Kapcsándy Family Winery (pronounced Cup-chon-dy) is a small family owned and operated winery located just east of Yountville surrounded by premium vineyards and producers. This site was originally the Beringer leased State Lane property which produced some of the finest grapes for Beringer’s wines including the fruit for their first Private Reserve wine in 1979. The fruit from this property provided the basis for Beringer’s Private Reserve wine for 20 years.
Founder and owner, Lou Kapcsándy, who we met with on our first visit to the winery and subsequent visits was born in Budapest Hungary; Lou passed away in 2021 at age 85. While in Hungary he played soccer and was a youth reserve for the Hungarian National Soccer Team (the same team that was runner-up in the World Cup of 1954). After the Hungarian Revolution in July 1956, Lou fled the country, arriving to a refugee camp in Vienna. He eventually came to the USA, spoke no English and arrived in Newark, New Jersey where he was sponsored by a family. Later he worked as a chemical engineer in petroleum and pharmaceuticals engineering and design. Eventually he and his family settled in Seattle for 30 years where he worked for various companies including Flow Industries (where he helped develop a water jet cutter for cutting corrugated cardboard for cartons), Criton Corporation and later was CEO of Baugh Enterprises, a large industrial general contractor.
His first trip to the Napa Valley was in 1962 and subsequently he made many trips after this. He told us that he personally knew “all 14 winemakers” in the valley in the 1960s. Today that number would be measured in the hundreds – in the valley alone.
Lou has long been interested in fine wine and in 1999 co-founded Grand Cru Imports, a company that focused on importing fine wines from Bordeaux, Hungary and Spain.
Upon “retirement” Lou decided to follow his passion and with a little luck was able to find the property on State Lane (formerly a cattle farm which ceased operations in 1975). Today his son Louis Jr and daughter in law manage the winery operations. Lou has his own degree in winemaking from the UC Davis Extension program; several prominent winemakers have been Kapcsándy’s consultants over the years including Rob Lawson from Napa Wine Co and Dennis Malbec. Denis came to Kapcsándy from Chateau Latour, the First Growth estate in Bordeaux and tragically died in Yountville in a car crash in 2016. Renowned winemaker Helen Turley made the first several vintages and helped oversee the planting of their initial vineyards.
All wines are produced from fruit grown on the estate. The property is 20 acres of which 15.5 are planted nearly all to Bordeaux red varieties using Bordeaux clones. The one exception to this in their vineyard is the only block of Furmint grown in all of Napa Valley – a Hungarian white variety that grows in the Tokaj wine region. Lou brought back cuttings from Hungary, and planted about 1/2 an acre in 2007 (on the north side of the winery). Production on this wine is so small that it is only sold direct at the winery. The only other plantings of Furmint we are aware of in California include a small block at Chateau Buena Vista Winery in neighboring Sonoma County and limited plantings in the Russian River Valley. Napa Valley producer, Matthiasson produced a Furmint from the Limerick Lane Vineyard in the Russian River Valley in 2014.
Despite a relatively small piece of property there is a remarkable variety of soil types; their vineyards are separated into individual blocks. Initially satellite illumination studies were conducted on the property to best help determine which direction to plant the rows and how to deal with the angles of the sun depending on time of day and year. NASA provides Kapcsándy with 30-minute interval photography of their site over a span of time from March through October. The vineyards are farmed by hand and are farmed sustainable. The vineyard is also a bird habitat with a number of owl boxes, raptor perches and a creatively designed starling capture box.
Despite being on the valley floor the soils are rather shallow with an extremely hard clay layer beneath the topsoil – perfect terroir for stressing their red wine varieties.
Three things are held close to the vest at Kapcsándy Winery. One is the micro-management and quality of their vineyards, two – picking the grapes when they are physiologically ripe resulting in wines with lower alcohols and a subsequent freshness (usually between 13.5 and 14%) and lastly maintaining absolute cleanliness within the physical winery.
One does not taste any pyrazines or greenness in their wines (despite the lower alcohol). They harvest at lower brix and all of the grapes that make it to fermentation have been extremely carefully sorted. Grapes are hand-selected numerous times beginning after set in the vineyard dropping significant amount of fruit which doesn’t meet their exacting specifications. Once the grapes arrive in the winery, each bunch is picked out of the picking bins and loaded into a hopper which drops onto a conveyor belt, deliver the grapes to the sorting table.
The sorting table is particulary long; it was specially designed by Lou including channels on the table for depositing any non desirable grapes or MOG (material other than grapes). Preferring a gentle touch when it comes to harvesting the grapes and sorting, the winery employs only female vineyard workers. At times, 10-18 women are stationed along the sorting table. And during the winemaking attention to detail is paramount. Only the highest quality whole berries are allowed to go to fermentation, nothing else. The grapes are loaded into the tanks via a specialized centrifuge machine so as not to damage them. As Lou once told us, there is “no substitute for bringing in average ripe fruit”.
