S by Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019

Nestled on the hillside of the Vaca Mountains in the southeastern corner of the Napa Valley, up a very long driveway, sits the Signorello Estate. Before the devastating 2017 fires, you would be able to see the trademark front of their winery building from the Silverado Trail - a stone façade covered with perfectly groomed ivy. Unfortunately, the winery, offices, and hospitality space all burned down on that dreadful night. From the ashes, however, proprietor Ray Signorello has vowed to rebuild the winery into a new modern, state-of-the-art building that will represent a nod to their history and a vision for their future.

Founded in 1977 by the father-son duo of Ray Sr. and Ray Jr., the Signorello Estate would spend the first few years exclusively operating as growers and selling their grapes to their neighbors. It was not until 1985 that they started producing the first wines under the Signorello Estate label. Their focus is to cultivate a more Old-World approach to winemaking - low yield production with a delicate approach in the winery and the barrel room. With this approach, they have established themselves as producing high-quality, food-friendly wines. However, two years after the fires' life-altering event, a new change occurred with the introduction of a new winemaking team consisting of Priyanka French as their winemaker, Steve Matthiasson as their viticulturist, and Celia Welch as the consulting winemaker. Priyanka came to Signorello from Dalla Valle Vineyards, where she worked alongside Andy Erickson to craft some of Oakville's finest and most sought-after wines. She is originally from Mumbai and holds a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. Steve has consulted for some of the top wineries in the valley, such as Dalla Valle Vineyards, Spottswoode Winery, Araujo, and many others. At the same time, Celia is the winemaker for Barbour, Rewa, Scarecrow, and her label Corra. This dynamic trio is cultivating the new generation of Signorello Estate wines and shaping the new direction of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.

With Priyanka at the helm of winemaking came a new wine and project - S by Signorello. Priyanka and Ray Jr. wanted to create an appreciation for the essence of Napa Valley by sourcing from vineyard sites that are farmed with the same ethos as their estate, and that would capture the characteristics of that vintage. The result? An unquestionably stunning Napa Valley Cabernet. When you've worked alongside the legendary Andy Erickson at the famed Dalla Valle Vineyards, there is an expectation of sorts on the wine you will be producing- and Priyanka surpasses those expectations. The 2019 S is the perfect example of Priyanka and Ray Jr.'s vision with this new project, especially in its introductory vintage. This complex wine is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot that greets you with black cherry, blackberry, graphite, and lavender before leading you to notes of licorice, cocoa powder, leather, and rose petals. The tannins are silky and juicy and help elongate the finish. Lush and bright, approachable in its youth yet will continue to evolve for years - what more could you want? If you haven’t heard of her before, let us be the first to inform you that Priyanka is most definitely a winemaker to follow.