Texan Magazine
By Jim Peterson
Wine Enthusiast & Instagram Wine Influencer
I visited Napa Valley and Sonoma about two years ago. Before that visit, I had not been in Napa Valley for over 30 years. I promised myself I would never wait that long again. Promise made. Promise kept. So here we are two years later, and I have a new set of wineries for you to read about, hear a little about their wines and histories, and hopefully get inspired to try their wines or plan your own visit to experience them firsthand.
In my January article I wrote, “Like people, wines become much more interesting when you know their story.” Some of the stories seem almost unbelievable. But they happened. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them.
ROBERT BIALE VINEYARDS
I remember tasting the family-owned Biale Vineyards wines over 25 years ago. Their most iconic wine is the Black Chicken Zinfandel. I sat with Bob Biale while he told me his father’s story. Bob’s grandfather died when his father, Aldo, was only 13. This forced Aldo to become the “man of the family.” At 14, he told his mother that selling their grapes for $25 per ton wasn’t cutting it, and they needed to make their own wine. His mother explained they had no license for that.
Undeterred, Aldo figured out that a ton of grapes made about 250 gallons of wine. He learned to make his own wine and on the sly began selling it by the gallon at $1 per gallon. This was around 1940, so times were a little different. On the ranch they had white chickens and an egg business too. Savvy customers would call in an egg order on the party line phone (a shared line between several residences), and knowing others may be listening, they would order a “black chicken” as code for the gallon of wine! Instead of making $25 per ton, Aldo was making $250 per ton.
When Aldo finally got his license, he named their flagship Zinfandel the Black Chicken. I tasted the 2022 vintage, and it truly is one of the best Zinfandels you can buy. It was incredibly smooth and is a great pairing for Texas barbecue. Aside from other outstanding Zinfandels, the Royal Punishers Petite Sirah is a longtime favorite.
THE BOISSET COLLECTION
Jean-Charles Boisset (aka JCB) was born and raised in Burgundy, France. JCB is quite the character. He visited California when he was 11 years old. His father took him to the historic Buena Vista winery near Sonoma. Founded in 1857 by the self-proclaimed “Count of Buena Vista,” Agoston Haraszthy, it is the oldest premium California winery. JCB liked the property so much he told his father, “We need to buy this winery.” He made good on that statement when he purchased and began restoring the property in 2011.
JCB has turned Buena Vista into a destination visit. There is a wide-ranging portfolio of wines from both Sonoma County and Napa Valley. I sampled a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, the “Sheriff” red blend, and the Cabernet Franc (my favorite). The restored cellar building is one of the most unique and remarkable tasting settings I have ever seen.
My visit to Raymond Vineyards coincided with the release of the new 2022 Raymond Generations Cabernet Sauvignon, their flagship wine. The winemaker, Stephanie Putnam walked us through an intriguing comparison of four Generations: 1995, 2002, 2012, and the new release 2022. This was special. Stephanie has made some changes to Generations to ensure it represents the best of what Raymond can create. That showed in the 2022 release, a challenging vintage she managed beautifully.
JCB also transformed the historic Oakville Wine Merchant into a one-stop shop where you drop in to self-select wines to taste. Dispensing machines are used with three levels of pour volumes, depending on whether you want a taste, a little more than a taste, or a glass. There is something for everyone here, from 100-point icons to small producer gems you may not normally see. Talk about fun in the glass!
RED CAP VINEYARDS
Red Cap Vineyards is a tiny property in the Howell Mountain district. Founded by Tom and Desiree Altemus, with its first vintage in 2005, Tom planted the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards on his property. The name “Red Cap” refers to the red volcanic topsoil. After the difficulty and total loss of the 2020 fire vintage, Tom was ready to give it up. His winemaker, Rudy Zuidema, also makes wine for Chris Klein at PHAMUS wines. I tasted those during my last visit to Napa. Short recap: Rudy got Chris to talk to Tom, and an agreement was made for Chris to continue making Red Cap wines. Red Cap lives!
The Cabernet Sauvignon fruit at Red Cap is so good that the wine has always been 100% Cabernet. This is unusual for Napa Cabernet as most contain some percentage of blending grapes. The 2021 Red Cap yield was quite low, so Chris and Rudy donated some of their fruit to make the 2021 Red Cap “Contribute” Cabernet. I tasted the 2017 and 2019 Cabernet wines alongside the 2021 Contribute. All were amazing, but that extra age on the 2017 gave it the edge. Red Cap also has an exceptional Sauvignon Blanc – crisp, tropical, and perfect for a hot Texas day.
PARABLE WINES
Parable Wines is a new venture from the Eppright family out of Austin (the father Fred, and his two sons, Trey and Matt). I attended the launch of their first release last year. It was only 550 cases from the 2021 vintage. When planning my Napa trip, I reached out to Trey with the hope of getting an update on their progress. Trey, with his passion for wine, was the catalyst behind this venture. The family purchased the old Dutch Henry winery, which burned during the fires of 2020. They replanted the 2.5 acre vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon. As they continue restoring the property, the plan is to open it up for visitors with their next release.
The first release was five single vineyard wines from classic Napa and Sonoma vineyards with three Chardonnay and two Cabernet Sauvignon. I had the best time hanging out with Trey in the wine cave as we tasted the wines. These are beautifully made, serious wines. Why did they choose Parable as a name? Because wines tell a story. The soil. The weather. The farmers. The harvest. The winemaking decisions. And so much more. The story of Parable Wines is only just beginning. I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
ROUND POND ESTATE
The MacDonnell family has grown grapes in the Napa Rutherford region for over 40 years. Started by Bob and Jan MacDonnell, the winery remains a family business with the brother-sister team of Miles MacDonnell and Ryan MacDonnell Bracher overseeing operations. There are several premium Cabernet Sauvignon wines in their lineup, along with red blends, red varietals, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. They also have more than 2,000 olive trees and produce a line of gourmet olive oils. Combine all this with a beautiful tasting experience, and it becomes a must-stop in Napa.
The wines I tasted were incredible. The Sauvignon Blanc was juicy and bright. The reds were incredibly balanced. My favorite wine was accidental. We stumbled upon the winemaker and his team filling up 6-liter bottles of the 2023 Louis Bovet premium Cabernet. He offered me a taste, and I got a glimpse of how special the 2023 Napa Valley vintage is going to be. If you are a Napa lover, you will want 2023 wines.
DUMOL WINERY
Visiting DuMOL as a longtime member is a bit like showing up to family member’s house. Regular readers may recognize DuMOL from my recommendations over the years. This visit was special because I tasted some of the new 2023 wines. As in Napa, the 2023 Sonoma vintage was beyond exceptional. DuMOL considers 2023 the best overall vintage of wines they have ever made. It’s that good.
The highlight of this visit, and maybe of the entire trip, was going into the barrel room with DuMOL winemaker Jenna Davis and tasting several 2024 samples straight from the barrel. The mind-blowing moment was tasting two separate plots used in their Finn Pinot Noir. Completely different on their own, she blended small amounts of each in my glass for a sample of how they complement each other in a final blend. Wow! It’s not often you get to witness the art of winemaking like that.
THREE STICKS VINEYARD
Three Sticks Wines is a boutique, family-owned winery in Sonoma founded by William “Bill” S. Price III. His nickname was Billy Three Sticks, so he took that as his winery name. Bill set out to develop “Grand Cru” level vineyards and wines. Their estate vineyards are some of the finest in all of Sonoma County, and the wines are equally amazing. Several wines are “monopole” which means Three Sticks is the sole producer of wines from that vineyard. That is not as common as you might think. Most vineyards are shared by multiple wineries.
The tasting experience for Three Sticks happens at “the Adobe.” Captain Salvador Vallejo built the Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe in 1842. At that time, it was the northern territory of Mexico. It is now modern-day Sonoma, and the restored Adobe is a historic landmark in downtown Sonoma. The Three Sticks Casteñada Rosé is named after the Adobe, and the bottle shape mirrors a relic spirit bottle discovered there. A Three Sticks tasting has everything. A unique setting. Amazing wines. And gracious hospitality. You will want to put Three Sticks on your visit list.
VISITING NAPA AND SONOMA
It’s remarkable how close Napa Valley and Sonoma County are to San Francisco. I typically fly into San Francisco, rent a car, and arrive in either place in less than two hours. If you stay in or near the city of Napa, you can easily visit wineries in both locations. I recommend booking two wineries per day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I plan my visits to keep them localized, and then I find a great spot for lunch in between. Recommended lunch spots from this trip include Brasswood Bar + Kitchen and Rutherford Grill. For dinners, I discovered Charlie’s in St. Helena, revisited Cole’s Chop House, and I loved Pasta Prego in downtown Napa (a tiny family Italian place). You can’t go wrong with any of those.
With this visit, the allure of Napa and Sonoma only grew stronger for me. From intimate tastings at family-owned estates to breathtaking views paired with bold new releases, the memory of these experiences lingers far beyond the last sip of wine. I hope you have the same chance to be as captivated as I have been by the vineyards, the tastings, the people, and the stories behind these incredible wines.
Follow Jim on Instagram, @tx_wine_pilot, for more wine tips and reviews.
Biography:
Jim Peterson is a retired U.S. Air Force officer who mainly flew the A-10 fighter jet. He has ties to the wine business going back over 25 years, has visited many wine regions, tasted the world’s top wines, and is an avid wine collector. His business, The Texas Wine Pilot, offers customized in-home wine tastings, corporate wine tastings, executive wine training, and wine collecting consultations. Visit txwinepilot.com or email him at jim@txwinepilot.com to book your tasting or consult.
