Cheers! from the Duke of Bourbon 
One of the Duke's greatest pleasures is finding new and exciting wineries. Our latest super new discovery is the St. Helena Winery in Napa Valley.In 1994, Peter and Paulette Story came to Napa Valley, purchased a vineyard, planted grapes and built a house. Grapes from the vineyard were sold to a local winery. Life was simple and tranquil. In 1999, it became clear that the vineyard was something special and the Storys decided to begin making their own wine instead of selling the grapes. Thus, the St. Helena Winery and the wine Sympa were born and life was not quite so simple and tranquil. After the 2000 and 2001 harvests, the extreme superiority of the vineyard was even more evident. Experienced winemakers at commercial wineries marveled at the wines it produced: deep in color, with bold flavors and layered complexity.Sympa, meaning congenial and likable, reflects the terroir of the estate vineyard as well as the personalities of Peter and Paulette. Peter and his knowledgeable consultant, Sara Gott (formerly a winemaker at Joseph Phelps Vineyards), have created a true Napa Valley gem using some very interesting techniques. They aged the beautifully produced wine in five different French oak barrel types, each contributing special elements to the wine: Marcel Cadet for front-end, fruit-forward character; Darnajou for black fruit (blackberry and boysenberry) character; Seguin Moreau for red fruit (cherry and cassis) character; Vicard for strong back-end tannin; and Taransaud for rounded tannin. The 2003 Sympa follows in the footsteps of the previous vintages. It is one special wine! This full, rich, powerful fruity Cabernet Sauvignon was bottled quite recently and may need time to open in the glass. When it does, it exhibits an expansive nose and palate with strong flavors of blackberry, blueberry, crème de cassis, cherry, and mocha. The finish is quite long, well over a minute, and it is apparent that the wine has sufficient underlying structure with the right levels of tannin and acid to provide outstanding aging potential. To top it off, it has been packaged in a strikingly beautiful bottle (see photo). This is another wine with very limited production (approximately 350 cases). The Duke has it for you at an introductory price of $100.00 per bottle. Purchase it by the 6-pack for $570.00 ($95.00 per bottle). Sympa is well on its way to becoming a Napa Valley classic. You would be well advised to start collecting it now. Think of fine wine! Think of the Duke!  
Vine-Line
Join Our Mailing List
Private Cellars
Email Specials
Currently Available
Wine Futures
Duke's Gift Catalog
Recent Arrivals
Big Bottle Bonanza
Email the Duke
Wine Association Events
Duke's Wine Library
Vine-Line Back Issues
Map to the Duke
Terminal 55 Wine Storage Lockers
We are Happy to Deliver or Ship!Just Call (818) 341-1234 or outside California (800) 4-FINE-WINE Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9AM - 6PM Pacific Time Web Page Production by Fuji Publishing Group. This URL is http://dukeofbourbon.com/es050927.html Copyright © 1995 - 2008 Duke of Bourbon Produced by Fuji Publishing Group All rights reserved. |