Napa Valley is known world-wide for its famous wines made from cabernet sauvignon and cab blends, so it is unusual to find an estate winery in Napa that doesn’t grow cabernet sauvignon. Instead, Materra, located in the Oak Knoll AVA, a mere 10-minute drive north from the town of Napa, is known for its white wines.
“Many visitors come here because they hear that we have a good selection of white wines,” says winemaker, Chelsea Barrett. In fact their 39 acres of vineyards are planted not only to chardonnay, but viognier, sauvignon blanc, and they are getting ready to plant a new section to albarino. In addition, they also have plenty of merlot, along with smaller quantities of syrah and malbec – the latter of which is used to make a delicious rosé wine.
Chelsea explains that the reason is because they are located closer to the Napa River with soils composed of clay and loam. “These are much better growing conditions for white varietals and merlot.”
Still Making Exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon
Despite being well-known for their white wines, Materra Winery, operated by the Cunat Family, still offers customers several exquisite cabernet sauvignons. “We have established partnerships with several well-known cab vineyards in Napa Valley,” explains Chelsea. “Therefore we purchase grapes and make three different cab based wines.
One of the most famous offering is called Vine 1, named after a vineyard site that was the first in Napa Valley to be planted to fine vitis vinifera vines in 1852 by Captain Joseph Warren Osborn. He imported the vines from Europe and grafted them to the existing Mission grapevines then common in California. Because of this, the site is known as the location of the first fine vines (Vine 1). Materra- Cunat Family Vineyards purchases grapes from this location each year to go into their Vine 1 bottling.
Chelsea’s winemaking style is one of elegance and finesse. All of her wines have fresh captivating aromas, along with depth of flavor and excellent balance of acid, fruit, and tannins. Her use of oak is judicious, and she has several wines that have no or neutral oak, such as the Shinkan Chardonnay and Rosé of Malbec.
Fine Winemaking Part of Family Heritage
It is not surprising that Chelsea Barrett is a natural at producing excellent Napa Valley wines, because her mother is the famed winemaker, Heidi Barrett. Heidi is considered to be one of the most talented winemakers in the world, and is best known for producing the 1992 vintage of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon that broke the world record at the time when it sold for $500,000 as a 6-liter bottle at the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2000. Chelsea’s father, Bo Barrett, is also a well-known Napa Valley winemaker.
“From the earliest age, I remember being in the cellar following my mother around trying to help make wine,” remembers Chelsea. As she grew older, she assisted at harvest time, moved hoses during production, and conducted measurements in the lab. It wasn’t a surprise that she studied winemaking in college, obtaining a degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC-Davis in 2010. Upon graduation she worked as an intern at Opus One, Two Hands in Australia, and Mayer Am Pfarplaz in Austria, before starting a full-time winemaking job at Joel Gott for seven years. She obtained her position as head winemaker at Materra in 2019, and also assists her mother as co-winemaker for Amuse Bouche and Au Sommet brands.
Visiting Materra-Cunat Family Vineyards
The visitor center is located in the middle of the vineyards and is surrounded by fragrant lavender bushes and flowers. Kelly Petrillo, Director of Hospitality, manages a team of 6 employees who ensure that all guests are treated like royalty. The winery is following all Covid health and safety protocols, and offers 6 different tasting experiences, including a virtual one.
Daily tastings start at $25 per person, and can be customized for all white wine, or a combination of red, white and rose. Guests can taste in the outdoor patio or inside a magnificent wine cellar. A unique option is the Japanese tasting Flight, which includes 3 wines that Chelsea has specially crafted with owner Miki Cunat to pair with Japanese cuisine.
