Impensata Engelhard Vineyard Proprietary Red Calistoga 2019

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?

David Abreu, Michel Rolland, and Nigel Kinsman are the trifecta of vineyard management, winemaking, and master blending. Among his prized personal parcels, David manages the most elite vineyards in Napa and has worked with the best, including Screaming Eagle, Colgin Cellars, Harlan Estate, and Staglin Family Vineyards. His knowledge of farming vineyards in Napa Valley is unparalleled. Since starting his management company in 1980, he has been the “go-to guy” for informed, articulate, and terroir-driven vineyard planting and oversight. Nigel Kinsman, although out of the limelight until recent vintages, is no newcomer to Napa Valley or Italian winemaking. After studying and making wine in his native Australia, Nigel learned under the tutelage of his future colleague, Michel Rolland, in Tuscany at Tolaini. Once settled in Napa, Nigel worked for Krupp Brothers and, eventually, with the Araujo Family at Araujo Estate and now Wheeler Farms. Despite numerous “day jobs,” he might best be known for his highly sought-after personal label, Kinsman-Eades.  And finally, Michel Rolland acts as the consulting winemaker for Impensata, bringing a unique and revered perspective to the aim of producing a Napa Valley Merlot to rival the legends of Sassicaia and Masseto. His experience working in Alta Maremma, Tuscany at Massetto, and with other California top producers such as Harlan, Bryant Family, Staglin Family Vineyards, and Araujo made him the prime candidate for this undertaking.

Impensata’s 2019 sophomore release Proprietary Red is sourced from the bucolic Engelhard Vineyard and is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot, and 8% Malbec. Winemakers Nigel Kinsman and Michel Rolland chose three French oak cooperages (Taransaud, Sylvain, and Darnajou) for the 22-month élevage, using 78% new barrels. With volcanically-derived, well-draining soils, the ripening power of the heat and sun in Calistoga is tempered by Chalk Hill Gap breezes that cool the site by late afternoon.  This combination shows in the wine, a Cabernet-dominated red with richness and structure, concentration, and finesse.  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.  Like many fine things, this wine is best with time, either in your cellar or in a decanter.  222 cases produced.