Napa Valley's "Golden Years"

Discover the legendary Napa Valley wines that were at the heart of my early sales experiences.

This 52-year-old vintage, tasted in 2014, represents a pivotal time in Napa Valley winemaking.

JFK was the US President.

Each bottle holds a memory,  waiting to be explored in my memoir.

Here is Cesare Mondavi, the father of Robert and Peter Mondavi, describing his 1962 "Vintage Selection" Cabernet Sauvignon. 

This is one of the very first "signature" wines in Napa Valley. 

I offered this 52-year-old Napa Valley wine from my personal wine cellar and tasted it in 2014 with John Skupny, Beth Novak, Stu Harrison, and other wine friends in Calistoga.

It showed elegant balance, soft tannins, and a complex nose. Harmonious!

 

Rare European treasures

I'm often asked, "What is the oldest wine you have ever tasted?

This is it. The 1836 "Reserve Special" Sercial Madeira, harvested when Andrew Jackson was US President. I tasted it in 1977 in Atlanta, at a 19-course/15-wine gastronomic dinner.

Beyond Napa Valley, my journey led me to exquisite and rare European wines, including an 1865 Clos du Vougeot Burgundy when Abraham Lincoln was US President.

These venerable bottles, often with decades of history, offered unparalleled experiences and lessons in the art of winemaking.

 

I’m frequently asked, "What’s the best wine you’ve ever tasted?”

These are probably my 5 highest-quality wines, as they are imbedded in my memory:

1945 Château-Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, 1st Growth, tasted in 1975 at Mirassou Winery

1865 Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy, Bouchard Père et Fils, tasted in 1977 in Atlanta

1955 Château Latour, Pauillac, 1st Growth, tasted in 1977 in Atlanta

1995 Château Pétrus, Pomerol, tasted in July 1996 from a barrel-tap at Château Pétrus

1967 Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, Premier Cru Supérieur, tasted over 15 times, all from my own cellar