Tony Biagi, newly appointed Winemaker
of the Year (by Antonio Galloni/Vinous), is on a winning streak. But that comes as no surprise to us, as we
have long adored his sybaritic wines and his equally sybaritic, gregarious
personality. We have featured most of
his hand-crafted projects in our
Kahuna Club including Amici, The
Vineyardist, Hourglass, Sinegal, and the wines he makes under
his label, Patria. Last year, we
included the coveted 2017 Avoyelles (his "Right Bank Blend" coming from
the famed Oakville Ranch Vineyard) which ended up finding a place on Jeb
Dunnuck's Top 100 Wines of 2020. Now, we are beyond honored to share the latest release of this special
bottling; one that has garnered even higher accolades than the last, and is on
course to find itself, once again, on the top of everyone's list of favorite
wines this year.
PATRIA
Tony
Biagi is a sixth-generation Californian whose first memories of wine trace back
to his father making small amounts of wine in the family's garage. Tony later
enrolled at U.C. Davis to study marine biology, but in turn, ended up
graduating with a degree in oenology. He
then bolstered his winemaking experience at Duckhorn Vineyards under the
tutelage of Tom Rinaldi and served as the head winemaker for the Paraduxx label
before assuming winemaking duties for Neal Family Vineyard and eventually
landing at PlumpJack Group. Biagi's
tenure with the company included roles as winemaker for the company's PlumpJack
Estate, as well as spearheading the wine program at CADE on Howell
Mountain. In 2013 he launched his
personal label Patria (homeland), with the globe-trotting Kimberly Jones as a
partner, while still making Hourglass, Amici, and The Vineyardist, amongst
others.
The
fruit Tony sources to handcraft Patria's Avoyelles, his homage to the right
bank blends from Bordeaux, comes from the beautiful Oakville Ranch Vineyard, a
hillside estate sitting at 1,300 feet in elevation on the eastern edge of the
Oakville Appellation, where the land is composed of distinct iron-rich,
volcanic and red clay soils. Neighbors
sharing this treasured terroir: Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Joseph Phelps
Backus Vineyard, Rudd, and Bond's St. Eden Vineyard.
"Of
the all the wines I crafted in 2018, Avoyelles has put on the most weight
during élevage. That weight, aromatics and perceived sweetness have taken it to
rival - and perhaps ever surpass - the 2016.
The main lots for this wine are co-fermented, leading to a slow
evolution of the first half of the wine's life in barrel, and a near catapult
of complexity in the latter part of élevage.
Aromatics of black cherry, red rose petals, crème de cassis and iron
filings burst over the classic red dirt notes of the eastern Oakville
hills. Primary flavors juxtapose fruit
and savory: ripe black cherry pie filling layer with hoisin, cocoa, soy, and
lavender. The finish is full of sweet tannins, dusting the tongue ever so
slightly to compel you back for a second (or third) glass. Densely packed, decanting
reveals even more richness as the wine unfolds." ~Tony Biagi, Winemaker.
"A
magical wine in every sense, the 2018 Avoyelles Oakville Ranch checks in as 48%
Cabernet Franc, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot. More
expressive than the A. Price Vineyard (which should be expected, given the
difference in the blends), has a beautiful perfume of crème de cassis, red
currants, toasted spice, graphite, and dried flowers, with a touch of tobacco
and earth developing with time in the glass. Hitting the palate with
full-bodied richness, it has a layered, multi-dimensional texture, incredible
tannins, and a great, great finish. In the same league as the 2013, 2015, 2016,
and 2017, it's a brilliant wine to enjoy over the coming 15-20 years or more." ~Jeb Dunnuck, 98 Points.
