R.A. Harrison Family Cellars (not to be confused with another Napa Valley based winery William Harrison) is run by Roger Allen Harrison who spent 32 years at Beringer Winery working on their Nightingale wine project before leaving in 2014 to concentrate on his own wines. He was trained on making botrysized wines (noble rot) by the husband wife team of Myron and Alice Nightingale when they were at Beringer.
The Nightingales hold near mythic status at Beringer, and all the late harvest wines Roger made for Beringer carried their name on the label. For Beringer’s Nightingale wine he grew all the botrytis spores himself on cultures that have been continuously grown at Beringer since the 1970s. When Roger was working at Beringer Vineyards, he gave us a private tour of the portion of Beringer’s winery where the spores are cultivated (the production facilities are located across the highway from their hospitality center and historic caves). After the grapes are harvested, they are brought into the winery where they are laid out on trays and then sprayed with the botrytis spores.
If you’ve never seen advanced stages of botrytis cinerea covering grapes, you are not missing much. It looks like rotting fruit and one might ask: “how can these grapes end up being in a wine that tastes so incredibly good?” But these types of wines will always only appeal to a very niche consumer group. They are expensive to make and are sweet; finding someone who truly appreciates these wines is always challenging. As a result of market demands, varying conditions in the vineyards and efforts needed to craft this style of wines, there is only one other winery in Napa Valley who consistently produces this type of wine every year (Dolce at Far Niente).
R.A. Harrison Vineyards was very unique in that initially their entire production was botrysized late harvest wines. While R.A. Harrison no longer produces these wines, they continue to produce other dry wines including a rare for Napa Valley, 100% varietal Cabernet Franc, a 100% varietal Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc. And all these wines are crafted in extremely limited quantities – typically under 150 cases.
The first vintage of R.A. Harrison was in 2006. Unlike the Sauterne style wine Roger made for Beringer he was at the whim of mother nature with his own late harvest wines. He did not grow the botrytis spores himself, rather he let nature take its course. This is riskier as botrytis spores need certain conditions late in the year to actually grow and some years, they did not develop at all, and or did not develop to the extent needed.
Other challenges of only producing late harvest wines is harvesting well after the rest of the vineyards in the valley have been picked. Roger lost a significant portion of one of his harvests due to flocks of birds who devastated one of his vineyard sources within a matter of a day or two. All his Sauvignon Blanc came from the Gamble Vineyard in Yountville which has some of the most sought-after Sauvignon Blanc in Napa Valley.
All the R.A. Harrison wines are distinctive and unique. No cookie cutter bottlings here. They are harvested to be physiologically ripe, but never over ripe, and that is a very important distinction. Their balance is always an important attribute. The red wines are always bottled unfiltered and unfined.
Select Wines
Whites
The 2023 R.A Harrison Sauvignon Blanc, Zosia Napa Valley (Carneros) is pale straw in color; the elegant bouquet offers aromas of citrus blossom, honeysuckle, star jasmine, white peaches, white nectarines and pineapple. On the palate there are flavors of stone fruits including peaches and apricot, accompanied by red apple, comise pear, pineapple, passion fruit and pineapple guava. Lingers delicately with both fruit and a bright acidity. Perfectly balanced between flavor, acidity and texture this wine is a pleasure to drink. Its a bright union of southern Napa Valley freshness coupled with ample California ripeness. So easy to drink. Pair with grilled shrimp.
Reds
The 2021 R.A. Harrison Zosia Sonoma Valley Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and smaller amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is deep ruby in color; sweetly fruited, the bouquet reveals aromas of cherry liqueur, a hint of dried prunes, boysenberry jam, and dark figs, accompanied by baking spices including nutmeg. On the palate there are flavors of dark plum, blackberry, dried herbs and blood orange. The palate is bright with gravelly, grainy, dense and very youthful textured tannins. A persistent dusty character is broadly felt and ultimately outruns the fruit on the finish. Savory. This wine begs to be paired with some protein, perhaps a lightly marbled tri-tip from the BBQ. 13.8% alcohol. For reference, we sampled this wine from the bottom of a bottle which had nearly been emptied via the Coravin.
