Welcome to our newest series, The Somm Set. Each month we’ll be sitting down with a guest sommelier and uncovering their guilty pleasures, cellar staples, and everything in between! Follow as they hand-select their favorites from our warehouse, giving you the inside scoop on cellar must-haves!

This month on The Somm Set, we’re excited to feature DLynn Proctor, Director of Fantesca Estate & Winery. Join us as we explore everything from his love of Italian wines and his current endevours in the Napa Valley.

2016 All Great Things Justice II
2015 Crissante Alessandria Galina Barolo
2015 Patrice Rion Vougeot 1er Cru Le Cras
Raid Y(our) Cellar Live Tasting
Read Our Full Interview With DLynn Proctor
The Somm Set Home

 

This week from DLynn Proctor:

A determined young woman from Saint Paul with marketing prowess worked the register at her father's stereo shop. The shop was pretty successful and often kept the founder away from family dinners, important family functions, and most holidays, but as growth allowed one location to become many, a name change ushered in a new era of life.

The ambitious Susan Schulz Hoff grew from working the register to being responsible for communications and marketing and traveled the world to experience wine and cuisine from some of the most heralded destinations one can only envision. While in Tuscany, she learned of the Commedia dell' Arte and its rich history of theatre and, in essence, embodied the spirit of its lead female character, La Fantesca. A decade-plus would pass, and the Schulze-Hoff family would come to cement their own piece of history, nestled in the Spring Mountain District AVA. Susan, remembering the many late nights and important meals barely made (or missed) by her father, really wanted to do something special for him to commemorate the sacrifices he made over a 40-year career for the family.  

What would be born was the importance of duty, sacrifice, and hope encapsulated with the soul of the Russian River Valley. A limited Pinot Noir whose fruit collectively has ten generations of winegrowing history was the only choice to craft these 700 cases of wine fit for a King. With the neck and cap wrapped in a regal red wax, the Bacigalupi's and Martinelli's lend fruit ripe with hints of Burbank plums, the kiss of the Pacific sun, and finessed with acidity and fall pie spice. As family meals are meant to be shared, picture the King Richards Reserve this weekend with fresh quail, a hand-rolled cigar, a loved one, and lasting thoughts of the gentle hills of Sonoma Valley.  

Check out all the wines, including the Fantesca Pinot Noir King Richard`s Reserve 2018, mentioned below!