Tusk Estates is a both a partnership and friendship between three individuals, Michael Uytengsu, Tim Martin and Philippe Melka. The focus of their production is entirely on Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from premium and primarily hillside vineyards in Napa Valley based on relationships that both Philippe and Tim have built. They produce two wines each year, the Tusk Cabernet Sauvignon and L’Orange; the first vintage of Tusk was in 2008 and L’Orange was in 2016. They launched the brand with the intent to sell to only customers who knew at least one of the partners. Combining the strong networks from all three partners, despite launching during a global recession, this model worked well. Today, demand far outpaces their still extremely limited production.
The Tusk property is composed of two parcels for a total of approximately 52 acres located in Oakville, perched on the eastern facing slopes of the Mayacamas mountains. And perched is the perfect word to describe the site; the property is referred to as Papa’s Perch in homage to Michael’s father. The views are expansive overlooking the valley floor to the east. And it is located in one of Napa Valley’s most exclusive vineyard neighborhoods with nearby wineries including Futo, BOND and Harlan Estate.
There is no winery on site, rather the Tusk wines are produced at Wheeler Farms just south of St. Helena. However, the property houses one of Napa Valley’s most exceptional wine caves; but rather than being used for wine making it is hosts a very limited number of private events.
The goal is not to grow production but continue to focus on producing extremely limited wines from the best of the best lots each year. Production of Tusk is only between 200 to 300 cases annually. To date, the only vintage not bottled and sold was in 2020 due to resulting smoke taint issues from the Glass Fire.
The Partners
Michael Uytengsu, Investor, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
Michael’s father Wilfredo Sr., (Wilfred) studied industrial engineering at Stanford University and graduated with his degree in 1950. He moved back to the Philippines after graduating and met his wife Bonnie who was working at the time at the American embassy in Manila.
In 1969, with his business partner George K. Young, founded Philippines based Alaska Milk Corporation as a partnership between General Milling Corporation and Dutch based Holland Canned Milk International. Their first products included an evaporated canned milk bottled as Alaska Milk in 1972.
The family was already connected to General Milling Corporation, a flour mill business in the Philippines. This company was founded by Tirso Uytengsu and George K Young Sr.,; Uytengsu’s family had settled in the Philippines in the 1870s from China. The company built their first flour mill in Cebu in 1959 and by 1961 the mill was commercially producing. The company is still in business with flour as the core of their operations, and is now being run by heirs of the two founders.
In the 1970s Alaska Milk Corporation created a series of ads including ones featuring his three children, Wilfred Jr., (Fred) Candace and Michael. Michael played a starring role in a cute TV commercial where he dominates NBA drafted and Philippine Basketball Association player Cisco Oliver in a one-on-one session on the court, then calls time out with the commercial cutting to Michael enjoying a glass of Alaska Milk. Michael was also featured in additional print ads for Alaska Milk and other products including Alaska Quick Cooking White Oaks and Daisy Milk. He was known as the, “Alaska boy” for his role in the various advertising campaigns.
Wilfred Jr., took over the operations of the company in 1998; his role continued as President and CEO until 2017 and he remains chairman of the company. Dutch based FrieslandCampina took over the vast majority ownership from the Uytengsu family in 2021. The company headquarters are in Makati, Philippine, within greater Manilla. Wilfred Sr., died in 2010.
Michael joined the family food business in 1993. His contributions were an integral part of the success of in a number of products including Granny Goose Potato Chips, Sunshine Biscuits (“Cheez-It” crackers), and Keebler Foods (the “Elves”). And more recently was involved with HK Anderson (pretzels) and Somersault Snacks.
And like his brother Wilfred Jr., Michael graduated from the University of Southern California (USC). The family has been extremely supportive of various educational institutions over the decades. With Michael’s support, an endowed scholarship at the USC Marshall School of Business was created. In 2013, both brothers won Entrepreneurs of the Year from the USC Marshall Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. Wilfred Jr., was captain of the USC swim team during part of his time at USC.
In 2012 Wilfred Jr., made a generous donation to renovate the existing swim center, now known as Uytengsu Aquatics Center. This swim center, featuring the Uytengsu outdoor pool opened in early 2014. Long prior to its renovation, the center was used during the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.
And Bonnie made a sizable gift to Stanford University in memory of her late husband; her support has been an integral part of funding for what is now called the Wilfred Uytengsu Sr. Teaching Center and the Uytengsu Teaching Lab. In addition, she has generously supported the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.
Michael is a member of Young President’s Organization (YPO); this an exceptional group of individuals, based on the interactions we have had with members of this organization over the years. With chapters domestically and internationally, YPO connects young business leaders who have become CEO or President of a significant company before age 45. And various members of this organization have been extremely supportive of Tusk.
And he serves on the Board of Directors for Festival Napa Valley, a nonprofit organization that brings international talent and emerging musicians to perform in the summer in Napa Valley at select venues including at wineries.
Tim Martin, Entrepreneur
Tim is a dreamer, a visionary, a serial entrepreneur and someone who enjoys meeting challenges head on. The first part of his career was in the restaurant and hospitality space. He traveled for work including to Napa Valley where he was bitten by the wine bug. He never left; his first wine job in Napa Valley was for Lail Vineyards where he was Vice President for 10 years followed by a stint as General Manager at Melka Estates. While at Lail, in 2005 he launched Gauge Branding with Chicago based creative Mark Wiegard; both are co-owners of the company. Over the years they have worked with a diverse client base, primarily Napa Valley based premium brands including Sire Estate, La Pelle, Spring Mountain Vineyards, Atelier Melka, Pangaea and Gamble Estates, among numerous others.
