Bella Oaks Wine

Bella Oaks Wine. Bella Oaks Vineyard is located on the west side of Rutherford in the shadow of the Mayacamas mountains. This 13-acre site was planted by Dr. Bernard (Barney) and Ivabelle (Belle) Rhodes entirely to Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes from the property were first bottled as a vineyard designate by Heitz Cellar in 1973 and produced through 2007. The Rhodes were two of Napa valley’s most relentless supporters; their home on Bella Oaks Vineyard was the site of numerous parties and gatherings for friends, food and a remarkable wine cellar which numbered 10,000+ bottles. Chefs that cooked or attended their events included Michael Chiarello, Gary Danko and Julia Child among others. Treasured memories were created in their home for numerous residents of Napa Valley.

The Rhodes visited Napa Valley a number of times in the years following World War II; they purchased their first property in 1954 in Oakville, 44 acres which would eventually become the iconic Martha’s Vineyard after selling that site to Tom and Martha May in order for Barney to be closer to his work in Oakland. After several years of living in the Bay Area, they moved back to Napa Valley and in 1959 purchased the land which became Bella Oaks.

Barney was a dermatologist and before retiring was CEO of Kaiser Permanente. He was the founding president in 1963 of the Napa Valley Wine Library Association based in St. Helena; Barney’s Backyard, a small vineyard planted in his honor to a diversity of ‘mixed blacks’ grows next to the St. Helena Public Library. Belle was co-founder with Molly Chappellet (Chappellet Winery), Barbara Eisele and others of the Napa Valley Cooking Classes, originally held at Trefethen Vineyards in 1972. She worked for Robert Mondavi for 1.5 years beginning in 1967 when Mondavi Winery just opened. She amassed a significant collection of cookbooks which she eventually donated to Napa Valley College.

In the late 1980s the Rhode’s were hired as wine consultants for Cathay Pacific. Barney and Belle were not only ambassadors of food and wine for Napa Valley, but they were also strong supporters of music including the early years of Chamber Music in Napa Valley, a still active organization that brings concerts to Napa Valley primarily during the winter months. Through their efforts, select concerts were held in the caves at what was S. Anderson (currently the home of Clif Lede Winery). The Barney & Belle Rhodes tasting room at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone Cellars is named in their honor.

Belle died in 2007 and Barney a year later; both were in their late 80s. After their deaths, the property was owned by Jeff and Valerie Gargiulo of Gargiulo Vineyards. For a short while the Gargiulo’s bottled a Bella Oaks Vineyard designate. They sold the property in 2010 to art preservation specialist and advocate and Austin, Texas based Suzanne Deal Booth. From 2011 through 2015 grapes were purchased by and bottled at neighboring Staglin Winery where they vineyard designated a Cabernet Sauvignon called Booth Bella Oaks.

Suzanne hired David Abreu to manage the vineyard; his team replanted parts of the vineyard starting in 2011. The replanting included changing row orientation. Abreu suggested Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc be planted, so smaller sections of these varieties are also grown on the property. The vineyard is certified organic (CCOF) and farmed using biodynamic practices.

Barney’s Backyard, St. Helena

Five years after purchasing Bella Oaks, Booth acquired additional adjoining acreage, Fahrig Farm, owned by Pine Ridge. And in 2021, Booth purchased the former Swanson Vineyards winery, a 1.4 acre site. Prior to Swanson Vineyards, this property was home of another winery called Cassayre-Forni Cellars from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. Michael Forni was one of the partners; his grandfather Charles was one of the founding members of the Napa Valley Vintners Association. Eventually this site will become the production winery for Bella Oaks. In the meantime, all production for Bella Oaks occurs at Wheeler Farms Winery. Booth owns approximately 33 acres of which about 22 are planted to vine. Her properties are surrounded by premium vineyard neighbors including Scarecrow, Morisoli and Staglin, among others.

Booth has long been interested in art, having trained as an art historian and conservator. In 1998 she co-founded The Friends of Heritage Preservation, a charitable organization that funds art related preservation and conservation projects around the globe. Her other contributions to the art world include the Suzanne Deal Booth Welcome Center for the Rothko Chapel, a non-denominational space with 14 large paintings by Mark Rothko, located across the street from the Rothko Chapel in Houston. The chapel, founded in 1971 is a sacred space for displaying a variety of modern art.

Suzanne has also been recognized for Friends of Heritage Preservation; Turrell Skyspace, Rice University; Suzanne Deal Booth Rome Rome Prize in Preservation and Conservation at the American Academy in Rome; and Art Prize, The Contemporary Austin. She now divides her time between Napa Valley and Austin.

