Fantesca Estate and Winery

We asked Doug Fraggi, one of our pals at Cakebread, for some suggestions of wineries with great Cabs that we could visit this year (after the Cakebread party, of course).  He pointed us in the direction of Fantesca which I had never heard of prior to this trip.  Fantesca is owned by Duane & Susan Hoff.

The Hoffs were high ranking executives at Best Buy who decided to leave corporate America and go into the wine biz.  They bought the property that now houses Fantesca and set about the business of creating magic in a bottle.  Their first release was 1000 cases in 2005.  

In 2008, the Hoff's brought in legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett of Screaming Eagle fame to be their winemaker.  Barrett, known for her world-famous red wines, produced her first Chardonnay at Fantesca.  

"Corkies" are one of the neat things they do at Fantesca.  All of their wine corks have quotes printed on them.  Each year they accept submissions for new Corkie quotes.  If your quote is chosen, you receive a wine gift from the winery.  

Fantesca is located on Spring Mountain which has a long history of producing wonderful wine in Napa Valley.  The trip up the mountain was lovely and the views once we arrived at Fantesca were beautiful.    We did an initial tasting inside their cave of a special 2010 King Richard Reserve Pinot Noir (named after Susan's father).  It's a very good Pinot if you are a Pinot fan.  This wine is not available for purchase unless you are a member of the wine club.  

Once inside the winery, we began to taste some of the most amazing wine I've ever experienced.  

The 2010 Chardonnay (Heidi's first) was multi-layered and lovely.  It was light, not too sweet and the flavor changed as it warmed.  It retails for $75/bottle.

The 2011 La Petite Rose ($55/bottle) is a nice Rose that bloomed out of necessity.  2011 was the coldest summer in Napa in 40 years.  One section of Cabernet grapes at Fantesca never ripened.  Rather than throw them out, the winemaker decided to make a rose.  

Now for the good stuff:

The 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is awesome.  However, it is sold out in the 750 ml bottle size ($125/bottle).  You can still purchase this wine in the magnum size for $300.  

The 2009 All Great Things (Freedom) is hard to describe.  It is such a perfect red blend that you wonder why all wineries can't do it!  It is a wine that truly demonstrates how gifted Heidi Barrett is - full-bodied Cab, smooth, excellent finish that stays with you.

Put Fantesca on your list for your next trip to Napa.  You won't be disappointed.