Miller Family Vineyard, Napa Valley, California
$105 (Wine Club Reorder – $95)
We are the only place you can get Olabisi’s wines, aside from winery-direct. That’s because Todd & Cyndi were wine club members there for years before they purchased Bacchus & Venus (in addition to their B&V wine club, of course!). They’ve become friends with Ted Osborne, the owner/winemaker, and have convinced him to let us share Olabisi wines with our club members. If you ever find yourself in Calistoga, be sure to pay them a visit and mention Todd & Cyndi sent you!
Ted Osborne and his wife Kim founded Olabisi Wines in 2002, years after they moved to Napa for Kim’s new job designing wine labels. Ted had a degree in English and after 6 months of being unemployed in Napa, decided to make a career switch to the wine industry. He flipped through the phone book and connected with Bruce Cakebread, of Cakebread Cellars, and the next day had a job working harvest (this is also where I worked harvest, prior to starting at Bacchus & Venus).
Ted spent the next four years bouncing back and forth between wineries in Napa, South America, Australia, and France to maximize his experience in the shortest amount of time. During that time, he worked for Rupert & Rothschild, Passing Clouds, Château du Seuil, Storybook Mountain and Laird. While at Storybrook Mountain, Olabisi was born. Kim designed the labels and he created the wine. They wanted a brand that was unique and decided on “Olabisi,” which is a Nigerian name meaning “joy multiplied” – a sentiment he believes is present in all his wines.
We featured their Proprietary Red Blend in the Red Wine Club last year, and are now happy to share their Single Vineyard Napa Cabernet with our Reserve Club Members. A delicious wine that shows off the sheer ripening power of the Napa Valley sunshine, with juiciness, suppleness, velvetiness, and incredible drinkability in an elegantly structured style that only Napa Cab can do.
It’s rich, creamy and juicy, with dark chocolate, dark fruits, buttery rosemary, and well-integrated supple tannins that lead to a beautiful finish of caramel and the echoing of all that rich fruit. Pairs well with grilled meat, brisket, crusty French bread and brie, spicy pork chops, or a simple pasta of olive oil and garlic.
Taylor Morgan – February 2021
Bacchus & Venus Wines 