The Đồi Đá story
Cuong is driven by curiosity and a desire to create. Over a decade ago Cuong, an ex-Apple engineer, made the leap to launch Red Boat Fish Sauce, and has turned it into the purest and most widely used Vietnamese fish sauce used by chefs (and home chefs) around the world. Now, Cuong and his family are set to launch a Napa Valley wine project called Đồi Đá.
Cuong lived in the Napa Valley in the 1990s and fell in love with scenic beauty, weather and wines of the region – especially Cabernet Sauvignon. A dream of moving back to Napa Valley came true in early 2021 when Cuong and his wife, Ann, purchased a home on a rare 9-acre hillside parcel on Soda Canyon Road. This site, just south of the Stags Leap District, has sweeping views of the Napa Valley and volcanic soils that are perfect for exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals.
It’s rare to find a property these days in Napa unplanted with vines in a great spot for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. This allows Cuong and his team to plant the vineyard from scratch with the clones, rootstocks and row direction that is best suited to the site. The planting of the estate vineyard began on April 1, 2024.
The vineyard will be planted to several clones of Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a small amount of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
In the meantime, Cuong and his family will release their very first Napa Valley wine in late summer of 2024 from purchased grapes from top sites in Oakville and Rutherford. The name of the winery is Đồi Đá (pronounced Doy Dah) and means Rocky Hill, a perfect name for what will become the estate vineyard. The limited production 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from Oakville and Rutherford fruit and will retail for $125 per bottle. Only 145 cases were made. The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Wine Maker
The wine was crafted by Nova Cadamatre, MW who has been working with Cuong for several years on this project. Nova was the first female winemaker to achieve the Master of Wine in the U.S. and was a Top 40 under 40 recipient from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. She has a long, acclaimed pedigree from making wine at top wineries in Napa Valley and Sonoma.
Nova says the Đồi Đá style of wine is fresh and elegant with refined, velvety tannins and a lengthy finish. The wine, of course, is extremely food-friendly and pairs with a wide variety of dishes, including Ribeye marinated in Red Boat Salt (umami) and Chicken wings marinated in Red Boat Fish Sauce.
Đổi Dá Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2022 vintage is the inaugural release of the Đổi Dá Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is elegant and refined with supple tannins and a fresh finish. Bright blackberry and blueberry fruit flavors fill the nose along with floral and vanilla hints. The core of fruit is supported by a nice backbone of acidity, keeping the wine light on its feet. Crafted to complement a meal, the wine is ready to enjoy upon release but will age for many years to come.
Vintage Notes: 2022 was a challenging vintage. The summer was calm and ideal for growing. The vintage took a surprise turn when an early September heatwave hit the Napa Valley. Fortunately, the vineyards for Đồi Đá went through this extreme weather with no issues. The next surprise was a rain event about a week after the last day of heat that reinvigorated the vines and allowed flavors to fully ripen for a September 23rd harvest.
The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon crafted from top vineyard sites in Oakville and Rutherford and was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak.
Release Date: August 2024
Cases Produced: 160
Label Alcohol: 13.5%
