Sometimes a figurative phoenix rises from the literal ashes.

In 2020, the famous estate Chateau Boswell burned to the ground in the devastating Glass Fire.

Now, some six years later, we resurrected this 97-point treasure.

Chateau Boswell remains one of the greats of Napa Valley. As they explained “Richard Thornton Boswell had the foresight to create a Napa Valley winery with the goal of excellence in small lot French Style wine production with wines sold directly to the client.”

Only available direct from the winery, they are a favorite among serious collectors. The wines almost always score huge - as is the case here, with 97 points from Jeb who called it “another stunning, straight-up awesome Pinot Noir from this team”. The prices were similarly large, and at $150+ this was not very attainable for the average consumer.

But drop over $100 off that price tag and it falls within reach of us mortals.

The estate spared no expense in every aspect of their efforts, with André Tchelistcheff leading the charge in the early days. Later they transitioned to Phillipe Melka, who helps guide the hand of Allison Nunnikhoven, their Director of Winemaking.

As they expanded their efforts beyond Cabernet to focus on Pinot and Chardonnay, they sought fruit from some of the best vineyards beyond Napa - Radian, Rita’s Crown, and this - Bentrock Vineyard. This Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir perfectly shows off their effort to produce terroir-driven wines. And if you like Sta. Rita Pinots, you have a good idea what to expect from the coastal location where warm days and cool nights produce heady, weighty Pinots with massive concentration, acidity, and complexity.

This clearly had that massive concentration and power, which has tamed a bit with some age, but plenty of ripe red and blue fruit prevail. Toss in some savory forest floor, exotic wood and baking spices and you get a truly stunning example that’s on par with the best of the best.

Though they are still working on rebuilding their iconic winery, they continue to produce fantastic jaw-dropping wines. But this is a rare library release – a phoenix rising from the ashes…

Opportunities like this don’t come around often - blink and you might miss it!

97 points - Jeb Dunnuck “Lots of spice, forest floor, savory red fruits, and loads of minerality emerge from the 2017 Pinot Noir Bentrock Vineyard. With a ruby/purple hue, medium to full body, beautiful depth of fruit, and a great finish, it’s another stunning, straight-up awesome Pinot Noir from this team. This cuvée is a mix of 667 and 777 clones, was 80% destemmed, and spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. Drink 2020-2030.”