Darms Lane Winery as the name indicates is located on Darms Lane in between Yountville and the city of Napa (just west of Highway 29). While perhaps not recognizing this name one may be familiar with Crichton Hall. What is now Darms Lane was previously Crichton Hall; Crichton Hall was founded in 1983. The winery was named after Richard and Judith Crichton; Richard was the winemaker.
What today is called the Bon Passe Vineyard was originally planted in the late 1970s and was once owned by Gil Nickel of Nickel and Nickel & Far Niente Wineries. For many years the vineyard was planted entirely to Chardonnay. In the early 2000s the vineyard needed to be replanted and up stepped one of the limited partners, Larry Bump who bought out the rest of the partners in early 2002 and became the sole owner. At this time the vineyard was replanted to several Bordeaux varieties including the majority to Cabernet Sauvignon (various clones). Today the vineyard is planted to Chardonnay, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
The vineyard became certified organic (CCOF) in 2023; the property has been part of Napa Valley’s Fish Friendly Farming since 2019. Wight Vineyard Management has overseen their vineyards since when it was Crichton Hall. Sheep are used in the spring to keep the cover crops ‘grazed’. Darms Lane began selling some of their grapes in 2006. They currently have a long standing relationship with Spottswoode who uses some of their grapes in their Lyndenhurst bottling.
This is very much a family owned and operated business. Today, Larry’s daughter Tricia is the General Manager and is who we originally met with. Prior to joining Darms Lane, Tricia like her father also graduated from Oklahoma State University; she earned her BS degree in Management Information Systems from Oklahoma State University in 1994; her previous career was as a computer programmer. And along with several other local parents, she co-founded Camp Super Fly, a non-profit for children with special needs. Her two sisters have previously been involved in the sales and marketing of the wines. And Tricia’s sister in law Janice oversees their wine club.
Larry’s background involved operating an international oil pipeline company (he was Chairman and CEO of Willbros from 1980 through 2002) and he also owned a cattle and horse ranch in Oklahoma. His initial investment in Crichton Hall was because of his interest in wine but little did he know that this initial investment would lead him more seriously into the wine business. From “pipes to wine” upon his retirement, this is certainly one of the more interesting transitions into Napa winery ownership.
Winemaker Brian Mox made all their vintages from 2003 through 2023. Brian was the first winemaker at Laird Family Estates, a busy custom crush facility located just north of the city of Napa. The Darms Lane wines are currently made at Laird Family Estates as there is no physical winery yet built at Darms Vineyard, although in 2018 the property was approved to build a small winery.
For several years after the replanting no wine was commercially produced from Crichton Hall and the name change officially came in 2008. The first vintage of Darms Lane was from 2005. Darms Lane continues to quietly produce premium wines year after year, staying well-under the radar.
Darms Lane Vineyard is nestled against the southern hills of the Mayacamas mountains right at the northern edge of the Oak Knoll District. This is an excellent vineyard neighborhood as several wineries and or winery owned vineyards are located nearby include Trefethen, Groth, Shifflet Estate and formerly Dr. Richard Peterson’s unique and treasured Wrotham Pinot Noir ‘diddly squat’ vineyard. And his former Christmas tree farm; we still very much treasure the memories of visiting his farm in the winter and ducking into his ‘holiday house’ to settle up and enjoy a holiday beverage while listening to his stories of decades in the wine industry.
The Darms Lane property encompasses 50 acres of which 14 are currently planted to a variety of Bordeaux red varieties. The vineyards include a nice mix of both benchland as well as hillside soils. This is the southern part of the Mayacamas mountains and its benchland soils start approximately in this area and extend all the way up to near St. Helena. These soils have formed during millions of years through erosion. As a result, the soils are composed of both gravel and loam and provide excellent drainage.
Select Wines
The focus of their production is on estate wines, specifically a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; however, they do make much smaller productions of a standalone estate Petit Verdot and a Cabernet Sauvignon from “Linda’s Vineyard”. As of our latest update to this review they also source from several vineyards not under their ownership including for their Pinot Noir (from the Russian River in neighboring Sonoma County) and some of their Chardonnay (from Oak Knoll).
