One of the most heralded years in recent memory, the 2016 Napa Valley Vintage was rated "97" by both Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Mother nature set the ideal stage, our winemaking team made it shine, and this wine is ready for the spotlight. Blending fruit from six of our estate-farmed vineyards – ranging from the cool breezes of Coombsville through Oakville up to the high slopes of Spring Mountain – wines like this are why we’re known as Cabernet specialists. It’s a serious mouthful, a beautiful medley of depth and complexity.
Previous to Alpha Omega, Jean Hoefliger was the winemaker at Newton and knows the sweet spot for some of the best Merlot fruit in Napa Valley. Paying homage to Peter Newton (who was the first to plant Merlot in Napa Valley), Jean sourced the grapes for this wine from the Newton Vineyard in Spring Mountain. With the ability to work with the best blocks, Jean created an elegant and silky Merlot with great structure and concentration.
Our 1155 estate vineyard which surrounds our terrace and fountains, takes its name from the address of our winery. Twelve feet of heavy clay soil supply a deep and prolific root system that allows for our Sauvignon Blanc to take temperature fluctuations in stride and ripen patiently. The fruit was harvested on August 28, then spent a fleeting but crucial 12 hours on the skins before a gentle pressing and barrel fermentation. Resembling a classic white Bordeaux, the wine bursts with density and a textured mouthfeel. This small-production wine, a perfect toast to the warmer weather ahead, always sells out a little sooner than we would like.
Our Wine Club’s favorite Chardonnay was created from a winemaker’s dream vintage in 2015. Everything started early, and we saw spring growth more than a month earlier than normal in some blocks. The even season gave us classically ripe Chardonnay aromas of nectarines, orange zest and brioche leading to a palate that’s packed with citrus, toasted hazelnuts and crème-brûlée. Everything is wrapped up in a nice little oak embrace on the finish. It’s still early in the game, but we think this could be one of our best Chardonnays yet!
Our Chardonnay is as low-impact as they come in the cellar, naturally fermented, unfined, unfiltered and barely touched during its evolution. Six different clones add their own unique flavor harmonies, and we achieve further precision and balance by an 18-month sur-lie aging process in French oak. The result is an elegant yet opulent Chardonnay that calls to mind a classic Meursault with a California suntan.
