2007-09-28
MONTICELLO VINEYARDS
Corley Family Napa Valley
by Diana Greenwood
There is much to admire about the Corley family of Monticello Vineyards. When you can trace your family’s farming success back to the time of Thomas Jefferson and beyond to the first settlers in 1640 Virginia, chances are that southern hospitality, quiet pride, good manners and high standards played a part in that success. Those ideals were passed down, father to son, mother to daughter, generation after generation. Evident today in the three Corley brothers running Monticello Vineyards, with the blessing of their father and founder, Jay Corley, the principles have served the family well over the years. When you visit, you’ll sense determination and dedication, purpose firmly rooted in place, a slice of history right here in Napa Valley. You’ll taste the story in each sip of wine.
The story began in 1967 with Jay Corley’s admiration for another Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, known not only for his great mind and noble deeds, but also as America’s first distinguished viticulturist and our country’s greatest patron of wine. Jay built Jefferson House, the 5000-square-foot winery office, Reserve Room and special events venue as a smaller version yet near-exact replica of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s elaborate plantation home. Influenced by 16th century Italian architect, Andrea Palladio, the building is regal neoclassical style with red brick, white columns, balconies, paned windows and doors, and oak parquet flooring. It sits, as does the production facility and tasting room, on impeccable grounds in the middle of estate vineyards only two miles north of Napa on Big Ranch Road.
Behind the serenity of Monticello Vineyards’ setting there’s the typical hustle and bustle of everyday winery operations, the hard work required to create world-class, limited-production wines. The Corley brothers – Kevin, Chris, and Stephen – love what they do. “We’re a small winery and we like it that way,” said Stephen. “It allows us to control quality. The three of us actually do all the jobs; we don’t supervise the person doing the work, we are the people doing the work. Kevin is the winegrower, focusing on terroir, walking every vineyard row in all five of our vineyards, checking quality, and determining that farming is done correctly. Chris is our winemaker, tasting, blending, evaluating and selecting reserve lots within the barrels. I manage sales and marketing and while they deserve the credit, our father likes to joke that ‘nobody gets paid until the wine gets sold.’”
Modesty is another characteristic present in this generation of Virginia-influenced gentlemen. The brothers work much harder than they let on but as Stephen says, “We enjoy what we do but at the end of the day what we’re mostly interested in is sharing a glass of truly great Monticello Vineyards wine with our friends. That’s what it’s all about. Winemaking is a thrilling business; we’re constantly learning, planning and changing. We do a lot; we just do it quietly.”
The main tasting room is traditional in style, cool and comfortable with wood paneling and a long counter for leaning and chatting about the wine. This October, Monticello Vineyards will release its Vintage 2004 Corley “State Lane Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has had the brothers tingling with anticipation for ten years. It’s the first single-vineyard release since the 12-acre State Lane Vineyard in Yountville, acquired in 1989, was completely replanted in the 1990s. The Corleys are particular. They could have made a wine with the ’01 vintage or even the ’02, but as the vines matured, the wine got better and better and now is the right time. The brothers think long-term, not unlike those Virginia farmers of long ago. The result is a true and pure 100% single-vineyard bottling. Vintage 2004 exhibits all the classic State Lane Vineyard characteristics: full-bodied and firmly tannic with aromatics of dark berries, blackberry and coffee, with flavors of dark berries and bittersweet dark chocolate. If you like big, bold Cabs, you’ll love this wine. Only 224 cases were produced so stock your cellar.
Also try Vintage 2004 Corley Proprietary Red Wine, one of the winery’s signature wines. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and this year, a splash of Syrah, Chris puts this wine together each year in stages over the course of the barrel-aging process, beginning with what he calls a “bottom melody or rhythm, upon which the rest of the song is based.” The wine’s opening stanza is a medley of blueberry, blackberry, floral and sweet oak tones followed by berry aromatics and dark fruit flavors that entertain with an echo. “The finish is sweet, lingering, and smoky, like the last song of the evening in a downtown jazz club.”
Next, there’s a Vintage 2005 Monticello Vineyards Estate Grown Pinot Noir that will make your Thanksgiving guests dance with delight. From the Oak Knoll district, this wine has strong raspberry and strawberry aromatics with hints of vanilla, spice and cola which accent the fruit. Berry flavors coat the palate and the finish resonates with berry and spice. This Pinot is a vibrant, food-friendly wine and it’s the perfect choice for your holiday gatherings.
Located at 4242 Big Ranch Road, Monticello Vineyards is a gracious, comfortable place to visit, the wines are extraordinary and the setting is serene. Expansive, shady picnic grounds are available for guests and once you settle in with lunch and a bottle of wine, you’ll never want to leave. Open daily for tasting from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., consider joining the Monticello Wine Club or the New Release Club while you’re there. Members receive year-round benefits, invitations to special events and access to private, personalized tastings in the Reserve Room in Jefferson House, an elegant room paneled with reclaimed wood from old redwood tanks. The Wine Club is one more way the Corley family extends a warm, Virginia-style welcome. As Thomas Jefferson said 200 years ago, “Some day America will produce wines to rival the finest of Europe.” When you taste the wines of Monticello, you’ll have to agree that dream came true.
Visit soon and meet the Corley family. For additional information, to schedule a private event, or to inquire about the entire portfolio of wines, check the website at www.corleyfamilynapavalley.com or call (707) 253-1019.
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