Cardinale Estate

Cardinale Estate is located on site of one of the older wineries in Oakville (Robert Pepi, founded 1981) and is located a short drive off of Highway 29 just north of Yountville. The hospitality center and winery are perched on top of a small natural hill. Robert L Pepi’s father, Robert A Pepi and his wife Aurora purchased a vineyard in Oakville in 1966 as a country retreat from their urban life and together parents and son founded Robert Pepi Winery; Tony Soter (Soter Vineyards) was their consulting winemaker in the early years. In the early 1990s John Engkelskirger was their winemaker and Celia Welch was the assistant winemaker for four years. The inaugural vintage of Robert Pepi was from 1981 and until 1990 grapes used in their wines were entirely estate grown. Wilson Daniels was their early exclusive sales and marketing firm.

In 1984 Robert Pepi Winery hosted a charity auction benefitting the construction of the Montessori School at its original location on Dowdell Lane in St. Helena (still operating, but on Oak Avenue). Robert Jr was winemaker and General Manager and along with his father ran Robert Pepi Winery for some 14 years, along the way earning accolades and excellent scores for a diversity of wines including primarily Sauvignon Blanc, along with Chardonnay, Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon and later Sangiovese. Robert Pepi was among the first to produce a stand alone Sangiovese in Napa Valley along with Atlas Peak Vineyards (now Antinori) and Villa Ragazzi. The Heitz family (Shypoke Cellars) had Sangiovese planted on their property in 1954 – but it has been since pulled out. At the height of Robert Pepi’s production they were producing around 30,000 cases annually.

The Pepi’s sold to Jackson Family Wines in 1994 and the name of the winery was changed to Cardinale. Wines bottled as Robert Pepi continued for several more vintages under Jackson ownership before the brand was discontinued. Later a brand PEPI was bottled at what is now the home of O’Neill Vintners & Distillers in Parlier, CA, but this brand seems to have been discontinued. Incidentally after selling this property and winery, for more than 20 years Robert operated his own boutique label called Eponymous.

The brand Cardinale far pre-dates the physical winery; it was founded by Jess Jackson with their first vintage from 1983. It was bottled as a label under Kendall-Jackson as a Meritage, California Red Table Wine. The vineyard sources, wine style and price point was completely different than contemporary Cardinale bottlings. The name Cardinale is from the original Cardinale vineyard near Lakeport (Lake County) at the original home of Kendall-Jackson before operations and hospitality moved to Sonoma County in 1996.

Cardinale winery underwent a major expansion and renovation in 1998 culminating in an impressive 65,000 square foot production facility. Winemaking in those days was overseen by Charles Thomas – who had previously spent 16 years on the winemaking team at Robert Mondavi Winery. Winemaker Chris Carpenter, synonymous with Cardinale started working here in 1998 and became head winemaker in 2001. Grape sources have changed over the decades; their Napa Valley sources have always been from exceptional vineyards including at times when Thomas was the winemaker, grapes from Vine Hill Ranch and the J.J. Cohn Vineyard (now Scarecrow).

Cardinale’s hospitality center is visible from the Highway 29; the stone building is classy and elegant with great views of Napa Valley especially from its north facing outdoor patio. While most wineries in Napa focus on a number of wines, it is the rare winery that puts all its effort into producing one great wine each year. Cardinale is one of these unique wineries that do so and produces a single Cabernet Sauvignon, with lesser amounts of Merlot in the blend, every vintage.

Each vintage is different and the Cardinale wine is a direct reflection of its particular vintage characteristics. However, each vintage regardless of vintage variation show intense flavors yet retains an element of elegance with often approachable structure and an inviting mouth feel (velvety at times).

The physical winery where Cardinale’s wines are made is located directly below the upstairs hospitality center. Another production facility located towards the back of the property is large by Napa standards and houses production for a select number of Jackson Family-owned wines. This particular facility also contains a sizable underground barrel room. When you reach the hospitality center and park look immediately down to the east; you will notice the roof of this cellar is entirely covered in grass. Living winery roofs are quite rare for Napa Valley wineries; others include Odette Estate and Brasswood Estate.

