StellaReese 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
By George Bato on Mar 19, 2010 in Uncategorized
When you grow up in northern Napa Valley, around St. Helena and Calistoga, it’s only a matter of time before you get bitten by the “I need to make my own wine” bug. That’s precisely what happened to Rachel and Geoff Davies.
To propel them on their journey that led to this first release of their StellaReese wine, Rachel worked with Greg Brown at T-Vine Cellars for many years. It was Greg who encouraged Rachel to make her own wine. Rachel and Geoff got very excited a the prospect of starting their own label and went looking for grapes.
They spread the word in the small town of Calistoga and soon met Jack and Marcey Smith, who owned a beautiful small vineyard. The Smiths had been selling their fruit to Chateau Montelena for years when the contract expired in 2007. After checking out the vineyard, Rachel and Geoff jumped at the opportunity and purchased enough fruit to make 300 cases for their first release.
Rachel and Geoff already had a solid background in making wine, but to guide them along the way Greg Brown and his Cellar Master, Fernando Candelario (who has his own label called Voces), helped guide them through the process.
The result is an impressive first release of a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon called StellaReese, the ideal vintage from which to make a Napa Valley Cabernet debut.
StellaReese 2007 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
Right out of the gate you can recognize this as a quality wine as you pour it into your glass. Deep, opaque purple in color. A little bit of sediment remains in the shoulders indicating minimal filtration and fining. Aromas of dark berry fruit, plum, cigar box and earth. Full-bodied, structured and well balanced. A flood of black cherry, cassis, dark chocolate and espresso flow over the palate leading to prominent yet resolved tannins, good acidity and a lingering finish.
Quite an impressive effort for a first outing, at a very nice price. ($33)
