As wines from around the world are using the ‘Place de Bordeaux’ to reach an international audience, it was a good time to for me to go and look at how some Bordelais have reached out across the world, or at least the Atlantic.

‘Bordeaux blends’ are found in most major red wine producing regions including the West coast of the US. But there are closer links between America and Bordeaux than just a name. On my recent  trip to California, I visited some of  the more recent investments that cross the Bordeaux California divide as well as some established favourites. 

There’s nothing new about links between Napa and Bordeaux, but recent investments show very different motivations and philosophies behind these international expansions.

The most famous partnership between the two regions is Opus One, a partnership between Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. Baron Nathaniel Rothschild bought Chateau Brane Mouton (later Mouton Rothschild) in 1853. In 1979, his great grandson Philippe went into partnership with Robert Mondavi to create Opus One, the first Franco-Californian wine. Baroness Philippine inaugurated the winery in 1991. Opus is still a 50/50 partnership but now with Constellation Brands who purchased Mondavi in 2004.

In 1981, Christian Moueix, from Bordeaux’s right bank, discovered Napa and, in 1983, began producing Dominus from the historic Napanook vineyard in Yountville. In 1997 he commissioned Herzog & de Meuron to build the impressive winery here. This year, they came full circle completing the new winery for Château Bélair-Monange, Premier Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Émilion.  In 2008, he added a 40-acre vineyard in Oakville from which he launched Ulysses in 2012

Truly transatlantic 

It’s not only about ownership, it’s also about transferrable skills. Bordelais Philippe Bascaules, has been making wonderfully elegant wines at Inglenook for a while. He started here as General manager in 2011, leaving his job as estate manager of Château Margaux, a property he joined in 1990. Since the death of Paul Pontallier in 2016, he shares his time between these two prestigious estates as managing director of Château Margaux and director of winemaking at Inglenook.

On a previous trip I visited  The Eisele vineyard that Chateau Latour owners, Groupe Artemis, bought from the Araujo family in 2013, adding another name to their wine portfolio, which includes Château Grillet in the Rhone and Domaine d’Eugenie in Burgundy. Chanel Inc. (owners of Château Rauzan Segla, Château Canon and Château Berliquet in Bordeaux) acquired Saint Supery in Rutherford in 2015, already in French hands of the French Skalli family since the 1980s.

A two way highway.  

Investment isn’t only in one direction. In 2004, Denise and Stephen Adams bought Château Fonplégade in Saint Emilion, restoring it back to its former glory – and then some. Stephen Adam purchased his first California vineyard in 1995 and later, in 2008, the property on Howell Mountain that would become ADAMVS. The first thing guests are offered when they visit Château Fonplégade is a glass of white wine from California.

Towards the end of 2022, Lawrence Wine Estates from Napa, owner of Heitz Cellar (since 2018), Burgess Cellars (2020) and Stony Hill (2021) bought Margaux Grand Cru Classée Château Lascombes. It’s not the first time this Margaux property has been in American hands. US-based Colony Capital owned the property from 2007 until 2011. Château Haut-Bailly has been in the hands of the Franco-American Wilmers family since 1998 and of course the Dillon family have been at Château Haut Brion since 1935.

From the flat lands of the Médoc to the mountains of Napa 

Axa’s Outpost 

It’s pretty clear, once you arrive at Outpost, where the estate gets its name – it takes some getting to. The vines sit 18-2200 ft above sea level, benefitting from a relatively cool but sunny micro climate of Howell mountain. The Howell mountain AVA covers 1000 acres of volcanic and red soils, with amazing views down the steep, south facing slopes once the sun burns away the mist. 

Axa Millésimes, owners of Pauillac properties Châteaux Pichon Baron, Pibran, and Suduiraut in Sauternes, acquired Outpost in 2018. They bought more land in 2020 that, once replanted, will bring the property to 28 acres. 

Howell mountain is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, perhaps the initial attraction for Axa with their Pauillac expertise. Unlike their Bordeaux blends, Outpost specialises in single varietal wines of Cabernet Sauvignon, some Zinfandel (an historical planting in the region), Petite Sirah and Grenache, under the guidance of consultant winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, with them from the start. Not turning their back on Bordeaux completely they also make a blend, Outpost True Vineyard Immigrant, where, whenever possible, they co-ferment the varieties together. 

We arrived with the chilly morning mist to a warm welcome from Bryan and Joy Timonere in their cosy tasting room. The husband and wife team shared their sense of excitement and enthusiasm for what is still a new venture. I say we, because I was with Jennifer Higgins, Director and winemaker at Lambert Bridge Winery in Dry Creek, Sonoma. Top tip, when you’re visiting vineyards, take a wine maker with you – the conversation gets super geeky. I learnt so much, including how tight the ties are between wine makers in the region and how much information they freely share. 

It hasn’t been plain sailing for Outpost. Thanks to the wildfires, they saw no production in 2020, as for many wine makers in the region. Their remote location meant no access to either pick nor to ferment the grapes. This was even more disappointing given the 100 point score for their 2019 Outpost True Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The Timoneres talk of lessons learned and friendships made in adversity. Things looked up again in 2021, it was their fourth great vintage producing nearly 4000 bottles. 

The property offers two direct releases a year to their US mailing list. The True Collection of the Cabernet Varietal and Immigrant Bordeaux blend are sourced from the 8ha heart of the original vineyard. They are complimented by the Outpost Estate varietals of  Cabernet, Zinfandel, Petit Syrah and Grenache.

Stunning wines from a stunning location. 

