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Wine from Alejandro Bulgheroni
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The land of Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate was once part of the Rancho Carne Humana Spanish land grant given to Edward T. Bale in 1841. Bale married the niece of Mexican General Vallejo and was awarded the grant shortly after. Their daughter, Caroline, married Charles Krug and received a dowry of a 20-acre piece of the Rancho that would eventually become Charles Krug Winery.
Gradually, the Rancho was sold and divided into smaller lots. in 1860, our 13-acre parcel was sold for $2,070 to John Howell, a prominent blacksmith in Napa County and for whom Howell Mountain was named.
In modern history, the estate was first planted to grapes by Jim and Nena Talcott in 1975. Under their ownership, a charming stone winery was built to vinify the property's grapes.
The property then served as the Founders Room for the wine portfolio of H. William Harlan and produce the first vintages of The Napa Valley Reserve.
After its acquisition by Alejandro Bulgheroni, he began an extensive renovation and enhancement project to upgrade the old stone winery, plant new vineyard blocks, transform the tasting salon and re-envision the future of the property.
The winery renovations provided upgraded infrastructure and new equipment, dedicated solely to the vinification of Lithology wines. In future years, additional vineyard blocks will be planted at the highest elevation of the property and a cave will be built for barrel storage and aging.
Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate
Certified organic, the Estate vineyard is at the base of Howell Mountain and the Vaca Mountain range where rich, volcanic soils are found, resulting in wines that are deep and ripe with structure, firm tannins, and acid for long cellaring. The site is comprised of a very thin layer of soil, less than one foot in depth, that rests on igneous rocks and materials weathered from volcanic ash. This well-drained, mineral-rich soil is ideal for cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon.
Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate is planted in two parts, one above and one below the beautiful stone barn and winery on Meadowood Lane in St. Helena. It has had several well-known owners beginning with John Howell, the blacksmith for whom they named the mountain, then Charles Krug. In modern history, the site was first planted to grapes by Jim and Nena Talcott, in 1975. Under their ownership, a charming stone winery was built to vinify the property’s grapes. The property then served as the “Founders Room” for the wine portfolio of H. William Harlan and produced the first vintages of “The Napa Valley Reserve.” Now, under the Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate banner, the vineyard is producing some of the finest Cabernet in the area, and we recently added a small block for Sauvignon Blanc as well.
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane
Dr. Crane Vineyard sits at the base of the western hills of St. Helena. A window into showcasing one for the grapes that gave birth to Cabernet Sauvignon from one of California's most legendary single-vineyard plots of earth. Napa pioneer, Dr. George Belden Crane originally planted Dr. Crane Vineyard in 1858. Acquired by Beckstoffer Vineyard in 1997, the vineyard's gravelly loam soils were replanted in 1998 to multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.
Beckstoffer Las Piedras
The history of the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard closely resembles that of Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate. It was once part of the Rancho Carne Humana Spanish land grant given to Edward T. Bale by Mexican General Vallejo. It was first planed by Bale to Mission grapes, making it one of the first vineyards planted in the Saint Helena Appellation. Henry Amstutz, one of California's first great winemakers, replanted the vineyard to wine grapes in 1860. In 1983, Beckstoffer Vineyards purchased the property and planted two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon.
The vineyard, located at the base of Sulfur Creek, is comprised of well-drained soils created from the Creek's run-off and peppered with rocks and small pebbles. Aptly named Las Piedras by vineyard workers, the name translated in English means "the stones". Its effect on wines is marked with a fresh vibrancy and deeply concentrated fruit.
Beckstoffer To Kalon
Perhaps the most famous of the Beckstoffer vineyards, and certainly one of the most celebrated in Napa’s history. Planted by H. W. Crabb, in 1868, as the Hermosa Vineyard, it was 250 acres and already the most famous vineyard in California when it was renamed To Kalon (meaning “highest beauty” in Greek.) Mr. Crabb lived long enough to expand the vineyard several times and made it one of the most successful wine cellars prior to Prohibition. Afterward, it passed to a couple of families who cared well for the vineyard until it was finally purchased (in part) by Andy Beckstoffer, in 1993, and replanted in 1994. Even after 150 years, the reputation of this “Grand Cru” vineyard has never been greater.