A visit to the Bella Oaks property reflects her artistic interests with several noteworthy sculptures and other pieces of outdoor art located on the grounds of Belle and Barney’s original home. Perhaps the most eye catching piece is an outdoor reflective ‘infinity mirror’ by artist Yayoi Kusama. There are only four of these in existence; one is in The Broad, a contemporary are museum in downtown Los Angeles. Another piece, a cantilevered metal sculpture by American sculptor, Joel Shapiro is painted bright red and is perched among surrounding tulips, which are also a matching bright red when they bloom in the spring.

Bella Oaks Vineyard is located on Bella Oaks Lane; the Bella Union Roadway was once located here and the nearby Bella Union Mining Company was in the Mayacamas mountains to the west. The Bella Union Mine was a quicksilver mine first discovered in the late 1860s and operated until 1931, although we have seen newspaper records indicating plans to reopen it in 1941. A St. Helena Star article dated June 30, 1876, indicated the mine shipped 27 flasks of quicksilver that week. And the nearby Bella Union Winery located in the old home for Provenance Vineyards, takes its name from these early Bella Union places.

The Bella Oaks label was modeled after a circular set of stones sourced from Dublin, Ireland that Booth installed in a grove of old Mission olive trees on the property. It is modeled after the medieval labyrinth built in the 13th century in Chartres, France. This ‘labyrinth’ is a piece of art in its own right, but is also a quiet place for meditation.

Select Wines
In 2021 Bella Oaks produced their inaugural companion label called Le Génie. This wine is meant to be enjoyed in its youth; it showcases an elegant style from grapes harvested from younger vines on the property.

The 2021 Bella Oaks Le Génie is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc. All three varieties were co-fermented together at a lower temperature for a slower fermentation. It spent 22 months aging in 76% new French oak barrels. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; the bouquet reveals aromas of tobacco spices, a very subtle herbal character which only enhances the aromatics and some floral nuances including violets and dried rose petals. As it evolves in the glass, it offers notes of dried apricots which is a scent we rarely note for Napa Valley red wines. The bouquet is restrained; we never would have guessed this is a 15% alcohol wine based on its more delicate aromas. The palate offers flavors of plum, cherry, blueberry and dark raspberry. The tannins are rounded with a very light dusty character. Their textural feel is best described as seamless. Finishes brightly. We don’t normally describe wines above 15% from Napa Valley as balanced, especially in their youth, but this bottling is already remarkably well poised.

The 2017 Bella Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby and opaque; it is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. This was the inaugural vintage of Bella Oaks. It was aged for 21 months in 70% new French oak barrels. It is deep ruby and opaque; the bouquet offers a diversity of aromas including plum, red cherry, dark raspberry, a thread of licorice, lavender, dried herbs and sweeter baking spices. The tannins are lightly grainy and broadly distributed; they parallel the flavors for some time with a note of tobacco spice and a drying character which ultimately outpaces the fruit. Its flavor profile is built upon red fruits rather than darker ones including cherry, plum, and currant and a light accompanying note of caramel. Bright. The mouth watering and juicy finish lingers with a light tartness of fruit. This wine is still very youthful seven years post vintage at the time of our tasting. If its first seven years are any indication of aging, this wine still has many years ahead of it before it peaks. It was aged for 21 months in 70% new French oak barrels.

Some two hundred olive trees are planted on the property including five Italian varieties and several Mission trees. Bella Oaks produces a very limited amount of olive oil each year.

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A 50th anniversary celebration of when wines were first planted at Bella Oaks Vineyard was held in New York City in 2023. Bottles were opened all the way back to the first vintage in 1976 including several other late 1970s vintages. The one consistency noted by those in attendance was how well the older wines had aged.

Winemaker Nigel Kinsman has made all vintages since 2017. Fortuitously, he and his wife Shae, currently the General Manager for Bella Oaks, purchased a bottle of 1976 Heitz Cellars Bella Oaks and enjoyed it merely several days before Booth called them asking Nigel if he would be interested in making the Bella Oaks wines. It was a decision that perhaps didn’t require too much thought; this was a unique opportunity to work with a remarkable vineyard and be a part of this site’s storied history.

Production has grown slowly; at the time of the latest update to this review Bella Oaks produces around 1,000 cases annually, split evenly among the two wines. Plans call for eventually producing a white wine from the property. The wine is primarily sold through a membership list but is also selectively available in several places in Napa Valley including ACME Wine Shop in St. Helena and through K. Laz Collection in Yountville. The first restaurant that carried Bella Oaks was the French Laundry.

Bella Oaks also produces a small quantity of certified organic, extra-virgin olive oil. It is a blend of five varieties grown on property (Frantoio, Leccino, Ascolano, Pendolino & Mission). Their 2023 olive oil was recently been awarded a silver medal at the 2024 California State Fair extra-virgin olive oil competition.

Wines are also set aside for new mailing list members to order. For more information and to join the membership mailing list, visit: www.bellaoaks.com