Joel Gott Winery

California Wine, Napa Valley

About Joel Gott Winery

Napa scion Joel Gott was born to make wine. His grandfather was winemaker and president of Inglenook in the 1960s and 1970s while his father, Cary Gott, is the founder of Montevina and continues to consult for wineries such as D.R. Stephens.

In addition to Joel's uncanny blending ability, he has privileged access to many of the best and as yet undiscovered fruit sources in the Napa Valley. Joel Gott wines are therefore remarkable values, offering gobs of classic California fruit, good structure and excellent balance.

Of course, Joel is also the proud proprietor of Taylor's Refresher, Napa Valley's red hot retro-chic "hamburger joint" on Highway 29, and most recently, in San Francisco as well. Robert Parker once proclaimed a meal at Taylor's one of the finest meals of the year in the Wine Advocate!

Our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a mix of diverse vineyard sites throughout California; a combination of fruit that produces an elegant, structured and delicious profile a wine that we enjoy drinking. - Winery

The Monterey appellation is one of the most diverse and climatically cool grape growing regions in California. The fog and cooling air from Monterey Bay slow maturity and allow the grapes to develop classic varietal characteristics, and a natural balance between sugar and acidity by harvest time. This environment has produced a Chardonnay that has flavors of citrus, pear and jasmine with bright acid structure. To preserve these characteristics and retain the purity of the fruit we crafted this wine using stainless steel tanks for fermentation and aging, and prevented malolactic fermentation. This is simply a clean, crisp, delicious Chardonnay unfettered by toasty oak or buttery lactic acid flavors.

The careful selection of grapes from vineyards in Monterey, Napa and Lake Counties yields an excellent Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has great complexity and structure which balances the fruit and acidity. Joel Gott sourced the fruit from the cool, coastal vineyards of Monterey which allow the grapes to mature slowly and develop intense citrus flavors with crisp minerality. Combined with richer, more complex grapes from the sun-drenched Napa Valley, the blend evolves into a more structured, balanced wine. Grapes from Lake County enhance the wine's acidity and heighten its tropical flavors. Together, these locales produce a wine with aromas of guava, watermelon, Meyer lemon and a long, juicy finish. Aging this well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc in stainless steel preserves the intense fruit aromas and flavors without the cloaking presence of malolactic fermentation. The screw cap enclosure and the UV safe green glass package ensure that our wine maintains freshness throughout its life.

Our Zinfandel vineyards are in the top growing regions in California: Napa, Sonoma, Lodi and Amador. This wine reflects the soil and environment of each distinct location. The vineyards in Lodi and Amador are old head-trained vines, which are dry-farmed and produce deeply concentrated fruit. This fruit combined with the depth of Napa Valley fruit and the spiciness from cool Sonoma County, creates a blend that truly shows California Zinfandel at its finest. Dark ruby red color with supple, mouth filling tannins that offer lively acid structure and an elegant balance. Classic currant, plum and sweet oak aromas lead to ripe berries, cherry, and spicy flavors with a long, sweet and juicy finish.

Our 2006 Dillian Ranch Zinfandel offers yet another fine small production Zinfandel from the Sierra foothills. After 13 years, it remains just as unique, balanced and elegant as our first vintage. Tom Dillian has been growing high-quality grapes in Amador County for over 35 years. He is a fifth generation farmer specializing in Zinfandel. All of the fruit for this wine comes from his 20-acre farm in Plymouth, CA. Mineral-rich red soils and a relatively longer growing season make this wine unique in its depth and give it a natural balance. The old-headtrained vines produce a Zinfandel with aromas of black cherry, root beer and mint. The Dillian Ranch Zinfandel remains a tradition at Joel Gott Wines. Back in 1996, Joel bought five tons of Zinfandel from Tom, a family friend, and the rest is history. Even with all the recent vineyard and winery innovations, Tom continues to dry farm his predominantly old-vine ranch and hand-harvest all the fruit. We barrel age the wine in neutral American and French oak for 15 months.