Farella La Luce Sauvignon Blanc Coombsville 2019

When ACME goes looking for “old school” Napa wines, we seek out labels that embody the good old days of making wines, when it was more of an art and less of a science. Farella Vineyard is just that. Located in the rolling hillsides of the Coombsville AVA, just east of the city of Napa, Farella has been quietly producing restrained and elegant Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc for almost forty years. With a mere 26 acres under vine, this modest estate was originally planted in 1979 by Frank Farella, who was first introduced to the valley through his work as Robert and Margaret Mondavi’s lawyer. Planted on a west-facing slope, the Farella Vineyard showed itself early on to be an outstanding site for Bordeaux varietals. Opus One and Robert Mondavi Winery had a healthy competition for certain rows in the Farella vineyard. Additionally, heavy hitters like Far Niente, Paul Hobbs, Pahlmeyer, Quintessa, and Realm have been buying fruit from this unique estate for decades. Despite an ever-growing list of legendary labels seeking fruit from Farella, Frank and his family take a very humble approach to winemaking. They remain unchanged by the many trends sweeping through the industry and have stayed true to their winemaking philosophy – to provide delicious, balanced wines that will enhance any meal. Amongst a landscape of ever expanding estates and capitalistic wine brands, Farella reminds us that Napa Valley hasn’t lost all of its early day charm. 

Today, Frank’s son Tom oversees the direction of the business, and winemaker Ryan Pass continues to produce outstanding table wine, a style that Farella has become so well known for. While their entire portfolio is full of stand-outs, their estate-grown Sauvignon Blanc is among the best of its kind here in the valley. Buoyant and zesty this wine is vibrant and complex enough to pair with any summer dish imaginable, but also so dang pleasing that you can make it your poolside standard, too. This is a must-buy white wine for your summer fun!