SommCon DC: Time Traveling in Napa

Time Traveling in Napa - How to Access Library Wines, and How Top Producers Release Them Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Napa Valley has been producing top tier wines for decades, but few wineries in the region—or shops and restaurants across the globe—have developed cellars that cover the many years of wine production in the area. That said, some of the most storied, historic producers in they valley have amassed impressive collections of back-vintage wines that continue to age gracefully and remain eminently enjoyable. Charles Krug, the oldest winery in Napa Valley, has been making their flagship Vintage Selection Cabernet for over 75 years from estate Napa fruit. Recently, the winery began offering a limited production, three-pack of historic vintages from the winery’s cellar. Schramsberg—another iconic Napa Valley winery, has been run by the Daives family since 1965 and is an undisputed leader in ageworthy sparkling wines. Over the past 40+ years, Chateau Montelena has created some of the highest-quality, classically-styled Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnays in Napa, offering an accessible library ranging from the 1970s to today. In a panel discussion format moderated by Amanda McCrossin (sommelier at Press in the Napa Valley) these three producers will discuss the past, present, and future of cellaring Napa Wines and why these wines are worth considering for your wine list or cellar. They will discuss what factors into a winery’s inventory management, the proper way to oversee collections of back-vintage wines, and how beverage directors/sommeliers can acquire historic bottles from quality producers. Discussion Topics from Peter Mondavi Jr, Fred Zammataro, and Matt Crafton include: - Learning about the thought process of wineries when they make age-worthy wines: how they determine the ultimate drinking window after harvest, the ways they determine how much wine to keep in the cellar for future use, etc. -Getting insight into how established wineries (like the three participants) think about outside access to their library wine: how protective are they of the wines? How often do they dip into their reserves of wine, and for what occasions do they do so? What is the best way to approach a winery if you are interested in acquiring back-vintages of specific wineries? -The factors in the vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley that contribute to the wines ageability—something that is reinforced by a retrospective tasting of library wines that show the tertiary characteristics, etc.