Most of our wine-swinging excursions are planned beforehand, but The Vermeil Wines visit was a perfect example of a happenstance winery tour.
Although we hadn’t planned any winery visits during our brief stay in Napa, we decided to take a leisurely stroll through downtown Napa and trust our instincts. Fortunately, we stumbled upon the Vermeil Wines tasting room and were greeted by Frankie, our host. Frankie was a true expert on everything Vermeil and the Napa wine scene and had an impressive wealth of knowledge on all geeky wine details. With years of experience working in various roles in Napa, he was the perfect person to meet at the winery.
Vermeil Wines Story
While Vermeil Wines was founded in 1999 by the legendary football coach Dick Vermeil, the story has deep roots. The Vermeil family has a legacy of love and appreciation for wine that goes back three generations. Jean Louis Vermeil, Albert Vermeil, and Jean Louis Vermeil II all passed down this love to Dick. His grandfather, Al, made wine using old-world techniques inherited from past generations.
Grandfather Al was the one who made the family wine from the grapes of Frediani Vineyards. The grapes were trucked down to his house from Calistoga by Dick’s dad, and Dick and his brother would help during each harvest. Interestingly, the same Frediani vineyard still provides fruit for Vermeil Wines today.
After many years of a successful coaching career in football, Coach Vermeil decided to pursue his second passion – wine. In 1999, he partnered with winemaker Paul Smith to produce the first signature bottling, the Jean Louis Vermeil Cabernet Sauvignon, dedicated to his grandfather and father. Today, Vermeil Wines makes 11 wines to showcase the best varietal expression of the wine region.
In 2023, Tim Beranek joined Vermeil Wines as the new winemaker. He collaborates with sought-after consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown on everything from vineyard oversight to harvest to bottling.
Tasting Flight
Our tasting flight included 2021 Chardonnay Russian River, 2021 Zinfandel 1908 Block, 2019 XXXIV Red Wine, 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2021 Cabernet Franc, both from Frediani vineyard that Coach’s grandfather used to get grapes from.
The Zinfandel impressed us the most because it was among the best California Zins we’ve ever tasted. The grapes were sourced from a Luvisi Vineyard plot planted in 1908 and designed for horse farming. The deep roots and heat contribute to the ripe and bold fruit flavors, while the contrast with cool night temperatures adds freshness and acidity that help to balance the wine. The wine was aged in 35% new French oak barrels.
So why did we say it was one of the best California Zinfandels?
Most California Zinfandel is an in-your-face jammy fruit bomb with lackluster acidity and almost no tannins. This is what attracts most California Zin lovers and why it seldom makes it to our glasses.
The 2021 Vermeil Zinfandel’s stunning aspect was its refreshing acidity and substantial tannin, which could withstand and balance the richness of luscious kirsch, black cherry, ripe plum, milk chocolate, and vanilla flavors.
It was one of those rare occasions when aromas and flavors were a perfect match, and the wine delivered precisely what it promised on the nose to the palate.
Aftertaste
It’s always difficult to convey one’s personal wine-tasting experience because we all have different palates and preferences. The 2021 Vermeil Zinfandel profile may be quite surprising for those who expect jammy Zins from California, yet we thought we found one to love.
We wonder what’s the secret of this wine. Is it over a 100-year-old wine? Or is it the vineyard microclimate? Is it possible that ageing it in new French oak barrels adds the balancing tannin? Or maybe it’s all combined: nature and winemakers’ skills creating unforgettable wine?
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