Impensata Engelhard Vineyard Proprietary Red Calistoga 2018

Establishing a new wine estate in Napa Valley is no quick task. When you work with the natural world as the primary contributor to your business, you are dutifully marching a path of patience at the whim of time.   For most, at the onset of this grand adventure, sourcing fruit for the inaugural release comes before you even lay your first brick or hire your winemaker. We know, as connoisseurs of great wine, that it is all about the terroir; one cannot bring forth a superb bottling from inferior vines. So, Impensata began their search for a parcel that would exemplify the grandeur and impeccable nature of the wines they sought to make. And in 2015, with the help of longtime relationships in Napa, the team connected with Dick & Edie Engelhard, who sought a new owner to steward their 16-acre Calistoga property.

When the Engelhards first purchased their country home and estate, it was intended to be a retirement setting for the couple. Quite quickly, they realized this grape-growing business required a dedication far beyond the traditional retirement of lounging in Adirondack chairs admiring the view of their vineyard. So, after seven years of viticulture night classes and lessons learned from neighboring winemakers, Dick & Edie re-planted to all new rootstock and grafted Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. From 2006 on, influential wineries across Napa sought fruit from Engelhard Vineyard, such as Harlan Estate, Napa Valley Reserve, and Hobel.

Finally, it came time for Dick & Edie to rest from their years of “retirement” farming and bestow their land to someone new. They placed the stewardship of this exceptional vineyard in the best hands around, with Impensata’s vineyard manager David Abreu. In Napa, David’s name is synonymous with the finest vineyard plantings as he exercises precision far above the rest. He leaves no stone unturned (no pun intended) when determining the utmost perfect clones and orientation per block of each vineyard he oversees. Who could be better to carry the torch for this property into its next chapter?

Impensata’s 2018 debut Proprietary Red is sourced from the bucolic Engelhard Vineyard and is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec, and 4% Merlot. Winemakers Nigel Kinsman and Michel Rolland chose three French oak cooperages (Taransaud, Sylvain, and Darnajou) for the 22-month élevage, using 78% new barrels. The Impensata team describes it best – “deeply concentrated and beautifully balanced with dark black fruits, crème de cassis, and plum compote, along with savory notes of wild sage, menthol, licorice, and exotic spices. Structured tannins and classic freshness deliver a wine that will age gracefully for decades.”  In keeping with their motto of Festina Lente (make haste slowly), the inaugural 2018 Proprietary Red drinks best when shared with family and friends over an extended evening of merriment.