The winery is kept extremely clean, and a number of techniques and materials are used to ensure this. We have seen hundreds of wineries in Napa Valley; if we ever build a winery, it would be modeled on this one. There is no wood used in the construction materials of the winery or where the grapes are initially processed. Two adjoining barrel rooms, appropriately titled Pince 1 and Pince 2 – meaning cellar in Hungarian, contain their two most recent vintages. Both French and Hungarian oak are used to age the wine.
Kapcsándy Family Wines produced and bottled their first wine in 2003; it was called the Proprietary Red and was such a robust wine with such limited production that they held it back for several years before releasing. For a number of years, it was available exclusively at the winery. 2005 was the winery’s official inaugural vintage. For a small winery they produce a diversity of wines, but all in small amounts – usually in quantities of merely several hundred cases.
Select Wines
Whites/Rosé
The Kapcsándy Cabernet Franc reminds Lou’s son Louis of a rhapsody. So they decided to name one of their wines using the Hungarian word for rhapsody. The 2022 Kapcsándy Family Wines Rapszodia Rosé is a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot. This wine is deep copper in color; the elegant bouquet sports aromas of raspberry, orange peel, rose petals and a minerally character. As the wine continues to breath, its aromatics remain consistent. The palate echoes the bouquet to some extent with delicate flavors of raspberry, strawberry and slate rock. A lightly creamy texture contributes some noticeable weight. Superbly balanced across the palate, the finish is crisp and refreshing. Drinks very well by itself.
The 2008 Kapcsándy Family Wines Rosé is quite unique in Napa Valley. This is a robust rosé; it has flavor and character and body. How often have we said that about rosé’s produced in Napa Valley. It was aged entirely in stainless steel and stirred on the lees for 9 months and then went through malolactic fermentation. It is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It is deep copper in the glass; the bouquet shows floral aromas as well as strawberry and rhubarb. The mid palate is slightly creamy.
The 2023 Kapcsándy Family Wines Furmint is pale straw in color; the bouquet offers some beautiful floral aromas including honeysuckle and jasmine along with pineapple guava and pear. This wine is extremely aromatic even when chilled, and becomes more so when it is allowed to warm in thee glass. The palate reveals flavors of apple, pear, gooseberry, pomelo, grapefruit, green apple and pineapple guava. It also offers a citrus nuance including lemon and lime which lingers on the fresh and mouth-watering finish. The palate offers balanced and bright but not bracing acidity. For best results, pair with sushi rolls, a warm summer afternoon and a cold pool.
The 2017 Kapcsándy Family Wines Furmint is dried straw color in the glass; the bouquet is fruity with aromas of honeysuckle, guava, a wintergreen mint nuance, beeswax and green apple. This wine offers plenty of aromatic depth and keeps on giving as it continues to breathe. On the palate it shows a beautiful balance anchored by depth of flavor and a slight creamy texture. There are flavors of peach and apple along with a refined spice nuance and a mineral note. The finish persists for quite some time with bright acidity but mostly it is the fruit that keeps on giving. This bottling is a pleasure to enjoy by itself.
Reds
Some of Napa Valley’s finest Merlot is being produced at Kapcsándy. Several acres are planted close to the Napa River on the west side of their property located in a slightly cooler area on top of heavy clay. Because of its particular location it’s much easier to keep the sugars under control. They have matched the root stock and clone very well for this micro-climate. Lou says, “we are trying to resurrect the nobility of the Merlot grape.” And that they are doing very well. This wine has consistently earned very favorable reviews and top scores from prominent wine critics and writers.
The 2016 Kapcsándy Family Wines Roberta’s Reserve is 100% varietal Merlot; this wine is named after Lou’s wife Roberta (Bobbie). It is deep ruby and opaque; the bouquet sports initial aromas of coffee beans and leather which opens to its core of fruit as the wine evolves in the glass. We tasted this wine 8 years post vintage; it offers flavors of raspberry, red cherry, plum, cherry and chocolate. The grainy but well-integrated tannins anchor a savory finish and continue to persist for quite some time. This wine also lingers with a light herbal note including dried herbs accompanied by a subtle tartness. As compared to the 2014 Roberta’s Reserve which is more of a playful and easy showing, this bottling is an intellectual lesson in complexity and depth.
The 2014 Kapcsándy Family Wines Robert’s Reserve is 100% varietal Merlot. This wine is deep ruby; the bouquet is sweetly fruited with some light bottle bouquet influences. For reference, we tasted this wine 10 years post vintage. It offers aromas of raspberry, currants, a light red chili spice and a hint of chocolate. This wine is drinking extremely well and is in a sweet spot 10 years post vintage at the time of our tasting. Superbly balanced and seamless across the palate in terms of flavor, texture and acidity. It offers primarily red-fruited flavors of cherry, raspberry and currant. The tannins are comfortable, rounded and kiss the finish lightly with their texture. The 2014 red wines in Napa Valley were generally easy drinking and approachable in their youth. This wine still is.
