Amizetta; World Class Wines Since 1979

The Amizetta property is a steep and rocky 40 acre parcel with southern facing slopes at the tail end of Howell Mountain in the Conn Valley region of Napa Valley. The vineyards are farmed by Jim Barbour. Edward Clark is the winemaker, with Chuck Wagner and Rick Forman consulting. 

THE VINEYARD

Amizetta and Spencer Clark moved to the Napa Valley with one dream, to grow and make world class wines. They knew that many of the world’s top wines were produced from hillside vineyards in Europe. With this in mind, they scoured the Napa Valley for vineyard property and after intensive searching in 1979, Amizetta and Spencer found their perfect vineyard site.

The property is a steep and rocky 40 acre parcel with southern facing slopes at the tail end of Howell Mountain in the Conn Valley region of Napa Valley. With an elevation reaching over 1,000 feet, its beauty is matched only by its views of Lake Hennessey and the Napa Valley. The soil consists of red and grey rock strata called “sobrante loam.” Amizetta and Spencer knew right away, this was the ideal location for growing world class Cabernets and Bordeaux varietals from traditional hillside terraces.

Spencer decided that the best way to compliment his new vineyard site was to name it after the love of his life. His wife was flattered and they named the property Amizetta (pronounced am-ah-zet-uh)Vineyards. Amizetta is a name passed down through the family over 15 generations. The root of the name is “ami” which means love in Italian.

Since the original plantings at Amizetta Vineyards, Napa Valley has consistently regulated and even stopped hillside development. This is being done to help preserve natural mountain views around the valley. The halting of hillside development has made Amizetta Vineyards a unique and coveted property. It is one of the few terraced hillside vineyards in the Napa Valley. This type of hillside farming produces extremely rare old world mountain fruit. A taste of the wines extracted from these special vineyards will surely impress your palate.

THE WINERY

Amizetta Winery was built in 1984 after Spencer and Amizetta finished planting their terraced hillside vineyards. They wanted to create a small boutique facility that was perfectly matched to the production needs of the estate’s harvest. They enlisted the services of Justin Meyers (the founder and winemaker of Silver Oak Cellars) to help design their dream winery. Together the three created a design they dubbed “a wine makers winery.”

The winery site was strategically located within the vineyards to ensure production of the best possible estate wines. Spencer worked on constructing the winery with his own two hands. In 1985 it was completed and Amizetta Vineyards launched Amizetta Winery.

During the same time period they set out to build their Victorian style dream home on the vineyard directly adjacent to the winery. The home’s proximity to the winery was a testament to their passion. They wanted their vineyard, winery, and family to all be together. Fast forward to today and you will see that the Clark family routinely finds themselves examining the vineyards in the morning, working together in the winery in the afternoon and having dinner together at the Clark home.

The most recent addition to the Amizetta estate is a 2,200sq ft barrel aging cave. The construction of the cave began in 2000. The steep hillside property provided the perfect terrain for such a space. The mountains natural insulation creates constant cool temperatures and perfect humidity conditions for the  ideal aging of wine. Each Amizetta vintage is stored and aged in the cave in French oak barrels for 18-24 months.

WINES

2013 Amizetta ‘Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Wine Spectrum 95+, Robert Parker 93: The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was treated essentially the same way as the Proprietary Red, except for a slightly elevated percentage of new French oak, is a more youthful wine. It is pure, with crème de cassis, blackberry fruit, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel velvety tannin and long finish.

This is impressive, well-done and a reasonably fair value in high-end and high-quality Napa Cabernet Sauvignons. Drink it over the next 15 or more years. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 500 cases produced.

 

2013 Amizetta ‘Complexity’ Proprietary Red, Napa Valley

Wine Spectrum 95: Opening with the scent of dark fruit, this wine evokes a warm, earthy minerality. The entry is silky, with flavors of blackberry pie and subtle notes of anise. Soft tannins provide balance to the fruit, creating warmth on the back of the palate and a lasting finish of berries and spice.

All estate fruit from the Amizetta terraced hillside vineyards in the Conn Valley region of Napa Valley: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot & 5% Cabernet Franc. 500 cases produced.

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Tradition from Amizetta

Tradition is an exciting new project from one of our favorite producers, Amizetta. These approachable, balanced  wines were made with every day drinking in mind. Brothers, Ed and Perry’s goal is to make “the best  wine blend we can, on its own terms, its own unique tradition.” They are perfect wines for a casual night at home or for sipping on while preparing that perfect meal.

NV Tradition ‘Cuvée’ White Wine, North Coast

Wine Spectrum 93:  Produced by Ed & Perry Clark of Amizetta, this white wine is a cuvée of 80% Sauvignon Blanc & 20% Muscat.  Beautiful pear notes – the sauv blanc was planted on a former pear orchard – with expressions of peach and a nice balance of strong acidity.  A must for your springtime and summer sipping! 

Only 1000 cases produced.

 

NV Tradition ‘Cuvée’ Red Wine, Napa Valley

Wine Spectrum 93: Produced by Ed & Perry Clark of Amizetta, this Cuvée is made of the press run juice from Amizetta’s 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon production blended with 2014 Merlot and Syrah.  A perfect wine for your next BBQ! 

Only 1000 cases produced.