Pop quiz: What’s the most expensive wine grape in Napa Valley by the ton?
Cabernet Sauvignon would be a good guess, but it would also be incorrect. The priciest grape is actually Cabernet Franc at more than $10,000 per ton, with Cabernet Sauvignon ranking second.
Once relegated to blending status, Cab Franc has seen a surge in popularity lately due to its bright acidity, earthy tones and red berry flavors.
Lang & Reed Napa Valley has been putting Cabernet Franc on a well-deserved pedestal since the ‘90s — long before the cool kids caught on.
The story
Kansas City native John Skupny first visited Napa Valley in the late ‘70s, on a wine-buying mission for a restaurant group. Quickly realizing that California was where he wanted to be, he moved to the Bay Area in 1980 to work in wine marketing.
Skupny made his first wine — an amateur effort he calls “dreadful” — the same year. He later made his way to St. Helena and spent the next decade working for Caymus Vineyards, Clos du Val and Niebaum-Coppola before teaming up with his wife Tracey in 1993 to create the prototype for Lang & Reed Napa Valley. They launched the winery, named for their two sons, a few years later.
Knowing they’d need to do something different to stand out among the region’s famous Cabernet Sauvignon producers, Skupny focused on Cabernet Franc and added another unsung hero, Chenin Blanc, to the lineup in 2013. The Skupnys opened their St. Helena tasting room in 2021.
The vibe
If you’ve ever wanted to pretend you live in one of those charming vintage homes in downtown St. Helena, the Lang & Reed Tasting Salon is a great place to do it.
Set just off the town’s main drag, Lang & Reed sits inside the historic Spring House. The home, built in 1902 by Swiss entrepreneur John Battista Salmina, now features multiple sipping spaces, from the charming front porch to the cozy living room to a boardroom lined with historic photos of Spring House and the surrounding neighborhood.
If you like the idea of booking two winery appointments in a single location, you’re in luck: Lang & Reed shares the space with The Debate, another boutique producer.
On the palate
When I wrote that Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc are the focus at Lang & Reed, what I meant was this: That’s all the winery makes — and I don’t mind. (OK, OK … If you absolutely must taste something else, you can also sample the Rockhound Pinot Noir, made by the Skupnys’ son Reed.)
The 2022 Napa Valley Chenin Blanc ($75) is a beautiful wine with vibrant color, a rich texture and delicious pear notes. The winery also offers a pretty 2023 Chenin from Mendocino County (the grape is increasingly scarce in Napa Valley, with less than 20 acres remaining), brimming with stone fruit flavors and lively acidity ($35).
The 2022 North Coast Cabernet Franc ($60) is structured and rich with dark cherry and berry flavors. For a real showstopper, try the 2019 Two-Fourteen Napa Valley Cabernet Franc ($90). Named for the clone from which it’s made, the wine is silky-smooth, combining savory notes with juicy raspberry fruit.
Tastings range from $75 for a flight of current releases with nibbles of dried fruits and nuts, to $175 for a pairing with Tsar Nicoulai caviar and potato chips.
Beyond the bottle
Goose & Gander is directly across the street from the Tasting Salon, so you can book a late afternoon wine tasting and then just pop over to the “neighbor’s” 1920 bungalow for an early dinner or a pre-dinner snack.
The restaurant’s pub-like atmosphere, adorned with plenty of dark wood and brick accents, is ideal for a chilly winter evening. A glass or two of Cab Franc sure would make a tasty match for G & G’s house burger (go ahead and add bone marrow, if that’s your thing) or a juicy steak.
Lang & Reed Napa Valley, 1244 Spring St., St. Helena. Tastings by appointment. langandreed.com
Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, HuffPost, and Sonoma magazine. Follow Tina on Twitter @winebroad, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.