School House Spring Mountain District Pinot Noir 2012  - Last Bottle

School House Spring Mountain District Pinot Noir 2012

HOLD. ON. We went back to the near-mythical School House winery, pleading and begging. And they just called with a little of the 2012!! We are….just….gobsmacked. You GOTTA read this!! And make sure you get some no matter what!! This is a MUST for serious collectors, aficionados of Napa’s tiny, brilliant producers, and at a truly astonishing price today. Goodness, our hearts are pounding.


There is a LOT you need to know about School House, only a small handful of even the biggest Napa geeks know about this wine. Wow!! We really are shocked. OK, here we go. This is a LOT of VERY COOL Napa history here…like we said, serious stuff!! Did you get some yet? Come back and read this later, if need be…OK, ready to get geeky???


DRC. Yes, Domaine de la Romanee Conti in Burgundy, arguably the greatest pinot noir producer on Earth (well, that is not really debated actually). The cuttings for the School House vineyard were brought by the legendary Gustave Niebaum (founded Inglenook) and when they converted to Cabernet in the 50s, THOSE cuttings went to School House and to this day is the only clonal selection there.


School House was planted in 1953 (!!!) and is one-of-a-kind, perched up high on Spring Mountain. For decades the minuscule production has been made at Pride Mountain Vineyards, a neighbor on the mountain. Incredibly hard to fine! Retailers get a few bottles here and there but most of it goes to restaurants and collectors. The price. We continue to be shocked to ever GET any, much less like this. The 2012 to boot!


There are terrific notes on CellarTracker for this (average score 92.6 which is excellent on CT) and on past vintages. Worth noting the fantastic aging potential, too -- many of the 70s wines are still rocking (if you would ever find one!). Your most hardcore collector friends will be amazed to see a bottle of this in your cellar!


THE WINE! If you’ve ever had a Pride wine, and can imagine them doing pinot, well, there you go. It’s always been (especially under winemaker Sally Johnson) a wonderful tension between power, lushness and elegance, and why we love it so much.


The 2012 is still a baby, an infant. These wines just have so much balance and structure, yet they glide lightly and effortlessly. Light in color, but intense and sophisticated. Bing cherry, smoky earth, allspice, tobacco leaf and minerals. LOVE the way it FLOATS…just so refined. Fantastic, cerebral stuff!! We are stoked beyond belief --- please get some. A piece of Napa history (at a price that is never going to come around again)!


**Due to the recent Supreme Court ruling (Wayfair) on sales tax, Last Bottle will now collect appropriate sales tax on all orders, regardless of where customers are shipping their purchases. Please see our website for our full terms and conditions.**

The vineyard takes its name from the 1880's one-room school house which graced the property until it was consumed by fire in the mid 1980s. That school house has lent its name to this fascinating and unique property which has quietly produced very small quantities of some of the most sought after Napa Valley wines since the mid-1950s. Steeped in Napa Valley history, School House is the ultimate cult wine producer, cult before cult was considered cool!


Technical Details

Country: United States
Region: California
Appellation: Napa Valley
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: School House Vineyard
Winemaker: Sally Johnson
Aging/Cooperage: Aged in some new French oak barrels for 18 months.
Alcohol: 13.40%

About The Producer

During Prohibition followed by the Great Depression, many families moved away and abandoned their vineyards and prune orchards. John Gantner's father purchased the School House Vineyard property of 160 gross acres. Today the second generation, John M. Gantner and Nancy Walker, tackle all of the vineyard operations where they make their home. Their passion for the grapes they nurture coupled with the land is beautifully revealed in the expressions of the wines produced from the vineyard.


Pairing Suggestions

Salmon, duck breast, mushroom

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