If Yountville’s legendary Ghost Block was available to more Napa winemakers, there would be a never-ending battle for each cluster of powerful, organic Cabernet Sauvignon. But the reality of the situation is in stark contrast to that: This legendary site has been safeguarded by multiple generations of the Hoxsey family since 1903, and not one other soul has been granted access to its coveted fruit during that time. That is, until 2016 when Jonah and Sara Beer of Pilcrow did what was previously thought impossible.
Through what must be some sort of magic, they convinced the Hoxseys to lease them four rows of vines from this spectral site—something that countless vintners had failed to do for well over a century. Today’s stunning 2017 is their second release and a mere eight barrels were yielded. Eight barrels full of long-aged, emphatically pure Cabernet Sauvignon that belongs right beside the world’s best Napa and Bordeaux. There’s only a few self-evident truths in the world of wine and here’s one them: Pilcrow’s elegant and highly complex masterpiece is bound to stun wine purists from all over, whether opening now or in the next 10-20 years. In times like these, a new vintage of Pilcrow is one of the most welcoming sights imaginable, especially when considering you’re the very first to get your hands on it (the official release is next week). Up to six bottles per person until the inevitable sellout.
Sara Beer defines Ghost Block as “a unicorn mountain vineyard that is one-of-a-kind in the Napa Valley.” But Ghost Block lies on Yountville’s valley floor, so how’s this possible? This ancient site was once embedded in the peaks of the Vaca range looming above. Millions of years ago, an earth-shattering seismic event sheared off one of these mountaintops and sent it careening into the valley below, where it subsequently became a “hill” of exposed tertiary volcanic rock. Today’s vines straddle this very terroir. There’s a reason the Hoxsey family cherishes this vineyard so much!
The vineyard, however, didn’t get its name millions of years ago, although its origins are ancient—for the Napa Valley, that is. “Ghost Block” takes its name after Napa pioneer, George Yount, who has long been buried in a nearby cemetery. For the uninitiated, George was the very first to plant vines in the valley back in 1836. Today’s vineyard was planted by the Hoxsey family in 1903, and, as legend has it, is said to be “looked after” by the man who birthed one of the world’s most renowned wine regions. Remember: After 116 years, no one other than the Hoxseys and the Pilcrow team has had their hands on this precious fruit. Four rows of vines don’t seem so inadequate anymore, does it?
Pilcrow’s organically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon was handpicked and sorted from their four rows in the “Ghost Block” on September 12th, 2017. After fermentation, the resulting wine then aged 22 months in 25% new French oak (two of the total eight barrels were new). It was bottled unfined and unfiltered—an absolute necessity for this classic style—earlier this year.
Alcohol levels aren’t everything, but the fact that Pilcrow’s 2017 comes in below 14% ABV makes it an attractive Cabernet from the get-go. What takes this wine to new heights, though, is the Beers uncanny ability to fuse rich valley floor fruit with an incredibly elegant, “old-school” style. I recommend decanting 30 to 60 minutes and serving in Bordeaux stems around 60 degrees before putting your nose in and experiencing everything this has to offer. Where to begin? The aromatics are simply haunting, and they refused to weaken as the hours went by. We tracked this over 24 hours and each revisit brought an intense, dark-fruited purity that only the most skilled vintners could hope to match: Black cherry liqueur, candied violet, crème de cassis, raspberries, black licorice, plums, Ceylon cinnamon, cigar wrapper, crushed volcanic rock, black tea, pipe tobacco, and a touch of dusty herbs. The full-bodied palate delivers a powerful tour de force that entirely avoids the realm of heaviness and extraction. This is brilliant wine, this is elegant wine—a perfect Cabernet Sauvignon trained in finesse, purity, and nuance. Just wait and see what it will do in the coming years. Cheers!
