Napa Valley 'Newcomer' is a Lesson in Patience Guided By Mother Nature

Husband and wife duo Tim and Sabrina Persson moved to Napa in 2012 to directly oversee their family’s wine business, now called Hess Persson Estates. They took over in the brand's 30 ^th vintage, with the vision to modernize the winery and focus on making luxury Cabernet wines for the next generation of wine drinkers and collectors. What happened next could only be the plot to a drama film, set in the vineyards, with Tim & Sabrina as the leading man and lady. Mother Nature had other plans, and as its been said, " Man Plans, and God Laughs .”

The 2014 Napa earthquake destroyed one of their main cellars, and in the emotional moment of realizing they would have to complete a rebuild, came the divine inspiration for Stalwørth. Finding the inspiration to create an iconic wine for the next generation in a moment of adversity showed a break in the clouds. Armed with the ideal vineyard site and ideal winemaker—Celia Welch—Tim and Sabrina were eager to produce their first vintage of Stalwørth in 2015.

But it was not to be. 2015 turned out to be a major drought year, resulting in an inadequate crop and not enough fruit to support the first release of an icon . In 2016, Napa Valley received the rain it had been waiting for, but the result was a major landslide that cut off power and access to the winery. The next year brought devastating wildfires and the smoke rendered the crop unusable. God laughs .

Finally, and just as the project to rehabilitate the earthquake-damaged cellar into a state-of-the-art winemaking facility was complete, Stalwørth became a reality. Fittingly, it turned out to be a consummate inaugural vintage. The pleasantly uneventful growing season was free of drought, heat spikes, fires, and yield issues, and the critics have since labeled the 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet vintage one of the finest in two decades (Wine Spectator rated the vintage 99 points).

Today, The Perssons are proud to bring the third vintage of Stalwørth to their mailing list with the release of their 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon | $275 per bottle | 424 Cases Produced | Click here to join the mailing list and gain access

To experience Stalwørth there are private, by-appointment-only tastings available on a limited basis. Please visit the website and join the mailing list for additional details and information on a series of intimate events.

2021 Vintage Notes : Vintage 2021 started off gently with sunny skies and a warm Spring that was marked by occasional rains, which brought welcome soil saturation. As the growing season transitioned into Summer, the low rain accumulation produced smaller berries on the vines. The warm days and cool nights of the Fall season allowed gradual sugar cumulation and longer hang times, promising fruit of the highest quality with structural beauty. With a slightly later harvest and a smaller crop yield, fruit was picked at its peak for a small yet mighty vintage resulting in excellent and intense flavors.

Winemaker Notes from Celia Welch : The 2021 Stalworth Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon opens with deep aromas of crushed cherries and black currants that intertwine with hints of caramel and baking spice. On the palate, the entry is full and intense with generous layers of black cherry, plum and cassis that balance beautifully with subtle oak and velvety, round Cabernet Sauvignon tannins. The finish evolves with serious texture and lingering flavors of Dutch cocoa and deep blackberry fruit.

Click here to join the mailing list and gain access