Antica Wines Of Napa Family Owned
The Antinoris of Tuscany Founded Antica Wines in 1986
By: Philip S.Kampe - May 01, 2018
Our best friends live in Umbria which is adjacent to Tuscany. The land in both provinces have similarities to the Napa Valley, where Piero Antinori decided to extend his brand-Antinori, the oldest active winery in the world. In Napa it makes Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnays in a fashion that traces his ancestry.
In 1993, he purchased 600 acres (225 hectares), at 1,800 feet (500 meters) to begin his journey to create ‘classic Antinori wines’ in an area that fits his credentials, according to Glenn Salva his estate manager. Since then, he has added considerable acreage and involved his daughters in the family business.
Salva explained that the alluvial and volcanic soils on the mountainside (1500-1800 feet) mimic what the family estates in Italy have accomplished for centuries; vines that grow on mountain hillsides that are married to volcanic soils.
The results are astounding.
If you get the opportunity to sample or purchase the wines that I tasted -the 2016 Antica Chardonnay and the 2014 Antica Cabernet Sauvignon- you would have a sleepless night dreaming about the classic nuisances of both wines.
14% abv didn’t slow down the 2016 Antica Antinori Family Estate Napa Chardonnay. Elegant, yet big in style, this intense California Chardonnay, from Antinori, is a mixed bag. Flavors focus on maple drenched pears and movie theater milk duds, combining for a sweet, yet tart, tangy finish. This wine is unique, not California style and not a classic white burgundy. That’s what makes it interesting and an obvious buy.
The 2014 Antica Cabernet Sauvignon is a well structured, balanced wine that was full of stylish elegance, focusing on a balance of spicy blackcurrant riding on top of a bed of anise. Totally full-bodied with rich tannins and acceptable acidity, this vintage, with its long finish, certainly can be cellared for a dozen years.
This renowned vineyard knows how to make wine.
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