ADAMVS

ADAMVS was founded by Denise and Stephen Adams with the purchase of 76 acres on Howell Mountain in 2008. While this is their first Napa Valley winery under their ownership, Denise and Stephen (died in March 2024) were not new to the wine industry. They have long been attracted to France; they were married in the Dordogne and honeymooned in Saint-Emilion – and their vacations invariably revolved around French wine regions.

In 2003 they purchased an old chateau in Saint-Émilion (Château Fonplégade) that was badly in need of restoration at the time; it still showed damage from World War II. They renovated and revitalized the estate and today farm the vineyards biodynamically. And in 2007 they purchased the smaller Château L’Enclos in Pomerol.

Stephen was originally from Minnesota; he had degrees from Yale (1959) and was a graduate of the Stanford School of Business (1962) and was an accomplished businessman with a long career spanning decades. His business interests included advertising, publishing (Adams Publishing Group) and the outdoors, Adams Outdoors which includes Camping World and Good Sam Club among numerous other businesses. And he and Denise have been strong philanthropists of several universities. This includes a 100 million dollar donation to Yale University for the construction of the Adam’s Neurosciences Center at Yale New Haven Hospital; ground was broken on this center in 2022. In 2023, the Stephen and Denise Adams Center for Parkinson’s Disease Research was formed at Yale University.

Denise has degrees from Kent State University and Connecticut University. She taught art for several years and later founded her own design company. She has overseen both their Château Fonplégade property and ADAMVS.

Their Howell Mountain property is planted to 28 acres of vines (some more recently planted and the oldest vines 25+ years old). The majority of the entire vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon with tiny plantings of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Since their purchase they budded over two small separate blocks of Sauvignon Blanc. Harvest often runs up to six weeks based on the properties’ diversity in soil, elevation and microclimates.

There are five prominent soil types here – among them, a clay loam, silt loam, grey volcanic ash and the red iron-rich volcanic soils that parts of Howell Mountain are known for. Samples of four soil types are displayed within the tasting room and one can clearly see the dramatic differences based on color alone. The vineyard ranges in elevation from 1,600 to 2,000 feet. The vines are mostly dry farmed but can be watered if needed. And they are farmed organically and biodynamically (certified).

Sheep live on the property and are introduced into the vineyard at certain times of the year to graze on the cover crop. Bees and chickens are also raised on site.

Noted winemaker Philippe Melka began working with the Adams since their first vintage in 2010. He was a good fit for the Adams – based on his background in Bordeaux and consulting work in Napa Valley. His input was instrumental into the construction and wine making related details of their winery building (built to his specifications including feedback on desired tanks). Fermentation is conducted in small 4-ton open or closed top tanks with smaller lots fermented in barrel.

A very unique fermentation vessel used for the first time in 2015 at the winery is referred to as “La Perle”. This was designed by Franck Jugelmann, assistant winemaker at Château Fonplégade. This teardrop shaped oak barrel created in partnership with Tonnellerie Quintessence was built to mimic the shape of a concrete egg. Based on its shape and size, it is conducive for small lot fermentation, and one does not need to punch-down the cap as the wine ferments (the concave shape ensures a mixing of the cap with the fermenting juice similar to what occurs in the concrete “egg” tanks). These barrels were made in France and then shipped to the winery. To date, this is the only winery in the Napa Valley we have seen utilizing this creative fermentation vessel.

Property History
John Henry Goetsche and his wife Margaret purchased land here in 1898 and founded White Cottages Resort, open during the spring and summer months to guests. They settled here as due to his asthma, John was advised to leave San Francisco. During his time in San Francisco John was foreman of California Wire works, a company that helped build the cable car system in San Francisco. He was also the owner of a patent on a wire nail machine.

Major damage was caused by a fire in 1905 which started in one of the family cottages; in addition to the cottage, the bowling alley, barn, dance hall and library (containing a bible printed in 1639) were completely destroyed. An article in The St. Helena Star dated May 22, 1908 mentioned that guests continued to return to the resort every summer. The same article referenced that when at capacity, the resort could comfortably house 65 guests. Home cooked meals were the norm, served in the dining room overseen by Margaret. Seasonal fruit was used from their orchard, vegetables from the garden and chickens from the barnyard. Water from the property was piped throughout the buildings and cottages.

