Progeny Winery was founded with the purchase of an old cattle ranch in early 2007 by husband and wife Betty and Paul Woolls. They were notified of the impending sale of the property by long time Napa vintner and Mt. Veeder proponent, Robert Craig. It was rare to have a piece of land on Mt. Veeder of this size come up for sale (230+ acres). The Wools own three neighboring parcels; the much larger of the three is 230+ acres and the smaller ones are all under 10 acres. Remarkably, the property had been under ownership by the same family since 1885. This land had never been planted to grapes and at the time of their purchase was open pastureland. After securing the necessary permits to plant (based on finding suitable water on the property), 32 acres of vines were planted in 2009/2010. They harvested the first grapes from the estate (Woolls Ranch) in 2012.
From the 1940s through the 1960s CHP patrolman Clarence Pieratt and his wife Edyth lived on the property. Pieratt graduated from Napa High and enrolled in the CHP in 1941 in Vallejo, spending much of his career either working in Napa or in the Bay Area. After nearly 30 years of service to the CHP, he retired in 1970. According to an article in the Napa Journal dated Thursday April, 28, 1932 Pieratt was a member of one of Napa Valley’s oldest families. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Will B. Pieratt were referred to in this article as prominent Napa County ranchers. Heirs of the Pieratt family still own a neighboring parcel.
The vineyard is planted to four of the five primary Bordeaux red varieties (only Petit Verdot is not planted here) and two lesser known Bordeaux varieties including Saint-Macaire and Carménère. And a number of fairly unique (for Napa) both red and white Rhône varieties including Counoise, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. No grapes are sourced for their wines from off property. The vineyard ranges in elevation from approximately 700 to 950 feet; this is the southern part of Mt. Veeder. The temperatures remain fairly moderate with noticeable cooling breezes often blowing through in the afternoons.
Betty O’Shaughnessy Woolls is originally from Minnesota where she worked in real estate investment and development in Minneapolis. She was also an owner and teacher at a cooking school in Minneapolis (Mrs. O’s Cooking School). She came to Napa Valley in 1990 and settled in Oakville. She founded O’Shaughnessy Winery on the slopes of Howell Mountain in 2003.
Paul traces his interest in wine back to Roswell, New Mexico, “not a wine capital of the world by any means”, as he told us. He was 15 years old and sampled a number of cheap wines but found they all tasted pretty much the same – sweet and with bubbles. Fast forward to the early 1980s when he was practicing law in Philadelphia; he met a collector, Robert Perna who Paul describes as “more interested in educating people about wine then making money”. Robert offered classes under the name L’ecole de Vins (The Wine School, in English). Paul took a number of these classes and quickly broadened his international wine education and palate.
The label for their wines is an image taken from an old California Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) tree estimated to be between 250 and 300 years old. It has stood the test of several centuries, growing on a small knoll overlooking the property. It is gnarled, there are even several large holes in the trunk, but it continues to thrive spreading its giant canopy over these rocky soils. And perhaps the tree also symbolizes the wines of Mt. Veeder. Wines from this region generally need a good amount of time to mature and truly show the character of the terroir.
This maturation ties in well with their wine making philosophy. Progeny does not follow the ‘normal’ cycle of wine releases, rather they hold their wines back several years; for example their Special Selection Reserve is remarkably released 6 years after the vintage date. These are wines that hold their core vitality and freshness, even after years in the bottle.
Select Wines
The focus is on four wines each year: Trinity Blanc (Rhône varietal white blend), a Trinity Rouge (Rhône varietal red blend), Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and a Special Selection Release (S.S.R) Cabernet Sauvignon. The first wine made under the Progeny label was from 2006.
Trinity Blanc
The Trinity Blanc has interesting beginnings. In 2012 50 cases were made; the decision was made to not release this commercially – preferring to release their red wines first which are the wines Mt. Veeder is certainly more known for. Paul began pouring this for friends; it wasn’t long before they started asking him if they could purchase a few bottles. While legally he could not sell them this wine, creatively he told them he would give them a bottle if they wrote a check for one of his favorite charities, Clinic OLE (now OLE Health). This went over well until it was suggested that $100 checks be the minimum donation, not the maximum. From this one vintage they have already donated over $10,000 to OLE Health. A percentage of gross profits for subsequent vintages are also donated to OLE Health. Progeny produces a very limited bottling of this wine each year.