Whites
The 2023 Darms Lane Chardonnay Oak Knoll District is medium gold in color; the bouquet is immediatley open knitted, offering a union of both tropical and orchard fruit influences. These scents include pineapple, passion fruit, honeycomb, apricots, yellow peaches, hazelnut, butterscotch and a layer of lemon meringue. It smells ripe, bright and fresh; for reference this was the first bottling of any Napa Valley 2023 Chardonnay we tasted. The palate sports an initial flinty/minerally character accompanied by flavors of yellow peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, papaya, popcorn butter and a lingering note of toasted oak. Its creamy texture is supple and as soft as running one’s hand through a thick cashmere sweater. The finish persists with notes of toasted almond and hazelnut. Medium acidity. There is no mistaking this as California Chardonnay. Compared to the 2022 bottling, this vintage is perhaps not quite as ripe. This wine was fermented in French oak barrels and then aged for 10 months sur-lie prior to bottling.
The 2022 Darms Lane Chardonnay Oak Knoll District was made from their own estate grapes as well as from one of the neighboring vineyards. This wine was fermented in French oak barrels and then aged sur-lie for 10 months prior to bottling. It is deep gold in color; the expressive bouquet offers aromas of honeycomb, ripe pineapple, papaya also at the peak of its ripeness, creme Brule, caramel, popcorn butter, corn tassel, mottled banana and a note of apricot. The aromas are not shy and are fully expressive of this variety and California sunshine. Easy drinking but generous, the palate reveals flavors of ripe orchard fruits including yellow peaches, apricots and nectarines, and mango accompanied by melting butter. The flavorful and sweetly-fruited finish lingers with notes of sweet vanilla, macadamia nut, and ripe pineapple. Serve chilled on a warm summer evening, relaxing by the pool with friends or family.
The 2018 Darms Lane Chardonnay was harvested from both their estate vineyard and select lots from one of their Oak Knoll neighbors, Trefethen Vineyards. In fact the first vineyard source for Chardonnay bottled under Darms Lane was from Trefethen, before Chardonnay was planted on the Darms Lane property. This wine was barrel fermented in French oak and then aged sur lie for 10 months. The bouquet immediately smells appealing. Initially it offers aromas of lemon meringue, citrus, mango & ripe Golden delicious apple. These scents lead to a sweet thread on the bouquet showing both floral and dessert spices including toasted vanilla, honeysuckle and citrus blossom. Also hints of popcorn butter but this does not overtly show. Rounded and creamy, the first sip shows mineralities. The finish is supple, rich and very long lasting – lingers with notes of butter, dessert spices and bright acidity. This is a nicely balanced offering.
Reds
The 2023 Darms Lane Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley Dutton Ranch (clone 777 and a small amount of Pommard) is pale to medium ruby in color; restrained, the bouquet needs time to open. Its red fruited smells are joined with some spice notes; with that said this wine is in no way earthy or ‘sweaty’. Its scents include dried rose petals, white pepper, dried herbs including dried sage, raspberry, strawberry and currant. Red fruited, bright and balanced, its flavors include cherry cola, raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb and cranberry. This is a savory expression of the variety. The finish lingers with both fruit and spice including tones of old cedar, white pepper and sage. The tannins are lightly gravelly and persist in tandem on the tart and bright finish. This wine was partially whole cluster fermented, cold soaked for a couple of days before inoculated. The inception for this wine is because Tricia’s father enjoys drinking Pinot Noir nightly.
The 2021 Darms Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Bon Passe Vineyard is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc (co-fermented). This wine is deep ruby, opaque with an inky dark color. It smells dark fruited and minerally with an initial aromatic hit that reminds us of a rusting iron, a ferrous quality that almost crosses into the territory of being sanguine. Additional scents include blackberry, boysenberry, dark plum and dark cherry. The palate is equally as dark fruited as the bouquet; its flavors include plum, cherry, blackberry, cassis, boysenberry and Persian mulberry. This is a big boy and still very youthful only 4 years post vintage; it is well-layered with a robust structure. The pixelated and chewy tannins out persist the fruit on the finish by far with a firmly gripping, dusty and drying character. The acidity is balanced. Pair with a well marbled Wagyu steak and a BBQ. This wine is clearly built for the long term with the proper cellar care and it overdelivers for the price. The grapes come from both valley floor and a rolling hill on the property.
