Scarpetta, Pushback, Calluna. These wine labels all entered the St. Louis market this year and have received plenty of local attention thanks to their ties to our fair city. Scarpetta and Pushback are both brainchildren of former St. Louisans, and the family of Gerard Craft, chef-owner of Niche restaurants, is among the investors in Calluna Vineyards, which makes wine from Bordeaux grape varietals. And now, the latest Napa wine with St. Louis roots arrives from Bolen Family Estates.
Bolen Family Estates is a project by STL native Eric Bolen (He’s a graduate of Chaminade High School and Saint Louis University, for locals who must know about educational pedigree). He moved to Napa in 2005 and founded Bolen Family Estates a year later. Bolen only puts out one wine – a Merlot – but the company goes to great lengths to make sure it’s of the highest quality. The grapes are sourced from Beckstoffer Orchard Vineyard, which has earned a reputation for growing grapes for some of the world’s best wines. Bolen’s winemaker is Tom Rinaldi, founding winemaker at Duckhorn Vineyards, who – after 37 harvests – is highly regarded for the magic he works in producing Merlots. Bolen’s Merlot is barrel-aged in French oak for 26 months, far longer than the typical 16- to 18-month period.
The 2007 vintage, which just arrived in St. Louis, is available at all The Wine and Cheese Place locations, where it is specially priced at $49.99 right now. Watch also for Bolen bottles at Grapevine Wines in Kirkwood and The Wine Merchant in Clayton. And you can get it by the glass upon request at Humphrey’s, the storied bar near SLU where Bolen worked during his college years.
This article appears in April 2011.