Gentle, humble, and soft-spoken. All great personality traits, but not what I would use to describe the most impressive Napa Cabernet Sauvignons, and that is exactly what this is…a wine that is rich, structured, and deceptively complex!
Funny enough, I wouldn’t use those kind words to describe rockstar winemaker Tony Biagi either, but dang can he make wine, like this incredible Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon for under $100!!
Tony, like his wines, is boisterous, complex, loud, and un-filtered, in the best way! With a pedigreed resume including Duckhorn, PlumpJack, and CADE, Tony is the full-time winemaker at Amici Cellars, Clos du Val, and Hourglass, as well as consulting-winemaker at Lasseter (Sonoma), Jada Estate (Paso Robles), and has most recently taken the helm at The Vineyardist on Diamond Mountain. Known affectionately in wine country as The Golden Bear, it is no secret that Tony pours his big heart and kind soul into every barrel he touches. Tony has a track record for producing big, opulent, intensely colored wines, never shying away from California fruit-forwardness and always using copious amounts of new French oak. Tony’s winemaking style is the result of decades of experience and innovation alongside some of the industry’s best. Starting every morning in the vineyard, he blends traditional cellar techniques with advanced analysis and an amazing intuition, paying very close attention to each wine’s transformation at every stage.
For his personal label, Patria, meaning native or homeland, Tony focuses on small-lot Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. He is ruthless when it comes to sourcing fruit for Patria, as he should be. After all, these are more than just wines, they are special collaborations between friends and members of the community, a convergence of livelihood and joined brilliance fueled by shared passion. It comes as no surprise that Tony looks to the almighty Oakville appellation to produce the pillar of Patria Wines, his Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon.
A stone’s throw from the iconic Dalla Valle Vineyards in the eastern hills of Napa Valley, Oakville Ranch may be the highest vineyard in the Oakville Appellation at 1,400 feet in elevation. First purchased by Robert and Mary Miner in the mid-1980s, it is a spectacular site that is farmed organically by vineyard expert Phil Coturri. The property itself spans 330 acres, yet only 75-acres of it are planted to vine in its rocky, volcanic soils. Tony first fell in love with the fruit produced on the Oakville Ranch property while working for Duckhorn Vineyards under the mentorship of Dan Duckhorn and Alex Ryan. Fortunate to work with many of Napa’s most revered vineyards, Oakville Ranch was always the crown jewel in Tony’s eyes, and he knew that when the time came to make his own wine, this spectacular site would be his first stop. In 2013, Tony’s dream came true when he signed a long-term contract to purchase grapes for Patria. The volcanic, rocky soils combined with the elevation, produce grapes that are rich in color and flavor while having wonderful natural acidity even after long periods of hangtime.
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. A warm fermentation was followed by 21 days of maceration on skins to fully develop the wine’s mid-palate and signature mouthfeel. The wine was bottle unfined and unfiltered (like Tony!) after 20 months in 80% new French oak. Robust aromas of black cherries, blackberries and cedar box followed with hints of rose petal and iron filings, a telltale sign of the eastern hills of Oakville. On the palate flavors of cocoa nibs, Herbs d’Provence, warm berry pie filling and hints of pipe tobacco are followed by rich, sweet tannins and long, chewy finish.
This is a real gem of a wine, the bottled spirit of a devoted winemaker and a fun representation of neoclassical Napa Valley Cab!
