SOMERSTON ESTATE IN NAPA’S EAST HILLS

CLIVE PURSEHOUSE

At a recent tasting in Napa, I was smitten by the Somerston Estate wines. Away from the valley floor, turning off the Silverado Trail onto the circuitous CA-128 leads you past Pritchard Hill and to the sprawling vineyards of Somerston Estate, nestled in the foothills of the Vaca mountains. The wines made by Cody Hurd sing of elegance, balance and classic Napa Valley, a kind of throwback to an earlier era. The Somerston Estate LXXI Sauvignon Blanc 2021 is brilliant, brimming with minerality and freshness. Whole-cluster pressing and fermentation for 18 months in new and neutral barrels, six months sur lie, lends this wine depth and texture. Notes of smoky grilled lemon and a crisp salinity evocative of seaspray frame citrus cream flavours and mineral complexity. The Somerston Estate XCVI Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a revelatory rendition of Napa’s iconic variety. Aromas open to eucalyptus, bay leaf and gravelly dust. The red-fruited palate flashes fresh berries that are encased by a savoury edge with mint, dried thyme and smoky clove, lending elegance and depth to this well-heeled bottling. Classics and elegance still thrive in Napa – you just have to know where to look. somerstonestate.com