Surh Luchtel wines are the result of collaboration between two long time friends Don Surh and Gary Luchtel. First as housemates in college in the Oakland hills in the late 70’s, they became friends over many a bottle and discovered that their wine interests were more than casual.
They have been making wine together since 1992 with grapes obtained from various vineyards of Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and Mendocino counties. Over the years they have made Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Sangiovese and Chardonnay. The 1999 vintage was their first commercial year in which they made 1100 total cases of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux blend called Mosaique, and a Napa Valley Zinfandel. Currently they make approximately 3000 cases a year.
Surh-Luchtel Cellars
2006 Syrah, Page Nord Vineyard
(Napa Valley)
Syrah from the Page Nord Vineyard is said to have a signature flavor of ripe blackberries, which is one reason partners and former college wine drinking buddies and roommates Don Surh and Gary Luchtel sought it out. The vineyard is within the Oak Knoll District, half way between Napa and Yountville at the southern end of the valley. Their hybrid philosophy aims at merging rich, ripe fruit with expression of origin — not an easy task.
Brilliant with a panoply of vivid, deeply saturated colors ranging from crimson to magenta, violet to ruby, the wine is very viscous. On the nose, wild, almost Pinot Noir-like notes of sarsaparilla, rootbeer, and cherry cola come into play right alongside ripe blueberry, earth, mushroom, mulch pile, forest floor, mocha, and toast. This decadent fruit and earth bomb is full-bodied and structured, not loosey-goosey like so many of its brethren. Oak tannins reign in bright, juicy bursts of sweet, ripe fruit, and stand out on their own on the finish.
Surh-Luchtel Cellars
2006 Pinot Noir, Garys’ Vineyard
(Santa Lucia Highlands)
Neighbors and friends since boyhood, Gary Frascioni and Gary Pisoni partnered together in 1997 on what has become one of America’s most famous Pinot Noir Vineyards, Garys’. Today both men’s sons are active in overseeing the 50 acre vineyard located in Monterey’s crown jewel for Pinot Noir, the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation (Syrah is also establishing itself as a new benchmark here). About twenty wineries purchase fruit here, including Kosta Browne, Testarossa, Miner Family, and Morgan. Having the vineyard designation guarantees a fast sell-through at all tiers. The Garys’ designates I managed to squeeze out of these wineries and Pisoni’s senior and junior for Aqua went as fast as I listed them. Aside from rave reviews leading to instant notoriety, the wines have a completely unique personality. They are sleek and deeply, darkly fruited, often with smoky, tarry overtones, and manage, depending on handling, to retain vibrant underlying natural acidity.


Surh-Luchtel Cellars
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stagecoach Vineyard 
(Napa Valley)
Bright, lightly saturated ruby with vibrant pink tones and viscous, this wine has inviting aromas of spice, cedar, cherry, raspberry, cranberry, guava, lilac, earth, tarragon, and spearmint. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied, elegant, unctuous, and sleek with a prickly acidity that smoothes out on the long, fruity finish.
With red volcanic soil and boulders, the 1200 acre Stagecoach Vineyard is Napa Valley’s largest contiguous mountain vineyard. Located at an elevation of 1500 to 1700 feet, it stretches from the western border of Atlas Peak to the southern edge of Pritchard Hill. More than 40 wineries purchase the fruit — intense, small berry, thick skinned grapes that produce dark, intense, and tannic wines, from the owners, the Krupp family.
Don Surh and Gary Luchtel crushed this blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc with high whole berry content, gave it a long cold soak – six days, and then fermented it for eleven days with temperatures reaching 86 degrees. After racking, aging for twenty one months in 80% new French oak. blending, and bottling without fining and filtration it is, as one might expect, deeply saturated in color – a vivid ruby with tinges of garnet towards the edge. Right out of the bottle it showed a note of SO2 that blew off with aeration, followed by notes of barnyard, earth, plum, cassis, tar, and smoke. Cherry and plum fruits bursts out on the palate. Fruit tannins are ripe and oak tannins are mellow. The wine has bright natural acidity and a big, flavorful finish.