Simon Family Estate - Double Blessings 'Michael' 2019

Druvor

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting note

Se tech sheet

Sam Simon, an Iraqi immigrant who arrived in the US as a child, got his business start working in and later managing his father's gas stations in Michigan. He purchased a fuel truck to start Atlas Oil in 1985 at the age of 19, growing it into a substantial, diversified group with hundreds of employees. Sam and his wife, Nada, another first-generation immigrant, have been members of the Napa Valley Reserve since 2003, with a longstanding interest in grape growing and wine. To develop their own project, they've engaged Maayan Koschitzky—director of winemaking for and partner in Atelier Melka—to advise them on viticulture and winemaking. Koschitzky was recently in New York City to introduce the Simon Family Estate wines during a media dinner at Eleven Madison Park, and while our RPWA code of ethics prevented me from being wined and dined, I was able to taste the wines with Koschitzky in advance of the main event and then make my escape. Koschitzky, for those to whom the name may not be familiar, is Israeli by birth, growing up on a ranch in the Judean Hills. Following his mandatory military service (he served as a paratrooper), Koschitzky studied mechanical engineering, but he was already drawn back toward agriculture, writing his thesis on grape sorting. His first winery job was in Israel at Margolit, but he came to Napa in 2011, first working at Screaming Eagle, before moving on to Dalle Valle and Atelier Melka, where he was named director of winemaking and made a partner in 2017. This first set of releases from Simon Family Estate utilizes fruit from five vineyards: Alluvium (Saint Helena), Rocca Collinetta (Coombsville), Sleeping Lady (Yountville), Tench (Oakville) and Vine Hill Ranch (Oakville). Because of the risk of smoke taint, there are no 2020 red wines from Simon. Releases from the 2021 vintage are expected to mirror these existing wines, but in 2022, consumers can expect to see the addition of several high-profile single-vineyard wines to the lineup. The family is also looking for an estate property to save as a permanent base. Across the board, the Cabernet Sauvignons are polished, balanced efforts that sit in the middle of the spectrum between untamed, rugged mountain fruit and the smooth, supple plushness of the valley floor. While a small proportion of the production will be available via the normal distribution channels—the Simons are said to want their wines on the lists at select restaurants—no doubt the bulk of the sales will be direct to consumer. Signing up for the mailing list may be the only way to ensure a chance at purchasing the wines going forward.

Robert Parker wine Advocate