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View PDF >> Tom Eddy Wines - Napa Valley 95 Points & Tasters Choice Selection |
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Tom Eddy's career in the wine business began when he was only fourteen, when his penchant for cooking prompted his parents to persuade him to add wine tastings to dining events at their home. His father was a banker who had been transferred to Davis, California, home of the iconic UC Davis. One of his father's friends was a colleague of oenology professor Ralph Kunkee, who ultimately described the wonders of the wine world to a fascinated Tom Eddy. When he graduated from high school, Eddy went immediately to UC Davis and was a classmate of the likes of Tim Mondavi, Michael Martini, Eric Wente and Randy Dunn.
"I guess you could say I was hooked on wine from the beginning," Eddy related. "After we graduated, I went to work the 1974 harvest for Wente. When it was over, Carl Wente wanted me to stay but there were just too many family members before me and I turned down the job. I asked his help in finding me a job and, thankfully, his efforts were successful." Thus began a work odyssey that brought Tom Eddy to practically every wine-producing region (and then some) in California. Starting with a large co-op in the south, he worked his way northward toward Napa and Sonoma and finally, at 29, won the job of General Manager/Winemaker at well-respected Chateau Souverain in Sonoma. He moved to Christian Brothers in Napa but decided to go it on his own when Christian Brothers was sold to industry giant Heublein in 1989. "It was a big decision for me at the time," Eddy recalled, "and many of my friends encouraged me and felt I had the talent to go out on my own." Eddy helped start and develop a number of top wineries, including Goose Creek in Napa, Kunde in Sonoma, and Pepper Bridge in Walla Walla, Washington. For a while he worked with actor Bill Cosby to attempt to buy a winery, but the deal finally fell through. He also developed a vineyard for San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos that will eventually become another winery. While at Goose Greek, he asked permission to begin making his own brand that he simply called Tom Eddy Wines. "Our first production in 1991 was just 240 cases," he added. "We were fortunate that the wine was really well received. We have developed rather slowly; in fact we call ourselves the 'escargociant' because our development was so very slow." Eddy feels that maintaining quality is preferable to rapid growth, and has held steadfast to that winemaking philosophy. Eddy's wife of twenty-four years, Kerry, is also active in the business in sales, marketing and development. Her family emigrated from Canada in the mid 19th Century and still owns a small winery called Nevada City Winery in the Sierra Foothills. Also a UC Davis grad, Kerry is considered the first woman sommelier in the early 1980's in Honolulu. Tom and Kerry Eddy have worked together to develop their collection of two distinct wine portfolios: Tom Eddy Wines and the Eddy Family Wines, which include Elodian (a Cabernet) and TENZ (a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc). The Tom Eddy Wines, with their longer barreling and extended bottle age, display well developed complexities congruent with rich mountain fruit of Napa Valley. Cabernet is Eddy's specialty, and his refined talent shines through in his exquisite Napa Valley Cabs. Only a small amount (544 cases) of the latest Tom Eddy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was produced and has already met with huge raves from a number of big name competitions and distinguished reviewers. Next on Tom Eddy's plate is the development of a prized piece of property located on coveted Diamond Mountain just above Calistoga. Work has already begun on the property, including the development and excavation of on-site wine caves. The Eddys anticipate utilizing green techniques for the planting and gardens (Kerry is also a master gardener) that will be environmentally friendly and make the new winery proactive in the farming world. Tom Eddy is a genuinely good guy winemaker that has finally made a big success in the wine world. His legacy, wherever he has gone, was to help produce extremely good wines for whomever he happened to consult. We are delighted Tom Eddy is finally doing it for himself through the Eddy family of wines and through this month's Diamond Series wine club selection, Eddy's Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy! |
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2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Tom Eddy’s 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon comes from classic hillside vineyards in St. Helena, 95 Points & Tasters Choice Selection, Wine News magazine – A well-built, serious wine packed with layers of fruit and promising great aging potential. 94 Points, Ken’s Wine Guide – I described “Excellent” wines as those that just blew you away. Their flavors just make you yearn for more. They last forever in your mouth. These wines make an impression that will not forget. These are the wines you brag about. So in Tom Eddy’s 2002 Napa Cab, you have all those qualities. This very dark purple wine opens with a very inviting spicy blackberry bouquet with hints of licorice and blueberry. On the palate, this wine is ultra smooth, quite elegant, and has delicious black cherry flavors that make you yearn for a second glass or bottle. There are hints of spicy blackberry notes as well. The finish of this wine remains elegant and its fine tannins linger for a tremendously long time. This is a very special wine for a special meal.”
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast – It’s soft and gentle and interesting, with a good grip of tannins, and could develop additional bottle complexity in the coming years.
Fredric Koeppel – “This wine is not an expression of a particular vineyard or designation, but of the Napa Valley itself, and that’s certainly how it feels, as deep, as rocky, as alluvial as its historic origins. This is a cool, clean and powerfully minerally Cabernet, effortless in its confidence, eloquence and elegance but with foundations that rest on bulwarks of polished oak – 28 months in French barrels – and grainy tannins. Exceptional.” Watch Tasting Notes Video Clip >  |
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