Since 2015, Rapszodia has been 100% varietal Cabernet Franc. The 2018 Kapcsándy Family Wines Rapszodia is deep ruby and opaque; the bouquet initially offers secondary aromatics including petrichor, crushed rocks, violets and dried herbs. The fruit needs some time to be coaxed out and when it does, it is fruited magnificent with scents of dark cherry, blackberry, boysenberry nd dark raspberry. Balanced, bright and beautiful across the palate, it offers flavors of blackberry, plum and, dark currant. The tannins offer a lightly grainy texture and linger with a subtle grip. The finish is savory, with an almost sweet and sour character along with dusty and dried tobacco leaf.
The 2017 Kapcsándy Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin is 100% varietal; this wine is deep ruby and opaque. The bouquet is elegant, offering aromas of plum, blackberry and darker baking spices. Balanced with bright acidity, the finish persists with darker spices including a note of pepper, dried herbs and a noticeable nuance of dried tobacco leaf. Someone we were tasting with commented on its texture, “it has plenty of oomph but the tannins are rounded”. We might add another adjective here to describe their texture: polished. This wine is brightly lit across the palate and is still showing youthful, 7 years post vintage at the time of our tasting. And with that said, it has loads of life ahead of it with the proper cellaring.
The 2015 Kapcsándy Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin is a remarkable wine. It is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Deep ruby; the bouquet offers a variety of both fruit and herbs including dried thyme, plum and a hint of mocha as the wine continues to open. When a wine hits all the pleasure points as this one, it is often simultaneously approachable yet also complex. Big but balanced. The palate is weighed towards red fruit flavors including of cherry, currant and raspberry. The tannins are gravelly, show more on the front of the palate than the rear and linger with a light drying character. This wine is showing exceptionally well 9 years post vintage, and still has years of life ahead of it before it peaks.
The 2006 Kapcsándy Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby in the glass with spices and dark fruit on the bouquet. This is a rich wine; red and dark fruit flavors show throughout the palate accompanied by notes of leather, licorice and red currant. Well integrated flavors and mouth watering acidity ensure this is a versatile wine to pair with a variety of foods. The finish is exceptionally long and flavorful, anchored by ripe tannins. This wine is lower in alcohol than many contemporary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines, with a listed 13.7%.
The Kapcsándy Family Wines Estate Cuvee is always primarily Cabernet Sauvignon harvested from a number of blocks throughout the property. The 2021 Kapcsándy Family Wines Estate Cuvee is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% merlot. This wine is deep ruby/purple and opaque; the bouquet reveals scents of violets, cocoa powder, licorice, boysenberry and black berry along with a thread of assorted berry jams. This wine is intensely flavored across the palate, but caressed by a gentle and supple structure of tannins which seamlessly fit into the finish like a perfectly cut puzzle. The palate offers both red and darker fruits including assorted berries and plum.
The 2007 Kapcsándy Family Wines Estate Cuvee is a beautiful wine (it was released in September 2010). It is a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This is a dark wine with a very pleasing bouquet including aromas of dark chocolate and herbs; we think it’s even better integrated than the 2006. Layers of flavor are woven smoothly together with a tantalizing finish that is long and leaves traces of berry flavors. Both the entry and the finish are very clean. Like all their wines, this one is definitely built to age.
Dessert
The 2013 Kapcsándy Family Wines Vino del Sol (wine of the sun) is a port-style blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. This wine was aged 30 months in French oak barrels. Dark red, the bouquet initially offers aromas of spicy and toasted oak which soon morphs into brown chocolate, vanilla, coffee bean and ripe plum. Sweet and flavorful but not heavy or viscous, there is an ethereal lightness that runs the breadth of the palate. Offers flavors of black fig, raisin, but is not raisiny if that makes any sense, ripe blackberry and chocolate. Lingers with loads of flavor, a supple quality along with a dusty tannin feel that shows more in the front of the palate rather than in the rear. I do believe this has become one of our favorite port-style wines being produced from Napa Valley. Bottled as 500ml.
The 2007 Kapcsándy Vino del Sol is entirely Merlot however later vintages include other varieties grown on the property. This wine is perfectly enjoyable by itself; there is no burn from high alcohol (good quality grape brandy used) and this wine stays away from the sometimes-syrupy characteristics of some California port-style wines. A big part of enjoying this wine is the bouquet. The aromas are layered and elegant; one can keep on enjoying their scents as the wine opens. Black cherry and apricot flavors run the breadth of the palate finishing clean and smooth and with lingering notes of berry.
The last vintage of Vino del Sol was from 2014.
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Tours are always private and are for serious wine enthusiasts including mailing list customers or vetted referrals. Visits include an in-depth look at both their vineyard and cellar operations. The detailed tour includes a walk-through of the production portion of the winery and barrel rooms, and ends with a tasting in their elegant hospitality space. A minimum of four guests is usually requested.
For more information, to purchase wine, to schedule a tasting and or to join their mailing list or one of three allocation levels, visit: www.kapcsandywines.com
Furmint
Out of hundreds of premium producers in the valley, one should not forget about Kapscandy Winery and their beautiful wines. A *must* visit for serious wine enthusiasts.