Gallica

One of the best wine trips I have attended over the years was in 2007 when I was invited to the Master Napa Valley Programme in California soon after I was told that I had passed my Master of Wine. What could have been a very studious, head in the books note-taking trip instead turned into a much more celebratory, enjoyable, fully immersive, heads-up trip where I felt I could really soak up the knowledge and the wonderful wine atmosphere.

Over the years I have revelled in attending numerous superb alumni events in London hosted by Napa Valley Vintners. Finally in June 2022, we saw the return of a whole host of winemakers for the first time post pandemic. The tasting I attended was generously hosted by Pol Roger, who themselves won the superb “Lot 23” at the Premiere Napa Valley Auction.

Rosemary Cakebread presenting her wine Gallica.

The gathering was held at the superb London Michelin Star Restaurant Trinity and in attendance from Napa was Rosemary Cakebread, Diana Snowden-Seysses and Cathy Corison, three of the four doyenne responsible for the blended Premiere Napa Valley Auction Lot 23. Besides this rarity, we got to taste a selection of current releases from these top producers. Californian wine holds a special place in my affections and this was certainly a memorable return to London for the NVV.

Corison Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, St. Helena, Napa Valley, 13.8% Abv.

Fabulous dark and opaque, the aromatics are picante and spicy with notes of saline black currant, dried kelp, iodine, sandalwood, dried tobacco leaf and cedar spice. But for all it’s power packed in the glass, it’s also wonderfully elegant and textural with velvety tannins, creamy layers of cassis and hoisin plum sauce and vibrant nuances of tart black cherry. Persistent and focused, this is a beautiful wine from a near perfect vintage.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon Lis Ricos Vineyard 2017, Napa Valley, 13.2% Abv.

Dark broody aromatics with a distinct savoury, earthy note over layers of sweet black plum, plum sauce and stewed winter back berries that melts into black liquorice and sweet tobacco. The palate is plush and soft textured with a creamy, polished elegance, ripe tannins but also a glassy acidity that fames the wine before finishing with a graphite laden finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Gallica Cabernet Franc 2017, Oakville, Napa Valley, 14.2% Abv.

This elegant red shows a delicately savoury yet perfumed aromatics boasting red and black berry fruits and hints of exotic blueberry interwoven with nuances of sweet cedar, graphite and freshly tilled earth. The palate shows incredible finesse and vibrancy with sleek silky tannins, a delicious black fruited purity and a textural pinpoint focus. Very impressive.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Premiere Napa Valley Blend 2019 Lot 23 was purchased buy Pol Roger UK and is currently available in tiny quantities. All proceeds for the auction go to the Napa Valley Vintners’ sponsored charities.

One of my most fun days on my Napa Valley Masters Program trip back in 2007 was the viticulture day out in the vineyards with Bruce Cakebread. In March 2017, a most enjoyable afternoon of wine tasting, pizza making and eating was spent with Bruce in Napa Valley. Tonight, I completed the triangle with a most incredible tasting with Bruce’s wife, Rosemary Cakebread, winemaker of Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon based blends, Gallica, in Napa Valley.

Rosemary, previously the winemaker at Spottswoode Vineyard & Winery (1997 to 2006), established Gallica as recently as 2007 where her wines are already making their mark in the industry. Rosemary has earned a reputation for crafting consistent, elegant and restrained wine styles throughout her winemaking career and she describes her Gallica wines as “wonderfully expressive, balanced artisanal wines made from organic vineyards.”

Gallica Vintage Vertical ~ 2009 to 2014

Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, 14.4 Abv.

Oakville, Coombsville, St. Helena. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 81% new French Oak. Taught broody nose, mineral laden, brambly with plenty of herbal spice. Ripe earthy red currant fruit, sweet tannins and a creamy luscious mouthfeel. Fine, precise acids and an impressively mineral graphite finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, 14.4 Abv.

Oakville Organic Vineyard. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 19 months in 78% new French Oak. Lifted piercing perfume, purple blossoms, violets and a higher toned polished mahogany, black berry and pithy black cherry spice. Palate also reveals cool dark black berry fruits, creamy vanilla pod spice, liquorice stick and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon purity. Classy, picante style.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, 14.1 Abv

Oakville Organic Vineyard. 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 19 months in 70% new French Oak. Very pronounced dusty gravelly mineral nose with herbal spice, graphite and leafy characters from a fairly cool vintage. Texture is sleek, precise, and quite suave, elegantly textured but with more angular presence in the mouth. Pronounced acids shape a cool, taught palate that displays beautiful black cherry and bramble berry fruits, herbal spice and silky, dry tannins on the finish. Classy and classically elegant wine. Very nice.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, 14.5 Abv.

Oakville Organic Vineyard. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 20 months in French Oak. Taught deep dark rich broody wine with tension, dark spicy Cabernet cedar and herbal notes, dusty graphite, hedge row spice and pithy black current fruits. Fine sweet front palate, supple entry, lovely fleshy black pastille weight of fruit that is more opulent than the nose suggests. Such precision, pin point mineral tannins and delicious pithy graphite tension and power. Very impressive wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, 14.5 Abv.

Oakville Organic Vineyard. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 20 months in French Oak. Sweet sour red plum, wet tobacco, forest leaves and pronounced exotic red fruit notes. Quite dusty, granitic and mineral, with dark black picante fruit nuances developing. Palate texture is lush, plush, creamy, dreamy, with expansive sweet tannins, fleshy blueberry and cassis pastille fruit weight. A real turbo charged vintage in the best sense. Harmonious balance, this wine does not put a foot out of place. Hedonistic, opulent, but retains classical shape. A really impressive all round great wine from a fantastic benchmark vintage.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, 14.5 Abv.

Oakville Organic Vineyard. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 19 months in French Oak. Youthful, opulent exotic nose brimming with blue berry crumble, mulberries, cassis pastille fruits, vanilla bean spice, graphite and such delicious opulent aromatic lift. The palate is ultra opulent but also hugely concentrated and generous. Tannins are textural, grippy but sweet, acids ultra vibrant but then quietly melt away into the mouth watering blueberry fruit concentration. Young and precocious, the brûlée coffee bean espresso complexity really underlines the showy attractiveness of this wine. A definite crowd pleaser. Give it another year in bottle to assimilate the oak more seamlessly.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)