With such a diversity in vineyard sources, blending is a critical component of making the Cardinale wine each year and all the wine lots are kept separate before blending. Often winemaker Chris Carpenter starts with as many as 40 separate lots. The grapes are hand sorted and then typically fermented with indigenous yeasts. All oak used for aging is from France.

The vineyard sources for Cardinale’s wine utilize multiple sub-appellations including the nearby Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges. These mountains form the borders of Napa Valley running in a north/southerly direction. Their focus is on sourcing grapes from both hillsides and bench-land locations including from well-known appellations such as Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder. Jackson Family Wines owns nearly 500 planted vineyard acres in Napa Valley including the sources for Cardinale wines. In late 2023 it was announced that all of their Napa Valley vineyards are now certified organic (CCOF).

Visitors to the property will observe that the winery is surrounded by acres of grapes growing on the valley floor located at the base of the hill. However, none of this fruit is used in the Cardinale wine; rather all these grapes are sold to other wineries.

After fermentation, all wine is placed in 100% tightly grained new French oak for extensive aging. Their goal is to create big, yet refined and elegant vintages – wines that can be consumed now if you choose, but really come into their own with some aging. The wine is bottled unfiltered for maximum flavor and color with minimal fining. Typical production of this one wine varies, in recent years from about 2,000 to 4,000 cases annually. It is selectively distributed nationally, most often at fine dining establishments.

All visits are by appointment and include a tasting of a Sauvignon Blanc called Intrada to liven up your palate, sometimes followed by a La Jota W.S Keyes Merlot and two vintages of Cardinale including a current release and a library wine (often 10 years old). The wines are paired with selective small bites & cheeses prepared by their culinary team. One should note one of the most impressive photographs we have ever seen of a vine. It is a panoramic in the main room created by a time lapse of a single vine during all four seasons. Only two of these exist.

A guest room is setup with tables adjacent to the actual tasting counter; from here on a clear day, one has stellar views looking north and to the west. A telescope is also available for more intimate viewing afar. If the weather is nice, it is worth taking a few minutes to walk outside on their patio. One doesn’t need to be very high above the valley floor to enjoy panoramic vistas.

Select Wines
Cardinale
The 2022 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; ripe and sweetly fruited, this wine smells like cherry pie, boysenberry spread, blackberry, dark cherry, plum compote and several non fruited layers including old cedar box, dark chocolate and a hint of cocoa powder. On the palate this wine is built around ripe fruit and and overall present but soft textural profile, representing the warm vintage well. Still there is a vein of acidity that brings an overall lift and brightness to the palate. This is almost in a tug with the ripe fruit, a common characteristic we have noticed in well made wines from this vintage in Napa Valley. It tastes like dark cherry, boysenberry, Santa Rosa plum, blackberry and dark raspberry. Like the bouquet, the oak is a light influence on the palate – the fruit is the center of the conversation here. The tannins bring some character to the palate, broadly distributed, they linger with a persistent gravelly and dusty grip. This should be an age-worthy expression, representing the vintage well.

The 2016 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot. On color alone, this wine still seems to be more youthful than at 10 years post vintage. Its color is deep ruby and opaque; the nose shows some bottle maturation, but the aromatics are still very much primary and fresh. This wine smells like rose petals, dried sage, a hint of red chili spice, dried tobacco leaf, cocoa powder, old cedar box and a light hint of menthol as the wine breathes further. Its fruit is of red plums, boysenberry, blackberry, dark cherry and a red licorice. Extremely balanced at this age, this wine tastes more red fruited including of Santa Rosa plum, cherry, boysenberry, currant and blueberry along with finishing notes of dried herbs including sage and bay leaf. The acidity sits front and center on the palate, lending a lovely freshness, lift and overall brightness. This wine finishes with a well tumbled and broadly dispersed texture. The still very much present tannins linger with a light but persistent drying character. It was aged in 100% French oak (93% new) for twenty months.