They offer a number of services for the wine industry including branding or re-branding, marketing, logo development, label design, packaging, website and social media. When recommending premium label design and related graphics companies we always mention Gauge Branding among a coveted list of the most premium wine label designers. Their labels are all distinctive, convey a message and are always eye catching; yes, that latter descriptor is a reference to the Melka Estates label.
Other projects he is involved with include Immortal Estate located in the Fountaingrove District AVA of neighboring Sonoma County and Carbon, a high-end hospitality and direct to consumer wine sales business. The clever name refers to wine professionals assuming the role of a ‘carbon copy’ of the owners, and being the face of the brand for hosting clients when the owners are unable to be there.
And Tim’s passion for Tusk is great; he even sports a tattoo of the Tusk logo courtesy of Jeff Gogue at the now closed 26 Swords Tattoo in Grant’s Pass, Oregon – who now works at Olinjär Studio, also in Grant’s Pass.
Winemaker, Philippe Melka
Philippe grew up in Bordeaux, earned his degree in Geology at the University of Bordeaux and later his master’s degree in Agronomy and Enology. His first wine position was at Château Haut Brion in Bordeaux. His first introduction to Napa Valley came in 1991 as an intern with Christian Moueix, proprietor of Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux and Dominus in Napa Valley. Philippe came to Dominus to study soils and then spent a few years as a traveling winemaker and ultimately settled in Napa Valley in 1994.
In what would become the start of a long and successful wine making career, his first two wine making / consulting jobs were in 1995 at Seavey Vineyards and at Lail Vineyards (both of whom he is still involved with today). He also began Atelier Melka in 1995, a wine consulting company specializing in creating limited production premium wines for a variety of well-regarded brands – mostly based in Napa Valley. Atelier in French means an artist’s studio or workroom (where specific skills are taught and passed down). But today he has plenty of help; Atelier Melka employs several talented, accomplished and highly respected winemakers.
100-point scores aside (of which Philippe has earned plenty) and along with numerous accolades, looking back on Philippe’s contributions to the valley one will realize the prominent part he has played in elevating the role of the consulting winemaker. He will forever be known as a master wine maker of Napa Valley’s most well-known variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, but he should also be recognized for his work championing and producing wines of the highest quality from varieties that he isn’t always known for – such as Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.
While continuously striving to learn more, arguably Philippe is currently at the height of his wine making influence in Napa Valley. His legacy will be known for raising the bar on wine making in the valley and therefore elevating the reputation of the region as a whole.
He is careful about who he works with, valuing both the relationships of the clients and premium vineyard sites. His father was a physician and Philippe remembers being impressed at a young age by the personal relationships his dad developed with his clients when making house calls. The relationships he maintains and the constant communication with clients is an extremely important part of his toolbox.
The list of Napa wineries that Philippe has worked with over the years reads like a who’s who list of the valley including Lithology, Brand, Bryant Family, Dana Estates, Lail, Hundred Acre and Roy Estate, among numerous others.
Select wines
The 2018 Tusk Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from vineyards primarily on Pritchard Hill and Oakville but also other sites in Napa Valley. This wine is deep ruby and opaque; The bouquet smells fresh, savory, and youthful. For reference, we tasted this seven years post vintage. It offers aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, cassis and Santa Rosa plum with additional layers of old cedar box, sandalwood, library book, violets and cocoa powder. As it evolves in the glass, the fruit ultimately outpaces these other aromas, and becomes the dominant character. It is still very much youthful, especially on the palate at this age. This vintage offers a richness but with a supple mouth feel. The tannins are highly polished and resolved. It’s fruit flavors include blackberry, dark cherry, boysenberry, and dark plum. This wine persists with a subtle drying and savory character, a note of tobacco and a gentle lightly grainy textural grip, perfectly in tandem with the fruit on the extended finish. Balanced acidity. This wine is showing in a sweet spot now, but we would like to try it again as it evolves over the next 5 to 15 years.
And Tusk also produces L’Orange each year as a companion wine to the Tusk flagship bottling. This is always a blend of Bordeaux red varieties, with the varietal percentages varying depending on the year. Like Tusk some of the grapes for this wine are from Pritchard Hill. The name “L’Orange” is French for ‘the orange’, the color scheme on the packing of this particular wine.
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Tusk supports several non-profit organizations and has also donated experiences for wine auctions including the annual WineaPAWlooza held in Napa Valley.
The wine is sold primarily through a wait list for access to an allocation list, however serious collectors needing bottles for their cellar can readily find bottles for sale from other sources. As of our latest update to this review the wait list to secure an allocation is generally between 7 and 10 years.
Locally, Vintner’s Collective always secures a small allocation which they sell through visits to their tasting room in downtown Napa. And a number of online retailers may have access to a limited number of Tusk bottlings including Grand Cru Liquid Assets, Benchmark Wine and Cult Wine. NapaWine.Ch brings a small quantity of bottles to Switzerland each year. And even sometimes bottles make an appearance on Ebay, although we would not necessarily trust their provenance.
For more information and to join the wait list, visit: www.tuskestates.com
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