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It is hard to imagine with the Lithology range receiving 298 points out of 300 for the three single-vineyard wines, that there could possibly be a wine above them. But there is, and it is our Estate wine. Blended several times very intently by masters of their craft Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, this is the ultimate expression of our house’s work. Positive, full-bodied, and quite powerful, there’s the expected crème de cassis and blackberry from St. Helena Cabernets, with mineral, herb, subtle tobacco and vanilla, plum skins, and pie crust, purple flowers, forest-conifer notes, and very fine tannic structure. It is a magnificent, and magnificently elegant expression of this house, and when asked recently, Monsieur Rolland stated plainly to me, “oh yes indeed – this is the best one, the best yet…”
Review:
The flagship 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Alejandro Bulgheroni comes from a selection made by winemakers Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, mostly from Rutherford and Oakville fruit. Aged 20 months in 78% new French oak, it has incredible aromatics of black and blue fruits, spring flowers, and graphite to go with a massive, full-bodied, concentrated style on the palate that somehow stays graceful, weightless, and elegant. This tour de force in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is guaranteed to put a smile on your face over the coming 20-25+ years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points
It is hard to imagine with the Lithology range receiving 298 points out of 300 for the three single-vineyard wines, that there could possibly be a wine above them. But there is, and it is our Estate wine. Blended several times very intently by masters of their craft Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, this is the ultimate expression of our house’s work. Positive, full-bodied, and quite powerful, there’s the expected crème de cassis and blackberry from St. Helena Cabernets, with mineral, herb, subtle tobacco and vanilla, plum skins, and pie crust, purple flowers, forest-conifer notes, and very fine tannic structure. It is a magnificent, and magnificently elegant expression of this house, and when asked recently, Monsieur Rolland stated plainly to me, “oh yes indeed – this is the best one, the best yet…”
Review:
Pure perfection in Cabernet, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Alejandro Bulgheroni is all varietal and comes two-thirds from Oakville with the balance from sites in St. Helena and Rutherford. Aged 20 months in 70% new French oak and put together by Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, it has an incredibly pure, full-bodied, massive yet weightless style that I suspect couldn’t be achieved anywhere outside of Napa Valley. Cassis, blackberries, leafy herbs, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco leaf are just some of the nuances here, and it’s full-bodied, deep, and concentrated on the palate while maintaining an ethereal, seamless, utterly perfect balance between its fruit, alcohol, tannins, and acidity. As good as it gets, it needs just 2-4 years in the cellar and will evolve gracefully for at least 20-25 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc.
Here the Cabernet comes to us typically flawless, and the wines are as such. There is blue fruit, blueberries, black plums, blackberries, and cassis to the aromas, as well as stones, mineral, chocolate, fresh tobacco, and subtle herbs. It is incredibly full-bodied, but at the same time effortlessly drinkable, with ultra-smooth tannins and a positive, long, upturned finish. 70-75% new French oak is the norm for us with Dr. Crane, and those flavors are absorbed to become a vanillin complexity, sweetness, and length. An unbelievable wine.
Review:
You don’t see many Cabernet Franc-dominated wines from this site, but the 2019 Cabernet Franc Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is certainly impressive. Offering more herbal, chocolate, gravelly earth, and espresso aromas and flavors, it has full-bodied richness and, as expected, is a powerful, opulent expression of this noble variety. The blend is 83% Cabernet Franc and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 20 months in 80% new French oak. It will benefit from short-term bottle age and drink nicely for 20 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
From a St. Helena vineyard planted by early Napa settler Edward Bale more than 150 years ago, and later serving as the estate vineyard for the area’s first winery built by Henry Pellet in 1860, the Las Piedras site always gives us our prettiest wine. When placed next to Dr. Crane and To-Kalon wines, the Las Piedras show a certain elegance, with a very graceful entry and finely detailed complexity. We produce it with at least 75% new French oak, so there is a floral, spicy, and vanilla accent to the intense red and black fruits, cassis, and black cherry liqueur. What distinguishes this bottling is the beautifully fine tannins, delicate texture, and stunning purity. (Less than 100 cases made.)
Fermentation 70% Oak, 24% Concrete, 6% Puncheon
Review:
"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard comes from a world-class site outside of St. Helena and is all Cabernet that spent 20 months in 80% new oak. It offers a touch more red fruit as well ample cassis, spring flowers, loamy earth, and spice-like aromas and flavors. It has a wonderful sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, a dense, layered texture, and incredibly purity of fruit. It’s another just about off the charts release from this estate."
- Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate Lithology is a series of single vineyard and AVA-designated wines made from select sites within Napa Valley. Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is produced solely from fruit grown in the historic Beckstoffer to Kalon Vineyard planted in 1865 by W.H. Crabb and represents Oakville's famous bench land.
Review:
The 2019 Cabernet Franc Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard just shines for its bouquet, which is classic To Kalon with its floral, incense, spicy, red and black-fruited aromatics. These all flow to a medium to full-bodied, utterly seamless Cabernet Franc that’s balanced, has laser-like precision, and a great finish. This isn’t the biggest or richest wine in the lineup, but it’s Cabernet Franc in all its glory, with soaring aromatics and complexity, ample richness and texture, and a beautiful sense of finesse and elegance. It’s going to keep for 15-20 years with no issues.
-Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is a barrel sample with a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a fair bit of coaxing to unlock scents of blackberry pie, warm blueberries and cassis plus suggestions of spice cake, underbrush, candied violets and chocolate box. The full-bodied palate brings forth loads of earthy layers to accent the rich, black fruits, framed by plush tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and fragrant.
-Wine Advocate 97 to 99 points
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is one of the very finest wines I have tasted from Alejandro Bulgheroni's Napa Valley project. The 2019 To Kalon captures all the pedigree of this iconic Oakville vineyard, and yet also remains nuanced and wonderfully finessed for an intense wine. To Kalon Cabernets are rarely this elegant, but the Bulgheroni 2019 sure is.
-- Antonio Galloni 97 Points
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
We only produced a scant 50 cases of this wine this year, far too small an amount considering how great it turned out. There’s that typical saturated to the rim deep purple color, with intense cassis, herb, and milk chocolate, bricks and forest floor, black plum pudding aromas. In the mouth, there’s a great balance, with notable oak and vanilla notes intertwined with dense black fruits. It’s an opulent and plush style, yet finishes with sweet grippy tannins.
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Review:
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