Located in Napa Valley’s Coombsville appellation, Covert Estate is a hidden gem for those who discover it. The limited-production wines are made by Julien Fayard, who originated from France and is one of Napa Valley’s most respected winemakers producing California wine with French finesse. Out of respect for the beautiful surroundings, the winery is nestled in a hillside cave between the vineyard and an oak grove, and is only visible from a bird’s-eye view, perfectly disappearing into the landscape. Covert’s 5-acre estate vineyard is mostly comprised of Bordeaux varietals including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot on its southern slopes while Syrah is planted on the north-eastern section. The vines are farmed organically and sit on a gentle slope with soil composed of solid volcanic ash from the nearby Mt. George. Cal and Pam Nicholson and Dave and Laura Nestor collectively established Covert Estate with Julien in 2012 based on a shared love for and devotion to terroir-driven wines made with a minimal footprint on the land.
Julien Fayard moved to the Napa Valley in 2006 from France where he worked in both Provence and Bordeaux, and defined his core winemaking style at the exalted first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild (he even lived in Lafite’s grand château for a period) as well as at Smith Haut Lafitte. There, Julien says he learned his attention to detail and how to not excessively intervene in the winery: “If you put in the hard work in the vineyard, you have to trust and have patience; then, on its own, the wine will become all that it is capable of.”
Here in Napa, Julien worked at Quintessa before joining Atelier Melka, where he spent five years as the Director of Winemaking. It was here, working with a variety of clients including Lail Vineyards, Gemstone, Dalla Valle, and more that Julien further developed his winemaking style, while also gaining an intimate understanding of the valley’s vineyards and establishing strong relationships with its many passionate, quality-dedicated growers. Though Julien is also the winemaker for other exquisite projects like Empreinte, Purlieu, Cultivar, Azur, Le Pich, and Matthew Wallace, it is at COVERT where he developed his love for the Coombsville AVA in the south-eastern part of the Napa Valley. Fog is often common in this part of the Napa Valley, blanketing the region in the morning and often lingering until late morning or mid-day. Spikes in temperature tend to be less extreme than in other parts of the valley. His focus is on wines that showcase Napa’s richness of fruit, yet at the same time show balance and versatility. “The grapes here ripen steadily and evenly, making for rich wines with complex nuances,” he said. “We often pick later than vineyards that might be just a few miles away.” All of this leads to incredible structure, richness, complexity and balance of the wine.
This special, single vineyard bottling is coming from the Sage Hill Vineyard in the Pritchard Hill area of Napa Valley, where some of the most coveted wines of Napa derive. This clay and rock-dominated site enjoys full western exposure but cooling air currents from nearby Lake Hennessy that moderate afternoon temperatures allowing maximum phenolic ripeness while maintaining freshness and structure. Pretty much the ideal spot for Cabernet Sauvignon. This coveted vintage from Covert, aged in 100% new French oak for 26 months, has intensely rich black blackberry and cassis aromas that opens into a savory core of plum and dark berry compote. Powerful but polished, the fine-grained tannins provide firm structure and dimension for the luscious fruit. This wine perfectly showcases what Napa Valley hillside vineyards are capable of; a decadent treat that is beautifully balanced. Only 85 cases produced.