Part of the ranch was purchased in 1928 by Angwin pioneers Dick & Pearl Friesen; reference nearby Friesen Drive in Angwin. Both previously owned and operated the Dinuba Hospital in Dinuba, CA. According to Margaret Goetsche’s obituary in 1949, she sold the resort to the Friesen’s in 1932. The property became known as White Cottage Ranch or Friesen Ranch. In 1937 the Friesen’s purchased the neighboring Heald Ranch (previously owned by Heald Business School); this property was 1,800 acres. Other wineries in the area would have been located on the original footprint of their ranch which at its peak, totaled approximately 3,600 acres. The couple founded Angwin Water Company in the 1930s and operated this until 1968 providing water via wells and small reservoirs to the local community and even some of the water used by Pacific Union College. The ranch also grew Christmas trees; we’ve seen advertisements for their Christmas trees in local newspapers in the 1960s.

The ranch was sold by Pearl Friesen to an Oakland based development firm and then sold again in 1977 to a group of 16 local businessmen.

And this property was perhaps connected to some sad early California history. An article in The Weekly Calistogan dated January 6, 1939 references the discovery of three old rusty cannon balls on the ranch in 1938 This was first reported by the Press Democrat in Santa Rosa on December 31, 1938. They were identified by experts at the time as being connected to the Stone & Kelsey Massacre which occurred at Clearlake in 1849 followed by what was known as Bloody Island Massacre in May 1850.

The heads of two early ranching families in the region who brutally treated the local Pomo Indians were killed in late 1849 as retaliation by these Indians; in 1850 a calvary was sent from Benicia passing through Napa Valley and over Howell Mountain. They massacred up to several hundred of Indians in part using two cannons on an island in Clearlake that no longer exists due to surrounding human made changes. One of the survivors, Lucy Moore died in 1954 at age 109 or 110. According to this article, one of the cannons was sunk in Clearlake and the other one transported as far as Howell Mountain where it was eventually dismantled and abandoned. We have no idea if the cannon sunk in Clearlake has ever been found; the cannon balls discovered on Howell Mountain are supposedly housed at the Lake County Museum in Lakeport, CA.

Prior to the Adam’s purchase of this property, this was the home of White Cottage Ranch Winery owned by winemaker Dennis Johns. The location of the existing winery is on site of the former ranch headquarters.

Select Wines
Whites
Usually only sold on premise because of such limited production is their Sauvignon Blanc. The 2017 ADAMVS Sauvignon Blanc Howell Mountain is deep gold in color; for reference we tasted this wine 7 years post vintage. With age, the bouquet offers a honeyed character including aromas of honeycomb and honeysuckle along with mango, pineapple, passion fruit, apricot, creme Brule, fresh juice from Golden Delicious apple and an herbal nuance including lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf. The palate is rich and brightly lit with lively acidity. It reveals flavors of lemon zest, dried orange peel, ruby grapefruit, pomelo, brioche bread, honeycomb and a minerally character. The acidity has carried this wine and at this age, it still retains a zesty quality. It is nice to try a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc with some age on it for a change.

The 2012 ADAMVS Sauvignon Blanc was barrel aged for 15 months in 30% new French oak and then allowed to age in bottle for two years. It is a darker golden color in the glass. The bouquet is complex and evolves nicely as it is allowed to breath. It shows tropical nuances including honeysuckle, citrus blossom aromas and notes of melon (cantaloupe). As it opens further, it reveals hazelnut and toasted almond aromas. On the palate there is a richness of flavor nicely balanced by the wine’s noticeable weight. A spicy note shows with some mineralities (graphite) and a hint of lemon zest that lingers for quite some time. Perhaps the only regret one might harbor with this wine, is that they don’t make more of it.

Reds
The focus of the wine making is on three red wines: TÉRES, QUINTVS and ADAMVS. Their current releases tend to be a two or three years behind most wineries’ current releases as they prefer to age their wines up to two years in bottle before release. The labels feature a cross section of tree rings; each of the wines is distinguished based on a different color of one of the tree rings. All three wines are 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon.

TÉRES
TÉRES is their most produced wine – usually around 1000 cases; and the grapes used for this bottling are from the younger vines on the property

The 2019 ADAMVS TÉRES Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal and was aged for 22 months in 55% new French oak. This wine is deep ruby and opaque; the initial aromatic is of dark plum with a generosity of ripe fruit present here, including blackberry, boysenberry and mulberry. And the oak is complementary with notes of dark mocha. And espresso. Simply stated, this wine smells delicious. This wine tastes of darker fruits including blackberry, boysenberry, dark cherry and plum. The palate offers a plush entry with the finish built around loads of structure. The firm and grippy tannins linger with a drying character long after the fruit has dropped off on the extended finish. This is a serious wine from Howell Mountain offering plenty of girth and muscle and also age ability. We tasted this six years post vintage, and it is still extremely youthful. At this age, we would love to pair with some protein. Barbecue Wagyu beef, please.

