A $1.6 million oops in Napa

pity_the_foolA Napa vintner hired a consulting enologist to cook him up a “cult” wine. It didn’t work out, the wine got flushed and the vintner is now suing the wine consultant to the tune of $1.6 million. See the Napa Valley Register for more details.

Who was that who said “I pity the fool who chases points”? Confucius? Mr. T?

12 Responses to “A $1.6 million oops in Napa”


  1. So, let’s see if I have this straight.

    Consultant made, score chasing wine? Check!
    Bought grapes and rented space? Check!
    Over 1500 cases produced? Check!
    Price per bottle right out of the gate? $200

    Napa Valley Hubris? Priceless!


  2. Damn it, Jean-Noel. I’m a consulting oenologist, not a magician. Now get me an ozone machine and a tub of megapurple and maybe I can still save this patient!


  3. Is there any way we can blame Robert Parker for thisi?


  4. She’s missing a great opportunity to market Napa Valley’s first $200 vinegar. Put a case of it into the Napa Valley Wine Auction.


  5. Mike, great idea. And they will undoubtedly pedantically explain to us dumb masses how “the valley” is so much better suited to producing aged vinegar than Modena.

    In reality, here is what I say happens to it. That juice still carries a Napa Valley appellation, and I have little doubt that it will be chemically manipulated into something vaguely palatable, blended with 15% Zinfandel or Petit Sirah from Lodi and end up in a heavy bottle with a classy label and sold as $50/bottle Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

    That’s just how they roll.


  6. Man, I don’t know what’s better; Dr Vino’s content or his commenters’ comments. (Ken over here in at Gold Hill in El Dorado County.)


  7. Robin C;

    In an indirect sense, absolutely. Parker has long been notorious for liking wines with elevated VA, often to the point that they would have traditionally been considered flawed. There’s little doubt in my mind that these clowns were deliberately attempting to produce a wine with elevated VA in hopes of landing the big score, but it just went out of control on them.


  8. What a backwards approach!! Gonna make a cult wine. How about making a wine that generates positive feedback and becomes a cult wine.

    This reminds me of the winery construction project on Hwy 46W that was intended to be flipped from the get-go. Bonehead approach.


  9. Denis Malbec? Chateau Posthole? Formeaux? Is this a joke?


  10. No joke. Just another day in Napa Valley. Place is practically another Texas A&M in that the jokes write themselves.


  11. “according to owner Jean-Noel Fourmeaux du Sartel, who goes by Fourmeaux.”

    Too funny. So the Napatude has finally reached the tipping point where they’ve taken up the practice of going by one name a’la Cher and Madonna?

    Napa Valley is to serious wine what Thomas Kinkade was to serious art.


  12. Schadenfreude


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