The Collection

AuburnJames Reserve Chardonnay

Matt and Marie Ospeck (Notre Dame Parents)

Synonymous with infinite energy and meaning Most Special, 1001 is the family’s winery address on Napa's famed Silverado Trail and designates the highest tier for handcrafted wines. Blended from sunshine bathed golden fruit cooled by evening bay breezes, this Carneros Chardonnay excites the palate with apricot, juicy pear, pineapple and sliced apple. Well integrated French oak is balanced with creamy textures to the finish.

Artwork: Maratti, Carlo. Blessed Virgin Reading. 1700

Bargetto La Vita

John Bargetto '88 MBA

*Not yet available for release. 

Bargetto Winery produces a fine red wine blended with three Italian varietals: Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Refosco. La Vita (“the life” in Italian) is a unique blend of Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Refosco, all Santa Cruz Mountains-Regan vineyards estate grown northern Italian red varietals. This wine is a complex wine of elegance and structure.

The wines were fermented in small wood bins, hand-punched during fermentation and pressed with a small basket press. Depending on the vintage, the wines are aged separately in oak barrels for two to two and a half years. Towards the end of cellar aging, the wines are blended to create a unique wine consisting of the three Italian Varietals.

Brutocao Uber Tuscan

Dr. Rudi & Diana Brutoco

Casa Piena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Carmen and Gail Policy (Notre Dame Parents)

*Not yet available for release 

This vintage exhibits a remarkable amount of dark-fruited concentration and earthy complimentary structure. Typically, the Casa Piena wines lean more towards red-fruited character on the palate, however this year we discover a different set of aromatic and palate notes to keep us engaged and intrigued.

Whether this is the result of concurrent drought years or the vines developing with age, the finished result in the glass is absolutely stunning. The 2021 Casa Piena exhibits a dark purple hue, with a violet rim. A robust wave of aromatic notes suggest licorice, clove, spearmint and loam. The palate trajectory is defined by a mouth-coating array of opulent flavors that include blackberry reduction, cassis, cinnamon, pine bough and river rock. This is a complete wine that offers a wealth of enjoyment today. With a handful of years in the cellar it will continue to unfurl and reveal even more layers as the years go on.

Louis Martini 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon

Joseph E. Gallo '62, Stephanie Gallo '94, and Joseph C. Gallo '98

Classic and well-structured, the Louis Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon brims with soft and approachable notes of black plum and wisps of fennel on the nose. Layers of dark cherry and cassis are unscored by hints of black licorice and a gravelly earthiness. The oak is well-integrated, imparting notes of sweet aromatics, resin and a bit of torn mint on the long finish. This wine is incredibly enjoyable now and will age for years to come.

Artwork: Baugin, Lubin. The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John and Two Angels. 17th century

Lucas & Lewellen Valley View Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Louis Lucas '63

Louis Lucas ‘63, a third generation grape grower, and Superior Court Judge Royce Lewellen met in 1975 through the Santa Maria Wine & Food Society. Louis was a well respected grower who had been supplying premium wine grapes for reputable Napa and Sonoma wineries for decades. Royce Lewellen was a passionate wine enthusiast with a vision for the future of the Santa Barbara County wine industry. Over the next twenty-five years, the Lucas and Lewellen families would grow in a deep friendship that would serve as the foundation for Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, a Solvang, California based winery with four hundred estate acres situated among three of Santa Barbara County’s separate and distinct climate zones, three major wine labels, two popular tasting rooms in downtown Solvang, and a state of the art winery. Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards has a distributor presence in 25 states and 14 countries. Lucas, was a walk-on in football and track, and Monogram winner in track.

Artwork: Vigée-LeBrun, Elisabeth Louise. Marguerite Baudard de Saint James, Marquise de Puysegur. 1786

Perchance Estates Beckstoffer Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon

Heath and Carey Fear (Notre Dame Parents)

*Not yet available for release.

In the glass, the wine presents a rich, deep garnet color that is inky-purple to the rim. The nose is lifted and intoxicating, with notes of cassis, dark plums, graphite, and artisan chocolate.

On the palate, the wine is expansive and layered, with wave after wave of concentrated dark fruit that focuses on the blue fruit spectrum for which this vineyard is known. The mid-palate is velvety and silky, with impeccably balanced density that leads into a luxuriously long and powerful finish that lingers for minutes. This particular vintage expertly showcases the distinctive qualities of the Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III and embodies everything that makes the Rutherford appellation so renowned. The wine's nuanced flavors, rich texture, and exceptional quality all speak to the region's unique terroir.

While the wine can certainly be enjoyed upon release with a decant, it will continue to evolve and gain further complexity over the next 25 years or more.

PLACT 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

Rick Mirer '93

Sunrise Vineyard is named for its picturesque view as the sun rises over the vineyard on the eastern hills every morning. It’s located in the Estrella District, a 66,800-acre area of valley floor and river floodplain, 745 to 1,800 feet above sea level. Vineyards are planted on a series of terraces and foothills of various slope angles and aspects. The terroir is perfect for growing premium grapes -- warm days lead to cool nights, moderate soil rooting depths control vine vigor, and tempered water stress produce complex fruit flavors.

PLACT 2018 Chardonnay

Rick Mirer '93

Parr Vineyard is located in the North Coast Appellation of Knights Valley. The location, with its ideal soils and climate, makes for a perfect area to grow Chardonnay.

Nestled in the remote Sonoma mountains and influenced by Mt. St. Helena, the days are warm and the nights are cool. The Vineyard is a very cool and foggy site that ripens the grapes slowly with racy acidity. The soil is comprised of sandy loam - perfect for Chardonnay.

Color: bright, shiny yellow gold with touches of mercury on the rim
On the nose: explosion of toasted brioche, pear, banana, apricot and quince paste with creme brulee, citrus blossom, and orange peel
On the palate: round entrance evolving on a fresh mid-palate with touches of caramel and lemon yogurt, lingering on a beautiful acidity"