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128 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 In each issue, the editorial team at The SOMM Journal will deliberate through wine submissions and release final judgment on select wines that garnered scores of at least 90 points. WHEN THOMAS PARKHILL traveled to Napa in 1967, he met winemaking legend Louis Martini, who pointed him to a Pinot Noir vineyard in Los Carneros. Two years later, Parkhill and his partner Thomas Co - trell founded Cuvaison and produced the winery's inaugural vintage of Napa Valley Chardonnay. A decade later, Cuvaison was acquired by the Schmidheiny family of Switzerland. The fourth-generation vintners, who still own the winery, selected 400 acres of land north of San Pablo Bay for their ideal mix of loam and clay soils and marine-inuenced climate. Fog and wind from the bay made this site a standout for Burgundian varieties, and as the coolest region in Napa Valley, Los Carneros in 1983 became the rst American Viticultural Area in California to be established based on its climate. With an exclusive focus on estate fruit, Cuvaison built a 32,000-square-foot winery in 2009 to handle small lots while preserving the character and complexity of its wines. We recently sat down with Cuvaison Winemaker Steve Rogstad and President/ CEO Dan Zepponi to taste through some recent releases from the Napa Green– certied Cuvaison estate vineyard, nding distinct variations in textural and taste pro - les. With 210 planted acres, the vineyard comprises nearly 40 blocks of Chardonnay and more than 20 blocks of Pinot Noir, along with smaller sites for Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Syrah. "Cuvaison is an iconic brand, and we are putting the emphasis back on the estate," Cuvaison told The SOMM Journal during the tasting. "We have a streamlined portfo - lio based on years of understanding the nature of our vineyard sites. Out of all the wineries in Napa from 1969, only 16 still exist: Cuvaison is one of them." Cuvaison Estate 2016 Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Napa Valley ($26) Round and lush; chamomile, spiced apple, and acacia blossom wind through this opu - lent wine. Orange peel and white peach streamline the elegant nish. 95 Cuvaison Estate 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Los Carneros, Napa Valley ($24) Scents of lemon drop and ylang-ylang bring out this wine's exotic side. The lush mouthfeel, a result of keeping lees in suspension, works in tandem with a gem- like acidity from a 27-day stainless-steel fermentation (and zero ML). Pineapple notes are strikingly bright as citrus brings a pleasing tartness. 93 Cuvaison Estate 2016 Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, Napa Valley ($42) Aromas of cinnamon-coated earth and wild raspberry make this a "happy" wine. The liquid glides along the palate with a dryness in the middle—like dried rose petals and wal - nuts—that sparks a gleaming acidity. The spice quotient is almost lled as dark avors go savory and red fruit ventures deeper, morphing into black plum and boysenberry. Coffee tannins surge on the rened nish. 96 The Carneros Connection TASTING CUVAISON'S LATEST ESTATE VINTAGE As the winemaker for Los Carneros' Cuvaison for the past 16 years, Steve Rogstad has mastered cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. "I have had the incredible fortune to work with Grand Cru–caliber vineyards while also helping lay the foundation for the next 50 years," he says.