Shadybrook Estate Winery

Shadybrook Estate Winery is located at Rapp Ranch in Coombsville, east of the city of Napa. Proprietors, David & Alice Alkosser first purchased property in Napa Valley in 2005 in Coombsville, prior to it being an approved viticultural area. Both have enjoyed fine wine for many years having furthered their education through travel to some of the world’s most well-known wine regions. Alice became interested in wine while studying Food Chemistry at UC Davis, while pursuing her degree she also took viticulture and oenology classes. After graduating she worked for a number of prominent food companies including Hunt Wesson and Gerber’s Baby Foods.

David graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in engineering and began working as an industrial engineer post-graduation. He and Alice met, married in 1980 and built their own real estate business including real estate development.

As Alice recalls, “In 2005 our intent was to simply purchase a small home with maybe two bedrooms and two bathrooms overlooking someone else’s vineyards”. Their plan went accordingly but the allure of owning their own vineyard piece of Napa was too strong. They acquired two adjoining parcels of land for a total of 25 acres; 12 are planted to several clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder to the four other primary Bordeaux red varieties.

Initially they decided to sell the grapes to other producers – however after being introduced to winemaker Rudy Zuidema they jointly decided to make a barrel of wine from each block in the vineyard to better understand the quality of their grapes. They were also approached by other premium wineries to purchase their grapes. Alice remembers a call one day from Rudy that went something like this, “I’m sorry but you cannot sell these grapes any longer”. Fearing the quality of the grapes might be an issue, Alice questioned Rudy. “You have no choice”, Rudy said, “you need to make wine”. In reality, Rudy quickly realized the quality of their site was excellent and it would be a shame if the the Alkosser’s didn’t make their own wine.

The first vintage of Shadybrook Estate was from 2010. Rudy has made their wine since day one. Three years later they expanded their efforts in Napa Valley with the purchase of the 156-acre Secret Rows Ranch in Pope Valley from winemaker Mitch Cosentino. This three contiguous parcel property is now known as Alko Ranch and still houses the original building that Cosentino used for his CE2V wines. Shadybrook also uses some of the grapes from this property in their Shadybrook Wines. This ranch was aptly named in reference to a ‘secret’ cutting taken from Italy many years ago.

Original CE2V Winery on Alko Ranch

Alko Ranch, Pope Valley

Rapp Ranch
On February 1, 2016, the Alkossers purchased an additional 25 acres tucked away in the hills of Coombsville. Their purchase included the existing Chateau Lane Winery located only about 2 miles from where they both live. They purchased this property from the D’Ambrosio family who at that time were producing wines under a brand called Verisimo and also Essere Franco. Verisimo wines are no longer being produced but Essere Franco was purchased by a group of Canadian based partners and are still producing.

This is a very unique property in Napa; along with the winery and 12 acres of vineyards are existing horse stables, related facilities and an Olympic sized indoor horse arena. The ranch is named after its founders Jerry and Nancy Rapp; Jerry owned and operated a Holiday Inn near San Francisco International (SFO) for nearly 20 years before selling and purchasing this property in 1978.

He began building the ranch in 1979; it was a premier Quarter horse breeding facility for many years and produced a number of champion cutting horses. Ultimately it became one of the largest ranches of its kind on the west coast. According to an article in the August 25, 1981 issue of The Napa Valley Register, the Rapp’s had 38 horses on the property that year. They also maintained a herd of cattle numbering nearly 100 animals.

Their son Phil is the reason why his father entered the business of raising cutting horses; at age 6 Phil showed an interest in these particular horses and spent the rest of his lifetime dedicated to riding cutting horses. He operates Rapp Ranch in Weatherford Texas, is in the NCHA Rider Hall of Fame Open Division and is the NCHA all time money earner. Pretty heady stuff with his early success coming while growing up on his parent’s Napa property.

According to an article in the August 15, 1983 issue of The Napa Valley Register the Rapp’s hosted a horse auction, netting $600,000 in sales. Some of the Rapp horses that year were valued at 2 million dollars each. The event attracted more than 800 buyers from around the country including some well-known personalities such as William Shatner of Star Trek Fame.

Coombsville wineries are under the radar, they are all small and include a number of producers who don’t have their own physical production facilities. This property is unique in the region in that they can host events and have the space to do so. In addition, a commercial kitchen is located on site and private food and wine events can be arranged through the winery including lunches or dinners with usually a minimum of 12 people. Their space is also ideal for small corporate events.

Alko Equestrian Center

Visitors to the Napa Valley who enjoy both horses and premium wines take note of this property. Rather than dismantle the existing equestrian facility the Alkosses embraced the idea of creating an experience for guests that incorporates elements of both lifestyles. Guests can choose to take one of several horse rides on trails around the property ranging from 30 to 50 minutes, passing next to their vineyards while taking in the bucolic views of the rolling vineyard covered hillsides.

