| WBOTD | Just the Good Stuff |
|---|---|
| Why add this wine to your Collection / Cellar? | Exclusive Age-able Napa Insider Pinot Noir from sacred Wild Horse Valley vineyard | On the wine list at Thomas Keller, Farmstead & Mustards | Only $30 buy 6+ w/Free Ship |
| Why now? | Exclusive – Great Price |
| WBOTD Cellaring Worthiness Rating | |
| Expert Ratings | 93WA |
| What is it? | Wild Horse Valley (Napa, CA) Red Wine |
| What’s in it? | Pinot Noir | ABV 13.8% |
| When to drink? | Now to 2028+ |
| Pair with: | Pairs w/Red & White Meat, Comfort Foods & Cheese |
| Serving Temp: | 57-62°F |
| Drink with: | Good Friends & Family |
| Occasion | Classy get together | Dinner w/good friends |
| If you want to drink now... | Decant 15 Minutes |
| Recommended purchase Qty: | 6+ includes Free Shipping @ $29.99 |
Olivia Brion Pinot Noir 2014 | Napa Insider Pinot Noir
Olivia Brion Pinot Noir 2014 presents bright and ruby in color, with hints of garnet to the rim. Highly aromatic, with ripe black cherry and mulberry fruits, while showing an underlying complexity of kola nut, hay, fresh bay leaf, and a hint of toasty oak. An energetic palate is driven cherry and forest floor character yielding to fresh, chewy tannins and lifted acidity. A good example of the soulfulness and complexity possible with well-made Pinot, and with the ability to last a good long life in the cellar Drink now-2028.
Winemaker David Mahaffey
Winemaker David Mahaffey owns two of our favorite insider-wines: Palladian in St. Helena, just below Meadowood resort, abutting Harlan’s sacred vines, and Olivia Brion Pinot Noir 2014, a tiny-production red from the Wild Horse Valley AVA. From Heron Lake’s 1,200-foot estate site, Mahaffey keeps for himself 11-acres of Dijon and Pommard clone Pinot grapes, which go into this 2014 Olivia Brion Pinot Noir—a highly sought-after bottling currently on the wine lists at Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc, Farmstead, Mustards, and the CIA at Copia.
The most sought-after Pinot Noir in WHV comes off the stunning Heron Lake Vineyard at the southern end of the valley. The original 24 acres of vines were first planted by Mahaffey himself at around 1,200 feet in elevation. Down below is Suisun Bay. In the distance, you’re eye-to-eye with the often-snowcapped Sierras.
Wild Horse Valley | Heron Lake AVA
Mahaffey is perhaps the absolute best person suited to tame such conditions. Since after all, he succeeded along with grape grower John Newmeyer, his co-author, in establishing the AVA. Because the evidence presented in their arguments showed an undeniable microclimate. Like Carneros, Wild Horse straddles parts of two counties, in the case of the later it’s Napa and Solano Counties. Heron Lake Vineyard is perched on south-east-facing slopes. While here, exposure to cool westerly winds from San Pablo Bay. And from Suisin Bay means vines are exposed to marine breezes, which help to mitigate any heat spikes. In fact, according to the UC Davis heat summation scale, Wild Horse is one of the coolest in the entire Bay Area. So, from this unique place comes this unique and rare, insider Olivia Brion Pinot Noir 2014.
