Burgess Cellars

California Wine, Napa Valley

About Burgess wines

Burgess traces its origins to an original winery on the property in the 1880's. Since 1972, Napa Valley pioneer Tom Burgess and his family have followed the belief that it is vital to grow only those varietals ideally suited to a particular vineyard's soil composition, sun and wind exposure, and overall micro-climate. The French refer to this as "terroir," and it certainly explains the consistent aromas and flavors found in the hillside Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon.

Over the years three distinct estate vineyard sites have been cultivated and nurtured to create the very best handcrafted wines. The Burgess flagship wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, thrives on the western slopes of Howell Mountain near the winery; Merlot is ideally suited to the Triere Vineyard on the Napa Valley floor in the Oak Knoll AVA just south of Yountville; Syrah is perfectly matched to conditions in the estate vineyard site on the eastern slope of Howell Mountain.

Burgess is somewhat unique in the Napa Valley today, in that it is truly a family-owned winery which has employed the same gifted winemaker, Bill Sorenson, since the winery's re-birth in 1972.

If you've been a fan of the 1991 & 1992 Burgess Vintage Selection, then the 1995 will blow you away. Deep red in the glass, the wine starts with aromas of candied cherries and asian spice, quickly followed by a palate of black fruits, plums and bitter chocolate. A large-scaled wine that has ample fruit and oak, it is amazingly smooth and supple both in the mouth and on the finish. This wine is still remarkably young and vibrant.

A classic Meritage in style and substance, it is truly a hand-crafted blend of the finest Cabernet grapes, along with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc, specially selected from the Estate`s vineyards. These grapes demonstrate the concentration of mountain grown fruit at the highest level.

Our Syrah grows on our estate vineyard on the eastern side of Howell Mountain. This environment concentrates the grape characteristics and produces wine with high levels of extraction, aroma and color. This wine complements a wide variety of foods, especially grilled meats and vegetables.