AXR Napa Valley

AXR Napa Valley is a partnership between four individuals (referred to as the FAB 4) including winemaker Jean Hoefliger, Don Van Laeken, Kelly Trevethan and Mark Schratz. At first glance one might wonder why choose a name like AXR – based on the devastation phylloxera wreaks on this nonresistant rootstock. We certainly thought this when we first heard about AXR several years ago in a random Korean restaurant in Koreatown, Los Angeles from Allie Schratz, daughter of co-founder Mark Schratz. But if you dig a bit deeper and explore Jean’s own history working with grapes grown on AXR, the name makes perfect sense.

AXR (Aramond x Rupestris) rootstock was an integral component of growing grapes in California’s modern wine industry. It also ties into the fact that Jean is originally from Switzerland – connecting both his European and American ‘roots’ so to speak. Despite the financial hardship of having to replant a significant number of vines in the state as a result of Phylloxera, it was a chance for vintners to reset and re-evaluate best suited rootstocks, clonal selections and varietals for their particular terroir.

Jean has worked with grapes growing on AXR rootock including at Newton Vineyards where a portion of their vines were never affected by Phylloxera. Based on our own visits and knowledge, select hillside vineyard pockets in Napa currently contain vines on AXR – where for whatever reasons there is no Phylloxera in the soils.

Born and raised in Laussane Switzerland, Jean has worked at a number of wineries in Europe including Château Lynch-Bages in Bordeaux and further afield Meerlust Inc., in South Africa. The first winery he worked at was Clos de la Republique Fonjallaz Patrick on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva. Jean came to Napa Valley in 2001 specifically to become the winemaker at Newton Vineyards. He was the founding winemaker and General Manager at Alpha Omega Winery. In addition, he consults or makes wine for a number of mostly Napa Valley based clients.

When deciding which varieties to start producing wines from, AXR chose two varieties that Napa is most known for, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The ‘spices’ as Jean calls them are additional wines that have been added to their portfolio showcasing Napa’s diversity of terroir including both valley floor and hillside sites. These are single vineyard 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon wines from some of the valley’s most prestigious vineyards.

Clos de la Republique Fonjallaz Patrick

Jean truly appreciates how wine brings people together and fosters what perhaps has become somewhat lost in modern society – the art of interaction and conversation. And the emotion wine evokes in people. He laments the fact that technology is taking away from time spent with family especially during meals.

Just before we were about to taste the wine Jean informed us of something that no vintner has ever told us – his Chardonnay ‘sucks’. Actually, this statement was about as far from the truth as possible – and if you spend any amount of time with Jean you quickly realize his dry sense of humor is an integral part of his personality!

It is interesting to hear Jean’s perspective on alcohol levels and ageability. At the time of our first visit to AXR, he had returned from Italy the day before and spoke of tasting a number of older wines. Some of the best older vintages he recalled were from warm years in France with noticeably higher alcohol levels. But along with that came additional tannins. He strives to make wines that are approachable in their youth but will develop a balance as they age.

Select Wines
Whites
Sauvignon Blanc
The 2023 AXR Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is deep straw in color; the pungent and trending tropical, but while also retaining some of this varieties herbal characters, features a diverse set of aromas including pineapple, pear, apricot, pineapple guava, passion fruit, citrus blossom, star jasmine, and young kaffir lime leaf. Minerally, flavorful and superbly balanced, this wine is one of Napa Valley’s best price to quality bottlings of this variety. On the palate, there are flavors of pineapple, Gravenstein apple, lemon juice, mandarin orange, white peaches and white nectarines. Lingers with a zippy and dry finish. Mouthwatering and juicy, one swallow of this wine immediately invites another sip. We want the company of lightly seared prawns from Santa Rosa Seafood, a bottle of this and a riveting conversation from an equally riveting woman.

Chardonnay
If Jean only had one word to sum up his wine making it would be ‘balance’. He has witnessed how Chardonnay styles followed extremes based on various trends. In the 1980s Napa and California Chardonnays became very oaky and buttery driven wines while later the trend was towards more crisp, unoaked Chablis style wines of this variety. Jean’s goal with all his wines is balance but especially with so with Chardonnay.

Jean ferments his Chardonnay slowly in barrel (all French oak, 50% new) – the 2013 vintage took about 10 months to fully ferment. In 2001, Jean was perhaps one of the first winemakers in Napa Valley to ferment in barrels. He recalls starting with just three-barrel ferments; now he ferments over 1,000 barrels of wine each year. He tends to use indigenous yeast for his fermentation, including for this wine.

