Pilcrow is a love letter to the Napa Valley circa 1955 wherein we celebrate handicraft in wine.

Our wines are high-toned, SAVORY, place-driven, organically grown, OLD-SCHOOL, low oak, LOWER IN ALCOHOL, bright, ZERO RESIDUAL SUGAR, and long-lived. In other words; our wines will not only transport you to the Napa Valley they’ll take you back in time. Like getting into the DeLorean with Doc Brown.

Wines

Discover

Take a Google Earth Tour of the Pilcrow Vineyards

Glass Rock

95 points

Jonathan Cristaldi

Decanter

“The soils offer a geological mosaic of silica-rich rock—ranging from red jasper to white quartz to multi-coloured agate. Over-wintering cows and dedicated habitat corridors make this site a model for truly regenerative farming. … the wine in the glass is brilliantly vibrant—perfumed with lifted, ironstone-like minerality and crushed rock. On the palate, there’s a remarkable sense of fluidity and lift, yet with exceptional concentration of ripe fruit and impressive mid-palate density. The tannins are firm yet silky, and a subtle chocolatey, cocoa-powder note emerges, framed by grippy acidity that carries through more perfumed aromatics and pure fruit expression.”

Granite Lake

98 points

Jonathan Cristaldi

Decanter

This is Howell Mountain reimagined—a wine that will make you fall in love with the region all over again, but in a wholly different way. … this shows a red-fruited elegance, with lifted rose petal, bright tobacco, and refined cedarwood aromatics. On the palate, it’s a masterful expression of site, with a chalky richness and fabulously long, polished tannins—plump yet firm, providing a solid foundation. Blood orange and grapefruit zest emerge through the finish, carried by a riveting tension that defies preconceptions of the place. This is a wine that harkens back to the Howell Mountain wines of Lee Stewart’s original Château Souverain. Just gorgeous.

Ghost Block

96

Jonathan Cristaldi

Decanter

The aromas are wild and sauvage, with notes of tanned leather, tobacco, sage, bay laurel and spearmint, layered over dark berry fruit. Full-bodied on the palate, this wine may not have the same nervy tension as Pilcrow’s Coombsville or Mt. Veeder bottlings, but it delivers impressive density and a savoury appeal, with emerging blue fruits and violet florals. There’s a wonderful plumpness and soft richness to the fruit, accented by warming spices. Generous from nose to finish, it’s a beautifully built wine that shows none of the stress of a warm vintage. Balanced, with great presence and sheer drinkability, it’s a wine to enjoy now while the Coombsville and Mt. Veeder cuvées continue to slumber in the cellar.

Archer & Byrd

97

Jonathan Cristaldi

Decanter

This is an electric, coiled, and impressively textured Cabernet Sauvignon. It carries a regal mountain freshness, with a wild, sauvage character evoking sage, underbrush, crushed bay leaf and spearmint. Layers of dark forest berries, rich woody spice, and elegant dark cedarwood emerge on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied, it is shaped by mineral-rich tannins and a firm spine of acidity, laced with a hint of pink Himalayan salt. Altogether, this is a wine of great tension, kinetic energy, and wild freshness—layered with savoury spice and dark fruit that keeps you coming back for more. Enjoy now or cellar confidently for decades.

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If you’d like to join the Pilcrow fam, please fill out the Allocation Request form below and we’ll get you on the list.

About

“Our goal is to make the best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon of the 1950s.”

We fell in love with the Napa Valley over two decades ago. And, much to the dismay of the cynical, we have seen our joy and adoration of this valley (and its characters) deepen and become enriched over the years. We find inspiration in the valley's past and the wines made by the icons of the 50s, 60s and 70s like Lee Stewart, Nathan Fay, Bob Travers, Bob Sessions, Al Brounstein, and so many more.

It is through Pilcrow that we demonstrate our love of quiet wines—ones that value grace and thoughtfulness and that amplify terroir. By searching for, valuing, and safeguarding the differentiating characteristics of each vineyard we stay alert, as winemakers, to the exceptional possibilities of each wine. And we do it all analog.

We’d like to thank the many mentors and thoughtful vintners like Jean-Michel Comme, Jean-Nicolas Méo, Maria Teresa Mascarello, Marco DiGiulio, Keith Emerson, Toshiaki Wakayama, and Trevor Chlanda whom have helped define, challenge, and develop the wine itself. To all of these real-life icons (and to the mentors-in-a-bottle we never got to meet) we thank you for enriching our lives and teaching us well.