In blind tastings against other white wines, older vintages of Trinity Blanc would hold up well against younger white wines from other producers.
The 2021 Progeny Mount Veeder Trinity Blanc is a blend of 40% Marsanne, 31% Roussanne, 23% Viognier and 6% Grenache Blanc. This wine was whole cluster pressed and then fermented in a combination of vessels including French oak, concrete, and stainless steel tanks. This wine is medium straw in color; the bouquet is an immediate attractive union of citrus and floral notes. This wine smells like honeysuckle, citrus blossom, star jasmine and honeycomb accompanied by nectarine, pineapple, guava and mandarin orange. As it opens it reveals a note of vanilla. On the palate, there are flavors of honeycomb, pear, pineapple guava, and a whisper of mandarin orange, on the finish. Balanced, bright and thoroughly refreshing. Its texture is lightly fleshy, but the weight is balanced nicely by its vivid acidity. Richly flavored. While the adjective balanced is often used to describe the character where flavor, acidity and texture are harmoniously intertwined, more rare is when it is used to describe aromatics. In white wines especially, a balanced bouquet to us is one that is not green or grassy and not overly tropical either. This wine is the definition of balance, both on the bouquet and the palate.
The 2016 Progeny Trinity Blanc is 35%, 30% Roussanne and 35% Viognier. This wine was fermented and aged for 12 months in a combination of both concrete, stainless steel and French oak barrels (a very limited number of new oak). For reference we tasted this wine 9 years post vintage. Its color is deep gold; at this age, the bouquet is remarkably fresh at this age. It smells balanced (not always an adjective we use to describe aromatics) and still bright with aromas of bruised apples, lychee, papaya, yellow peach, nectarine, kiwi and pineapple guava with additional layers of vanilla and honeysuckle as the wine evolves. On the palate there are flavors of honeydew melon, golden delicious apples, pineapple, apricot, pear and vanilla. Its mouth feel is lightly fleshy with a silky texture; its never perceived as being heavy as its lifted high by a bright acidity. And this wine doesn’t feel like it has reached its peak yet. It is superbly balanced and showing younger than its age would indicate. This wine does not go through malolactic fermentation; it stays on its gross lees for a short period.
The 2013 Progeny Trinity Blanc is an equal proportion 92% blend of Marsanne and Roussanne with the 8% remainder being Viognier. This wine was aged in both concrete and neutral oak. It underwent no malolactic fermentation and was aged sur lie. It is pale straw color in the glass; the bouquet shows nuances of hazelnut and cantaloupe with other melon aromas. Stone fruit flavors show on the palate including notes of peach. The wine has a nice balance of flavor, weight, and acidity – there is certainly some weight on the palate but it is not overly viscous. Lingering notes of almond. In our opinion, this wine should be able to able to age for a few years developing additional characteristics and complexities.
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2023 Progeny Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Reserve is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The bouquet smells simultaneously fresh, ripe and savory. It’s scents include Santa Rosa plum, dark cherry, dark raspberry, mulberry, and boysenberry. With additional layers of pipe tobacco, dried herbs, cloves and old cedar box. Already remarkably balanced, especially considering the both the power showcased early on from red wines from this vintage in Napa Valley and its hillside location, its flavors include dark raspberry, dark cherry Santa Rosa plum, boysenberry and mulberry. And there is a thread of barrel influenced spices including cinnamon and cardamom. We love the acid uplift here; it is bright, vivacious and lingers with a lively and tugging red fruited tartness. The tannins are grainy, gravelly and outlast the fruit on the finish with a drying character. Persists savory and layered with notes of smoked sage, dried bay leaf, and crushed pepper. A spicy finale.
