Tasting the wines of Napa original Freemark Abbey with winemaker Kristy Melton – Thursday 23rd July

Freemark Abbey is a Napa Valley original, with a winemaking legacy dating back to 1886.​

The only California winery to have had both a red and white wine in the line-up at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, its fame is indelibly tied to that era. In particular, it is heralded as a pioneer of single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, notably its acclaimed Bosché and Sycamore bottlings.

The Bosché vineyard, on the famed Rutherford Bench, was planted in the early 1960s, with cuttings then taken for Heitz’s Martha’s Vineyard, source of Napa’s first single-vineyard Cabernet; Freemark Abbey’s Bosché Vineyard Cabernet was the second, the first vintage appearing in 1970.

Ten years later, the winery secured exclusive rights to Sycamore Vineyard, which it has held ever since. Today the site lies adjacent to the vineyards of Staglin Family, To Kalon and Harlan Estate, and continues to yield distinctive, ageworthy Cabernet.

We’re delighted to welcome winemaker Kristy Melton to the Club for a tasting to explore these wines. After graduating in Biology and Animal Science at Angelo State University in her native Texas, Kristy’s part-time work at a winery in Maryland piqued an interest that was brought into focus by a family trip to Napa Valley. Suitably inspired, she enrolled at the University of California, Davis where she earned a Masters in Viticulture and Enology.

After roles at wineries including Kendall-Jackson and Saintsbury, Kristy made her name as Director of Winemaking at Clos du Val, where she was widely credited for leading the winery’s re-emergence as a leader in structured, balanced Napa Valley Cabernet. She took over as winemaker at Freemark Abbey in 2020.

We invite you to join her to discover these elegant, benchmark wines, with vintages going back to 2005.

The wines we will be tasting:
2023 Napa Valley Chardonnay Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley
2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley
2021 Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley
2015 Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley
2021 Bosché Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley
2015 Bosché Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley
2005 Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley
2005 Bosché Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley

Thursday 23rd July
St James’s Room
18:30 – Welcome reception
19:00 – Masterclass begins
20:30 – Masterclass ends

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