Yesterday I had the honor of spending some time tasting and chatting with Priyanka French, winemaker at Signorello Estate. She took the helm in 2019 and immediately sought to understand everything behind how and why the wines at Signorello are made. We talked through her future plans and I am excited to see what she creates - I love the approach she is taking of staying true to the Old World stylings of the brand while balancing the needs of a market that wants wines to drink upon release. She’s incredibly smart, curious, and bold - a perfect match for a brand looking to start a new chapter after having their facilities devastated in the 2017 fires. With Consulting Director Of Winemaking Celia Welch and Consulting Viticulturalist Steve Matthiasson on her team, don’t be surprised when all of your wine friends are signing her praises in years to come.
The Signorello wines we tasted yesterday were the 2017 and 2006 Hope’s Cuvée Chardonnay and the 2005 and 2014 Padrone Cabernet Sauvignon. I loved seeing these wines both fresh and with some age - both the Chardonnay and the Cab were enjoyable in the current release, with the Chardonnay expressing itself in a true old world fashion - crisp and herby and the Cab full of plums and successfully wrangled tannins. With age, the oak in the Chardonnay comes through and the wine becomes softer, fuller, and richer. The 2005 Cabernet also mellows, at 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, the age allows for the Cab Franc and Merlot to work in tandem to retain pep and soften the edges.
We also tasted the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Signorello’s second label Fuse. While a little wilder than its esteemed sisters, this Cab was enjoyable and full of black fruit and a smoky nose. It’s priced well at $50 if you want to get your hands on a bottle from these great Napa hillside vineyards but can’t quite swing the premium price point of Signorello.