How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
In my household, we use Valentine’s Day as a good excuse to make a nice meal at home and open an extra special bottle of wine, like the 2016 Terroir Series Pinot Noir from Alexana Winery.
At the end of last summer, I had the opportunity to sit down with Scott Flory, who was then the Vice President of Global Sales at Alexana Winery in Oregon. He spoke with warmth, respect and enthusiasm for Dr. Madaiah Revana, founder of Alexana Winery, as we tasted through wines from their portfolio.
Dr. Revana grew-up on a farm in India, near the city of Bangalore; he is one of ten children. His eldest brother, who was a chemistry teacher, paid for his education. Dr. Revana was actually meant to be an engineer, but as he was not very good at math, he decided to study medicine instead.
In 1973, Dr. Revana moved to the USA where he had accepted a residency at Coney Island Hospital in New York. In 1978 he relocated to Houston, Texas to begin his private practice, and spent the next forty years working as a cardiac surgeon.
In Houston, friends introduced him to the world of wine and he soon developed a great love for first growth wines from Bordeaux.
In 1996, while on a trip to Tuscany, Dr. Revana became so enamoured with the region and their wines, that he nearly purchased a Tuscan vineyard. In the end he decided against the purchase, as the logistics of running a winery from overseas would be difficult, but the seed had been planted.
Later on, in 1997, Dr. Revana found himself attending a medical conference in California. A friend there introduced him to a realtor who would show him several viable winery locations; this is when he first laid eyes on a property in St. Helena. This land was one of the few remaining, unplanted properties on the Napa Valley Floor that was suitable for a vineyard.
Although Dr. Revana had some savings, he had to take out a loan to purchase the property in St. Helena. After making the purchase, he began consulting with experts in viticulture and winemaking. These experts included vineyard manager, Jim Barbour, who has planted and managed some of Napa Valley’s most famous vineyards, and winemaker, Heidi Petersen Barrett, of Screaming Eagle fame. Dr. Revana’s wines were made under the Revana Family Vineyard label. When the wines eventually produced a profit, Dr. Revana was able to pay off his original loan and take out another to build the Revana Winery. Revana Winery focuses on creating world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, producing some of the most outstanding wines that I have tried from this varietal.
It seems that Dr. Revana had caught the winery bug. In 2006, with his first winery paid-off, he purchased land in Oregon, later building the winery in 2012, which was named Alexana after his daughter Alexandra. Inspired by the great wines of Burgundy, Alexana focuses on creating premium Pinot Noirs which are known for their elegance and balance.
Two years after purchasing land in Oregon, Dr. Revana travelled to Argentina, where he searched for land to add to his family’s estate vineyards. He eventually settled on a property in the Uco Valley, naming the winery Corazón del Sol after his son Arun. Bodega Corazón del Sol focuses on Malbec, but they have also planted other Bordeaux varietals and several Rhône varietals including Syrah and Mourvèdre.
Despite opening three wineries in two decades, Dr. Revana denies having any ambition to open more. He is currently 72 years old and is still residing in Houston where he continues to practice Cardiology. He says, “with cardiology, you have to be very precise and focused, and wine is very similar.”[1] Dr. Revana allows the experts to steer the ship while he remains mostly in the background providing his wineries with the tools they need to make the best wines they can, vintage-after-vintage. Dr. Revana does step into the limelight occasionally though, as I am told he loves to host winery dinners.
2016 Terroir Series Pinot Noir
Harvested throughout the month of September from vineyards in five Oregon AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), the grapes were hand sorted three times. This wine was made in a three story, gravity-fed facility where it was fermented with native yeasts and spent ten months in French oak barrels (28% new).
After four hours in the decanter there are aromas of dried cherries, toast, fresh strawberries and fennel.
This wine is medium in body, with medium+ acidity and medium tannins.
The palate offers strawberries, raspberries and cherries, with thyme and minerality on the second half of the palate, culminating in a long finish.
Although enjoyable, I likely opened this bottle too early, as it was drinking very well the next day. This is a Pinot Noir that can be enjoyed now, but ensure you get an extra bottle (or two) for the cellar.
I understand that this particular Pinot Noir has sold out in the USA but Everything Wine, River District currently has some in stock listed for $65.99.
Footnotes
[1] Romano, A. (December 15, 2019). Vintner Without Borders. Retrieved from: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/vintner-without-borders-121519
References
Romano, A. (December 15, 2019). Vintner Without Borders. Retrieved from: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/vintner-without-borders-121519