Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley
$78 (Wine Club Reorder Price: $69)
You’ve more than likely had a wine made from Stagecoach fruit, as it has a long history. Back in the 90’s Jan Krupp and his brother Bart Krupp fell in love with the rugged mountain site that would become one of Napa’s most iconic vineyards. Despite its harsh desert landscape – riddled with rocks and boulders, choked with chaparral, no known water source and no road access – they saw the makings of a world-class vineyard. People thought they were crazy to think they could grow grapes there, and maybe they were a little crazy since they hired a water witch, had to remove more than 1 million tons of rock, and needed 135 legal documents for the construction of their long snaking road. Nonetheless, Stagecoach was born and is the largest contiguous vineyard in Napa, providing fruit for some of the area’s finest wineries.
I highly recommend you drink this side by side with your other club wine, Krupp Brothers “The Doctor”, as they are both from the same vineyard and are both made with Tempranillo. While AJ Pearce is 100% Tempranillo and the Krupp Brothers is a blend of mainly Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, I just couldn’t think of a better way to really get to know the Stagecoach vineyard than sharing both of these wines together.
AJ Pearce is a boutique winery led by Andrew Renda and Jarred Pearce. Andy is a Boston boy who left his restaurant life to head west to Napa for wine country living. He quickly climbed the ladder and became Director of Sales for Vintners Collective which is where he met Jarred, who has worked for some of Napa’s top winemakers including Heidi Barrett and Philippe Melka.
This is a special bottle – the only 100% Tempranillo wine from Stagecoach vineyard. It’s a classic varietal made in classic style, aged in French oak for 3.5 years, and inspired by Vega Sicilia. Look for flavors like red cherry, dried fig, tobacco, and oak.
Taylor Morgan – October 2021
Bacchus & Venus Wines 