Burgess Cellars

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

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]

History

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

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

  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.