The Stagecoach Vineyard is situated close to the top of Atlas Peak in southeast Napa Valley, the fact that you need to drive 6 miles from the closest main road to get there is likely one of the reasons nobody was crazy enough to develop it. Add in the half-million tons of rock that would need to be removed and sparse water supply for the vines when planted, not to mention the sizable capital investment and the two dozen easements that needed negotiating just to break ground and it becomes clear that anyone who would ever attempt it must know something not only about the opportunity but about themselves as well. The vision to create the Stagecoach Vineyard manifested in the mind of physician Jan Krupp in the mid 90’s and the property went in to development soon after that. There had been viticultural history in the Atlas Peak area going back to the earliest european settlers which diminished with the increased deer population and ended during prohibition in the early 20th century.

A former home winemaker, Krupp knew he wanted to create a special site in this place nobody else seemed to care about and he wasn’t going to give up easily - there were over 130 legal filings just to get the road built. Once that was done, joined by his brother, Bart, they began developing 100 acres of vineyard each year reaching the current 500 plus acres encompassing Stagecoach, Krupp Brothers, and Krupp Estate Vineyards. 

Winemaker Nigel Kinsman (left) joined the team at Krupp Brothers in October 2006 from Hay Shed Hill in Margaret River, Western Australia. Prior to that he was winemaker for boutique Chianti winery Tolaini, under the guiding hand of winemaking consultant, Michel Roland.

I was invited to come back up for a visit (I had been there about 8 years ago) to the vineyard that sells fruit to some of the most sought after wines in the country and arranged to meet and taste with Nigel. The first order of business was to grab some water and jump in his Chevy 4x4 for a tour of the vineyards. Stagecoach as a whole is huge; the property covers nearly two square miles, with about 45% of it developed into vineyards. Nigel showed me several spots that had been cleared and were being staked out and set up for irrigation as well as all the most important blocks of the wines we would eventually taste at the end of the day in the office; K Block Syrah, and M5 Block Cabernet Sauvignon, the source of outstanding Weimar clone. The panorama visible from above T Block (below), the highest point in the vineyard provided a jaw-dropping overview of the property, redolent in lush green and marked by patches of red where new pocket vineyards were being put in. Despite its expanse, Nigel stressed the philosophy that the nearly 170 vineyard blocks are managed distinctly separate and that in some cases the vines see workers going through in excess of 25 times a year maintaining the vines and fruit.

I was looking forward to sitting down (somewhere my kidneys were not getting thrashed as in Nigel’s Chevy, and he was driving exceptionally careful), so we returned to Nigel’s office where he had prepared barrel samples of 2008 and also had the lineup of currently released reds from Krupp Brothers.

2006 Krupp Brothers Black Bart’s Bounty Syrah, Napa Valley; DW 90

15.2% alcohol, 98% Syrah, 2% Viognier (added back), 1125 cases

Aromas: blueberry, sage, mocha and saturated cherry

Palate: pretty fruit on entry, develops more of a gravel-infused grip on the palate with saturated prune and blackberry

Impression: shows a fair amount of weight in the glass, with youthful tannins.

2006 Krupp Brothers Black Bart Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley; DW 90

15.6% alcohol, small amount of Viognier (co-fermented), 5% selected stems, 700 cases

Aromas: dusty berry, licorice and violet with a dusting of graphite

Palate: forward and ripe, the palate is still pretty tightly wound, reluctantly showing some traces of salty blue fruits coming in on the finish

Impression: attractive polish with solid structure

2006 Krupp Brothers The Doctor, Red Wine, Napa Valley; DW 94

14.8% alcohol, 37% Tempranillo, 28% Merlot, 21% Malbec, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 468 cases

Factoid: An homage to Jan Krupp, there is no truth to the rumor that a 30 ton rock with the profile of Jan was excavated from the vineyard.

Aromas: rich, polished herb-laced with deep mocha and violet, more black fruits emerge with air

Palate:beautiful polished violet and chocolate with nice underlying acidity and notes of mocha

Impression: good structure with excellent depth and polish

2005 Veraison Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley; DW 92+

15.6% alcohol, 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% each Petite Verdot, Merlot , Cabernet Franc, 1232 cases

Aromas: dense chocolate, herb and cherry with an overall savory edge

Palate: vibrant cherry, violet and black currant with firm acidity on the mid palate and intensely structured

Impression: powerful focus to structure, benefits from being open 24 hours, carries it off with just a bit of heat.

2005 Krupp Brothers Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley; DW 96

15.4% alcohol, 468 cases, 100% sourced from Block M5; a 5.93 acre vineyard planted to Weimar clone

Aromas: spectacular shaved chocolate, black cherry with incredible density and purity

Palate: boldly saturated fruit with a powerful wave of plushness layered with rich and complex structure of black cherry, currant, loamy blackberry finishing with some firm tannins.

Impression: The iron fist in the velvet glove, revisited - an exceptionally well made wine

I also tasted the following Stagecoach Vineyard barrel samples:

2008 Syrah Block K2(c), Clone 470; DW 93-95

3.5 acre block

concentrated espresso in the nose followed by rich shadings of toffee and polished, smooth dark fruits, tasting exceptionally at the moment

2008 Merlot Block D4, Clone 181/343; DW 92-94

3.26 acre block,

factoid:planted in one of the most rugged sites on the property, it required weeks of one day blasting, followed by six days of clearing

dense, attractive cherry and coffee aromas, quite rich and primary on the palate, lots of upside here

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Block M5, Weimar Clone; DW NR

5.93 acre block is the single source for the flagship Krupp Brothers Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

coffee, cherry and polished blackberry abound in the nose followed by a dense weightiness in the youthful palate. The wine is clearly too young to access, but I am excited to try it again in the spring of 2010.

 To order the wines, please visit the Krupp Brothers website