A drink with… Napa Valley’s Ray Signorello

During harvest in 2017, Stephen Brook dined with Ray Signorello at his estate on Napa Valley‘s Silverado Trail. It was exceedingly hot that day, but neither of them imagined that just a few days later Signorello’s winery buildings would be reduced to ash by the fires that scorched Napa.

‘Fortunately, our vineyards survived. We plough between the rows, so there was no cover crop to catch alight and destroy the canopy above. Many of the vines are 35 years old, so irreplaceable. But it took two days before I was allowed back to the property. We crept in behind the CNN television crew, and only then could I assess the damage.

‘Everyone talks about building back better. Well, that’s what we decided to do. The new winery will be much bigger and so will the hospitality centre. And in the meantime we’re building wine caves into the hillside to give us more space. Gradually I’ll expand production, as we can still plant an additional five acres (2ha), but the growth won’t be dramatic. Signorello will still be a family estate producing about 5,000 cases each year.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of three vintages of Signorello’s Padrone

’There are changes to our production team too, I’ve hired Steve Matthiasson to advise on viticultural issues, and Celia Welch as our winemaking consultant. Both are highly respected in California. I’m looking for them to give more subtlety and refinement to our wines, and putting any hint of rusticity behind us. I’ve also trimmed down the range, although Padrone, our Bordeaux-style blend, remains the flagship wine. But Seta, a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, has been phased out, as has the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

‘The Estate Cab has been replaced by a blend called S. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a blend of some estate-grown fruit with grapes purchased from top sites in Rutherford, Howell Mountain and elsewhere in Napa. The sites are slightly warmer than our estate vineyards, so the wine is a bit more lush and forward. It’s made in the same way as Padrone, and aged in 70% new oak. At half the price of Padrone, it offers good value, especially in the context of Napa Cabernets.

‘I’m aware that in the future fires will again ravage our vineyards and structures, but I’m not going to lose sleep over that. We’re doing all we can to minimise the risk: pushing back foliage, putting much of the new winery underground and installing the latest hi-tech fire prevention measures. Fires are certain to remain a fact of life in California, but there’s no way I’m going to abandon the family winery.’

Signorello: three vintages of top cuvée Padrone, and more…

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