Lawrence Wine Estates' roster of old-world Napa wineries continues to impress.
Speakeasy-style environs elevate the expert tastings at Burgess Cellars.
“Great wines evoke emotion,” Carlton McCoy Jr., master sommelier and CEO of Lawrence Wine Estates (lawrencewineestates.com), tells me as we traipse through Ink Grade Winery’s (inkgrade.com) vibrant cabernet vines. “People aren’t just buying wine, they’re connecting themselves to us through our practices and stories.”
The company oversees several historic, old-world Napa wineries, including Ink Grade, Burgess Cellars (burgesscellars.com), Stony Hill Vineyard (stonyhillvineyard.com), Heitz Cellar (heitzcellar.com) and Haynes Vineyard (haynesvineyard.com).
“We want each estate to have its own identity, so they are all run by separate teams,” McCoy Jr. explains. “However, each estate focuses on biodynamic farming and terroir wines inspired by the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.” Lawrence Wine Estates boasts the largest vineyards in Napa that utilize old Roman practices, dry farming and priorities the health of older vines. “Mother Nature knows best, and we’re letting her do her thing.”
Heitz Cellar’s 2018 anniversary cabernet release, made in small yet impractful batches, features fruit from LWE’s Ink Grade vineyard.
Ink Grade’s vineyards are located on the east side of Howell Mountain and are the only AVA delineated by elevation. “There are seven distinct areas that can be bottled separately,” notes McCoy Jr. Guests can sample their way through the different elevations at Senses by Ink Grade, a unique tasting experience inspired by Immersive Van Gogh. I sample five varietals—from a savory 2021 sauvignon blanc to a floral 2019 Andosol red blend—as videos and stills of the same vines I explored earlier that day dance across the walls.
At Burgess, the focus is on regenerative farming to foster lowintervention winemaking. Over 150 plant species are interspersed throughout the vines to increase soil health and attract pollinators. Curated tastings occur behind a speakeasy-style revolving bookcase and can feature large-format wines and library vintages. I’m lucky enough to sample a complex 1995 cabernet sauvignon that balances the brightness of the fruit with rich, leathery notes and perfect acidity.
Sample exceptional wine with picturesque mountain and vineyard views at Stony Hill Cellars.
Riesling collectors tend to flock to Stony Hill. The first vines were planted in 1948 and were some of the first in the U.S., but the nostalgia ends there. Says McCoy Jr., “While we work hard to honor the pedigree of history of our estates, we don’t want to be held back by nostalgia. The best way to honor these estates is to make them better.” Our tasting includes a refreshingly crisp 2020 chardonnay and, of course, a bright riesling that transports me into the delicious terroir.
While it may seem like McCoy Jr. has his hands full, he’s full steam ahead. “Hammer time, all the time. When our feet hit the ground in the morning, we go full throttle,” he says. Look for upcoming offerings like the Destinations by Lexus program, an immersive LWE vineyard experience via luxury hybrid fleets.
Master sommelier and LWE CEO Carlton McCoy Jr.
As we conclude our stroll, McCoy Jr. shares his final thoughts. “It’s incredible to birth a concept like this and watch it come to life, changing the course of the wine industry along the way,” he says. “Every time a customer pops that cork, our wines deliver.”
Photography by: COURTESY OF LAWRENCE WINE ESTATES; PORTRAIT BY ALEXANDER RUBIN
