading to Napa Valley where he has focused on producing wines of creativity, innovation and class.
In 2001 Patrice reached out to winemaker Paul Hobbs with no referral or introduction and enlisted his help to learn as much as possible about winemaking and Napa Valley. Paul ended up working as Patrice’s winemaker and in 2003 they officially released their first vintage. He would stay with Vice Versa until 2013 when famous French winemaker Philippe Melka and his team took over crafting all of the Vice Versa selections. They immediately made several changes that have only made this wine even greater than it was, such as longer fermentation times, longer maceration times and only relying on the highest quality free run juice.
The Vice Versa winemaking philosophy is first and foremost a focus on balance, with the goal of producing age worthy wines from premier vineyard sites in the Napa Valley. They heavily rely on Andy Beckstoffer’s six designated ‘heritage vineyards’ as well as a number of others including the Vice Versa Estate. These wines are Cabernet Sauvignon heavy and they showcase elegance and purity of fruit without losing any of the significance of the terroir that this part of the Valley is known for. Unlike some of the wineries on our list, Vice Versa does allow visitors. When you taste at Vice Versa you will have to follow the directions they email to you lest you get lost in the backroads of Napa. When you arrive you are greeted by either Samantha, Patrice’s wife, or Ilse, either of which will make you feel incredibly welcome. You will get a chance to tour the winery on Wheeler Farms while you sip before going into their new wine cave to sample a variety of their vineyard designate bottlings and perhaps a few surprises in between. Between the wine in the glass and the experience of the people, you can see why this winery has such a cult following.
Abreu Vineyards
David Abreu is the only winemaker on this list that is more known for his work as a legendary viticulturist. When you think about the best vineyard managers in Napa Valley, David Abreu is always at the top of the list. He grew up in Napa Valley (3rd generation) and earned his degree from UC Davis so he knows this land better than anyone. They say in winemaking that you can only make great wine from a great vineyard and Abreu Vineyards proves that again and again.
David has been making these wines since the release of his first commercial vintage in 1987, the Abreu Madrona Ranch. However, Abreu has built his reputation mostly through his work with other legendary wineries. He has played a pivotal role in making Napa Valley one of the most reputable wine regions in the world, focusing only on the vineyards he considers to be the best, legendary names such as Screaming Eagle, Staglin Family Vineyard, Colgin Cellars, Harlan Estate, Bryant Family Vineyard, Araujo Estate (now Eisele Vineyard) and Grace Family Vineyards.
The wines that Abreu Vineyards produces are all sourced from his four vineyard sites, Madrona Ranch and Cappella in St. Helena, and Thorevilos and Las Posadas Howell Mountain which are both hillside vineyards. Being that David was the vineyard architect, is the vineyard manager and oversaw the planting of the vines for all four sites, he pays meticulous attention to everything that happens in the vineyards as do his staff. He has had some of the same people working these vineyards for over a decade and unlike a lot of other wineries, he has the same crew all year long, even going as far as having them at the sorting table after picking. They cared for the vines so they know more about the fruit than anyone else could. They pick only specific parts of the vineyard as they ripen – even sometimes going so far as to select fruit from parts of rows, coming back for the rest only when they’re ready.
Winemaking at Abreu Vineyards is no less meticulous than the vineyard management, and a lot of that responsibility falls to winemaker Brad Grimes, a former chef from Seattle turned winemaker who is known for his obsession with detail. Over the years Brad has realized that his level of attention is difficult to match thus he chooses to make all the wine without using interns or assistants, individuals that are almost ubiquitous at Napa wineries. Abreu Vineyards uses small sized tanks and keeps fruit from each vineyard separate from the other during the winemaking, and rather than fermenting the varieties separately, like the majority of wineries, they are co-fermented. Each vintage typically starts out with around 100 barrels (equivalent to about 2,400 cases) – but there is a rigorous selection process for the final wines, only choosing the best of the best. By the time the final selections have been made, they have eliminated more than half of the barrels resulting in a typical vintage of around 1,000 cases. It is this standard of quality that makes Abreu Vineyards one of the best cult wines in Napa Valley.
Honorable Mentions
These are some wineries that didn’t make the list this time, but are still worth checking out if you can find them.