The Heidi Barrett Collection Dinner at Au Sommet on Atlas Peak

Our table of 15 sat in hushed attention as the Queen of Napa Valley held court.  Heidi Peterson Barrett, the star winemaker whose work at Screaming Eagle and Dalle Valle indelibly altered the landscape of California wine, was in the midst of explaining the origins of her La Sirena winery when her voice caught.  Some years ago, she had crafted a batch of private label Sangiovese for a winery that then needed to back out of the deal, and she saw an opportunity to fulfill a dream: to make her own wine, not just wine for others.  “I’m having a little moment here,” she said as she took a few seconds to gather herself.

It was an important moment for all of us.  Coming into this dinner hosted by Amuse Bouche partner John Schwartz at his Au Sommet property atop Atlas Peak, we knew that Heidi makes some of the finest wines in California and that her projects routinely win high praise from critics and consumers alike.  But for us to truly understand the depth of passion that Heidi invests in her winemaking, particularly in her own ventures like La Sirena and Amuse Bouche, it took an intimate moment of emotional transparency – the kind that no rating, label or shelf-talker can convey.

Such a moment cannot be manufactured.  It reflects the alchemy of a passionate winemaker and an equally passionate audience gathered around a welcoming table, passing the evening over farm-fresh food, skillfully-paired wine, engaging conversation and hearty laughter. 

Heidi confided in us that she rarely participates in winemaker dinners, which so often are driven by commercial necessity.  Financial gain has never been her primary motivation – indeed, she regularly refuses lucrative consulting offers.  Heidi simply wants to make the most delicious wines possible and to bring her customers a little more pleasure around the dinner table.  Over the course of the evening, she observed similar values in our brokers.  Perhaps as an expression of our shared love for handcrafted wine and our common commitment to help our clients experience the best of the wine world, John and Heidi poured for us three surprise wines that have yet to be released: the 2006 La Sirena Cabernet, the unlabeled 2007 Vin Perdu, and the 2007 Pirate, Heidi’s newest venture which she had bottled personally that very morning.  

Jim Barbour, legendary Napa vineyard manager and close friend of John and Heidi, jumped into the fray by uncorking his 2005 Barbour Vineyards Cabernet for the table.  Every bit as bent on quality grape-growing as Heidi is on quality winemaking, Jim illustrated his precision and skill in the vineyard through his wine’s remarkable purity and structure.  He and Heidi spoke about the synergy they find when working together on a project – he farms most of the vineyards from which she sources her grapes, and she is the vintner for his estate wine – and the crucial role that their mutual trust and respect play in ensuring that every wine they produce together meets their strict standards.

These four unexpected wines formed a worthy encore to a menu that had already offered its share of indulgence.  Each of the four courses prepared by Chef Kimball Jones went seamlessly with the slated wine pairings: the 2008 La Sirena Napa Valley Moscato Azul, 2005 La Sirena Napa Valley Syrah, 2005 La Sirena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and the coup de gras, the 2007 Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Merlot/Cabernet Franc.  But the most memorable coupling proved to be the first course: Poached Au Sommet Egg with Crisp Pork Belly, Preserved Meyer Lemon Relish, Frisée and Syrah Jus served with the La Sirena Syrah.  The eggs were fresh as could be – they had been laid that morning on the Au Sommet property, where Thomas Keller gets eggs for the French Laundry.  Few of us would have thought to drink a Syrah with a poached egg, but the richness of the egg’s golden orange yolk running into the savory pork belly accentuated the wine’s freshness and depth, proving once again that the chef knows best.

Montesquieu’s top second quarter brokers and a small management crew enjoyed the meal al fresco against a backdrop of live music and stunning views.  The Au Sommet property sits some 2,100 feet above sea level, and its cascading hills are not only laced with vines but also dotted with animals, some of whom help farm the organic vineyards. (Sheep, yes, but no goats here, John told us. Goats eat up, sheep eat down.)  Our elegantly-appointed dinner table offered northern and eastern views all the way to the Sierra Nevada, framed beautifully by beds of lavender and wild flowers.  Yet even this idyllic scene was unable to overshadow the evening’s highlight: an intimate experience of a vintner’s deep love for wine and vine.

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