PlumpJack Estate Winery
620 Oakville Cross Road, Napa, CA 94558
Website: https://plumpjackwinery.com/
PlumpJack Estate Winery is tucked away on a cross road between Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail in the Oakville appellation. This is an area of prestigious wineries like Silver Oak, Groth, Opus One, and Nickel & Nickel. PlumpJack is a sister winery to Cade and Odette. I was first attracted to the winery because of its quirky name. The winery got its name from a Shakespearean character from Henry V, Sir John “PlumpJack” Falstaff, a down-to-earth, fun loving, irreverent gentleman. The idea of PlumpJack Wines started as a wine store in San Fran in 1992 by friends Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and Gordon Getty who had a mutual passion for wine. Newsom and Getty came upon the historic property in Oakville that dated back to 1881 as the 11th bonded winery, and they purchased the 42 acres in 1995 creating PlumpJack Estate Winery.
View from PlumpJack’s hilltop deck
From the outside the winery has a fun, laid-back air. A green and orange post fence leads from the parking lot along the path to the tasting room. The front of the tasting room is covered in greenery and blends in with the surroundings. The glass doors at the entrance are painted green and orange to match the fencing. To the left of the doorway is a metal shield with the PJW (PlumpJack Winery) symbol. Right outside the tasting room is a gravel area with some benches for lounging. There is also a look-out deck up a small hill with a great view of the surrounding valley.
Inside the tasting room there is a bit of a Medieval flair. The lighting is a bit dim, but it fits with the overall atmosphere. A horseshoe shaped tasting bar with a copper metal top is located right inside the doors. Behind the bar and throughout the room are more shields hung on the walls. In the back of the room is another mini-bar, and in between the two bars is an open area with some unique wine gifts.
PlumpJack Tasting Room
PlumpJack’s tasting experiences require prior appointment. The winery focuses primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the different features of the winery is that they use screw caps for their wines, even the red wines. The owners’ philosophy is that screw caps help better preserve the wines by eliminating the risk of cork taint. Traditionalists might still debate that wine can’t age as well with screw caps because it doesn’t get the same oxidation, but PlumpJack is still producing premium quality wines that have been rated very highly in wine magazines. My husband and I started our tasting experience with a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Merlot. I really liked that we got the option to sample some of their sister properties as well. I enjoyed the wines but they have a hefty price tag. This winery does not waive the $40 tasting fee with purchase unless you spend $500 or join the PlumpJack Falstaff Society (that is rather outrageous to me if you aren’t interested in the joining the club). If you are willing to pay a little bit more for your experience you can do a tasting on the patio, in the courtyard, or on the hilltop. I will give our host credit for providing a lot of information on the wines. The Plumpjack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and CADE Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were exceptionally smooth. I really enjoyed them but wasn’t ready to splurge on the big price tag.
My husband and I left feeling a little unsatisfied. PlumpJack definitely produces high quality wine but they are out of my typical price range. I was looking forward to more of the fun atmosphere, but I ended up feeling like it was overshadowed by the “prestige” they were pushing too much. When I asked my husband afterwards for his summary of the winery, he described it as “hoity toity”. I would have appreciated more if they focused on the history behind the property and let the wines speak for themselves.