How to describe Ashes & Diamonds? Let’s start with the winery itself, a gleaming white, mid-century modern marvel tucked behind the legendary Bistro Don Giovanni in the heart of the Napa Valley. It could be called a “cult” winery, albeit one that pays homage to Napa Valley’s 1960s “heyday”—an era when the wines were earthier, more soulful, more balanced. Helmed by an all-star cast of high-profile Napa-area winemakers, and incorporating fruit from a far-flung assortment of mountain and “valley floor” vineyards, A&D might best be described as a wine “collective.” Their “Rouge #6” absolutely floored us—it’s a silky, elegant, Bordeaux-style blend from multiple vintages, full of luscious fruit and soil character in equal measure. Most of us think of “cult” California reds as being supercharged, lavishly oaked, super-expensive powerhouses. This is none of those things, and what it achieves at this modest price is simply astonishing. That’s a cult we’re happy to join—sign us up!
Ashes & Diamonds was founded in 2017 by advertising executive Kashy Khaledi, who not only assembled an enviable collection of prime vineyard sources but recruited a veritable Dream Team of Napa Valley winemaking talent: Steve Matthiasson, Diana Snowden Seysses, Dan Petroski, and sparkling wine savant Michael Cruse have all played roles in crafting the extensive A&D lineup, which includes both single-vineyard bottlings and regional blends.
The “home” vineyard of Ashes & Diamonds is on the loamy, gravelly Napa Valley “floor” in Oakville, but blends like Rouge #6 are meant to offer a panoramic view of the region’s terroir. As such, this wine reaches into other areas of the Napa Valley, including Rutherford, Mt. Veeder, and Atlas Peak. Fruit sourced from the rockier mountain sites lends structure and nerve to the blend. “Rouge #6” is indeed meant to be a celebration of the art of blending—not just of grapes, and vineyards, but of vintages as well. The result is a wine that is saturated and luxurious but also velvety and well-knit. The blend is driven by 75% Cabernet Sauvignon supported by Cabernet Franc and Merlot, aged only in “neutral” French oak barrels. Just 2,000 cases were produced.
In the glass, this stunningly silky, balanced, deeply mineral wine is a nearly opaque ruby moving to a garnet rim, with heady aromas of black currant, Morello cherry, cassis, tobacco, graphite, and loamy earth. It is just barely full-bodied, with ultra-fine tannins and modest alcohol, everything lifted by bright acidity. The wine is dense, dark, and brooding, yet lifted—there’s energy to it, along with a very Bordeaux-esque balance of fruit and earth notes. It’s a subtle, silky red to pair with an old-school (and fancy) French dish like Tournedos Rossini. Decant it 30-60 minutes before serving in your best Bordeaux stems, and celebrate the new era of balance and elegance in Napa Valley red wine. Enjoy!
