Selections
Peter Story and his wife Paulette have long had their sights on the Napa Valley (and stellar “sites”, that is, since the late 70’s). Experiencing his amazingly innate and maniacally precise talent as a self-made winemaker explains how, as a successful businessman, he was able to make his dream into the reality destination that is St. Helena Winery. Their pristine property just to the east of the town of St. Helena on the Valley floor was brilliantly planned and magically executed as the super powered Cabernet vines from multiple blocks surrounding their house and garage-sized (one car, that is) winery complete the storybook (pun intended!) setting they have created and share with such hospitable and passionate vigor. As poetic as it may seem, the Story’s vision and intentions are some of the most refreshingly real and pleasurably palpable that we have ever seen, unlike many that have followed similar paths and purchases to Napa.
Having been a long-time collector of Napa Valley Cult Cabernet in tandem with Bordeaux and Burgundy, Peter made a promise that he too would one day masterfully create an atmosphere and self-sustained culture to produce (and compete with) the highest level of wines to come from the region. If you have the opportunity to meet and taste with him, you too will have no doubt that he will most certainly achieve his methodical goals and will do so in swift fashion, devoid of shortcuts and never short on style. His philosophy and techniques are super sound and founded on a lifetime of research, sheer experience and analytical reflection and evaluation. Both he and Paulette, coupled with their warranted and intoxicating enthusiasm (really!), compromise nothing in their creation of their shared paradise as every ounce of them translates into the two spectacularly generous and seamless offerings in Sympa (their flagship wine) and Scandale. Too, their generosity and integrity goes well beyond the wines they craft in that they fully employ and offer full benefits package to all members of their team, having had them as part of the St. Helena family since its inception. This near unheard-of philosophy ensures that their vines and the fruits that they bear get the care and attention that dictates a shared sense of reward and success. They also intelligently and philanthropically have initiated a unique precedent as their mailing list is shaped by those that help contribute to the Adopt-a-Vine program.
The wines must be tasted to be believed and Peter and Paulette Story must be met to truly understand their eminent and vivid vision.
St. Helena Winery “Sympa” Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena – Napa Valley 2003
Download tech sheet in PDF format
The Stats:
Winemaker:
- Peter Story
Production:
- 350 cases
Cepage:
- 99% Cabernet Sauvignon; 1% Petit Verdot
Vineyard Sourcing / Clones:
- St. Helena Winery Estate, Reserve Blocks #4 and #1
Winemaking:
- 5 day cold soak at 50°; fermented on estate native yeast; 4 day maceration; unfined and unfiltered
Barrel Aging:
- 20 months in new French Oak barrels (Taransaud; Marcel Cadet; Vicard; Seguin Moreau; Darnajou)
The Score From the ‘Door:
Sympa, in its relative youth (2003 being the third vintage), is no baby. The wine is massively endowed with layers of fruit and texture, yet open and wildly expressive, aptly responding to Peter Story’s painstakingly crafty commitment to structuring wines that are accessible and enjoyable from the onset, yet sturdy enough to reward a rare patience. Sympa, meaning congenial, likable and easy-going, strives to represent a cultivated terroir and equally, to symbolize the carved-out lifestyle of its creators in their home in the Napa Valley. The wine’s balance speaks to that well in its soft and jammy entrance of fruit, its depth and richness in the mid-palate and the graceful, yet solid and composed roundness that the finish brings. Utilizing pristine Cabernet fruit from the most mature blocks (#4 and #1 - also the most vine straining and rocky sites) on the Estate, Sympa is given its foundation of complex and vibrant concentration. The allowance of native yeasts in fermentation fashions the wine with its floral and exotic fruit presence, while the masterful blending to Peter’s taste from the multiple barrel aging (each 20 months) completes the desired massive core of blackberry, cherry and deep currant flavors. While we were first enthralled with the 2002 vintage, the higher acidity and the very slight perfectionist’s touches to the 2003 has us floored. The quality, passion and attention given to Sympa rightfully places the end result right alongside the most prestigious of Napa Valley Cabernets, and will soon garner their relative accolades, without fail.
St. Helena Winery “Scandale” Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena – Napa Valley 2003
Download tech sheet in PDF format
The Stats:
Winemaker:
- Peter Story
Production:
- 150 cases
Cepage:
- 94% Cabernet Sauvignon; 4% Petit Verdot; 2% Petite Sirah
Vineyard Sourcing / Clones:
- St. Helena Winery Estate Block #1 and #2
Winemaking:
- 5 day cold soak at 50°; fermented with French D254 yeast; 4 day maceration; unfined and unfiltered
Barrel Aging:
- 20 months in new French Oak barrels (Marcel Cadet; Seguin Moreau; Darnajou)
The Score From the ‘Door:
Scandale is aptly named as it exudes a femininity and sexiness that its counterpart doesn’t achieve (or intends to). For as young as it is and for as much Cabernet that comprises it, the accessibility and gentle mouth-feel is alluring and addictive. Named during its first vintage in 2001 when tasted alongside many noteworthy Bordeaux with family and friends in France, the surprising response and affinity for the wine assured Peter and Paulette Story that as “scandalous” as it was, they had something special. And too, they treat it as such, making only 150 cases and only in the strongest of harvests. The composition is made up of younger parcels on the Estate that tend to ripen more slowly and evenly, in addition to a small percentage of the more tannic block #1 fruit. The wine is dosed with the brightness of wild berries by the addition of quality Petite Sirah and then finished with some structure bearing Petit Verdot. Scandale is likable in its soft and giving charm and is intended to give pleasure right out of the bottle, but ends up being so intoxicating that it is nearly mischievous to consume without guilt.