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According to Parker, “wine from this hillside vineyard near Napa’s Pritchard Hill has already become mythical. This is a wine of world-class quality, and is certainly as complete and potentially complex as any first-growth Bordeaux. It is not too much to suggest that in the future, Bryant’s Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon might well be one of the wines that redefines greatness in Cabernet Sauvignon.”
However, not every year was a smooth sail for this legendary vineyard. In the early 2000s, the winery experienced turmoil beginning with Helen Turley’s well publicized lawsuit against Donald Bryant over her firing. In the years that followed, the vineyard saw many winemakers come through – first Philippe Melka, then Mark Aubert (2007-2009), Ross Wallace (2010), Helen Keplinger (2011), and Todd Alexander (2012 -2013). Since 2013, Marc Gagnon, formerly of another cult icon - Screaming Eagle, has been the winemaker.
Despite the troubles, Bryant Family Vineyard, located at the northern end of Pirtchard Hill is one of the greatest sites that Napa Valley has to offer. With west-facing slope perfectly positioned to capture the prevailing cool lake breezes, while also providing protection form drying canyon winds. The unique combination of rocky Sobrante soil, sunlight, cool breezes, soil depth, and meticulous farming yields wine of exceptional quality year after year.
Stylistically, to borrow James Suckling’s words, the Bryant Family Vineyard wines are aromatic and vivid with blackberries, fresh mushrooms, blackcurrants, and flowers. Full-bodied, firm, and very silky. They are reminiscent of the great Napa reds of the 1950s and 1960s and will age well