The inaugural release of the Darms Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Linda’s Hillside was in 2007. After it was released, $25 from every bottle was donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. The vineyard and wine are named in honor of Tricia’s mother Linda who passed away from Ovarian Cancer.
The 2019 Darms Lane Linda’s Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal; this wine is deep ruby and opaque; the first aromatics we noted 6 years post vintage aren’t fruit driven. Rather they are of coffee grinds, mocha, dark cocoa powder, milk chocolate and espresso. Its fruit offers a ripe but not over ripe expression and includes dark cherry, blackberry and Pakistani dark mulberry. On the palate there flavors of blackberry, Satsuma plum, dark cherry, boysenberry, dark chocolate and roasted coffee. We love how the tannins feel at this age; they are well tumbled and rounded but show a noticeable dense character. They linger with a fully palate coating and chalky texture. Minerally. Earthy. The balanced acidity persists with a light red-fruited tart character on the finish. Both the textural grip and fruit persists in tandem on the extended finish. This wine was bottled aged for at least a year before release as consistently the aromatics are tight in their youth and need time in the bottle to open.
Fortune 1621
Bumps Pond, Plymouth
Based on the number of passengers and crew from previous ships and also the Mayflower and the Fortune, Edward was one of the early western settlers from Europe to live in the ‘new world’; for reference as of 2022, the current population of the U.S is 333.3 million.
And while the Mayflower ship is imprinted into the minds of every school child in the country, the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery ships arrived in Jamestown in 1607. The Mayflower had in fact had initially set sail with another ship, the Speedwell but the Speedwell leaked so badly its voyage was abandoned and the Mayflower sailed alone. And with a connection to wine, the Mayflower was previously used in the wine trade.
Several other ships including Anne and Little James arrived in 1623. While Edward’s last name was originally of French origins (translates into English as ‘good pass’) several spellings were used associated with his family and heirs including Bompasse, Bumpas, Bumpus, Bumpass and Bumpasse. This surname eventually transitioned into just Bump. Edouard married a woman named Hannah in 1631 and had 12 children together. He and Hannah are buried in the Old Winslow Burying Ground in Marshfield, MA. This cemetery was founded in approximately 1650; a meeting house with a thatched roof was originally built on the site in 1641.
Bumpas was born in England but most likely of French descent. He and Hannah died in 1693.
The exact location of their graves have been lost although several ancestry websites probably mistakenly list a plot of four stones arranged in a square as the site of the Bumpas family plot. See our photographs below. According to the Marshfield Historical Society Edward Bumpas at one time lived somewhere on what is now Colby Hewitt Lane in Marshfield. He owned around 20 acres from 1628 until about 1634 where he built a home and a smaller cottage. This elevated section of land offers excellent views overlooking the surrounding marsh lands.
A small body of water, named in his honor (Bump’s Pond) is located on private state owned property about 45 minutes driving south of the cemetery. Another site donated by a descendant Dr. Hermon Bumpus in 1946 to the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society, is now known as Bumpus Park. It is located on site of a former wharf and across from Dr. Bumpus’s former residence, the King Caesar House. The park is sometimes used by fisherman during appropriate tides.
Those interested in further reading about Marshfield and its early citizens including the Bumpas family can reference, Memorials of Marshfield by Marcia Abiah Thomas, Marshfield, a town of villages, 1640-1990 by Betty Magoun Krussell and Cynthia Hagar & Bates, History of Marshfield by Lysander Salmon Richards or if you can find it, The Story of the Bumpas Family compiled by Mootie Clemmons Cherry.
