Wine director at Napa Valley’s PRESS restaurant in St. Helena, Ca, unearths Napa Valley gems

In his recent TEXSOM master class “Napa Valley ‘Classics’ (Redefined),” Master Sommelier Vincent Morrow emphasized small-lot wines made with a range of varieties sourced from treasured old-vine sites in the Napa Valley AVA.

He’s taken the same approach with the wines he selects for the tasting menus at PRESS. “Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon represents a large chunk of wine sales at PRESS,” said Morrow. “But with the menu allowing more of a conversation with guests about other varieties and older vintages, there’s definitely a healthier mix on our list.”

The one-MICHELIN-starred PRESS opened in St. Helena in 2005 and is now under the leadership of Samantha Rudd and chef Philip Tessier, who offer seven-and four-course tasting menus with wine pairings. Morrow, who received MICHELIN’s California Sommelier Award in 2022, oversees the wine cellar, which houses the largest collection of Napa Valley wines in the world and is focused on library wines. When adding a new bottling to the list, he looks for winemakers who have worked their way up at acclaimed producers and then started their own labels.

Take the Newfound 2018 Grenache made by industry veterans Audra and Matt Naumann, a wine he describes as having a spritzy lift and a floral, white-peppery quality that complements charcoal-grilled lobster in a crema of charred avocado, tomatillo, and cucumber. Matt, who spent a decade at Failla, and Audra started the Newfound label in 2016. Or take BXT, which Morrow calls “a cool grower sparkling wine project that is destined for the [cult] Ultramarine category.” Made by Aussie founder Tom Sherwood (who is married to talented Heitz winemaker Brittany Sherwood), theBXT Blanc de Blancs is paired on PRESS’ menu with fruits de mer and the signature caviar pretzel.

As knowledgeable as he is, Morrow has more questions than answers when looking ahead, the biggest of which is the fate of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. According to Morrow, it’s getting harder to source older vintages of the wine, so he’s beginning to look outside the AVA. “The focus for us is like an extended family,” he says. “We want to support Napa Valley producers, although at times the fruit may not hail from the Valley.”

As for future vintages, there are valid concerns that Cabernet won’t be viable from a water, climate, and quality perspective, and the same may be true for Chardonnay. Morrow features the HDV 2017 Chardonnay, a stunning library vintage noted for its texture, style, and ability to work with very different dishes, from ricottagnudi to a corn-pudding raviolo. “Is HDV going to be able to make the same wines in 40 years?” he asks. “If we fast-forward, what will be considered a classic white wine for the Valley? Possibly Chenin Blanc.”

Morrow’s penchant for and appreciation of older vintages is commendable—and not surprising, given that he began his career at Ridge Vineyards in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley, where Zinfandel is known to age for decades.

Tasting Notes Here are Vincent Morrow’s notes from Ridge Vineyards’ recent 50th anniversary tasting. Ridge 1996 Lytton Estate Syrah, Dry Creek Valley: Elegant representation of sanguine and five-spice. More direct and focused tannins on the palate. More Hermitage-adjacent than Cöte-Rötie. Ridge 2009 Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley: More fruit and more primary than the 2013 despite being older. Still very dark-fruited and structured. There is a warmth and depth of spice and toast notes. Spice box and star anise tannins. Ridge 1999 Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley: Nose of an old, perfectly mature Right Bank. Plump, juicy, red-dominant fruit with hints of red pepper and sandalwood. Ridge 1974 Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley: John Olney brought this to dinner with Paul Draper at The French Laundry while I was a cellar sommelier there! Old leatherbound book, mint, red fig, and savory spices. Could easily be mistaken for old Bordeaux, but the core is still ripe, [with the] sunshine of California.

You’ll find Ridge Vineyards and Newfound Wines listed in the 2025 edition of the Slow Wine Guide USA.