The 2010 Syrah Black Bart Stagecoach Vineyard reveals plenty of site-specific character in its blackberries, olives, white pepper and flowers. The 2010 brings together the ripeness of a warm year and the bouquet of a cooler year. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. The Krupp brothers and winemaker Aaron Pott make rich, textured wines. The Krupps have sold fruit from their large, well-known Stagecoach vineyard for years, but have only been bottling since 2008. The most interesting wines are the Syrahs and Cabernets. The Black Bart Syrah is made from the lower parts of the family’s holdings in Stagecoach and is aged about 20 months in oak. The Krupp Brothers Syrah is made from the higher blocks on the Stagecoach hill, and sees 3 years in oak. It is a much smaller production wine than the Black Bart. The top of the line Cabernet Sauvignon M5 is a selection from a parcel planted with the Wiemar clone sourced from Chateau Latour. The 2009 Cabernets saw lengthy macerations lasting as much as 50 days, and were subsequently aged in French oak barrels, 70% new.Tel. (707) 226-2215

The 2009 Syrah Black Bart Stagecoach Vineyard emerges from the glass with expressive dark red fruit, licorice and spices. This is a relatively muscular, powerful vintage for the Black Bart that emphasizes rich fruit over varietal aromatics. The 2009 shows good density and power through to the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. The Krupp brothers and winemaker Aaron Pott make rich, textured wines. The Krupps have sold fruit from their large, well-known Stagecoach vineyard for years, but have only been bottling since 2008. The most interesting wines are the Syrahs and Cabernets. The Black Bart Syrah is made from the lower parts of the family’s holdings in Stagecoach and is aged about 20 months in oak. The Krupp Brothers Syrah is made from the higher blocks on the Stagecoach hill, and sees 3 years in oak. It is a much smaller production wine than the Black Bart. The top of the line Cabernet Sauvignon M5 is a selection from a parcel planted with the Wiemar clone sourced from Chateau Latour. The 2009 Cabernets saw lengthy macerations lasting as much as 50 days, and were subsequently aged in French oak barrels, 70% new.Tel. (707) 226-2215

The 2007 Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard Black Bart is a big, dense, chewy, meaty Syrah with abundant fruit as well as a boatload of tannin and earthiness. Northern Rhone-like in its structural profile, it should drink well for 7-10 years. Krupp Brothers is a winemaking entity from the enormous Stagecoach Vineyard (over 1,000 acres) in the eastern hillsides of Napa Valley. Much of the fruit is sold to other wineries, but after hiring consulting winemaker Aaron Pott, they began to estate bottle in 2008. The wines are attractively packaged in heavy bottles and appear to be taking on more finesse, especially the 2009s. The real stars of this portfolio appear to be the 2009s, a vintage when consultant Aaron Pott had full control.Tel. (707) 226-2215; Fax (707) 259-4512