The 2023 AXR Chardonnay, Hudson Vineyard Carneros Napa Valley is medium gold in color; immediately open knitted this wine is aromatically well-endowed and smells simultaneously fresh and ripe. The bouquet offers scents of pineapple, honeycomb and loads of ripe orchard and tropical fruits. These include apricot, yellow peaches, nectarine, papaya and alphonso mango – and as the wine further evolves, additional layers of vanilla and butterscotch. And there is a citrus tang which keeps the bouquet lifted and bright, perhaps most closely that of a Meyer lemon. Juicy, lively and thoroughly refreshing, this wine sings soprano. Its flavors include apricot, yellow nectarine, mango, ripe pear, golden apples, pineapple and mandarin orange. The finish offers layers of persistent flavor with a similar citrus note as found on the bouquet. The mouth feel offers an oily and waxy character; its texture is silky and flows gently over the palate like running ones fingers over a thick cashmere sweater. This wine drinks well two years post vintage, but has all the flavor, texture and acidity to ensure it will age well, at least another 6-10 years. This wine was fermented in 100% oak barrels and then aged for 12 months in barrel of which 25% were new French oak barrels.

The 2013 AXR Chardonnay, Napa Valley is medium gold in color; the bouquet reveals aromas of pineapple, hints of caramel, honeysuckle and as it opens further the scents become sweeter in nature with aromas of honey along with tropical nuances. On the palate, it shows some nice weight and is lively in flavor and feel. There are additional notes of pineapple, ripe honeydew melon and apricot – with a light note of oak influence on the finish; its barrel aging provides a supporting influence not a dominating one. We would love to enjoy this bottling with lightly seared scallops. And the vines that produce the Chardonnay for their Russian River Ritchie vineyard designate wine, are all planted on AXR rootstock.

Reds
Grenache
The 2023 AXR Grenache, Los Carneros Sonoma County is pale purple/pink in color; the distinctive and fruity bouquet smells like red licorice, strawberry, raspberry, Rainer cherry (shoutout to one of our favorite mountains in the lower 48, and a summit we reached years ago) and cranberry. And undertones of dried herbs, garrigue-like, white pepper, pencil shavings and star anise. The aromatics are buoyed by bright florals including of rose petals and African violets. Juicy, crunchy and red fruited, the palate tastes like tart cherry, cranberry with a light bitterness often associated with these fruits, red currant, tart strawberry and underripe blackberry, a flavor that is still fresh in our mind after harvesting these fruits this weekend. The finish lingers brightly lit and tart with notes of dried herbs, tea leaf and a texture sporting lightly gravelly but fully palate coating tannins. This wine sports a savory streak. It is delightfully fresh with a pleasing listed ABV of only 11.9%. We will have to save this bottle to pair with Frenched Lamb Racks, raised in Australia but available at your local Costco.

Cabernet Sauvignon
As a small producer Jean spoke of how it was helpful to be nimble during the 2017 vintage. This was the year of the terrible fires in both Napa and Sonoma County and as soon as the fires began in early October Jean was able to coordinate vineyard picks at the last minute including harvesting their grapes and bringing them to the winery before the skies filled with smoke. Jean appreciates the 2017 vintage because the AXR the grapes were picked earlier because of the fires and as a result the wines generally have very good acid.

The 2017 AXR Sleeping Lady Cabernet Sauvignon. The bouquet is elegant showing blue fruit aromatics with notes of cedar plank and a floral nuance. This is a fun wine to keep smelling. Supple across the palate this wine is very approachable in its youth. For such a young bottling at the time of our tasting, the tannins are already quite well balanced. Smoothly polished they linger softly and are well integrated into the finish.

The 2017 AXR To Kalon Vineyard. This hefty bottling shows a perceptible sweetness of aroma including a diversity of fruit, dried cranberries along with darker cedar notes. It is somewhat brooding as the bouquet evolves in the glass. This wine also shows notes of blackberry, white pepper, brown chocolate and coffee grinds. It offers plenty of aromatic depth – just give it some time. The layers of flavor build across the palate until its crescendo featuring a dense framework of tightly gripping tannins along with vivid acidity. Their texture offers plenty of girth.

The 2017 AXR V Madrone Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon like all of Jean’s wines is very dark in color – inky shades of dark red. The fruit is the dominant characteristic on the bouquet – showing less influence of oak then several of the other single vineyard wines in the portfolio. Features dark fruit including blackberry and plum along with bittersweet chocolate, cloves and other darker spices. Somewhat savory and showcasing an intensity of aroma. An opulence of fruit shows across the palate, framed by young still tightly woven tannins which are slightly chewy on the finish.

The 2017 AXR Denali Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon offers both red and darker fruit aromatics with both a minerality and a floral note (violets). Dried tobacco leaf. Somewhat briary. Intensely flavored, it is complemented by a bright acidity anchoring the palate – a freshness if you will. This bottling shows more red fruit tones than darker fruits including flavors of red cherry, plum along with blueberry. It lingers, mouthwatering with firm, drying and dusty tannins anchoring a long finish.

