Our journey through Napa Valley would continue as we worked our way south, in this case to the AVA of Oakville. Oakville is roughly in the middle of the valley, and home to some pretty iconic wineries. Names like Opus One, Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, Groth, Harlan, and Robert Mondavi’s To Kalon Vineyard dot the landscape. You’ll see the signs on the St. Helena Highway or the Silverado Trail, depending on which route you take. This is Cabernet Sauvignon heaven, and home to many of the super premium, high priced wines Napa is known for. Does Screaming Eagle ring a bell?
Just as you cross into Oakville, driving south on the St. Helena Highway from Rutherford, you see the sign for Turnbull Wine Cellars on the left. This is a wonderful place to visit, with a beautiful main tasting room, a private tasting room, winery tours and picturesque grounds. It was started back in 1979 by the architect William Turnbull, and later acquired by newspaper publisher Patrick O’Dell in 1993. Patrick brought with him the Leopoldina Vineyard, and then acquired the Fortuna Vineyard, giving Turnbull three high profile Oakville sites totaling more than 100 acres. Winemaker Peter Heitz joined the team in 2007, only the third winemaker at Turnbull since it began 43 years ago. Jose Ortiz manages the vineyards, which have grown to include the Amoenus Vineyard in Calistoga. Together, this group has striven to push quality to extreme levels. Yields were reduced, more and more smaller lots were vinified. Cooperage plays a huge part in the production, with barrels matched to certain vineyards and blocks. Nothing is spared.
Like most in this area, the 2020 vintage at Turnbull was rough. They picked everything but sold most of the reds at bulk. Everything made here is an estate wine, with fruit from their various vineyards. They also sell about 20% of their grapes to other producers, as well as supporting custom crush work. The winery has a tremendous capacity, well beyond the estate production levels.
The results from their estate efforts are some pretty amazing wines. Let’s take a look.
2021 Josephine Sauvignon Blanc – Making this wine requires tremendous effort, as the grapes are picked in three different rounds. They come from the Fortuna Vineyard and the Home Vineyard. Fermentation occurs in a combination of stainless steel, concrete, terracotta and oak. The result is a wonderfully fruity wine, full of tropical fruit aromas and flavors. You also get some peach and white flowers. It’s incredibly smooth, fresh, and surprisingly long. Impeccable quality here. $50
2017 Amoenus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Amoenus Vineyard, which is the last addition to the Turnbull acreage. Located in Calistoga in the northern end of Napa, the vineyard is at elevations between 460 t0 660 feet and planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. A glorious nose of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry fruit dominate, with a hint of oak. The color is a medium dark ruby. This is refined, with a purity of fruit that is simply staggering. 14.5% alcohol and exceptional. $155
2019 Leopoldina Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from Block 51 in the Leopoldina Vineyard located in the Vaca mountain foothills to the east of Oakville at 600 to 875 feet in elevation. Only 27 barrels were made. The juice is full bodied with great mouthfeel and solid tannins. Dark fruit holds sway, with herbal notes and a bit of savory. Blackberry and plum fruit are prominent. This is big, but still refined and very young. It will improve over time and will age for decades. $145
2018 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon – for the Black Label Patrick sets aside about 80 superior barrels. As the wines mature he whittles that down to the best 40 for this wine, with the rest falling back to the other bottlings. It is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a half point each of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec. The nose has red and black fruit, with currant, as well as floral notes. Again, the purity of the fruit core is mesmerizing. Medium+ tannins hold the wine up through the long, elegant finish. Another great wine. The 2017 wine received 100 points from Antonio Galloni at Vinuous. This vintage has got to be pretty close. $175
2014 Pierra – this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a medium dark ruby in color. The color is rich and vibrant. On the nose dark fruit hits you, and the palate brings it in waves. It is full bodied with an intense purity of fruit at the core. Firm tannins provide backbone and structure. This is young but very approachable now, and actually pretty smooth. It will age for decades. Cheri called it “perfection in a a glass” and “liquid cashmere”. $350 and a world class, superior Cabernet. This is truly great wine.
While not inexpensive, these are really good values when you consider what many of their neighbors charge. Not everyday priced for most, they are certainly worthy splurge wines. Their wine club brings the cost down further as well. Remember, value is a ratio between quality and cost, and the quality here is off the charts. Peter Weitz has had
several 100 point wines, and finding another 100 point Oakville Cabernet under $200 is not an easy task.
We loved the winery, the history, the commitment to quality and especially the wines. Our guide to the wines of Turnbull was Robinson Smith, who was knowledgeable, engaging and kept the tasting fun and informative. We spent two hours very happy indeed.
You can see more about Turnbull and their available wines and tasting experiences on the website at https://www.turnbullwines.com/. This winery should be on your short list when visiting Napa.
You can read about the previous winery on our trip through Sonoma and Napa Valleys by clicking here. The next stop is available here.
A votre santé!
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