Jessup Cellars
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Jessup Cellars is located in "No-Yo" (north Yountville) near The French Laundry restaurant. Jessup Cellars's wines can be purchased in the tasting room. The winery tasting room focuses on cultural events, wine tastings and art.
Jessup Cellars in Yountville, California offers wine lovers the opportunity to taste wine and enjoy an art gallery. Visitors can choose standing at the tasting counter to taste wines or being seated in the art gallery. The gallery seating offers a delightful wine tasting paired with special varieties of cheese.
After quickly being seated in the Jessup Cellars' art gallery, we were served a wine that was accompanied by a small plate of appetizers. The food included cave-aged blue cheese, English coastal cheddar, triple cream Brie and crackers. We were encouraged to try the cheeses with the wine and decide for ourselves which paired best.
History
Jessup Cellars, a boutique winery, was started in 1996 by Mark and Pam Jessup in the old town hall building where they located the tasting room. The wines were produced at a custom crush facility. Doctors invested in the winery but in 2005 they became owners. In 2008 they built their own winery so they would have more control than allowed at the custom crush facility. In 2009 Rob Lloyd became the winemaker. Today the winery is producing 9,000 cases with grapes sourced from area grape growers. The contracts with the growers feature a first right of refusal. This ensures quality fruit is used in the winery. Rob Lloyd, the winemaker, visits the vineyards from where the fruit is sourced.
Yountville regulations mandate that wine tasting rooms must also have another type of business. ForJessup Cellars when the space next door became available in 2010, they added the art gallery that also includes tables for wine tastings. Artwork by several artists is displayed and the display changes throughout the year.
Jessup Cellars is part of the Good Life Wine Collective. This parent company also owns Handwritten Wines in Saint Helena, and Humanitas Wines in Napa.
Jessup Cellars’ Events
Jessup Cellars concentrates on providing cultural experiences. Watch the Jessup Cellars website for the Art House Sessions, Tastemaker Speaker Series, and The Art-House Short Film Series. At the time of our September 2014 visit, much of the artwork had a theme of vineyards and wine.
Wines
We enjoyed sitting in the art gallery for our wine tasting along with cheese. Frequently, we took our glass of wine and walked around observing the art.
Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Napa Valley AVA was a yellow color with 15.1% alcohol. The full-bodied, crisp wine offered notes of grapefruit and tropical fruit. The wine, paired with the blue cheese, was powerful but the acid in the Sauvignon Blanc cut through the cheese. It also paired well with the triple cream Brie. The wine retails for $29. Rose 2013 Napa Valley AVA produced with Pinot Noir was a red/orange color. The alcohol was 14.9% and the wine offered red berry fruit especially raspberry. The medium-bodied wine paired well with the Brie. The retail price was $29. Viognier 2013, Napa Valley AVA was a light yellow color with 15.1% alcohol. The wine offered notes of mango, floral and some yellow stone fruit. The wine was full-bodied and crisp. The Viognier paired well with the cheddar cheese. The wine retails for $30. Chardonnay 2013 Carneros AVA was yellow with 15.1% alcohol. The wine offered notes of caramel, pear and apple. This full-bodied wine was food friendly.
Pinot Noir 2012 Carneros AVA was a translucent ruby color. The wine with 14.8% alcohol offered raspberry notes. The wine retails for $49. Juel 2009 Napa Valley AVA was a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine was an opaque, dark ruby with 15.1% alcohol. The wine offered spice, cedar and black fruit notes with bold tannins. This full-bodied wine is food friendly. Table for Four 2010 Napa Valley AVA was an opaque, dark ruby color with 14.5% alcohol. The wine had blackberry, black raspberry and plum notes with bold tannins. This full-bodied wine was food friendly and paired well with chocolate. The retail price is $79.
When stopping by Jessup Cellars’ tasting room in Yountville, be sure to take time to enjoy the art gallery. Take advantage of the sit-down tasting with cheese.
Jessup Cellars
6740 Washington Street
Yountville, California 94599
GPS: N38º 24.357’ W122º 21.984’
Article written September 2014
Visit these California organizations and wineries that partner with Wine Trail Traveler.
 |
 |
 |
 |
