Tantalize

Tantalize is a Bordeaux-style blend born from a simple desire — something just a little different, a little more personal - a wine with its own voice.

Something that teases the palate—drawing you in with promise, revealing just enough, then slipping away before you’ve had your fill. Something that truly tantalizes.

Napa power. Bordeaux elegance. Howell Mountain character. A wine designed not just to be enjoyed, but to be pursued.

What’s New?

Some wine drinkers love certainty. The same label, the same profile, year after year. Familiar. Reliable. We understand that. We can do it, too. Our Bordeaux blends are carefully crafted to hold their character from vintage to vintage, while allowing each year's growing season to leave its own fingerprint.

But every so often, another question comes to mind:

What’s new?

Wine was never meant to stand alone. It was born at the table, alongside food—regional, seasonal, practical and full of character. Bordeaux blends evolved around the foods and traditions of Bordeaux. But we're in California. We have different terrain, different ingredients and a very different table.

So Bill decided to try something different.

Take the five classic Bordeaux varieties and let them out of formation. Keep the same noble ingredients, but change the recipe every year. Adjust the balance. Shift the weight. Follow the vintage. Build the wine around the food.

The idea is simple: use exceptional California-grown Bordeaux fruit, but don't try to make another Bordeaux. Make something distinctly American—structured, yes, but open and generous. Flavor-forward. Lively. A wine made to move easily from the kitchen to the table, and to keep you interested long after the first glass.

Because consistency has its place.

But discovery is what keeps wine interesting.

Tantalize means to torment or tease someone by displaying something desirable—like a beautiful wine — that is kept just out of reach.

Champion Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Mountain-grown. Valley views. Extraordinary Cabernet.

High in the foothills above St. Helena, Champion Vineyard looks across the Napa Valley from its remarkable setting on Champion Lane. Here, mountain terrain and cool nights shape Cabernet Sauvignon with unusual depth, concentration and character.

The wine opens with dark cassis, blackberry and wild blueberry, followed by layers of graphite, cedar, tobacco and savory mountain herbs. Firm, finely grained tannins provide structure, while vibrant acidity gives the wine energy and remarkable length.

This is Cabernet with mountain power and Bordeaux-like restraint—concentrated without being heavy, structured without being harsh, and elegant enough to reward patience.

Champion Vineyard. Napa mountain Cabernet with a sense of place.