Q2 2024 – Premium Wine Club

Brandon Gregory Estate

• Wine is produced at Covert Estate in the Coombsville AVA of Napa
• There is no public tasting room, but tastings at various locations can be scheduled by appointment
• Produce ~750 cases per year across Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and a red blend,

Brandon and Gregory founded the Brandon Gregory Estate in 2019, beginning with fruit harvested from their estate Brookshire Vineyard in Knights Valley, totaling 565 acres (40 acres planted). The winery has plans to grow organically, slowly adding fruit from a second estate in Knights Valley, Helena Vista Ranch, totaling 621 acres (22 planted), and from a small estate vineyard in St. Helena called Dean York Vineyard. There is a tremendous amount of history connected to the two Knights Valley estates, namely the fact that the two properties were connected by a stagecoach route in the 1800s, bringing tourists from the Calistoga train depot to the Geysers. Passengers would enjoy a thrilling ride with Clark Foss, often staying overnight in the Brookshire Hotel, which once sat adjacent to the land now called Brookshire Vineyard and Ranch. Today the land retains its historical and ecological integrity, and produces fine wine grapes grown on volcanic, rhyolitic soil, resulting in wines of great depth and elegant tannins. It is a land supremely designed for the crafting of Bordeaux wines.

2021 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

• 160 cases produced
• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Aged 21 months in 75% new French oak.

Tasting Notes
Brandon Gregory Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from two vineyard blocks in their Brookshire vineyard in Knights Valley, chosen by winemaker Julien Fayard to express the vineyard’s unique soils. The blend represents a strict barrel selection of their Cabernet Sauvignon lots of clone 337 and the Montelena clone. The 2021 vintage of Brandon Gregory Estate Cabernet Sauvignon comes charging out of the gate with an expressive nose of vibrant red cherry, ripe blackberry, purple flowers, and crème de cassis. The palate is full-bodied and expansive with layers of fruit and crushed red pepper woven within velvety-textured tannins. There’s enough acidity to keep this wine of powerful structure beautifully balanced. 

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Frias Family Vineyard

• Tasting room located at 1886 El Centro Ave, Napa, CA 94558
• Produce ~2,700 cases per year across 7 different wines

In 1977 Manny Frias Sr. purchased 100 acres at the base of the iconic Spring Mountain District in Napa Valley. In 1985, five of those acres were planted, and FRIAS Family Vineyard was born. The first vintage was 1991, and since then, the vineyards have expanded to over 13 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. FRIAS also produces wines from single vineyards in Oakville and Yountville from families with whom they have long-standing relationships.

Second-generation brothers Fernando & Manny Frias Jr. are now at the helm, and continue the quest for excellence with their family-owned and artisanal winery. Winemaker Todd Heth has been with the team since 2004 crafting these polished and powerful wines.

2021 SMD Cabernet Sauvignon

• 400 cases produced
• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 21 months in 60% new French oak

Tasting notes:
The 2021 SMD flows with black cherry, dried plum, fig, juicy black currant and cassis with pencil shavings, earth and spice before a hint of eucalyptus.  With loganberry leading off, the palate also exhibits spice and mineral laden character with toast and herbed fruits and dried fruits with tobacco leaf and a note of balsamic on structured, jazzy and enlivening tannins.

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Porterhouse Winery

• Located in San Carlos, CA with tastings by appointment only
• Produce approx 2,000 cases per year, across Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Red Blends and Single Vineyard wines from Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Cruz Mtns
• Owner/Winemaker Adam Comartin previously made wines with Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos for 10 years before starting his own winery, focused on making artisanal wines from special vineyards. Currently he has produced more than (50) 90+ wines under the Comartin and Porterhouse brands over the last 10 years.

Porterhouse Winery is dedicated to owner/winemaker Adam Comartin’s grandfathers who were butchers, who cut the finest meats for friends and family. In parallel, Porterhouse Winery is committed to producing the finest wines.

2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

• 150 cases produced
• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 
• 48 months in 30% new French oak

Tasting Notes:
Aromas of blackberry jam, thyme and cedar in the nose, followed by a multi-layered mid-palate and round polished tannins and a lingering finish of vanilla and toasted oak.