Amulet Estate Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2021

California’s wildfires have greatly impacted the wine industry, with numerous wineries facing the devastation of a lost harvest or, worse, the loss of vineyards and facilities. Too many producers have had to succumb to the wreckage, but Amulet Estate stands out as a phoenix rising from the ashes. After severe damage to their vineyards from the Glass Fire, they doubled down and reinvested by completely replanting the property. The opportunity to re-plant enabled different clonal choices, increased row spacing, and a transition to organic farming. What could have been the final arch of their story turned into the beginning of a whole new chapter.

The winery changed its name to Amulet Estate in 2021 after new majority ownership took control, putting Napa Valley veteran Nathaniel Dorn at the helm. The property was originally planted to vines in the 2000s by the Brooks family, who also tunneled a cave and built the original winery. Many collectors may have tasted the wines before under the Brooks family’s Dancing Hares brand. In the present day, Jim Barbour and his stellar team manage the five acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. While the winery is now finally producing estate-grown wines again, its portfolio has always focused on single-vineyard, hand-crafted 100% Cabernets that highlight the exceptional, “grand crus” of Napa Valley.

Shawn Johnson, Amulet’s winemaker, emphasizes the need for attention to detail in the vineyard and a gentle winemaking philosophy that allows the place of the wines to shine through to the glass. He also champions the use of innovative technologies in his processes, ensuring that any intervention in the cellar is the most thoughtful and informed. To craft their Proprietary Red, Shawn selects the finest barrels from each of their single-vineyard Cabernets to create a pure expression of the vintage with finesse and texture.

“There’s a deep purple hue that extends to the edge of the glass. Vibrant, pure aromas of red cherry, dried sage, violets, and freshly tilled earth fill the glass. The wine is soft on the palate, with flavors of crushed raspberry, dried blueberry, cocoa powder, and black tea. A distinct note of minerality is evident, along with the fine-textured, mouth-filling tannins that linger through the finish.” ~Winery Tasting Notes