The 2021 R.A. Harrison Zosia Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley is deep ruby and nearly opaque; the bouquet is focused on its core fruit characteristics with the oak providing lighter complementary influences. It offers aromas of Santa Rosa plum; since the grapes for this wine were grown in Sonoma County – we will make a shoutout to horticulturist Luther Burbank who introduced this particular plum, named after the city where he lived. But there are additional aromas here including blackberry, dark raspberry, suede leather and lightly toasted oak. Bright, fresh and bursting with energy, the primarily red-fruited palate offers flavors of cherry, plum, currant and cranberry with dried herbs including sage and bay leaf. The firmly gripping, chewy and dusty tannins are broadly felt across the palate. And they don’t relinquish their grip for quite some time. Along with a noticeable texture, the finish lingers with an herbal and lightly astringent character.
The 2019 R.A. Harrison Zosia Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec and 1% Merlot with grapes from Oakville and Calistoga. This wine is deep ruby in color; the engaging and playful bouquet is driven by its primary fruit (rather than secondary characteristics). It offers scents of bramble focused on blackberry, dark plum and cherry accompanied by leather, old cedar box and a subtle hints of chocolate deeper and mocha in the background. The palate is ripe with an approachable texture. This wine reveals sweetly fruited flavors of plum, blackberry, cherry and dark raspberry with notes of chocolate, slowly exposed as the wine evolves in the glass. The tannins are resolved, ripe and rounded – and their light to medium chalky textural grip is seamlessly integrated into the finish. Certain wines we sometimes label with a generic description of ‘crowd pleaser’ – this wine falls into that category.
The 2021 R.A. Harrison Zosia Cabernet Franc, Coombsville Napa Valley (100% varietal) is deep ruby in color; the bouquet offers aromas of water being poured on hot slate rock on a hot day, red chili spices, a subtle note of shishito pepper, plum, cherry, sweet pipe tobacco, bittersweet chocolate, dried flowers and old cedar box – an aroma that always reminds us of a velvet lined jewelry box gifted to us by our grandmother years ago and a memory we often reference when it comes to wine. On the palate there are flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, dark mulberry and dark chocolate. Its textural presence is plush, with lightly grainy tannins presenting a pleasing tension between acidity and fruit. Lingers with a note of dried tobacco leaf, red fruits and a persistent dusty character. It is already well balanced at the time of our tasting, 3 years post vintage.
The 2019 R.A. Harrison Zosia Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Napa Valley is deep ruby and with an amaranthine rim; the bouquet is a pleasing union of darker ripe and sweet fruits and baking spices including blackberry, boysenberry, plum, cherry along with nutmeg, clove, chocolate, mocha and cocoa powder. The palate somewhat mirrors the bouquet including flavors of dark raspberry, dark cherry, plum and boysenberry. Noticeable immediately is this wine’s plush texture and gentle softness of the tannins. Their texture is dusty and chalky – offering fine grained particles. This wine shows the ripeness of Oakville without ever straddling being overripe, either on the bouquet or the palate. Balanced acidity. It is a pleasure to drink by itself.
The 2017 R.A. Harrison ‘Zosia’ Petit Verdot (from Rutherford) spent 31 months in oak but does not smell or taste over oaked. A rare offering of a Napa Valley produced 100% Petit Verdot varietal; this wine is very approachable from the attack through to the finish. The palate offers lovely texture with some noticeable density of both fruit and tannins – yet everything is integrated nicely. It drinks well in its youth.
Dessert
The 2014 R.A. Harrison Nobility is a bend of 50% Sémillon and 50% Sauvignon Blanc; the Sauvignon Blanc was sourced from Gamble Ranch in Oakville and the Sémillon from Knights Valley in Sonoma County, just north of Calistoga. This wine is deep gold in color, almost amber looking; the bouquet immediately offers sweet aromas of honey, ripe peach and also some floral and tropical fruit notes. It also shows a hint of citrus and crème Brule and caramel. The palate is a ‘wow’ for lovers of this style of wine with both its intensity of flavor richness and noticeable sweetness. Texturally, the wine is creamy and slightly viscous across the palate with flavors of canned peach, apricot, honey and nectarine. This wine won’t be dropping off in quality for decades.
The 2006 R.A. Harrison late harvest Sauvignon Blanc is best served at about 45 degrees and will of course open up and produce slightly different flavors and aromas as it warms up. This is a delightful wine that was tank fermented; it offers ample aromas of honey on the nose. Ripe apricot and flavors of pear appear served at this cold temperature with hints of sage showing on the palate as this wine warms and opens up. Priced reasonably – this is a good value.
We also had the privilege of sampling a 50/50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon which had not yet been bottled. These two varieties form the base for the higher end Nobility wine. It was tasting excellent at this young age with a bouquet more oak driven then the final product will actually reflect. This wine spends 18 months in oak and then another year in bottle. By the end of its year of bottle aging, the fruit flavors will come around and the oak will subside.
Subsequently we tried 2008 and 2009 vintages of the Nobility. The 2009 vintage was harvested at a higher sugar level. Both vintages are rich examples of this type of wine – to be savored slowly enjoying the complexities of flavor across the palate. These wines will only get better as they age.
Roger did not make a 2012 vintage of the Nobility because the grapes were not yet ready to pick at the end of November. And then 11 days of rains fell which caused the fruit to swell up with water, the sugar dropped, and a mold developed that is not conducive for making this type of wine. From 2006 until 2015, R.A. Harrison sourced grapes for the dessert wines from Gamble Ranch and from Knights Valley in neighboring Sonoma County. The grapes were pulled out in favor of planting Cabernet Sauvignon. The last of the dessert wines produced by R.A. Harrison were in 2016 from a site along Yountville Cross Road; these grapes were also pulled out to plant Cabernet Sauvignon.
Since closing the door on the R.A. Harrison dessert wines, Roger has selectively consulted on similar wines including at Round Pond and most recently at Alpha Omega. In regard to his own desert wines, he freely admits that he will probably be long gone before they ever sell out, referring to the very niche market for these types of wines.
Based on Roger’s work at Beringer with their late harvest wines, it can be theorized that his own wines will age extremely well and he already has the track record with R.A. Harrison to prove this. Note that the older vintages usually gain in color turning more amber and picking up nutty flavors including caramel and crème Brule.
Vintner’s Collective
Roger’s wines used to be available at Ma(i)sonry in Yountville, but since the acquisition of that tasting salon by Restoration Hardware and the subsequent changes they made, the R.A. Harrison wines are now available for tasting at Vintner’s Collective, a multi winery tasting room focusing on premium mostly Napa brands located in downtown Napa. Vintner’s Collective is also the city of Napa’s oldest collective tasting room.
Vintner’s Collective showcases wines from a select group of mostly Napa Valley based producers – most of which do not have their own tasting rooms. And it’s not easy to have one’s wines represented here. Vintner’s Collective has an in-depth vetting process to make sure the wines match what their customers are interested in, including varieties, price points and wine styles.
The tasting flights differ everyday which is certainly part of the appeal for visitors. Unless you are acutely tuned into the world of boutique Napa Valley producers, you probably will never have heard of any of the labels that are being poured, and that is not a bad thing. These wines represented are typically from producers who have a maximum production of 1,000 cases annually. A number of tasting flights are offered – geared towards all levels of wine interest and prior knowledge.
Walk-in customers are generally welcome if space allows but appointments can also be requested including for more private tastings hosted upstairs. Appointments for a private tasting with Roger can be made ahead of time, although of all the vintners represented here, Roger is the one most often here.
One might also be able to find select vintages at V Wine Cellars in Yountville. For more information, or to join the mailing list or wine club, visit: www.raharrisonfamilycellars.com
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