Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley
$105 (Wine Club Reorder Price: $95)
I’ll admit, some of you may already know of Krupp Brothers. They’ve been around for over 20 years and make a lot of different wines so they are a bit more “out there” than what we typically feature in your club. So you might be wondering “then why, Taylor?!” and I am here to tell you.
You’ve more than likely had a wine made from Stagecoach fruit, as it has a long history. 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, and choked with chaparral with 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, AJ Pearce Tempranillo, 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.
The Doctor is elegant with a lush, round palate, a swirl of the glass reveals deep black cherry, rose petal and star anise. The first sip is silky with notes of vanilla that give way to dark fruit and cinnamon before leading to a sumptuous caramel and white pepper finish. Pair with pork tenderloin in a plum reduction or Peking duck with hoisin sauce.
The blend is 64% Tempranillo, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and 6% Malbec.
Taylor Morgan – October 2021
Bacchus & Venus Wines 