The horse riding begins with a visit to the tack shop where you will be outfitted in leather boots and a helmet, followed by a practice run on the small dirt riding track. Then you head towards the vineyards. The pace of the ride is relaxed and geared towards your riding ability. Casual riding enthusiasts may have ridden horses a number of times but perhaps never rode a horse through an obstacle course. A longer ride includes a fun obstacle course inside the Olympic-size indoor arena where you learn how to steer your horse through a variety of obstacles and challenges.

A sizable modern stable is on site and includes several state-of-the-art features such an app that is connected to each of the horse’s water troughs – providing data to a phone on every stall each horses’ water consumption over a specific time period.

Following a horse ride, tasting is held outdoors on their 4,000 square foot outdoor patio (weather permitting) or indoors.

Shadybrook Estate is one of the Napa Valley’s better kept secrets; despite being only about a 10-minute drive from downtown Napa the property feels far removed from any urban setting.

The Ultimate Romance Package is popular for couples celebrating a variety of special occasions ranging from anniversaries to those wanting to us this experience to propose to their loved one. The package includes a private horse ride with a guide, barrel samples of wines, and time spent at a private perch in the winery with a small table where you will enjoy a variety of cheeses and charcuterie, including seasonal fresh items grown on the property and a homemade dessert.

For more information about the Alko Equestrian Center, please visit: www.alkoequestriancenter.com and for more information about Napa Valley Trail Rides at Rapp Ranch, visit: www.napavalleytrailrides.com

Former Italics Winery
In 2022 the Alkossers purchased the neighboring Italics Winegrowers property from the previous owners, the Martin family from Texas; the Italics brand and existing inventory was not included in the sale. The first wine produced from the estate following their purchase was a rosé.

This winery was originally founded in 1995 by commercial pilot turned vintner Bill Frazier who we first met with years ago and was our initial introduction to the property. Bill sold the winery in 2011; for a short while it became Zhang Winery, a Chinese based company who then in turn sold it to the Martins. The Zhangs expanded what was a smaller cave system into now 16,000 square feet – and made a number of practical and visual improvements to the winery.

Italics Winegrowers was founded by Mike Martin from Texas; his family produce business began with a small 20-acre grapefruit orchard in the south part of the state. Over time they became one of the largest distributors of produce in the state of Texas (including citrus, onions and melons). By the time they sold their company, Rio Queen Citrus, Inc. in 2012, they owned over 7,000 acres. At the time of the sale, patriarch of the family, Ken Martin was the chairman of the company (Ken passed away August 7th, 2019) and Mike Martin was their president.

The surrounding vineyards are planted in very rocky soils. Microclimates can vary dramatically even on their property. Sometimes dramatically different temperatures are measured between the high and low parts of their vineyard (without a significant elevation difference). During the same time period the temperatures varied by as much as 10 degrees. Through a series of piping projects completed in 2015 and 2016, the County of Napa can provide more recycled water for use in both Carneros and Coombsville. With water usage always a concern, their vineyards use reclaimed (non-potable) water purchased from the County of Napa.

Shadybrook uses part of the 16,000 square foot cave for hosting visitors as part of the Shadybrook Estate 2-hour cave tasting experience. This experience includes a vineyard tour, followed by a tour of the the cave and finishing with a private seated tasting inside the cave which includes both current and library wines.

Exterior

Cave

Vineyards

Select Wines
Shadybrook wines have done well in a variety of tasting competitions. In reference to their horse heritage, Alice told us about their trifecta win at the 2016 San Francisco International Wine Competition. Among 4,600 entries, their 2013 Shadybrook Estate Malbec won a Double Gold Medal, the 2013 Shadybrook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon took a Gold Medal, and the 2014 Shadybrook Estate Platiné Blanc earned a Silver Medal.

Shadybrook
The 2021 Shadybrook Cellars Patine Blanc (meaning white platinum in French) is a thoughtfully produced wine. It is a blend of 91% Sémillon and 9% Sauvignon Blanc; the Sémillon was aged for 15 months in 100% French oak puncheons while the Sauvignon Blanc was aged 15 months in 100% neutral French oak barrels. Each variety is aged separately until the final blending decisions are made much closer to bottling. This wine is deep gold in the glass; the abundant bouquet airs aromas of orange peel zest, lemon drop hard candy, Golden delicious apple, honeysuckle, caramel, honeycomb, pineapple and vanilla bean. The bouquet sports flavors of mandarin orange, pineapple, custard, vanilla, lychee and yellow mango. It’s texture is gentle and rounded but not as creamy as perhaps previous vintages. A burst of brightness along with lasting fruit shows on the finish. This beautiful white overdelivers for the price.

The 2013 Shadybrook Cellars Platine Blanc is 72% Sémillon and 28% Sauvignon Blanc. This is a unique blend of the two varieties where in Napa at least, if a Sauvignon Blanc is blended with Sémillon, the Sauvignon Blanc is usually the dominant variety. This wine is modeled upon the white wines of Graves where Sauvignon Blanc is the lesser variety in the blend. And in 2016 and subsequent vintages, Sémillon was added to the label as every year it is at least 75% varietal. Aromatically this wine opens nicely as it is allowed to breath. It shows scents of melon (cantaloupe), grapefruit and honeysuckle. The feel on the palate is creamy and rounded with richness of flavor but not the weight of viscosity. The finish is clean with flavors that linger for quite some time – along with some nuances of almond and hazelnut. Texturally there is a similarity across vintages (we have tried several vintages of this particular wine).

