White Wines and New Directions at the Napa Barrel Auction

WHITE WINE AND NEW DIRECTIONS AT THE NAPA BARREL AUCTION

BY: Hans Baldauf, FAIA

Last Friday we attended the Napa Valley Barrel Auction held this year at Robert Mondavi Winery in their new facility overlooking their famous To Kalon vineyard. In the southwest corner of this famous vineyard is a parcel known as the I-Block. Robert Mondavi realized the quality of the Sauvignon Blanc vines here which, in a marketing keystone, he named Fumé Blanc. These vines were planted in 1945. The five acres produce only a ton per acre which yields 200 cases a year. I have long considered this wine one of the treats of the Napa Valley.

Left: Andrew Holve (Hudson Ranch), Peter Willmert (Hudson Ranch), Hans Baldauf, FAIA. Right: Hans Baldauf, FAIA, Tom Davis (V. Sattui), Asa Prentice, AIA

The presence of this “secret plot” amongst the famous Cabernet grapes of the rest of the To Kalon vineyard became a metaphor for finding 8 barrels of white wine amongst 102 at the Barrel Auction. The presence of this “secret plot” amongst the famous Cabernet grapes of the rest of the To Kalon vineyard became a metaphor for finding 8 barrels of white wine amongst 102 at the Barrel Auction. On Friday, the following wineries were pouring whites:

Cakebread Cellars

- 100% Chardonnay crafted from family-owned Cuttings Wharf vineyard in Los Carneros
- Aged in 50% new French oak and 50% neutral French oak
- Bright fruit flavors of golden apple, citrus and peach with hints of minerality and brioche

Chateau Montelena

- Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris; an ANV limited, single-block bottling from the John Muir Hanna Vineyard.John Muir Hanna was the Napa component of the JOP-winning 1973 vintage and remains exclusive to Chateau Montelena
- Aged 22 months sur lie in 100% tight-grain French oak

Firetree Family Vineyards

- Fidem is an estate-grown Reserve Chardonnay from Firetree Family Vineyards, a boutique producer of terroir-driven wines crafted by Julien Fayard. From our historic blocks F and E, aged in stainless steel, concrete egg and 50 percent new French oak barrels
- Fidem, meaning faith in Latin, reflects our family philosophy, honoring vines, craftsmanship and those who enjoy and share our wines

Grgich Hills Estate

- 100% Chardonnay sourced exclusively from the oldest vines grown in our Carneros vineyard
| Grown from heritage Wente Chardonnay clones gifted by our longtime friend Larry Hyde
- Regenerative Organic Certified, guided by soil health, biodiversity and natural harmony

Handwritten Wines

- Sourced from the Windmill Canyon block off the historic Truchard vineyard in Napa Carneros
- Barrel fermented with indigenous yeasts and aging sur lie in the classic Burgundian tradition
- 10-month élevage in tight grain French oak, 228-liter and 500-liter puncheons, 40% new

Hudson Ranch

- This heritage selection of Chardonnay is sourced from one of our most prized vineyard blocks
- Native, spontaneous primary and secondary fermentation, aging 18 months in a carefully selected new French oak barrel
- Will be bottled unfiltered and unfined

Hyde Vineyards Estate

- 100% estate-grown Chardonnay
- Fruit comes from the Hyde estate vineyard in Los Carneros
- Crafted by winemaker Alberto Rodriguez and named in honor of Larry Hyde, who founded the winery in 1979

Kazumi Wines

- A rare, first-of-its-kind wine crafted from the ancient Japanese varietal, Koshu
- Grown in partnership with dedicated Napa Valley growers in South Napa and Oak Knoll
- Barrel fermented and aged an extended 10 months in 100% French oak, a first for this wine

Facing east toward the Vaca Range in Mondavi's To Kalon I-Block

Conversing with the winemakers as to why they chose to bring these wines to what has traditionally been a Cabernet-centric and if not Cabernet, red wine event, there were mischievous smiles and earnest observations about the opportunity to make and showcase distinctive whites. Certainly, we have grown to enjoy whites from around the world whether from Mt. Etna, the Alto Adige, Mosel or Meursault. Among the standouts was Hudson Ranch's 2025 Ladybug Chardonnay. Named for co-owner Cristina Hudson, affectionately known as "Ladybug," the wine reflects both a personal story and the character of a unique vineyard block on the ranch. There is now a sea change going on in the wine industry as it grapples with changing consumer desires and white wines are finding favor in the marketplace.

Tom Davies of V. Sattui Winery was pouring a Sauvignon Blanc at their table celebrating the winery's 50th anniversary. It was a fitting reminder of the evolution of the winery, as BCV recently completed the new Mercato del Gusto, an expansion of V. Sattui's long-standing market tradition that broadens its food and hospitality program and reinforces the connection between wine, local ingredients, and shared dining experiences.

We joked with Tom that the winery should host a white wine barrel tasting. Among V. Sattui's white portfolio is a limited-production Sémillon skin-contact (orange wine) featuring Tom's portrait on the label. It's a beautiful wine and emblematic of the creativity and craftsmanship increasingly being devoted to white wines, a category well worth celebrating.

We were fortunate to “win” a case of Cakebread's Chardonnay made by Niki Williams, who joined the winery in 2023, becoming only the fifth winemaker in its more than 50-year history. It was especially meaningful, having designed Cakebread's North Addition, a project that expanded the winery's hospitality and production capabilities while creating new tasting environments that closely connect visitors to the winemaking process. Cakebread has long placed equal emphasis on both its reds and whites, and Niki, whose interests in regenerative agriculture and terroir inform her approach, continues that tradition. She was among those who observed that, in some ways, whites are more complex than reds because their flavors are often more subtle and nuanced.