Additional reading about the pilgrims’ early arrivals is described in the book, Mourt’s Relation, written primarily by Edward Winslow between 1620 and 1621 and published in 1622.
The inception of the name of this brand was rooted in a private label project they produced for liquor stores. When it was discovered that the name of that brand was already being used, they pivoted to Fortune 1621, creating a brand for the wholesale market. The quantity of cases produced for Fortune 1621 varies each year, based on market demand.
The 2023 Fortune 1621 Chardonnay is medium gold in color; the aromatics show a refreshing restraint and is pleasing for what it doesn’t express. By this we mean its not oaky, buttery or over ripe. Its scents include appealing floral notes including citrus blossom, jasmine and honeysuckle, accompanied by apple skin, yellow nectarine, mandarin orange, peach blossom, lemon zest and as it evolves, it opens to a note of vanilla. And the palate is as balanced and bright as the bouquet with flavors of pineapple, apricot, golden delicious apples, nectarine, white peaches and a light finishing note of thyme. The mouth feel sports a supple, silky and rounded feel, supported nicely by its bright acidity. This is a crowd and food friendly Chardonnay showcasing the purity of the variety, as opposed to a much richer expression. Traditionally this wine is stainless tank steel fermented with no malolactic fermentation and if it sees oak, its always neutral. This wine incorporates a small amount of estate Chardonnay, blended with grapes from other vineyards. The inception for this wine came when their Japan importer asked them to produce a white wine to accompany the Fortune 1621 Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2023 Fortune 1621 Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. This wine is medium to deep ruby in color; if we were to describe a bouquet in terms of tones, these aromatics would be a tenor. Red fruited and bright, this wine smells like spicy plum skin, cherry, dark raspberry, boysenberry, currant and African violets with a light note of baking spices deeper in its profile. On the palate there are flavors of Santa Rosa plum, red cherry, currant, raspberry and not fully ripe boysenberry. Bright and juicy, this wine is anchored by its vibrant acidity. It finishes with a note of smoked cedar, dried sage, dried bay leaf, a dusty/earthy character and chalky moderately textured tannins sporting a long lasting dusty and drying sensation. Pair with a lighter cut of steak – perhaps a filet mignon. This wine clearly overdelivers for its price. It was aged for 18 months in 85% French oak (12% new) and 15% American oak (all new).
The 2022 Fortune 1621 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. This wine is deep ruby in color; the fruity and fun bouquet wastes no time in expressing its playful character. It offers scents of ripe Santa Rosa plum, blackberry preserves, dark cherry, dark raspberry, boysenberry jam, mulberry and dark licorice with notes of cinnamon stick, clove, vanilla and a light touch of toasted oak. Bright and juicy but also ripe, the palate delivers flavors of satsuma plum, blackberry, boysenberry and blueberry. The grainy tannins linger with a dark and savory character on the finish including crushed peppercorn. Its texture, including a drying character, outlasts the fruit on the finish. This wine clearly over delivers for the price point. And it is versatile enough, we could see pairing it with ravioli or steak on the BBQ. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged for 18 months in 85% French oak (15% new) and 15% new American oak barrels.
Bumpus Park, Duxbury MA
Old Winslow Burying Ground MA, site of Bumpas Family Plot
Colby Hewitt Lane, site of Bumpas Home, Marshfield MA
Plymouth Rock, MA
Marshfield Historical Society Museum
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In 2017 Darms Lane hired one of California’s most prominent and revered label designers, Chuck House to redesign their wine labels. In our humble opinion, Chuck House of Icon Design Group, along with Pate International, and Vanderbyl are the top three contemporary wine and design companies used by premium Napa Valley based winery and producers.
Darms Lane is currently distributed in Texas and Oklahoma (family connections) as well as parts of California. And internationally two of their primary markets at Japan and South Korea. One can find their wine locally sometimes at Bottega Restaurant in Yountville and Backroom Wines in downtown Napa. Current production is around 2,000 cases annually. They sell direct including some of their library wines. For more information or to join their wine club, visit their website at: www.darmslanewine.com
Darms Lane Vineyard
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