2015 Protege Proprietary Red Napa Valley 750 ml

Napa Valley is a small place where news spreads quickly, and we kept hearing rumors of these kids who’d been basically raised on the Caymus and Trinchero wineries who were making a lookalike blend using the only recipe they know. These brands are icons for a reason—pretenders need not apply—so when the sommelier at Cook St. Helena told us he’d stashed his remaining Protégé cases away “for when it hits the big time” we convinced him to de-stash a bottle for us. 

Almost before the cork was fully out of the bottle, the richly fruited aromas leaped across the table. In the glass, macerated blackberry and black cherry melded seamlessly with attractive hints of vanilla, mint, and baking spice. Lush yet muscular on the palate, the intense core of black fruit and fresh pie spice was elevated by soft, chewy tannins. It was somehow both broodingly serious and completely delicious. Kind of like…

We’ll get back to that. 

Protégé is actually made by two longtime buddies turned garagistes, Matt Torres and Ryan Darrall. As Napa Valley natives, they grew up playing basketball against each other at rival schools and learning the industry ropes at the wineries where their parents still work. Matt is a fourth-generation Trinchero (his grandmother was Vera Trinchero Torres) who started working in the cellar there as soon as he was legally allowed, and has gained extraordinary experience and knowledge from winemaking legends and executives within his own family tree, which includes Bob Torres, Bob Trinchero, and Roger Trinchero.

Ryan’s life has been likewise entwined with Caymus since before he was born, but his is more of a Napa Cinderella story. As a teenager looking to make an extra buck, his mom started her first job there on the night shift bottling line, and now (32 years later) is Executive Vice President. Ryan’s dad also works for the Wagners, and he helps Ryan farm the Darrall family’s Syrah vineyard in Calistoga, previously selling the Syrah to Caymus before Ryan and Matt started buying it for Protégé. 

At 14, Ryan landed his first job at Caymus, selling Chuck Wagner’s Emmolo estate tomatoes to limo-escorted tasting room guests. Chuck took a liking to Ryan, promoting him until he ultimately landed a coveted position in the cellar. After two years spent absorbing everything he could about what goes into making one of Napa’s definitive reds, Chuck encouraged Ryan to make his own—using the very Darrall family grapes that Ryan grew up pruning with his dad. The wine would be entirely his to pick, make, label, and sell. A dream come true for an aspiring vintner.  

Inspired by Shafer’s Syrah-based Relentless blend (which had just won Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year), Ryan decided to make a similar cuvée, securing some Petite Sirah from Chuck for a song. Over an afternoon of video games, Ryan offhandedly told Matt that he was on the hunt to make a millennial-style red blend. Guess which Trinchero heir had the hookup for a small lot of immaculate, valley floor Cab? 

And thus, Protégé was born, named as an homage to the legendary mentors and apprenticeships that have shaped its signature style. 

Honestly though? While it draws deeply from its philosophical roots in legendary Napa wines, when we tasted 2015 Protégé, it instantly brought to mind to a more contemporary peer. With one sip, we flashed back to the first time we tasted The Prisoner, and shared the same gut feeling: This is going to be big. After all, Prisoner winemaker Dave Phinney set the Protégé blueprint, also starting as a cellar rat at famous Napa stalwart Opus One, developing the chops to make the blend that would take the world by storm. 

Marked by a similarly extracted style and a crazy competitive price—not to mention the buzz it’s generating on its own without any marketing or even a distributor—Protégé is poised to be the next big thing. And now that Ryan’s day job is selling Caymus up and down California, and Matt is putting in serious time inside the Trinchero winery, you better believe these boys know how to position a brand. Protégé’s stock is quickly rising beyond our Napa Valley circles—its price will soon follow suit.