Tusk Estates

Tusk Estates doesn’t offer wine tasting to the public. Cabernet Sauvignon lovers shouldn’t be turned off. Tusk needs to be on your short list of top Cabs if you are a serious collector. Here is an overview of who started Tusk Estates and some notes on how they produce top-flight Cabernet.

Phillippe Melka has spent 15 years in Napa as a wine consultant, and he has been working on some of the most prestigious wines around. One of these is Tusk, a small winery that takes in grapes from Pritchard and Oakville vineyards to make batches of 150 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. The other proprietors behind the brand are Tim Martin, a food enthusiast who worked on the famous Lail Vineyard before launching his own branding company, and Michael Uytengsu, an entrepreneur in the food business who has a passion for fine wines. These three men came together in 2008 because they wanted to create a luxury wine that will go down as a cult classic.

So you ask, “what kind of wine achieves such heights?” Well, the current releases are aged 30 months in new French Oak and come from 7 carefully selected vineyards from appellations known for gravelly, sandy soil. These well-drained and warm vineyards produce a rich texture, firm tannins and notes of fruit and herbs. These Cabernets have structure and balance and are well known for their vibrancy. Tusk Cabernet Sauvignons regularly scores 98.9 points in tastings.

They winery does not give tours, but if you want to partake in the wine, you can get on their wait list at www.tuskestate.com/mailinglist. This way, you can see for yourself if Phillippe, Michael, and Tim have accomplished their dreams. Don’t be shocked by the price tag. Like many “cult” Napa cabs, these bottles often sell for $350 and up. The limited production and wide acclaim mean you must pay to enjoy their fine work!

Address:  PO Box 126, Oakville

Phone: (707) 944-8355

Tasting Room Hours: Not open to the public