The 2013 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. Remarkably, grapes from ten vineyards located throughout the hillsides of Napa Valley were used to make this wine. But not surprisingly, all of the Merlot came from the W.S. Keyes Vineyard. This wine immediately shows an elegant bouquet with scents of Asian spices, dust and toasted oak, complemented by darker fruit aromas. It is well layered aromatically but even more so on the palate. Dense and rich with flavor, mostly darker fruits including blackberry and plum, the wine carries both weight and depth without being overly heavy. It features both grape and oak tannins, grippy in nature and slightly chewy, providing plenty of structure on the long-lasting finish. There is clearly significant concentration here, but also enough balance to keep the wine from feeling too powerful. How many years will this age? Seems like it has all the elements to cellar for at least several decades!

The 2007 Cardinale was nearly 10 years old at the time of our tasting. This wine is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. It shows sweet aromatics which are somewhat floral; as it opens, a noticeable black fig aroma is revealed along with an herbal hint and a somewhat savory character. This bottling is very approachable on the entry, showing notes of red cherry on the palate along with a pleasing richness of fruit. Great acidity—mouthwatering so—provides plenty of freshness and keeps the wine lively and balanced. The tannins are noticeable but are well integrated into the wine’s overall texture and linger gently on the finish. Even at nearly a decade old at the time of our tasting, it seems this wine still has plenty of life ahead of it.

The 2002 Cardinale is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot from vineyards on Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain and Oakville (To Kalon). This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; its color has held up remarkably well 22 years post vintage at the time of our tasting. The bouquet reveals berry fruits including of blackberry, boysenberry, dark cherry and Pakistani mulberry with a note of honeycomb and leather, complemented by generous helpings of cocoa powder, mocha, espresso and milk chocolate. This wine is still expressing loads of primary aromas and flavors and is an ideal example of how well the Cardinale wines will age. The palate is darkly fruited including flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, black cherry and plum. The tannins are still grainy, are fully felt across the palate and linger with a moderate and drying grip and a subtle note of dried tobacco leaf. The finish is juicy and mouth watering. An exceptional bottling. Winemaker Carpenter told us that, despite comprising a small percentage of the blend, this wine has been carried by the To Kalon fruit for the past 2+ decades.

Intrada
In Italian, the name Intrada refers to the entrance of a selection of music – perfectly named for its role in leading up to the red wines. This wine was developed to be an introduction to the Cardinale wines. Chris often compares wine making to music; he enjoys music and occasionally plays the trombone.

The 2024 Intrada is 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Sémillon with the grapes from both the Cardinale Estate and the Longwood Vineyard on the site of Beaucanon Vineyard just north of the city of Napa. This wine is pale gold in color; the bouquet immediately smell floral with scents of honeysuckle, jasmine and citrus blossom. Additional notes include pineapple, pineapple guava, golden kiwi, white peach, honeydew melon and light hints of passion fruit and citrus. Not green. Not grassy. Not overtly tropical either. Rather, its aromatic expression is saddled somewhere in between. Balanced across the palate between flavor, texture and acidity, this wine tastes like pineapple guava, golden apples, comise pear, lychee and golden plums. Finishes bright and fresh with a lively vein of acidity that lifts the supple texture high on its back. This wine shows well at two years post vintage, but is built to age for a number of years more. Pair with spicy seafood, choose your favorite Thai recipe for this. Beautiful.

The 2015 Intrada is an 88% Sauvignon Blanc and 12% Sémillon blend sourced from valley floor vineyards. This is their ‘welcome wine’ as the staff puts it and is only available for purchase for on-site visitors. The 2015 vintage reveals an attractive bouquet—think springtime, elegant and floral, with a freshness to its aromatics. It sports a rounded feel on the palate accompanied by notes of minerality and flavors of green apple. This wine offers some noticeable weight on the mid-palate while retaining a pleasing freshness and balance. It lingers with a very flavorful finish, with both the fruit and its mineral character continuing to persist.

Other brands
La Jota
Merlot
The La Jota W.S. Keys Vineyard Merlot is from a vineyard on Howell Mountain (about 1,600 feet) that was originally planted in 1888. Even early on, the wines from this vineyard received acclaim – earning recognition in 1900 at the Paris Exposition. Chris calls this one of Napa’s (and beyond) best vineyard sites for this variety. And he gets to hand select grapes from the oldest and most prized block from the vineyard each year. It is fairly rare to taste a premium Merlot based wine in Napa Valley (and we have tried many Napa Merlots over the years); this is one of them.