The 2015 ADAMVS TÉRES Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5%, Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc. This wine is deep ruby in color; at 10 years post vintage, the aromatics are starting to show a light bottle bouquet. Its sweetly fruited scents are of dark raspberry, ripe Santa Rosa plum, baked blackberries, and dark cherry pie. Additional scents include baking spices of cinnamon, and clove. There is a noticeable softness across the palate at this age, with flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, Pakistani, Mulberry and boysenberry. The broad and mouth filling tannins linger with a grainy, gravelly and very dusty character. They feel dense, but certainly have become more polished over time. Bright and savory. This wine has plenty of life ahead of it still.

The 2011 ADAMVS TÉRES Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is an exercise in mountain-grown elegance, opening with an aromatic bouquet defined by layers of ripe blackberry and black currant. As the wine gradually breathes in the glass, it reveals an evolution; an initial hint of sweetness emerges before receding to make way for nuances of dark spice and a smoky nuance. On the palate, the wine demonstrates plenty of poise, weaving together a vibrant tapestry of both red and dark fruit flavors that speak to the complexity of the Howell Mountain terroir. This is an exceptionally balanced expression where the fruit is supported by a structural backbone of delicate, chalky tannins and a lingering mocha finish. The bright, integrated acidity ensures the wine remains fresh and energized from the first sip to the last.

QUINTVS
QUINTVS means five in Latin and this wine features barrel selections from each of the five different soil types on the property.

The 2019 ADAMVS QUINTVS Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal and was aged for 22 months 70% in new French oak. This wine is deep ruby and very opaque. The palate is dark fruited; its layers are generous with scents of blackberry, boysenberry, Satsuma plum and tar, dark cocoa powder, chocolate and espresso. This wine fills every crack and crevice on the palate, and is broadly coating, in terms of its depth of flavor and structure. Dark like the bouquet, there are flavors of black cherry, boysenberry, and blackberry with notes of dark chocolate, and darker baking spices. This is an intense and mountain expression of the variety. The chewy tannins are grainy, still gritty and dusty but are fairly integrated due to the intensity of the fruit at this age, 6 years post vintage.

The 2011 ADAMVS QUINTVS Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon presents a deep, concentrated dark ruby hue in the glass, immediately signaling his wine’s mountain intensity. The aromatics are powerful yet retain a sense of sophistication, unfolding with layers of spicy plum and brambly dark berries. This fruit-driven core is complicated by savory accents of white pepper and a fleeting, almost imperceptible whisper of wild sage that adds a refined herbal lift. On the palate, the wine is generous and expansive, delivering rich flavors of ripe blueberry that meld seamlessly with a rugged, stony minerality. The structural frame is defined by chewy, earthy tannins that provide a substantial grip, anchoring a long and flavor-packed finish that lingers with persistent dark fruit and spice. This is perhaps one of the more age worthy Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley from this particular vintage.

ADAMVS
ADAMVS is a special wine; it is the pinnacle of the estate’s wine making program; Philippe hand selects the best barrels each year which includes wine from the oldest vines on the property as well as from a special block. Only 100 cases of the 2011 vintage were produced.

The 2011 ADAMVS is deep ruby and opaque; the bouquet is elegant featuring both red and dark fruit framed by an earthy nuance, olive tapenade and hints of sweet, toasted cedar. The beautiful texture is immediately noticeable with its plush mouth feel; the palate offers a richness of flavor complemented by a softness of structure. Well integrated and slightly chalky tannins finish in harmony with the fruit. Its texture is a feature of this vintage. Right out of the gate, this is one of the more enjoyable Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon’s from 2011.

The innovative tasting room and wine library are the work of Kurt Melander, a San Francisco based architect (Melander Architects). This was his first winery project; his designs are creative, unique, inspirational and seamlessly blend both art and function into an intimate setting. Denise asked Kurt to initially walk the property to perhaps include some local natural elements into his designs. He discovered a cutting of a cypress log and ultimately incorporated that element into their tasting room which is simply called the “Cypress House”. This open glass tasting room is surrounded by a freestanding log wall built of cypress logs.

The adjoining wine library now sits on the footprint of what used to be an old wooden shed. Denise asked Kurt if he could restore the shed, but it was beyond repair, so he creatively came up with a design to honor the old building. He removed each piece of wood one by one and numbered them – and then lined them up to create imprints in concrete. Therefore, the new building reflects the exact physical imprint of the original wood in its entirety. The walls are 12-inch thick and house a tastefully decorated members tasting room and wine library. And with a nod to the beauty of the property – a sizable window overlooks the wooded slopes, and the roof retracts completely allowing for an open air tasting and a view onto the branches of the nearby oak trees.

The name ADAMVS (pronounced Adam-us) was chosen by Denise because in Latin it means ‘of this red Earth’ and they altered it slightly to read “borne from our red earth”. And based on their own last name it correlates both the human and terroir element of their particular property quite well.

