The first Premiere Napa Valley tasting and auction was held in 1997 at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, to serve as a focal point for the members of Napa Valley Vintners to showcase their wines for restauranteurs and retailers from around the world and also to raise funds for the group marketing efforts throughout the year. In the twelve years since then the associated wine auction has grown in popularity among the trade and press to “A - list” status since the vintners create one of a kind wines only available here with total sales exceeding two million dollars in each of the last two years. I have attended virtually every year and inevitably a handful of blue chip collectables find spirited bidding for as few as five cases of wine. Perennial favorites like Shafer, Lewis and Rombauer are inevitably joined by hot first year participants like Blackbird, Hourglass, and Cliff Lede who keep the core of excellence building. 

Everyone realized this year’s auction would include bargains if you knew what you were looking for and that was clearly the case in what is shaping up to be an excellent vintage. I attended as a journalist this year for the first time and therefore was unable to bid so I spent the first 20 minutes of the auction racing around the empty tasting room trying desperately to stay ahead of the cleanup crew who was dumping the partially full decanters into a trash can for disposal. I’m happy to say I was able to get another 8 -10 notes written after most of the guests had moved upstairs.

Here is a partial list of the some of the top bargains:

2007 Dyer Cabernet Sauvignon $4500 for 5 cases

2007 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon $18000 for 20 cases

2007 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon $10000 for 5 cases

2007 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon $16000 for 5 cases

2007 Diamond Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon $6000 for 5 cases

2007 Lail Cabernet Sauvignon $6000 for 5 cases

2007 O’Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon $13000 for 5 cases

2007 V Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon $4000 for 5 cases

2007 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon $16000 for 5 cases

2007 Bressler Cabernet Sauvignon $7000 for 5 cases

2007 Meteor Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon $7000 for 5 cases

There were several bidding sequences that were notable though - just past the halfway point, an opening $12000 bid for 5 cases of 2007 David Arthur Cabernet Sauvignon Agatha 3 caused a big round of applause except there was inexplicably no raising bids thereafter - some bold move to capture one of my favorites of the day for the bargain price of $200 a bottle.

Soon though there were some very significant bids being hammered down over the next twenty lots: 

2007 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon $20000 for 5 cases

2007 Robert Foley / Switchback Ridge $19000 for 10 cases

Then came one of the most anticipated lots of the afternoon, 2007 Ovid Cabernet Sauvignon, made by Andy Erickson. This first year participant has already caused a buzz in the valley with their debut release of 2005. Bidding quickly went through the teens and scurried up to a very impressive hammer price of $42000 for 5 cases. Many people visibly raised a glass to toast what they expected was likely the zenith of the day. 

They were not even close…

A mere dozen lots later, another first year participant, Scarecrow’s Bret Lopez and Mimi Deblasio along with winemaker, Celia Welch (This blog’s Winemaker of the Year 2008) set a Premiere Napa Valley record for a first year wine of $80000 for 5 cases of 2007 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Toto’s Opium Dream. The image in this post of Scarecrow Proprietor, Mimi Deblasio, and Winemaker, Celia Welch, was taken moments afterwards. I don’t think either of them stopped smiling for a good half hour. Since their premiere release of 2003 Scarecrow received 98 points from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, it has become one of the most desirable producers available.  

Congratulations to all the participants for making this a memorable tasting in a what should be a year of continued opportunity.