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After snagging scores of accolades and being served at the White House, the Imperial Palace of Japan, and London’s 10 Downing Street, Moone-Tsai wines are no stranger success. Now, though, proprietors MaryAnn and Larry Tsai have released what they are calling their magnum opus: Moone-Tsai 2021 Leonidas. Made with 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon from the volcanic soils of Montagna Vineyard on Pritchard Hill and crafted by Philippe Melka, Leonidas is the culmination of the Tsais’ three decades as top producers of small-lot, boutique Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Those who already know Moone-Tsai are aware of the couple’s fascination with large cats, especially lions. “The lion that graces the Moone-Tsai label personifies what we love about brilliant Napa Valley Cabernets: power, elegance, agility, and refinement,” Larry tells Robb Report. Their flagship Cabernet Sauvignon is named Cor Leonis, which translates to “Heart of the Lion;” after much deliberation about the name for this latest bottling, they settled on Leonidas, or “Son of the Lion,” after the legendary king of Sparta whose feats were chronicled at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE. While designating one wine your magnum opus is a bit “like picking your favorite child,” Larry says, Leonidas is intended to “stand out as a remarkable single-vineyard designate that proclaims the unique characteristics and virtues of one of Napa Valley’s most heralded sites.”
Although Larry and MaryAnn call Howell Mountain home and make a Howell Mountain Hillside Blend, they have always loved Pritchard Hill fruit and were very excited when grapes from a prize site there became available. A 35-year veteran of the Napa wine industry, MaryAnn, who takes the lead in vineyard sourcing alongside winemaker Melka, has a lot of close vineyard friends and contacts. “I believe in long-term relationships where the winery and vineyard work together to develop the best fruit possible,” she says. “Pritchard Hill is one of those special places in Napa Valley that Larry and I have always been interested in and are delighted to have access to the prestigious Block 7 in Montagna Vineyard.”
Larry and MaryAnn Tsai
Moone-Tsai
They have used grapes from this vineyard before, having incorporated 30 percent of it into Cor Leonis in some vintages and even using larger proportions for proprietary reds available to collectors via the Moone-Tsai Black List. Montagna’s position on Pritchard Hill is in the heart of one of the most sought-after growing areas in Napa Valley. “It is located 1,300 feet above sea level on a gentle southeastern slope in the heart of the mountain,” Melka says. “This is a true mountain site with rocky soils that over the years has proved to enable world-class wines with a great ageability.” With a mix of volcanic soils and igneous and metamorphic rock and less average rainfall than other areas in Napa Valley, vines here are forced to dig deep for water, which supports vine longevity during periods of drought or low rainfall.
For Leonidas, once the Tsais were able to obtain enough fruit from this outstanding vineyard block, they give Melka carte blanche to hand sort and select only the very best grapes to make their top-tier wine. “Together, we have approached every aspect with meticulous detail to ensure that this wine is handled with the greatest care,” MaryAnn says. “From winemaking and fermenting to French oak barrel selection and aging the wine, nothing has been overlooked. We started with what we have determined is the ‘best of the best,’ and focused on the tiniest details to make an exquisite wine that we love.”
Melka tells Robb Report that 2021 was shaped by one of the driest winters in recent memory, followed by a smooth and uneventful growing season. “Scant rainfall limited canopy growth, resulting in small berries and clusters,” he says, which, believe it or not, is actually a good thing. “While the drought conditions resulted in low yields, the extended hang time and favorable harvest conditions delivered grapes full of flavor, with great color, balanced tannin structure, and ideal chemistry.” After fermentation in steel tanks, it was aged for 26 months in 100 percent new French oak.
Only 600 bottles were made of Moone-Tsai 2021 Leonidas. It is deep garnet in the glass and has a nose of black cherry, graphite, coffee bean, and a soft hint of violet. It fills the mouth with twin spires of vivid acidity and plush tannins that support flavors of blackberry, milk chocolate, and clove with touches of lavender and thyme. A soft note of orange zest appears to close out the long, satisfying finish. MaryAnn Tsai says their goal with Leonidas was to burnish what they have always tried to accomplish: “to make and share remarkable, beautiful, and distinctive wines of which we can be most proud.” With Leonidas, we think the Tsais have met that goal.
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Authors
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, also known as the World Wine Guys, are wine, spirits, food, and travel writers, educators, and hosts. They have been featured guests on the Today Show, The Martha…
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