Burgess Cellars is a historic California wine producer in Napa Valley on the hillsides of Howell Mountain.[3] It was founded in 1972 by Tom Burgess[1] on a hillside vineyard and winery, and has been continuously family owned and operated. It is run by Lawrence Wine Estates[5] and includes 65 acres across its two estate vineyards,[6] which are at elevations of 800 to 1,000 feet (240 to 300 m).[7]

Burgess Cellars
LocationDeer Park, California, USA
Coordinates38°33′26″N 122°28′29″W / 38.5571°N 122.4748°W / 38.5571; -122.4748
AppellationNapa Valley AVA
Founded1972[1]
First vintage1972[2]
Key peopleTom Burgess, Founder[3]
Meghan Zobeck, Winemaker
Cases/yr12,000[4]
Known forBurgess Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
VarietalsCabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Grenache, Rosé
DistributionNational
TastingBy Appointment
Websitewww.burgesscellars.com

History

edit

Tom Burgess was an Air Force pilot and a jet pilot for IBM[6][8] who got interested in wine when he was flying around Europe,[3] and interested in the Napa and Sonoma valleys while traveling around Travis Air Force Base.[6][4]

In 1972 he bought the original Souverain vineyard from the Pillsbury Company, when they were moving production to Rutherford,[9] and its 1888[10] winery.[6]

Wines

edit

Burgess Cellars showcases its two estate vineyards on Howell Mountain, with a hillside terroir representing only 4% of Napa acreage. For much of Burgess Cellars history Cabernet Sauvignon has been the flagship grape since Burgess Cellars' inception in 1972. Today, they craft an estate and a reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and also single-vineyard, single-block bottlings of Petite Sirah, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and an intentionally farmed rosé of Syrah. They also craft a single-vineyard Chardonnay with fruit purchased from the Balletto family of grape growers in Russian River Valley, Sonoma County.[11] A library selection, with every vintage from 1979 on, is available in the tasting room.[12]

In 2020, Meghan Zobeck was appointed winemaker of Burgess Cellars.[13]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Burgess Cellars - Unique Story". Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  2. ^ Scott Cherry (March 12, 2003). "World of wines: Burgess Cellars a well-kept secret in shops". Tulsa World. p. D6.
  3. ^ a b c Jordan Mackay (December 11, 2009). "Cellared wine as a window to the past". The New York Times. p. 33B.
  4. ^ a b Steve Heimoff (February 1, 2012). "Napa Valley Cabernet Class of '72". Wine Enthusiast. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012.
  5. ^ "Burgess Cellars - The Napa Wine Project". 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  6. ^ a b c d Marla Ridenour (October 19, 2003). "Napa by way of Akron". Akron Beacon Journal. p. A1.
  7. ^ Peg Melnik (November 2, 2010). "Decade in the making". The Press Democrat.
  8. ^ T. J. Foderaro (November 15, 2000). "Winning dinner candidates from the house of Burgess". Star-Ledger. p. 96.
  9. ^ "Souverain, savings and summer". Independent Weekly. Vol. 20, no. 25. June 11, 2003. p. 32. ISSN 0737-8254. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  10. ^ "Burgess Cellars - Tasting". Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  11. ^ "Burgess Cellars - Wines". shop.burgesscellars.com. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  12. ^ Mackay, Jordan (2009-12-10). "The Gift of Cellared Wine Offers a Window to the Past". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  13. ^ "Heitz Cellar Team Buys Napa's Burgess Cellars". Wine Spectator. September 11, 2020.
edit