You may be looking at “Napa Wine Co” and saying to yourself, “who are they?” “They” are undercover superstars who breathed renewed life into Napa wine. This legendary, close-knit operation has sold its organically farmed grapes for 116 consecutive vintages, and over the last few decades, has provided a space at their custom crush facility for eager winemakers. Throughout the years, they’ve laid the groundwork for a slew of start-up labels, many of which have blossomed into international sensations commanding triple-digit prices. Seriously: In 1997,
three of
Wine Spectator’s “Top Ten Wines of the Year” were produced at Napa Wine Company!
Ask any prominent winemaker in the valley and they’ll know someone who does business with this storied enterprise. Only a scant percentage, however, have tasted their extraordinary back-vintage wines—but today you can. Here’s how: In 1996, instead of selling off their entire crop, Napa Wine Company decided to hold back a scant 15% and craft their own bottling. The results of their inaugural vintage? Liquid perfection. It’s an exclusive, top-secret look into what a naturally farmed, ultra-classic Napa Cabernet tastes like when mature. This ‘96 has never left the Napa Wine Co. cellar, you won’t find it anywhere else, and they made fewer than 10 vintages before stopping production and launching the now-globally recognized Ghost Block label. Above all, today’s rare bottle is perhaps the greatest price-to-quality offer we’ll ever see from Napa. Do not, I repeat,
do not miss this wine. Quantities are low, so jump on it now before out stock disappears.
[**NOTE: There is an extremely small amount of magnum formats (1.5L) remaining in their cellar for $160 per bottle. If interested, please contact info@sommselect.com]
Today, Napa Wine Company is the only remaining single-digit bonded winery in Napa, a feat in and of itself. They’ve also launched new brands—Ghost Block, most notably—but although there has been expansion and administrative changes, the company’s deep-reaching roots remain unchanged. They are still family-owned, they still lend their crush facility to burgeoning winemakers, and they still farm every acre of their cherished Oakville and Yountville vines organically.
And then there’s the origin of this family, which begins like something out of a fairytale. In 1902, Joseph Pelissa left Liguria, Italy and emigrated to San Francisco. Shortly after, Joseph purchased 35 acres of land in Calistoga with a $10 gold coin, thus starting the grape-growing legacy that is still thriving today. It was Joseph’s great-grandson, Andrew Hoxsey, who massively expanded vineyard acquisitions and ultimately helped facilitate the purchase of Napa Wine Company (est. 1877) in 1993. Andy, along with the Pelissa family, then began a complete renovation in order to establish the custom crush facility that is currently operating today.
As mentioned, in 1996, they set aside 15% of their Cabernet from the highly sought-after “Rock Cairn” vineyard in Oakville and crafted their own bottling under the expert guidance of longtime winemaker Randy Mason. After aging in a combination of new and used oak for approximately 20 months, the wine was bottled. Upon release, these wines flew out of their cellar, but they were extremely proud of their inaugural vintage, so they held onto a healthy portion. Today’s offer represents the very last tranche, and it hasn’t moved from their cellars since bottling. We must reiterate: Having launched Ghost Block in 2006, there are no more bottles of ‘Napa Wine Company’ on the market—this is your one and only chance to secure this vinous relic!
After tasting this sensational wine, we were offered an opportunity to chat with Andrew (Andy) Hoxsey and his daughter. Honestly, what we thought would be a run-of-the-mill meet and greet turned out to be one of the most satisfying, eye-opening experiences I’ve had. Andy is an encyclopedia brimming with decades of farm experience. It’s extremely clear he’s walked every row, dirtied his fingernails, and studied every aspect of biodiversity, organics, and viticulture to ensure his crop is always of the utmost quality. If we hadn’t been limited to an hour, we would’ve listened to him tell stories into the wee hours.
Now, onto the wine itself: This 1996 Oakville Cabernet from the “Rock Cairn” vineyard hasn’t been disturbed for over two decades, and that perfect preservation shows upon tasting it. Granted, the color does indicate its maturity, but the nose is everything we want from Napa’s finest Cabernets that are made in the classic ‘70s-‘80s style. A style, of course, that resulted in its global recognition. The nose reveals beautifully delicate currants, plums, and dried cherries, followed by a fully-integrated mix of baking spices, pipe tobacco, dried herbs, turned earth, and cedar. It’s medium-plus bodied with extremely fine tannins and a touch of acidity that adds to the already lengthy finish. Calling this extraordinary value anything less than a marvel for your palate is a major injustice. We even tracked the wine for six hours after opening to see if it would become a shell of itself—it hung in there with the best of them! Meaning, if you want to continue stowing them away (especially the magnum!), go right ahead! For the ultimate experience, serve this during a special occasion, with a special someone, next to a delicate, medium-rare filet in a mushroom sauce. Enjoy!
