Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
After fleeing his homeland in the days after the brutal crushing by the Soviet Army of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Lou Sr. came to America and eventually settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. He married Roberta Henson in 1964, eventually settled in Seattle, Washington at the end of 1973, with their son, Louis Jr.
In 1998, on a visit to Bordeaux, France, Lou and Bobbie experienced a seminal moment that ironically set them on the path of being vineyard owners themselves. With great anticipation, Lou and Bobbie arrived at the centuries-old estate Leoville Las Cases (St. Julien), on a beutiful summer day, on invite for a private luncheon hosted by the estates' patriarch, Michel Delon. Over the course of the next five hours they were astounded by Mr. Delon's warmth and generosity, as was Mr. Delon fascinated by Lou's encyclopedic knowledge of not just the wines and history of Leoville Las Cases and Bordeaux, but of Burgundy, Champagne and the American estates and their terriors Lou was convinced could rival their hallowed French counterparts.
One of Napa Valley's most historic sub-appellations, Yountville spreads through some of the valley's ideal cooler sites and enjoys success with a handful of different and significant grape varieties.
Syrah competes strongly with Cabernet Sauvignon here for optimal vineyard real estate followed by Pinot noir, Pinot blanc and Sauvignon blanc.
This sub-AVA of Napa Valley is rich in the history that makes Napa Valley what it is today, and not just for red wines. Moët & Chandon entered the California winemaking business via Yountville in 1973 with the establishment Domaine Chandon. Their goal has always been to produce top quality méthode champenoise sparkling wines.
Christian Moueix, originally responsible for managing Chateau Petrus and La Fleur-Petrus in Pomerol, arrived in Yountville in the early 1980s. He formed a partnership with Rohin Lail and Marcia Smith, inheritors of Napanook vineyard from their father John Daniel of Inglenook in Rutherford. In 1995 Moueix became sole owner of Napanook and chose the name Dominus, which today produces some of Napa’s highest scoring, age-worthy Bordeaux Blends.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.