Same Day Pick-up
Wine Club
Wine Club
Christmas Sale
Summer is here – does the summer heat remind you of the always-sunny California? In California, there are a lot of excellent producers, such as Opus One, Paul Hobbs, and Louis M.Martini. It is also the birthplace of “Cult Wines”, which are the pigeon-blood ruby of the wine world. Let’s learn more about Napa Valley Cult Wines and some famous names we should know!
What is California Cult Wine?
Garage Wine, Cult Wine, or wine from boutique wineries have something in common – all are made in small batches with great quality.
Garage Wine VS Cult Wine
Garage wine originated in the Right Bank of Bordeaux in the 90’s, when a group of winemakers initiated a revolution that had shaken the winemaking traditions. Some of them believed that “the lower the yields, the better the quality”. So, they started making wine in a very small scale in their cellar or garage, and thus the name “Garage Wine”. They used new techniques such as strict grape selection, and made exceptionally good wines in small quantities.
“Cult” is rooted in the Latin “Cultus”, meaning “to worship or give reference to a deity”. What makes people “worship” Cult Wine? It is because of its generally high quality and price, plus the highly limited supply. From grape production to selection, fermentation, and the choices of oak barrels, every single step is strictly examined, and hence assuring good quality. Most Cult Wines are produced in the Napa Valley of California.
California Cult Wines 1. Harlan Estate
Harlan Estate, founded in 1984, is located in the western hills of Oakville in the Napa Valley. Owning 40 acres under vine, the winery is planted with 70% of Cabernet Sauvignon. Described as “the ultimate cult winery”, from 1991 to 2014, Harlan Estate has achieved 100 point scores from Robert Parker six times and has the availability, market price, and status similar to Screaming Eagle. Robert Parker described Harlan Estate’s wine as possessing individuality, power combined with elegance, showing extraordinary complexity with aging potential.
California Cult Wines 2. Schrader Cellars
Schrader Cellars has burnished a reputation for excellence by imposing the highest standards of winemaking and sourcing. By minimising human intervention, Schrader Cellars produces pure and naturally beautiful wines. Schrader Cellars has been awarded perfect 100 point scores from renowned wine critics including The Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and JamesSuckling.com. Schrader Cellars has even received 100 point scores from Robert Parker for 3 consecutive vintages of the same wine, which is the only wine producer that has such honour in the entirety of Robert Parker’s career.
Other California Collectible Wines 1. Opus One
Opus One Winery is one of the most popular wineries in Napa Valley. The winemaker Dave Phinney is recognised as “Winemaker of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast. Robert Parker even described him as a “genius, creative winemaker”. Often Californian wines are made with single varietals, but Dave prefers blending, jumping out of traditions, creating something new and unique. For example, his ‘Abstract’ is made from a blend of Grenache, Petite Sirah and Syrah. This resulted in an array of fruit flavours and complexity. Dave also likes designing wine labels. The label of ‘Abstract’ consists of newspaper and magazine clippings collected by the winemaker. Each of its labels are so different: they are definitely worth collecting!
Other California Collectible Wines 2. Paul Hobbs Winery
Paul Hobbs, hailed as “the Steve Jobs of Wine” by Forbes Magazine, is unquestionably a legend in the California wine industry. He never sticks to the rules and always pursues the highest level of precision. With his sustainable winemaking philosophy, he adapts to the conditions of vineyards and perfectly expresses the terroir. For example, his wines are unfiltered before bottling to retain more original flavours of the terroir. In his namesake winery, there’s a number of highly collectible wines, such as Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. To Kalon Vineyard, meaning “The Highest Good” in Greek, is a legendary vineyard in Napa Valley is widely known as one of the best sources of premium grapes in the region.
Other Famous California Wineries 3. Louis M.Martini
After the abolition of the Prohibition in 1933, Louis M. Martini, was one of the first wineries established in California, devoted to showing the world the beauty of Napa Valley. They were one of the first to use temperature controlled fermentation to produce world-class wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon is their icon, earning high reviews from world critics. After the retirement of Mike Martini in 2015, the 3rd generation of the family, Michael Eddy took over as the chief winemaker. Today, he continues to create outstanding wines in pursuit of the Martini legacy. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate commented on the 2016 vintage as the best to try as an exceptional year that will give lovers of Napa Valley wines a lot of pleasure!
Other Famous California Wineries 3. Hirsch Vineyards
Hirsch is a boutique winery in Sonoma Coast. It’s quite remote and and is a 2 hour drive from the town of Sonoma. In the 90s, it was simply a grape farm, planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Hirsch had become the source of excellent grapes, and so in 2002 instead of selling to others, they decided to make their own wines. Therefore, they started their own winery. In 2014, they became fully biodynamic. The wine style is very different from most Californian Pinot Noir – It is very delicate and elegant, offering much more than just fruit but many different layers.
