Houston Lifestyles & Homes magazine Mar 2009: Denman Moody Wine Reviews

How did a Houston cardiologist with a passion for wine propel himself into the perfect Napa Valley winery setup? It certainly wasn ’t all planned, and much of it was simply good fortune.

After finding a promising 7-acre plot in the Napa Valley in 1997, Dr. Madaiah Revana asked a famous vineyard manager, Jim Barbour, what he thought about it. Barbour agreed and even opined that it was one of the best, unplanted sites on the valley floor for Cabernet Sauvignon. It ’s just north of Saint Helena on the valley’s main highway. The only problem then was that one needed 10 acres to start a winery. Miraculously, Revana found out a contiguous neighbor was about to put some of his land up for sale, and Revana snatched up enough to equal over 10 acres. No less miraculous, several years later he sold a small piece that had two houses on it for almost as much as he paid for the original seven acres!

Barbour knew and had worked with Heidi Barrett, one of the world’s most famous consulting winemakers—she originally brought fame to Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle Maya, two of the world ’s most spectacular wines, as an example—and asked if she would make Dr. Revana’s Cabernet Sauvignon. Since the new winery was permitted to make about three times more wine than the 2,000 cases per year Revana planned, it was determined that Heidi would help design the winery and make Barbour ’s wines (which she was already making), her own wines, La Sirena and Amuse Bouche, all boutiques, all highly allocated and all highly acclaimed, at the winery.

Heidi feels like it’s a mini Heidi Barrett Enterprises, and Dr. Revana has the best of all worlds since Barbour is vineyard manager, Heidi is consulting winemaker, and all the wine cognoscenti who show up (by appointment only) to see, taste and buy La Sirena, Barbour and Amuse Bouche (possibly the best Merlot in California), are exposed to Dr. Revana ’s beautiful boutique winery and his fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tom Garrett, the Revana day-to-day- operational vineyard/winery exec, was tapped by Heidi to interview for the job, which he won. Besides working with Heidi and Revana, both of whom he has great respect, he was excited about the total control they would have over every aspect of the winemaking process at a winery where the 100 percent estate vineyard starts about 5 feet from the door to the winery.

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is Revana’s current release, and it is the best yet. It exhibits a dark ruby color, black cherries, chocolate, cassis and spice. It is not a blockbuster with gobs of overripe fruit; instead it is elegant and seductive, and should show its best with an additional year or two of age. Unfortunately, I may not find out how good it might be. I couldn ’t help watching my small supply disappear into
my stomach within a few weeks after purchase.

Revana has also started a successful

Cabernets and Maximus are his top wines; and Kevin Buckner, whose Adobe Road beauties I like best are his Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, Cabernet Franc Knight ’s Valley and Zinfandel Port Sonoma County. All wines I’ve had from all three of the above winery owners are very good to outstanding.

What prompted me to write about this was the incredible one-day event I recently attended, sponsored by Car and Driver and Road & Track Live at the Houston Motorsport Ranch in Angleton, in which I and about 20 other fortunate attendees were first driven one-at-a-time around the large racing track at racing speeds by Indianapolis 500 campaigner Davey Hamilton, and during the rest of the day personally driving the following at only my judgement limit, once around the track in each of the following: Dodge Viper; Corvette Z06; Lamborghini Gallardo; Lotus Elise; Ferrari F430; and Porsche 997 Turbo. This was a spectacular day I will never replicate.

Check out the 2009 Legendary Track Tour, which will span the U.S. in search of the best tracks including the Daytona International. Visit www.executivedrive.com or call 1-866-3261. My day was $3,500 a person, and I’ll never forget it. You can do it too.

Oregon winery called Alexana, named after his daughter. As good fortune would once again have it, super-star winemaker Lyn Penner-Ash makes
his three wines: Pinot Gris Revana
Vineyard, Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard
and Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Revana Vineyard.

I’ve not seen a score below 90 for any of Revana’s wines. If pressed, I would give the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon a 95 and the Oregon wines just slightly less, but all above 90.

Wine and Racing

So what do wine and racing have in common? I know personally of three famous drivers/race car owners who have delved into the winemaking business, all with great success: Mario Andretti, whose best wines are from his ultra-premium Montana Napa series; Randy Lynch, whose Bennett Lane Napa