Several products from the property complement the wine including a Cabernet Sauvignon jelly, fig jam, honey from their beehives and olive oil.

Visits are for active members of their mailing list and serious wine enthusiasts looking to enjoy and purchase premium hand-crafted wines in a very personalized private setting. The majority of their wine is sold directly with a small percentage (the TÉRES) going to select retail distribution in California, Florida, New York and Texas. For more information, and to join their mailing list, visit: www.adamvs.com

FRENCH PROPERTIES
Château Fonplégade
Restored after the Adam’s purchased this old property – this chateau is one of the more attractive properties in this part of Bordeaux – located only about a 5 minute drive from the picturesque old village of Saint-Émilion. In French Fonplégade means fountain of plenty, the name taken from a 13th century fountain which remarkably still exists on the property. Historically villagers would come to collect drinking water from this spring which flows out of the hillside.

The stately chateau on the property was built in 1852 by wine merchant Jean-Pierre Beylot and grapes have been planted on site since the late 1500s. At one point the property was owned by Duke of Morny and the Countess of Galard, (half-brother and half-sister of Napoleon III). Denise and Stephen purchased the property from the heirs of Armand Moueix in 2004 (the Moueix family had owned the estate since 1953 and several years prior to the sale to the Adams, Christian Moueix was involved in the winemaking). Included in the sale were all the old library wines. After the acquisition, Denise and Stephen began to search for old bottles to build a new library collection. Stephen was alerted to an auction in Belgium with a rare 1929 bottling of Château Fonplégade. He was able to purchase this bottle; today the oldest bottle of wine they have been able to obtain is from the 1922 vintage.

One of its towers burned during World War II (not due to military involvement, but rather a house fire). Stephanie decided to rebuild this – and even was able to use the same stone as was originally used in the rest of the chateau when it was first built. After the tower was fully restored – a change was made to their label beginning in 2015 – now showing both towers.

Stephen and Denise purchased the property in 2004 (incidentally they spent part of their honeymoon in Saint-Émilion) and spent significant effort in restoring the estate including the cellar, chateau and the vineyards. Their vineyard is 18.5 hectare planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and is planted on the southwest side of Saint-Émilion’s limestone plateau. Farmed organically since their purchase, they received their organic farming certification in 2013. And they are pioneers in this part of Bordeaux in regard to Biodynamic farming – having received their biodynamic certification in 2020.

During a visit after a particularly challenging Spring (based on several days of severe chill) frost danger was a timely topic. However, based on the exposure and elevation of the vineyard – much of their property is not in danger of spring frost. Standing on the upper reaches of their property one has exceptional vineyard and chateau views – looking down on the who’s who of Saint-Émilion including several chateaus with Napa Valley connections, Le Dôme (Jonathan Maltus, World’s End Wine), Château Canon (Chanel owned, St. Supery) and Chateau Le Châtelet (Fait-Main wines).

Starting around 2017, over several years, a slight shift was made in the cellar to reduce the new oak on the wines from about 90% to 50% and the use of clay amphoras was introduced (helping to accentuate the terroir aspects of the property). Fermentations are conducted using indigenous yeast. Their focus is on one wine (always Merlot dominated) although they do produce a second label called Fleur de Fonplégade.

The 2016 Château Fonplégade is medium to darker ruby; shows dark fruit, leather, plum, mushroom, dark olive and earth notes. Shows a slight savory quality as it continues to open including a hint of dried tobacco leaf. Offers a simultaneous depth of flavor yet an elegance from start to finish. One can truly taste the terroir – a dustiness especially on the finish. Offers a freshness of fruit and acidity on the finish anchored by refined tannins. One of the primary hallmarks of this wine is clearly its balance.

One harvest as the last of the grapes were coming into the winery, Denise decided to remove a few of the picking lugs filled with grapes. Employees were quickly concerned there was something wrong with the grapes but ultimately it was discovered that she was removing grapes to make grape jam. However, this was from one of their most choice blocks of Merlot on the property. For every harvest since then, a certain tiny section of a block is set aside for both home grape jam and grape juice.

Total production each year is a maximum of 4,000 cases. The wine is sold in both France through negociants and in the USA market. The wines are also allocated to private member clients – primarily to those in the USA.

Both Château Fonplégade and ADAMVS are featured in the wine documentary, Eastbound Westbound: A Winemaker’s Story from Bordeaux and California. This film released in 2022, closely examines the wine connections between Bordeaux and the United States. It earned recognition at the annual TASTE AWARDS in Hollywood.

Visits and tastings can be arranged by appointment. For more information, to join the mailing list or to schedule a visit, see www.fonplegade.com

Château L’Enclos