Still without a proprietary name, the flagship wine is simply referred to as AXR Napa Valley; this wine is a blend of fruit built from an impressive collection of all of their single source vineyards. The 2017 AXR Napa Valley is dark ruby with plenty of riveting aromatics including tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, scorched earth, dust, black olive and blueberry. The power of this wine on the palate is in its intensity of fruit – it just keeps coming! Finishes with notes of cigar smoke, dustiness and gripping tannins. Broad shouldered and well-built for ageability.

The 2013 AXR Cabernet Sauvignon offers an elegant smoky aroma which is immediately intriguing. This wine shows hints of delicate cedar, cigar smoke along with a floral component. The palate shows both red and dark fruit flavors including red currant, darker cherry and blackberry. Beautifully balanced. It is lively on the palate with both fruit and dusty, earthy and somewhat dense tannins which persist on a long finish.

In 2022 AXR released the inaugural vintage of thvs, a 2019 two-barrel production of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. One has to be creative these days with wine brand names due to so many names already being trademarked. This wine is named using the first initial of each of the AXR founders last names: Kelly Trevethan, Jean Hoefliger, Don Van Laeken, and Mark Schratz. In homage to the redwood trees, and specifically the redwood circle growing on the AXR property, the founders used an imprint of redwood tree rings as the graphic for this label.

Swiss wines
In 2023 AXR released two wines that Jean produced from Swiss vineyards, a Doral and a Gamaret produced at Cave de la Côte Winery in Vaud, Switzerland. Jean’s cousin, Julien Hoefliger is the president of this winery. Cave de la Côte was founded in 1929 and currently works with growers who farm approximately 450 hectares. The winery owns and farms approximately 50 hectares of vineyards. Doral is native to Switzerland and is the resulting variety from a cross of Chasselas and Chardonnay in 1965 producing a very aromatic white wine. It is fairly resistant to diseases in the Swiss cooler climate and is flexible in the type of wines it produces ranging from sparkling to still to sweet wines. It only is planted in Switzerland and does well in limestone soils. Cave de la Côte produces about 90% of the entire production of this variety within Switzerland.

And Gamaret is a red variety also native to Switzerland resulting from a cross of Gamay and the German red grape, Reichensteiner in 1970. Sometimes Gamaret is referred to as the “Swiss Syrah”. The grapes for these wines were sourced from La Côte in the hills above the shores of Lake Geneva, about a 40 minute drive from Geneva.

The 2021 Cave de la Côte Gamaret is deep ruby in color; the bouquet shows a medium intensity with aromas of red cherry, cranberry, plum and an herbal note including pink peppercorn. The red fruited freshness of the bouquet is echoed on the palate with flavors of currant, cherry and cranberry. This wine is brightly lit from the entry through the mouth-watering finish. The tannins are grainy anchoring a savory, lightly astringent finish with a note of crushed black pepper. We immediately thought of pairing this wine with pizza or pasta. This particular vintage is clearly expressed in this wine it was a challenging year with rain and especially cold growing conditions.

In contrast to the 2021 vintage, 2020 was a warm and generally sunny year. The 2020 Cave de la Côte Gamaret Reserve is 100% varietal; it spent 16-20 months aging in both French and American oak barrels of which 20% were new barrels. This wine is medium ruby in color; the bouquet is red fruited with a note of dried herbs, white pepper and a light oak spice. This balanced bottling offers flavors of currant, cranberry, red cherry and red licorice vine. Its freshness and brightness is like an energetic young twirling dancer in a Degas painting. The finish is mouth watering accompanied by a light tart character and crushed black pepper. The tannins are light gravelly in texture and persist for quite some time.

The 2022 Cave de la Côte Doral Expression is medium golden in color; the bouquet offers a diversity of tropical notes along with honeysuckle, jasmine, peach, and nectarine. During warm years this variety produces wines which are more tropical in aromas and flavors. The palate offers bright acidity with flavors of apricot, yellow peach, lychee, red apple and a ligth citrus nuance. It finishes bright and refreshing with flavors of pear, apple and white peach. This wine was only exposed to stainless steel during its fermentation and aging (no oak was used). And it is a versatile wine for pairing with foods, especially with spicy Asian cuisine.

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History
On January 1, 2017, AXR purchased the V Madrone property located just north of Saint Helena. The purchase included both the already planted 3 1/2 acres of vineyards, the winery and the V Madrone label and existing inventory. Both the AXR wines and the V Madrone wines were initially produced here (most of the winemaking has since been moved off site), visitors to the property can taste wines from either brand although the focus of a visit is on the AXR wines.