Pym Rae

Mount Veeder AVA is across to the west of the Napa Valley on the east facing slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain Range. Mountains that separate the Napa and the Sonoma Valleys.

In 2016, it was here the Tesseron family of another Pauillac icon,  Château Pontet Canet, purchased The Pym Rae vineyard, the estate of late actor Robin Williams.

When they decided to invest in California, the Tesserons had a clear vision of what they were looking for and they didn’t choose the easiest option. Pym Rae is remote, steep and spectacular. The vineyard is in glorious isolation, with views of rolling hills across the valley to Sugar Loaf. It will remain so, the only visitors Estate Manager, Jérôme Ledit receives for the moment are the bob cats and bears that pop up on surveillance cameras. 

The 600 ha property has just 29 ha of vines amid the glorious woods and fields of the mountain slopes. The 30 year old, (planted in 90-93) vines have always been dry farmed and, in true Pauillac style, are dominated by 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. 

The two blocks of vines are on different elevations (1640 in front of the house and 1968 feet above it). Planted on sandstone sub-soil covered with clay rich top soil, some shale, schist and volcanic tuff, there’s a diversity here that only adds to the complexity of the wine. 

Alfred Tesseron employs the same biodynamic philosophy here as in Bordeaux. 2019 was the first vintage to be Demeter certified biodynamic. Grazing cows help to contain fire risk, with cover crops seeded and mown, again mitigating fire (and snake) risk. No ploughing or tilling in winter reduces soil erosion on these steep slopes. Very different challenges to those back in Pauillac.

The wines are hand crafted from vine to small cement tanks, a material Château Pontet Canet is famous for. There’s a project for a future underground winery. 

Respecting the family history of the property, the Tesserons have kept the name of Pym Rae, inspired by Robin Williams’ children. The original Villa Sorriso, (Villa of Smiles) backs onto an orchard of Olive trees, inside the décor is dominated by a spectacular Planet ‘chandelier’ a gift from Robin’s friend and frequent house guest, Christopher Reeve. With a nod to his Superman role, it was designed to represent the Daily Planet. The Tesserons have chosen it as the logo for the property, it perfectly embodies both the biodynamic and international philosophy of the family. 

Cathiard Vineyard Flora Springs 

The foothills of these same Mayacamas mountains are also home to another Bordeaux family. Florence and Daniel Cathiard of Château Smith Haut Lafitte first came to Napa in the late sixties, long before they were in the wine business. Visiting Woodstock, they toured the US, fell in love with Napa and ever since had a dream of returning. 

In 2019, the opportunity arose to buy the Flora Spring Winery. Not great  timing as borders closed shortly thereafter thanks to the pandemic, making the first year of operation a long distance challenge.

Flora Springs was founded in 1885, by the pioneering, Scottish Rennie brothers. They planted 60 acres of grapes and stayed until a catastrophic fire, then phylloxera and finally prohibition put paid to the estate that became one of the many ghost wineries of the region. In the 1930s, Louis Martini took over, rebuilding the estate and his homestead in the vines. The Komes-Garvey family owned the estate since the 70s until the Cathiards stepped in.

With the same philosophy as in Bordeaux, the Cathiards marry respect for the land and tradition with leading edge technology. They have renovated the old stone winery, the horse shoe shaped cellar tunnelled deep into the Mayacamas mountains and the historic Louis Martini homestead, now their beautiful residence overlooking the vines across the valley floor. 

Head wine maker Justine Labbé works with the Bordeaux and US teams to bring together the best of both worlds in the ultra-modern winery. The alternated inverted or upright tronconic stainless steel, insulated vats, are built to serve the plot by plot mapping of the vineyard.  

All the wines are estate wines, made from grapes grown on 60 acres of vines on this 280 acre property. Only red grapes for the moment, that average 30 years old on plots from 200 750 ft above sea level, that wrap around the slopes and some of the valley floor. The Cathiards, were attracted by the biodiversity of the property thanks to the combination hillside slopes,  valley floor, woods and lakes. The vines shared between the famous Rutherford and Saint Helena AVAs 

In the same philosophy as in the Graves, where the Cathiards are  pioneers of wine tourism, they opened The Cathiard Vineyard to the public for visits and tastings in February 2023. It’s conveniently just off the highway 29 that runs South to North through Napa. 

The traditional tasting room, decorated with French antiques, is a tribute to the founder brothers, as is the label of their ‘Founding Brothers’ Red Bordeaux Blend. We emerged from the darkness of the old, tunnelled wine cellar into the sunlight of the elegant four seasons outside tasting space. Overlooking the valley floor vineyards, it is named after the statues of the Greek goddesses of the seasons. Hora, goddess of autumn, the harvest season, is also honoured with her own wine label. Just like Château Smith Haut Lafitte, they plan to build an integrated cooperage into the estate and the visit. 

The property was known as Flora Springs thanks to the waterfalls and lakes above the cellars. These lakes were created by the Rennie brothers for irrigation and to provide water to power their innovative steam presses. The lakes are now reservoirs of biodiversity, which visitors discover driving along on the winding roads through the vines in a 1960s Land Rover now powered with an eco-friendly electric engine.

Ecological, traditional, high tech and a lot of fun – the Cathiard signature. 

Not (only) Napa 

Bordeaux investment in California is not limited to Napa, I also visited a few favourites in Sonoma. Please sign up here  to receive the second instalment from Sonoma directly to your in box.

To learn more about Bordeaux, check out  Bordeaux Bootcamp here, or learn more about Wine and Wellness, with The Drinking Woman’s Diet here. 

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