The 2013 La Jota W.S. Keyes Vineyard Merlot is 76% Merlot with the balance being Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark ruby red in the glass. Shows plenty of black fruit aromatics including blackberry and black licorice, complemented by an herbal note—perhaps green tea leaf. It offers a bit of dustiness as it opens; this is a very aromatic and layered wine. Features a soft and rounded mid-palate with flavors of blackberry; the dustiness from the bouquet continues onto the palate, adding a pleasing earthy character. Noticeably robust, but still balanced tannins persist on a finish that lasts for some time, accompanied by lingering dark fruit.

Chardonnay
An extremely unusual planting for Howell Mountain is Chardonnay; this AVA is primarily known for its mountain grown red wines.

The 2020 La Jota Vineyard Co. W.S. Keyes Chardonnay (Howell Mountain) is deep gold in color; the bouquet is highly appealing and offers a diversity of aromatics including of white peach, nectarine, honeysuckle, jasmine and a hint of apricot and warm butter. The bouquet becomes a bit more sweetly fruited as it has time to open; it also shows some citrus scents including lemon and lime. The palate is mineral driven and features crisp acidity and flavors of mandarin and apple. A very subtle hint of vanilla lingers on the finish. This rare Napa Valley mountain grown Chardonnay is highly worth seeking out.

Jackson Family Wines
The remarkable success story of Jackson Family Wines began with Jess Jackson; San Francisco raised, he founded a law firm in the city in the 1950s focusing on real estate and land rights issues. Later, with his first wife Jane in 1974, he bought an old 80-acre pear and walnut orchard near Lakeport, Lake County. They converted this to Chardonnay and began selling the grapes to local wineries. Eventually the market for grapes softened and Jackson had more grapes than he could sell.

He decided to make Chardonnay – the fermentation on one of the lots ended up not fully completing leaving the resulting wine with a little bit of residual sugar. With the help of Napa Valley vintner, Ric Forman they created the first Chardonnay from a blend of multiple lots from various vineyard sources. The 1982 vintage was the first wine from Jackson Family Wines – called Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay. Priced reasonably, not to cheap and not too expensive, this was a premium made fruit-forward Chardonnay, soon made in large amounts with a flavor profile that appealed to many people.

With the popularity of the Chardonnay, Jackson began expanding to other parts of California and eventually outside of the state including international properties. The Kendall-Jackson Winery and tasting room is located in tiny Fulton, just north of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County. The company headquarters is located in Santa Rosa. Kendall was the maiden name of Jackson’s first wife.

In 2003 Jess became involved with professional horse racing including purchasing horses (some went on to stand-out careers) and establishing Stonestreet Farm (Stonestreet is Jackson’s middle name); this horse farm and racing stables is based just outside of the small town of Versailles in Kentucky. This is prime ‘horse’ country’ with numerous thoroughbred horse farms in the region. Stonestreet is also the name of their winery in Alexander Valley (not far from Field Stone Winery). And it should be no surprise that the horse stables are named after grape varieties.

In 2009 Jess was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame. He died in 2011; today his wife Barbara Banke oversees the every growing company and its operations. For reference, in addition to Cardinale, their Napa Valley owned wineries or brands are the following: Freemark Abbey, Galerie, La Jota Vineyard Co, Lokoya, Mt. Brave and the Spire Collection.

Stonestreet Farms, Kentucky

Cardinale’s wines have received very high ratings from The Wine Advocate and from Robert Parker before he retired.

Cardinale offers a variety of very personalized yet relaxed tasting experiences hosted in a formal setting. Advance reservations are a must. Each vintage of Cardinale is released once a year, every March. Members have access to a variety of fun events; for example some of the events have included renting out the French Laundry and visiting New Orleans for Jazzfest. For more information, to become an allocation list member of their mailing list or to schedule a tasting, visit: www.cardinale.com