The 2013 Shadybrook Cellars Malbec is a very limited production wine (only 70 cases were produced); only a third of an acre is planted to these vines. This wine was blended with 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. The bouquet shows darker fruit, blackberry, ripe plum interwoven with a subtle smoky or cigar smoke aroma and hints of toasted cedar. The aromatics are energetic. The darker fruit continues onto the palate with earthy, both wood and grape tannins present (both are well integrated with the fruit).

The Shadybrook Cabernet Sauvignon is handpicked and fermented in small lots – each kept separate during the aging until the final blend is created prior to bottling. The grapes for this wine are from a vineyard about a mile east of the winery. The 2013 Shadybrook Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon shows a core of beautiful, layered aromas on the bouquet (desert in the glass)! Boysenberry, blackberry, chocolate and huckleberry notes show along with a minerality note and as this wine breathes a dusty aroma is revealed. On the palate broad fruit flavors show including blackberry and blueberry with meaty grippy and slightly dusty tannins. This wine does well with a variety of cheeses and charcuterie meats (provided with your tasting) which helps smooth out the tannins. Fairly well balanced. This is a good example of the power of Cabernet Sauvignon in the ‘right’ year from the cooler Coombsville region.

The 2014 Shadybrook Cellars Estate V Blend is the first vintage they have blended all five primary Bordeaux varieties in this wine. Cabernet Franc is the dominant variety – all from estate vineyards. This wine shows mostly black fruit on the inviting bouquet including blackberry and a dusty nuance with a hint of cigar smoke. Medium bodied with a nice mix of fruit flavors on the palate including dark cherry and licorice lingering smoothly with a hint of mocha on the finish. Well integrated tannins feel nice on the palate.

And in 2020, Shadybrook produced Monetin, a Mevushal Kosher Cabernet Sauvignon. There are very few Napa Valley wineries/brands who produce some Kosher wines; those include, Hagafen, Marciano Estate, ONE Hope, Lerner Project, Mayacamas Winery, Padis Vineyards and potentially winemaker Morgan Maureze will be making Kosher sparkling wines.

Rapp Ranch
The 2020 Rapp Ranch Chardonnay Carneros Napa Valley is deep gold in color; the bouquet offers a honeyed note including of honeycomb and honeysuckle, apricot, crème Brule, vanilla, tapioca, corn tassel, caramel, dried almond, hazelnut, walnut skin and toasted oak. This wine reveals both primary fruit flavors and secondary barrel influences including pineapple, yellow peach, apricot, red apple and cantaloupe along with caramelized sugars (reminded us of the crust of crème Brule), honeycomb, toast, vanilla wafer and layers of ripe citrus. This wine is bright across the palate from a refreshing acidity which complements the intensity of flavor and lightly creamy texture. The fruit-filled finish is long and accompanied by a light note of toasted oak. This is a rich and intense showing of this variety but all its attributes are in balance. This wine was aged for 26 months in 65% new French oak barrels.

The 2020 Rapp Ranch Pinot Noir Carneros Napa Valley is medium ruby in color; the well-layered bouquet is fruit forward and immediately expressive upon opening. It offers scents of cherry cola, dark raspberry, sweaty baseball mitt leather from wearing on a hot sunny day, creosote bush, melted milk chocolate, dried mushrooms, dark olive, old cedar box, dried sage, mocha and espresso. The palate is bright and alive and offers flavors of red cherry, crushed pink peppercorn, licorice vine, raspberry jam and a lingering note of sweet tobacco spice (like chewing a pipe tobacco). The tannins are smooth, integrated and their presence is like a gentle kiss from a loved one. This wine was aged for 26 months in 15% new French oak and 85% neutral French oak barrels. This Pinot Noir showcases a simultaneous character and ripeness of the variety.

The 2019 Rapp Ranch Cutters Reserve Napa Valley (the name is in homage to the history of cutting horses on the ranch) is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Petit Verdot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. This wine was aged for 29 months in 65% new French oak barrels. It is dark ruby and nearly opaque in the glass; the bouquet is generously proportioned between ripe fruit and barrel influences. So is the palate. This wine offers scents of blackberry, vanilla, chocolate, darker baking spices, pepper, and a note of espresso as it continues to evolve. The palate reveals flavors of blackberry, boysenberry and dark plum. The mouth watering finish is brimming with fruit along with a subtle note of chocolate and a final light nuance of dried tobacco leaf. The rounded and smooth tannins are integrated nicely. If we were to categorize this bottling into any sort of style, it would simply be labeled as a crowd pleaser.

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For more information, to schedule a visit and tasting, to purchase wine or to join either their Shadybrook or Rapp Ranch wine clubs, visit: www.shadybrookestate.com

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