MN Connection: Lang & Reed
Lang & Reed | Napa Valley, California
THE CONNECTION:
From serving as President at Auction Napa Valley or all the time he spent at Inglenook, Caymus, and Clos Du Val, you might assume John Skupny a son of the Sunshine State but we at The Wine Company like to think Minnesota taught him all he knows. Growing up in Golden Valley, John spent his formative years on the ice playing hockey for Edina East when we were the home of the North Stars! Since 1996, John and Tracey Skupny have owned and operated Lang & Reed in St. Helena with their sons Reed and Jerzy and daughter Alex. Since realizing the potential of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc as varieties that can stand on their own, Lang & Reed has proven what a pleasure these can be.
THE PRACTICE:
As Lang & Reed near their 40-year mark in the wine industry, they have come to view winemaking as the intersection of art and science, with the end results aimed high at bringing pleasure. To achieve this, the Skupnys work with simpatico grape growers who collaborate with them plant the appropriate clones to their given soil types. Lang & Reed even adjust the growing techniques so the fruit develops as they like it and all comes together to bring out the most desirable attributes in each varietal wine they craft. With this exacting attention to farming, the concept of terroir can manifest in a wine. The fermentation and aging techniques that they employ produce wines of substance and structure with correct varietal expression.
Since realizing the potential of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc as varieties that can stand on their own, Lang & Reed has proven what a pleasure these can be.
THE WINES:
Over the years, Lang & Reed has worked closely with half a dozen vineyards to insure they harvest the finest ripe and balanced fruit. These vineyards stretch across the North Coast of California, with an emphasis on Napa Valley, Alexander Valley and Lake County. Early on they set out to present a wine that was “true to type”, a varietal wine that showed ‘typicity’ – boldly saying “Cabernet Franc” Over two decades they have sussed out just the vines they need -even sourcing from specific rows in vineyards that cover a diverse array of growing conditions, most recently vineyards north of Napa Valley in the hills of Lake County. Expanding their search to Mendocino, Lang & Reed continue to apply this same exacting criterion for varietal expression in their Chenin Blanc.
THE OFFERINGS:
CABERNET FRANC | CHENIN BLANC | CABERNET FRANC 19.5 LITER KEGS