The original and still existing home and cellar was built in 1883 by German immigrants August and Frederika Hersch; they operated their winery into the 1890s with a maximum capacity of 20,000 gallons. An article in the The St. Helena Star dated April 22, 1887 indicated the Hersch’s had up to 15 acres of grapevines planted to the east of the county road (now Highway 128). In 1895 the winery was purchased by A.L. Williams; he was involved in railroads and banking and served for three years in the late 1890s as president of Carver National Bank. According to a listing in the Napa County Reporter dated April 02, 1886, up until that year, Williams also owned 15 acres of vineyard land on Inglewood Avenue in partnership with an H.M. Meacham.

The main house operated as a speakeasy during part of prohibition and also as a brothel, operated by Madam Alexander – who officially advertised her services in the Napa Journal in the 1930s as a spiritualist and a palmist and stated in her regularly running ads, “If you want facts, not promises, call her for advice”. A successful luxury resort began in 1933, operated by Andrew Ames and his wife of Scotia (Humboldt County). Andrew’s sister Julia was also a partner in the establishment. This lodge was called “The Madrone’s” named after the plethora of Madrone trees scattered around the property. There are still Madrone trees growing on site – quite obvious because of their reddish bark.

The Madrones was a popular gathering spot for luncheons and card parties with the main house offering a glassed-in dining porch that could comfortably seat up to 50 people. Both American food and international cuisine was served including some Hungarian dishes, reflecting the owners heritage. Several personalities visited or stayed here over the years including in 1937, author of sea stories Richard Wetjen. And in 1940 the British and American actor Charles Laughton stayed here for two weeks while working on the film, They Knew What They Wanted.

The property is less than the 10-acre county minimum for building a winery with the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve. The only way to build a new winery on smaller sites such as these is to locate a pre-existing bond. However, that can be difficult and numerous small vineyard sites in Napa Valley have never been home to wineries. Fortunately, a dedicated local historian (John Kelly), uncovered a story on the front page of an old St. Helena Star newspaper, identifying the original winery on site. Prior owners Chris and Pauline Tilley acquired the property in 2001 and oversaw the planting of 3.5 acres of vineyard and construction of the winery. The primary building on the property is an old Victorian style house which served as headquarters for a lodge and restaurant; it is built on top of the original stonework for the old winery.

And in September/October 2020, part of the Glass Fire burned all the way down to the back of their property – in the hillsides just above the winery. This author along with other friends helped deliver two trucks filled with 8 totes of water to the property most of which was unloaded into their existing tanks and subsequently used by several firefighters including those from the San Jose Fire Department.

Boucler la Boucle
Boucler la Boucle (not to be confused with La Boucle, a Belgian belt brand) is an olive oil production company founded by Jean Hoefliger and his friend Erik. Boucler la Boucle translates from French into English as, ‘going full circle’. The olive trees for their olive oil are grown in Provence but sold in the U.S. Our bottle was delivered in person using an ‘Out of the Woods’ tote bag made from tree cellulose. This bag looks and feels a bit like leather, but it is washable, durable and sustainable.

The bouquet smells like a freshly mowed lawn, artichoke, eucalyptus, young pine branch and displays an herbal peppery character. The palate reveals flavors of matcha tea, fresh herbs, green apple and and lingers with notes of artichoke. There is no ‘green burn’ or heat on the finish. Texturally it presents a high level of oiliness. We enjoy carefully drizzling small amounts of this on freshly harvested Miner’s Lettuce from the banks of Salvador Creek near the city of Napa along with a few lemon drops from Regusci Winery grown lemons, freshly cracked black pepper and a tiny amount of red wine vinegar.

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Visits are not meant to be rushed as the focus is on the wines and good conversation; tastings take place inside the modern interior of the old lodge building or in the former winery barn towards the rear of the property. And the wines are paired with a locally legendary snack; delicious potato chips covered in some sort of finely grated cheese are served on parts of old barrel staves.

Visits also include a stop at the former winery towards the back of the property; the AXR wines are not made on property, rather are produced at another winery. Guests should take a few minutes to walk among the redwood ‘fairy circle’ located outside of the bar; this is a series of towering redwood trees growing a circle. Future plans call for drilling a wine cave in the hillside to the rear of the property.

Sometimes Jean is available to say stop by for a quick chat during the tastings. He is a whirl wind wealth of wine knowledge. Imposing at 6’6″, his wit and self-deprecating humor at times immediately puts one at ease and brightens the conversation at any tasting.

Futures of the very limited production vineyard designate Cabernet Sauvignon wines are sold prior to release. Futures are sold in three packs at pretty significant discounts below the normal per bottle price of current release wines. For more information or to join their mailing list or one of several wine clubs, or to schedule a tasting, please visit: www.axrnapavalley.com

Hospitality, Main House

Hospitality, Barn

V Madrone Estate Vineyard