Years ago my Dad gave us each a framed poster with the question, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” to hang in our respective offices. For me, one answer to this question is the release of unexpected singular bottlings under our Crossroads label. These sometimes one-off wines give a glimpse into a particular vintage, and more importantly, serve as a more focused exploration of the individual varietals we grow on our land which have historically been used for blending.
And while these rare bottlings of Crossroads are not always made each vintage, when we do decide to release these wines, you know it is a special occasion. Two such wines we are excited to share with you are the 2022 Crossroads Ribolla Gialla and 2021 Crossroads Malbec.
An intriguing white wine varietal rarely seen in Napa Valley, the .45 acres of Ribolla Gialla grown on our Mt. Veeder Estate was originally planted by my Dad as an experiment in 2010 due to his curiosity and quest to be sure we are always pushing ourselves to learn more about our land and make the best wines possible. And although we have never before bottled this wine, an outstanding growing season for Ribolla Gialla inspired us to release this varietal as part of the Crossroads family. A fun and playful wine with intriguing aromas of wet stone, grapefruit zest, and lemongrass are complemented by a broad fruit palate of citrus, melon, and stone fruits. This wine is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed on any occasion. With only 33 cases available, do not hesitate to secure your allocation as we expect this wine to disappear quickly knowing we will only bottle it in years when the conditions are ideal.
The second inaugural release we are excited to share is our 2021 Crossroads Malbec. Grown on the most Southern slopes of our Oakville Estate in core stone volcanic soil, this Malbec has historically been used as a blending component and has never been the headlining varietal, until now. The 2021 vintage was ideal for demonstrating what Malbec has to offer. This wine presents inviting aromas of sweet blueberries and fresh black cherries, accompanied by delicate hints of vanilla baking spices. Generous fruit on the palate can best be described as striking — the addition of herbs rounds out the complexity, making it both balanced and energetic. A small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon co-fermented with the Malbec contributes to the lively tannins and overall structure, making it enticing to enjoy when young. This small yielding vintage revealed wines of great concentration and flavor, and most importantly, allowed for 112 of cases of Malbec to be bottled on its own for the very first time — a rare find in Oakville.
As we quickly approach harvest in Oakville, we enjoy sharing these inaugural bottlings with you that showcase the versatility of our land, and the wines which grow upon it. In true Crossroads fashion, these wines were crafted to be enjoyed frequently and at a young age.
All the best,
Samantha Rudd