The 2021 Progeny Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Reserve is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% St. Macaire and 1% Cabernet Franc. We love the rare occasion when we can use the adjectives, sophisticated, delicate and elegant to describe the bouquet on the bottling. This wine smells like dried rose petals, lilacs, lavender and red fruits including raspberry, strawberry, red cherries, old tobacco box and a light note of dried herbs. Smells fresh. Smells elegant. Smells compelling. The red fruited palate tastes like cherry, plum, currant and cranberry Finishes, red fruited and tart, juicy, savory and fresh. The dusty and tumbled tannins linger with a broadly coating chalky feel, persisting beyond the fruit on the finish. A balanced wine in its youth, will remain balanced throughout its life. And this wine is built to age with the proper cellar care.
The 2018 Progeny Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Reserve (100% varietal) is deep ruby and nearly opaque; sweetly fruited at seven years post vintage, this wine smells like dark raspberries, boysenberry jam, blackberries, Persian mulberry, lavender and dried sage. Balanced, bright and still very much youthful. The palate tastes more red fruited than dark. These flavors include cherry, boysenberry, cranberry and cocoa powder – this latter aromatic is most noticeable on the finish. This wine lingers with loads of energy, brightly lit from its acidity and accompanying red fruited tartness. The gravelly and lightly grainy tannins ultimately outpace the fruit on the finish at this age with their dusty character. This wine has years of life ahead of it with the proper care and by this we mean several decades. We would love to pair this with a lean but tender filet mignon steak, a BBQ and a gathering of friends on a warm summer evening. This wine was aged in French oak barrels for 32 months with an additional 36 months of bottle age before it was released.
The 2016 Progeny Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Reserveis 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec, 4% St. Macaire, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Carmenere. This wine was barrel aged in French oak barrels for 24 months and then racked into a large oak tank for another 12 months of aging followed by 36 more months of aging in bottle. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; at nine years post vintage the bouquet is still very much primary scented with aromas of Santa Rosa plum, boysenberry, dark raspberry, Persian mulberry, lavender, sweet tobacco and a light kiss of cedar. Be patient, its fruit becomes more expressive with time. Aging gracefully and dancing tango, with the flavor, acidity and texture perfectly paired in union with each other. This wine tastes like cherry pie, currant, cranberry, raspberry, red plums and not fully ripe boysenberry. The finish lingers with fully palate coating, well tumbled, dusty and dense chalky textured tannins. This wine is showing in a particularly sweet spot at this age. We would love to enjoy this with a well marbled tri-tip.
The 2014 Progeny Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Reserve is deep ruby in color; at 11 years post vintage the tertiary aromatics are coming through loud and clear. These sweet fruited scents include dried raspberries, dried blackberries, cherry pie, dark chocolate, mocha, espresso, and all-spice. Very much balanced and still singing a bright tune at this age, this wine tastes like red plums, red cherries, dark raspberries, currants, boysenberry and Persian mulberry with a finishing note of dark chocolate. The tannins are still appreciable. They broadly coat the palate with their gravelly and dusty character. Finishes still fresh, with a red fruited tartness supported by a lively vein of acidity. In terms of pairing, while tasting this wine we thought of a pork shoulder covered in a dry rub of assorted spices and a BBQ.
The 2012 Progeny Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Reserve was blended with 5% Malbec. This wine is dark ruby in the glass with some interesting aromas including sweet plum, graphite/pencil shavings along with raspberry and blackberry. There is a barely perceptible hint of dried herbs and cigar smoke. The palate shows more red fruit then darker fruit and features great acidity. This bottling features long-lasting broad-shouldered tannins.
The 2007 Progeny Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder Reserve is 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. It spent 28 months aging in French oak barrels prior to bottling. This wine is noticeably dark in the glass, and is generally by far the darkest of their three red wines produced each year. The bouquet reveals aromas of fig, brown chocolate, blackberry and a dried floral note deeper in the aromatics. Showcases darker fruit on the palate with lingering notes of baking spice including cloves. Robust tannins. Memorable tannins. Age-worthy. No question there.
