2010 Trespass Vineyard Escapade Continues to Impress
The Winery
Photo from Trespass website
Trespass Vineyard is in St Helena at the base of Spring Mountain and owned by Don and Dana Gallagher. They have meticulously worked on their 5-acre vineyard to produce some of the most exquisite wines. Well known winemaker Kirk Venge, along with Don & Dana Gallagher, collaborate in the winemaking process Currently they produce Rendezvous (blend), Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Mayhem (blend). In my opinion, they are in the top twenty-five wineries making Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley. When blended, they achieve high accolades for their wines. For the last ten years, at least one has made my Annual List of Best Wines Tasted for the year.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
As an aside to the wine itself, two items have always caught my attention. First it is the label which is a beautiful watercolor of the vineyard at the base of Spring Mountain in Saint Helena. The second item is the statement on the back of the bottle which reads “Now and again one comes across a place so extraordinary it captures the imagination, yet you are not allowed to enter. We invite you to TRESPASS”. A very nice play on the wording with a picture on the front of the bottle
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
2010 was their inaugural vintage of Escapade. It was comprised of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc. It was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Only 95 cases were produced and was bottled unfiltered and unrefined. I filtered it twice before serving and you can see why. The filter had to be cleaned twice to complete the bottle process as it clogged up twice.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a very deep and brooding reddish/purple coloring. Blackberries and blueberries waft these delightful aromas to the senses. On the palate the fruits with dark cherry and the co-mingled Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc provided a well-balanced, bold and well-structured sipping experience. The astonishing finish provided velvety tannins with a long-lasting vanilla conclusion. This was getting close to the end of its longevity.
Today the Escapade has changed names to be their Rendezvous with the 2021 vintage being the current release. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc change year to year. It is listed at $150/bottle on their website.
This wine will make my Annual Best Wines Tasted in the Year for 2025, which comes out in December each year.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://trespassvineyard.com