"Pinot Noir is something winemaker Anthony Nappa makes only in rare vintages," wrote Anna Lee C. Iijima in Wine Enthsuiast in 2017. "This intensely earthy expression offers slightly muted tones of red currant and cranberry accented by dusty minerals, cedar and dried oregano. It's a sharp slightly peppery wine with firm persistent tannins on the finish." Anthony is a well seasoned winemaker. Founded in 2007, Nappa Wines has been a darling of wine writers ever since. He is also the winemaker at Raphael Vineyards. He also worked at Shinn Estate before that.
I first tasted the wine back in 2021 at Wine Maker's Studio with Anthony's wife Sharah Evans Nappa, a star chef in her own right. The wine delivered in all possible ways.
Cut to the Super Bowl, where I visited Stephen and Lilly Casscles at their vineyard in Athens, NY. We opened the bottle in 2025, 10 year old vintage, so it was a bit of a stretch for an east coast Pinot Noir. Or so we tought. But that was not the case. Up front, the wine was very cherry and fruit forward, with notes of vanilla and flowers, and a hint of blueberries. The first sip was telling. That fruit statement, came right through. And the flavor of the fruit lingered and lingered across the palate long after it had been swallowed.
This wine was supple, soft, approachable, and absolutely deliscious. Opening this bottle was perfectly timed. The wine is at it's peak right now. One of the subtlest and best Pinot noirs on the east coast. Fantastic! Congrats Anthony and Sarah