Trinity Rouge
The 2015 Progeny Trinity Rouge is a blend of 40% Syrah, 38% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre and 10% Counoise. This wine is deep ruby in color; at ten years post vintage this wine smells savory and still fresh. Brambly, this wine offers aromas of raspberry, red cherries, boysenberry, Santa Rosa plum, and sage. Balanced and showing younger than its actual age, this wine is a union of both red and darker fruits including boysenberry, raspberry, red plums and dark currant. Still mostly primary on the palate, this wine has years of life ahead of it. The tannins are grainy and gravelly, felt more on the front of the palate than the back. They linger in tandem with the fruit on the finish.
The 2012 Progeny Trinity Rouge was the first vintage of this particular wine. This year, the blend was 50% Syrah, 48% Grenache and 2% Mourvèdre. The bouquet shows darker fruit with an almost meaty component from the Syrah; the Grenache contributes some pleasing fragrance including florals. As the wine opens lively and bright aromatics show including black berry and blackberry fruits. Also, dark chocolate and some oak spice on the bouquet. The tannins are fairly fine grained with some perceptible chalky notes; they are well integrated and their gentle presence lingers softly for some time.
Special Selection
The 2014 Progeny Special Selection Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal; this wine is deep ruby and opaque. At eleven years post vintage its holding on to its color nicely. The bouquet is a union of both brambly fruits and assorted spices; this wine smells like red chili spice, raspberry, red cherry, currant, tomato leaf, chalk and dried tobacco leaf. We would be hard pressed in a blind tasting to guess its age. It is vivacious in terms of its tug of acidity, layered in terms of flavor and superbly balanced. The fruit tastes fresh still, including of cherry, blackberry, boysenberry, plum and a kiss of dried tobacco leaf. The juicy and brightly lit finish lingers with dusty and fully palate coating tannins expressed in parallel with the fruit. This wine is always aged three years in barrel and three years in bottle. Balanced, but built for the long haul, even after all this time in bottle.
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A state-of-the-art winery was completed in time for the 2016 harvest; it is contemporary and sleek, making full use of concrete, steel and glass architecture. Along with a stand alone hospitality center, the production winery was designed by Juancarlos Fernandez of Signum Architecture. Recycled end posts from the vineyard were creatively used as both visual and supporting pieces in the roof of the hospitality center. In addition to this winery, Juancarlos has designed several other premium Napa Valley properties to date including Cade Estate, Brand Estate and Nine Suns Winery. Juancarlos rode his bicycle around the property during his early visit to the site – identifying a particular knoll to best capture the panoramic vistas of the rolling hills. That knoll is the location of the hospitality center, which opened in late Fall 2017.
The landscaping surrounding the winery and hospitality center is the work of Roche + Roche Landscape Architects. Their focus on the surrounding vegetation was on low-water usage plants.
Progeny is part of the Napa Valley based Mercury Wine Syndicate, an exclusive network of 27 primarily Napa Valley boutique wineries and producers. Membership is capped at 27 producers, with additional interested members added to a wait list. This syndicate is named in homage to Mercury the Roman god of communication and commerce. The name also refers to Napa County as in the latter half of the 1800s being a large producer of mercury, extracted from cinnabar ore from mines located primarily in Pope Valley and in the hills of the Vaca mountain range. The Mercury Wine Syndicate hosts member events and selected tastings both in Napa Valley and in other parts of the country.
The winery is about a 20 minute drive from downtown Napa. Visits are by appointment with several experiences offered including a library tasting, offering a tastes of older vintages of their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Most of their experiences include small bites chosen by their estate chef, paired with the wines.
The wine is primarily sold direct to consumer, although Progeny maintains a few select mostly restaurant placements around the country including at the French Laundry in Yountville, PRESS in St. Helena and in Wally’s in Beverly Hills.
The Wool’s have been significant contributors to the Queen of the Valley Hospital in the city of Napa.
Total annual production of all their wines is around 2,000 cases. For more information about this unique property and its exceptional wines, to schedule an appointment and or to join their mailing list, visit: www.progenywinery.com
Vineyards
Hospitality Center
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