HALL & WALT WINES ANNOUNCE NEW BRAND
by Cindi Sutter, Founder & Editor of Spirited Table®
California Zinfandel Brand Named BACA is Spearheaded by Director Jennifer Brown & Winemaker Alison Frichtl Hollister
(ST. HELENA, CALIFORNIA – MAY 17, 2018) – HALL and WALT Wines, two of the world’s most notable Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir producers, have announced the launch of BACA Wines, a new and modern California Zinfandel brand led by Craig and Kathryn Hall’s daughter, Jennifer Brown. The next generation, family-owned brand includes four wines as part of its 2016 inaugural vintage.
“When we set out to create the BACA brand, we had one mission in mind: to produce luxury Zinfandels that are nuanced, honest, current and fun,” says Director of BACA, Jennifer Brown. “We saw a gap in the market with the Zinfandel varietal, so we decided to craft a luxury Zin brand aimed at the curious and the adventuresome - while focusing on quality.”
BACA is Latin for berry. This inspired the team sourcing fruit from some of California’s most notable growing regions—Russian River, Rockpile, Howell Mountain, and Paso Robles. The grapes are all sourced from prominent vineyards. Using masterful winemaking techniques that include optical sorting, exacting fermentations and aging in French oak barrels, BACA crafts powerful wines that reflect the unique places the grapes are grown. The result is four complex, charismatic Zinfandels that pair beautifully with both food and adventure.
The inaugural vintage of 2016 BACA wines includes:
2016 BACA “Cat’s Cradle” Zinfandel: Rockpile AVA Winemaker Notes: Rustic flavors like brambly and stony fruit aren’t found in your typical Zinfandel flavor spectrum. Then again, with its complex undertones of terra cotta, violets, and black pepper, Cat’s Cradle isn’t a typical Zinfandel. It’s a big wine, with a sensation of opulent extract on the mid-palate and well-built tannin carries through the lengthy finish.
2016 BACA “Tug O’ War” Zinfandel: Maffei Vineyard, Russian River Valley Winemaker Notes: This is a serious wine that seriously ups the ante. Its nose is classic Russian River: fresh, dark fruits like strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and pomegranate. But despite its ripe, fruity nose, its palate is decidedly, surprisingly vibrant – dense, concentrated, structured, layered, with a glorious acidity. Tug O’ War is long-lived so it will age well.
2016 BACA “I Spy” Zinfandel: Howell Mountain AVA Winemaker Notes: I Spy …with my little eye a meadow of grasses, flowers, fresh raspberries, blackberries, and black pepper. Breathe it in and you have I Spy, a gorgeously perfumed Zinfandel with a refreshing mid-palate weight and a juicy finish. It’s a wine for explorers, ideal for adventures off the beaten path.
2016 BACA “Double Dutch” Zinfandel: Dusi Vineyard: Paso Robles Winemaker Notes: Hold on tight – this one has a big personality with aromas of black cherry and black currant, nuanced by notes of celery seed, black pepper, and licorice. It’s concentrated, with fantastic acidity and a plush mouthfeel with just the right amount of tannic structure on the back palate. The finish is luxurious and long.
“I grew up in a creative household and I’ve always viewed the world through an artistic eye; I draw, paint, and make prints,” says BACA Winemaker, Alison Frichtl Hollister. “That way of looking at the world, fresh, new and intuitive, direct and focuses how I look at this project. At a basic level winemaking is chemistry and microbiology, but it takes someone with an ability to find beauty in the organic, chaotic part of the process. And that’s where my growing up with an eye for art and my degree in biology just made a good synthesis.”
The BACA Launch Party was held on Saturday, May 5 at HALL St. Helena and included the unveiling of the four wines, live music by Shamati, a silent disco featuring dueling DJ’s, and larger than life games and experiences. Guests enjoyed food pairings by Feast Catering as well and heard from Brown and Hollister about the uniqueness of the new brand. The female-led brand appeals to an experience-oriented wine consumer who is interested in precision wine crafting and who above all loves rich, flavorful wines that reflect their origin – while aiming to allow consumers to have a little fun. A number of social media influencers, local news anchors, producers, and celebrities were on-site sharing news about the high-quality Zinfandel on their various social channels and using the handle @bacawines and hashtag #bacawines. Featured above Vintners Craig and Kathryn Hall and daughter Jennifer Brown celebrate the launch of BACA Wines at the May 5 Launch Party in Napa Valley.
BACA is available to taste and purchase May through July at the BACA Lounge offered Friday through Sunday located outdoors in the Olive Grove at HALL St. Helena. Guests can choose to do a BACA Tasting of the four wines for $30.00 per person, experience larger than life game installations located in the Lounge, and/or elect a bottle service option. Reservations are recommended and can be made at www.bacawines.com/visit.
For more information, please visit www.bacawines.com, follow on social channel @bacawines, or by calling 707-967-2626.
BACA: Life’s An Adventure. Here’s To Those Who Drink It Up
BACA produces California Zinfandel sourced from some of the state’s most notable vineyards including Russian River Valley, Rockpile, Howell Mountain, and Paso Robles. Led by Winemaker Alison Frichtl Hollister and Director Jennifer Brown, the inaugural BACA 2016 wine portfolio includes four wines focusing on complex, high-quality California Zinfandel. BACA is part of the HALL Family of wine brands and is produced at HALL Wines in St. Helena. For more information, please visit www.bacawines.com.
HALL: The Art of Cabernet
HALL produces award-winning Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, available to taste and buy at two properties in Napa Valley as well as at hallwines.com. Owned by Craig and Kathryn Hall, its vineyard collection features seven Estate vineyards, of which five are California Certified Organic (CCOF). Led by Vice President and Head Winemaker Steve Leveque, HALL’s portfolio includes 19 distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings highlighting the finest vineyards and sub-appellations of the Napa Valley. The HALL St. Helena winery was the first LEED® Gold Certified Winery in the State of California in 2009 and earned another LEED® Gold certification for its high tech production facility and Tasting Room in 2014, making HALL a leader in green efficiencies. HALL’s 2008 ‘Kathryn Hall’ Cabernet earned the #2 spot in Wine Spectator’s “Top 100.” Two other bottlings, the ‘Exzellenz’ and ‘Rainin Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignons have garnered multiple 100 point ratings in recent years. For more information about HALL, please visit www.hallwines.com or by calling 707.967.2626. @hallwines #artofcabernet.
WALT: 1,000 Miles of Pinot
WALT specializes in premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from the most coveted vineyards along the Pacific Coast, spanning 1,000 miles from as far north as the Willamette Valley to the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. Led by Winemaker, Megan Gunderson Paredes, WALT represents wines of a place – these special sites where thoughtful viticulture enables winemakers to create expressive wines that reflect the signature personality of each site. WALT farms three estate vineyards and partners with meticulous growers who aspire to share standards of quality. Owned by Kathryn Walt Hall and her husband Craig, WALT honors Kathryn’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt, who were grape growers in Mendocino County since 1972 and nurtured Kathryn’s passion for vineyards and wine. The WALT Sonoma Square Tasting Room opened in 2012 and is located in Sonoma, CA and is open to the public. For more information, please visit www.waltwines.com or by calling (707) 933-4440. @waltwines #1000milesofpinot.