Farella Snap Red Blend Coombsville 2021

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 Margrit 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, 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 its early-day charm. 

Today, Frank's son Tom oversees the direction of the business, and winemaker, Ryan Pass, continues to produce outstanding wine. But Snap, the newest addition to the Farella portfolio, is anything but the traditional, old-school wines that Farella Vineyard is so well known for. Back in 2019, the vines on the estate produced more Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot than Farella was committed to making. So, Ryan convinced Tom to let him try something a bit wild, and let us tell you, his experiment resulted in exceptional and brilliant wine! In its third year, Winemaker Ryan Pass has co-fermented 65% Merlot with 35% Sauvignon Blanc in stainless steel tanks before aging the wine in neutral barrels for six months. The result? A wine as confusing and refreshing as our youthful years and so very delicious! It isn't quite red, certainly not white, and you'd better not call it rosé - what Farella has made is utterly uncategorizable. SNAP is poppy, playful, and incredibly crushable, bursting with bright raspberry and layered with candied red fruit, drawing to an almost savory finish. So good it'll make you say, "Oh, Snap!" Chill it down, toss it back, and let it transport you back to your youth. With only 5 barrels made, this will be gone in a SNAP!