2016 DeSante The Old Vines White Napa Valley 750 ml

A Singular Vibrant, Rich White Field Blend

Packed with ripe yellow fruit and showing laser-sharp focus, the 2016 DeSante The Old Vines White Napa Valley is one of the most unique, mesmerizing Napa whites we have tasted this year. Sourced from a pre-Prohibition era vineyard where vines are a minimum of 50 years old, many past the age of 90, this Old Vines White field blend offers a pure expression of almost untouched Napa terroir, infused with riveting acidity. The winemaker is David DeSante, a veteran of Mondavi, whose mentors include the French masters Didier Dagueneau and Jean-Claude Berrout.  DeSante’s Old Vines White is an exquisite rarity, especially since Decanter named a previous vintage one of the 30 best summer Napa whites, driving up demand. We were lucky to score our 100-bottle allocation, as just six barrels were produced, with most exported abroad! Don’t miss out on this exotic wonder at $29.99 per bottle. Shipping included on 4.

Winemaker David DeSante and his wife Katherine were driving past an old vineyard in Napa when they noticed that a vine near the side of the ride had fallen over. David got out and tied it back onto the stake using a handkerchief. Intrigued by the plot—a little wild-looking next to the surrounding, conventional Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards—he started reaching out to neighbors and leaving business cards, curious to uncover the property’s story. At last a phone call came in from one of the owners. “We know you want us to tear out our vineyard,” they said when he called. For years they’d been fielding offers to buy the land, tear out the vines, and plant Cabernet. David assured them he had no such intentions.

As he listened to their story, it quickly became apparent that he had stumbled upon one of the most unique sites in all of Napa—an incredible viticultural treasure. The owners were a married couple who had received the vineyard from a neighbor. It had originally been planted in the 1890s but by the time the DeSantes got in touch, the grapes had not been used to make wine for several decades. With their help, this fascinating vineyard is once again producing wine that captures the essence of these head-trained, heritage vines.

It is a property that offers a visceral snapshot of the past. Dry-farming has been in place since 1982 when the nearby well went dry. Goats and chickens roam the land. The only fertilizer used is dried Norwegian kemp from the 1950s. No sprays are employed, just a little garlic oil to prevent mildew, a few leaves plucked to encourage circulation. The result is an extraordinary and singular white field blend—vibrant and nervy—that’s won over both critics and Napa locals. The ancient vines don’t produce much, with yields around a half-ton per acre, but each berry is bursting with rich, honeyed concentration. Buy as much of this gem—bottled unfiltered and unfined—as your wallet will allow!