2017 Secret Door Wines From Hirondelle Vineyard in Stag’s Leap District
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Our Friday Night Wine & Dine Group met last Friday at Verona18. I wanted to share a special wine with the group and chose this wine. Unfortunately many of the group were unavailable to attend the dinner as only six of us were in town.
The Winery
Secret Door Winery is one of the wineries founded by Donald Patz in 2017 with his partner Jung Min Lee. The Secret Door label is dedicated to making Cabernet Sauvignon from selected vineyards exclusively from the Napa Valley. His other brands are 1) Maritana Vineyards making Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines and 2) Terminim making Mendocino County Marsanne/Roussanne and Syrah wines.
The man behind these three astonishing labels has had this vision and energy combined with 40 years of making exquisite wines. Wine aficionados have already acknowledged his craftsmanship in bringing forth these wines and he has caught the acknowledgment of many wine aficionados!
The Winery Name of Secret Door Winery
Maybe it is about one door opening and another closing? Mysterious secrets behind the door? Or perhaps something entirely different. I asked Donald what the origin of the name Secret Door Winery was?
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Jung Min Lee was a real supporter of Donald Patz’s time at Patz & Hall eventually learning to love Pinot Noir, too. Donald had promised Jung Min that if she would move to California from Virginia to be with him he would – someday – make a Cabernet Sauvignon wine for her.
In Donald’s words, “I was thinking about a new Cabernet Sauvignon project in honor of my wife even as I finished up my time at Patz & Hall in 2016 and early 2017. The original door I used on the 2014 Secret Door (purchased wine in process that we finished) was the inspiration. I wanted a name for this Cabernet Sauvignon that was literal – it’s easier to remember. I had the red door picture on my computer for probably 15 years and if you recall we all had “screen saver” software. My screensaver dipped into the pictures on the computer randomly and projected them. Each time the red door came up I would think “secret door” – so when I was looking for potential names I also stumbled across that same red door”. There is a lot more, but I will leave that for you to read on their website link.
Since the 2014 vintage Secret Door has used a different “secret” door picture each year. They have come from all over – France, Morocco, India, Greece, Sweden and the USA.
Click on links below to read more:
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Map from Wikipedia
While the name Secret Door is explained above, it may also mean that opening the door (bottle) will reveal new adventures. It definitely is for me with this wine. While the secret on how to make it may not be revealed, when tasting it Donald has remarkably kept this secret to himself! The Hirondelle Vineyard in the Stag’s Leap District is a legendary vineyard of distinction. Stag’s Leap District is the smallest AVA within the Napa Valley. The AVA covers mostly flat or gently rolling terrain. It is located just north of the City of Napa on the eastern side just off Yountville Crossroad. Secret Door has a small three-acre block planted with Clone 4 and was recently converted to organic farming.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Now the wine. In the glass a deep ruby coloration with royal purple hues and a medium-heavy viscosity greet the imbiber. On the nose, aromas swirl about in the olfactory senses of freshly picked black cherry and blueberries. On the palate, the symphony of flavors develops slowly and steadily and with resounding dynamic tastes of dark enticing fruits of blackberry and plum and secondary flavors of blueberries and raspberries. At the finish, hints of minerality and soft vanilla pipe tobacco guide the way for understanding the depth of the wine. Tannins are present with velvety “stickiness” yet silky. An extremely secret wine with a price tag of around $450/bottle for 750ml. This evening was a 1.5-liter bottle (assume at least 2X cost for this bottle). It was rated 96 points from Wine Advocate and came in at 14.5% alcohol. Only 300 cases of 750 ml bottles were produced.
This wine most definitely made my annual Best Wines tasted for 2026! Perhaps the real Secret is how fast you can get your hands on bottle!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Eating at Verona18, with one of the special’s was a rib eye steak. The steak was served over a bed of French fries with seasonal vegetables. The steak was cooked to a beauty medium rare perfection. This was an excellent food and wine pairing.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
These were some of the other wines enjoyed with a small group this last Friday.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly