Retro Cellars is owned by Mike and Kara Dunn. Perhaps you recognize the last name; Mike’s father Randy Dunn is a winemaking and vineyard pioneer on Howell Mountain who was part of the original founding members of the Howell Mountain Appellation. Mike is currently cellarmaster at Dunn Vineyards and makes the Retro wines here. Both Mike and Kara have been involved in the wine industry for many years.
Kara works with several wineries in regard to their sales and marketing including running this part of the business for Retro Cellars. She is the daughter of notable Napa Valley vintner Robert Pecota, founder of Pecota Winery in Calistoga; later that winery was sold to Kendall Jackson for Atalon Wines and currently home to their Spire Collection. Interestingly, Robert was the agent that sold the land to Mike Grgich where he built Grgich Cellars.
Mike grew up in the cellar, is the winemaker and also helps manages the vineyards for both Dunn Vineyards and Retro Cellars. This is truly a family run affair and even their son Alex was involved in the business; he designed the artwork for their label. And today Alex helps oversee viticulture at Dunn Vineyards. Mike is a man of many talents; he used to own and operate Calistoga Bike Shop, selling both road and mountain bikes and still remains involved in the biking industry. He also is a member of a local Rock band called The Last Resort.
This is a unique opportunity to try wine from a very small producer whose focus is on Petite Sirah, but who also produces several other red wines each year. Refreshingly for a Napa Valley based producer, Retro Cellars does not make a Cabernet Sauvignon.
For many years the grapes for their Petite Sirah came from the Park Muscatine vineyard on Dunn Vineyards. However, in 2016 this old block of Petite Sirah was replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon. This 3+ acre vineyard was planted well over 60 years ago and the yields were extremely low – as in 1/2 ton to a ton per acre. Normally vintners would have pulled these vines out sooner, but Retro was able to prolong some of the vines by carefully nurturing new suckers to grow and eventually produce when the main part of the vine has died. In addition, they replanted new vines as necessary. The vineyard is located at an elevation of about 1,800 feet.
Before the vines were pulled out, we had a chance to walk the vineyard and could clearly see why the yields were so low. Some of the vines hardly had any fruit set, while some vines had just a few clusters. The vines had no trellising, the spacing was quite wide as was favorable during the years when it was originally planted. The soils are reddish and very rocky; this is good terroir for growing these types of grapes. For many years the grapes from this vineyard was sold to notable Napa Valley wineries such as Stags’ Leap Winery, La Jota and Elyse Winery. Fortunately, Mike was able to convince his father to let him use the grapes and Retro released their first commercial vintage in 2003.
Looking for additional grapes and to increase production, in 2005 Mike planted another acre nearby in the Lake Vineyard using bud wood from the parent vineyard; this block is called Los Abuelos, meaning ‘the children’ in Spanish. About 15% of the budwood was not Petite Sirah, rather it was the red variety Peloursin, the little mentioned variety that was crossed with Syrah to produce Petite Sirah. Other than perhaps in some old mixed black vineyards still somehow in existence in Napa Valley including in Biale Winery owned Aldo Vineyard in the city of Napa, this is the only vineyard and producer we have come across that is growing and bottling a varietal labeled Peloursin wine.
The first vintage of Retro Cellars was a 2003 Petite Sirah. And Mike also sources Petite Sirah from a vineyard in Pope Valley, located to the east of Howell Mountain.
Select Wines
Peloursin
The 2023 Retro Cellars Rosé of Peloursin (100% varietal) is medium copper in color; the bouquet is both elegant and fruity with scents of raspberry, watermelon, lime infused water and a hint of pink grapefruit. Balanced and bright, the palate sports flavors of lemon/lime, not fully ripe raspberry, rhubarb, pink pomelo and pomegranate. Finishes quick, soft and lingers with a light note of dill. Brightly lit on the palate. Based on its flavor profile we would like to think we could pick this out of a lineup of other Napa Valley rosé wines from the same vintage. The texture is silky and supple, like running one’s hand across a thick cashmere sweater. This wine is easy drinking and highly enjoyable by itself and is fully ripe at a refreshingly low 11% alcohol. We could drink this all afternoon by the pool.
The 2020 Retro Cellars Rosé of Peloursin Howell Mountain is salmon/copper colored in the glass; offers aromatics of tangerine, rhubarb stalk, light notes of citrus blossom, slate rock after the first rain and hints of wild strawberry. This wine is nicely balanced between flavor, acidity and texture. The length of the palate offers a rounded and slightly creamy textural feel with flavors of strawberry, raspberry, and a minerality note. Lingers with a refreshing brightness along with a subtle hint of dried parchment paper, deep into the finish. We could easily see ourselves enjoying this wine while waiting for ribs to cook on the BBQ.
Peloursin is one of the parents of Petite Sirah; it is a red grape with very limited plantings in California. When Kara researched the crop report, she found not even a single acre reported in California. At their vineyard, it was interplanted among other varieties. They produced a standalone wine of this variety in 2015, the only year to date they have done so. This rosé was the only wine they produced in 2020 due to the resulting smoke taint from the Glass Fire.
In 2023 Retro Cellars produced a sparkling wine from Peloursin using the Méthode Champenoise. Mike initially wanted to produce a Pet Nat from Peloursin but when he realized he would have to bottle this during harvest, he decided against it. These wines are riddled by hand using several riddling racks within the Dunn Vineyards wine cave. Peloursin is already an extremely unique variety, but to make sparkling from this grape takes the unique factor to another level.
Syrah
The 2018 Retro Syrah is deep ruby and nearly opaque; dark fruited and spicy the bouquet offers aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, dark cherry, toasted cedar, white pepper, and dried sage and tobacco spice. As the wine evolves it opens to some lighter nuanced barrel influences including coffee grinds and espresso. Bright, fresh, balanced, savory and a union of both red and darker fruits, this wine tastes like Santa Rosa plum, cherry, blackberry, boysenberry with additional notes of smoked sage and dust. We love the thread of acidity that runs the length of the palate. Finishes with gravelly, tumbled and well tamed tannins for such an elevated site. Its texture has most certainly been softened by time in the bottle; for reference we tasted this beauty 7 years post vintage.
The 2017 Retro Cellars Syrah Howell Mountain is dark ruby with purplish tinges on the rim; the aromatics are initially dark fruit (plum and blackberry), gamey, mushroom-esque and earthy. There are many layers in this bouquet, and it keeps evolving nicely in the glass. Also shows notes of violets, old cedar wood, and mocha. The early savory notes open to more fruit as the wine breathes. This wine is richly flavored across the palate and still very energetic some 4 years post vintage at the time of our tasting. The depth and layers continue on the finish with dark spice notes and gravely dark tannins which continue to persist beyond the fruit. Also lingers with hints of dried tobacco leaf. Some Syrahs are overly peppery on both the bouquet and the palate. This is not one of those bottlings. This is a big, bold and beautiful mountain grown Syrah; we might suggest enjoying this wine with smoked hot ribs straight from the BBQ. Plenty of life ahead of it. The 2017 vintage was Retro’s first ever bottling included on the wine list at the French Laundry.
The first vintage of Retro Cellars Syrah was in 2016.
Petite Sirah
The 2016 Elevation Petite Sirah is from the upper parcel of the Lake Vineyard (formerly a walnut orchard) and was aged for 32 months in 100% new French oak barrels. During its aging it was racked approximately every six months. This wine is deep ruby in color and opaque; the initial floral aromas lift the bouquet nicely including scents of violets and lavender while being strongly supported with loads of darker fruits including blackberry, plum and black cherry. It also offers accompanying layers of spices including tobacco, red chili, dried sage and old cedar. Fresh, bright and balanced, on the palate there are flavors of Santa Rosa plum, red cherry, currant, dried herbs and a lasting note of white pepper. Finishes brightly lit with grainy and gravelly tannins persisting in tandem with the fruit on the finish. This is an ideal summer time outdoors wine to enjoy while grilling something tasty on the BBQ.
The 2009 Retro Cellars Old Vine Petite Sirah is 13.2% alcohol. This wine boasts mouth filling juiciness with layers of flavor and is perfect proof that there are other vine factors that go into making a complex wine besides extended hang-time resulting in extremely high brix. The bouquet shows sweet dessert spices with both muddled black and red cherry aromas leading to a dark-fruited palate featuring chewy and persistent tannins. Features an extended and extremely satisfying finish.
The 2005 Retro Cellars Petite Sirah which at the time of our tasting was not quite yet released has even more fruit than the 2004 vintage. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to find as only 125 cases were made. As expected, this wine is just as dark as the earlier vintage. Earthy aromas lead to a rich core of blueberry and blackberry on the palate complemented by a vivacious acidity and a persistent grip of robust tannins which far outpace the fruit at this age. We would love to try this wine again in 10-20 years.
The 2004 Retro Cellars Petite Sirah; one knows this wine is going to have some structure just by looking at it. It is incredibly dark; one is soon wowed by the bouquet. Rich aromas of dark chocolate mingle with blackberry and hints of smoke. The palate is juicy, spicy and dense with tons of fruit. There are notes of leather, graphite, tobacco and attractive flavors of blackberry. The tannins are grippy and chalky with a finish that lingers for quite some time. This wine is a meant to be paired with a big juicy steak.
Zinfandel
The 2017 Retro Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel Chiles Valley is medium to dark ruby in color; the bouquet has plenty of aromatic character with aromas that are immediately savory, gamey, mushroom-like and with old leather. Beef jerky, grilled meats, old cedar box and crushed peppercorns. We love it! The savory and gamey notes on the nose are also represented on the palate. Juicy and mouthwatering, this wine lingers with flavors of bright red cherry, currant and cranberry. It is a very lively showing with a lingering tartness and still somewhat tightly woven tannins sporting a moderate long-lasting grip. Looking for an over ripe, jammy and sweet Zinfandel? Please look elsewhere. Aged in primarily used oak barrels.
Retro is an ideal name for the brand – a retrospective if you will which taken as its literal definition is “looking or directed backward”. The name is a tribute to their family as well as a throwback to earlier days of winemaking in California. Methods that used to be common in the wine industry but are no longer common are still “in vogue” at Retro Cellars including head pruned vineyards and harvest decisions which favor restraint. We have seen statistics that up to 80% of Napa Valley’s vineyards are under the management of vineyard management companies; that is not the case here, Mike oversees the management of their vines and is also the winemaker for Retro Cellars.
The Retro wines are often in the 13% alcohol range, similar or lower to the alcohol levels of the Dunn Vineyard wines; however Retro’s wines are never de-alchoholized by reserve osmosis.
Their total production is merely several hundred cases annually with very select distribution in just a handful of states. Locally one can sometimes find the wine at Backroom Wines in the city of Napa. For more information, to order current releases, or to join the Mountain Keepers, their 6 or 12 bottle wine club, visit: www.retrocellars.com
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