Stunning Cool-Climate Whites, Beautiful Labels: Cadre Wines Shine

One should not judge a bottle of wine by its label. To begin, aesthetics are for the most part subjective. A cute kitten on a label might appeal to you, while your partner finds it sappy and not suitable. However, labels are not to be overlooked or disregarded.

At the basic level, one can learn the specifics of a wine, say, a riesling or Champagne, by reading the label. Trocken? Demi-sec? Monopole? There you go. Labels are also — or can be — art. They can espouse a philosophy or viewpoint, and they can represent a family or region. They can do and be all of those things. Don’t buy a wine based solely on its label (but if you choose to do that I will not shame you), but do keep in mind that the label is there for a reason.

I recently received a four-bottle shipment from Cadre Wines, and the labels are beautiful. Some might even say they constitute art. Again, that can be subjective, but I love these labels. And there’s a bonus here, because the wines are also lovely, and each is one you’ll want to pair with food. (Which brings up another topic: I am a firm believer that wine should always, or mostly always, be enjoyed with food, but some wines go better with food than do others.)

The couple behind Cadre, John and Lucy Niven, are no strangers to the wine world. John’s grandfather, Jack Niven, was a San Luis Obispo luminary and is referred to by many as the pioneer of the Edna Valley. In 1973 he established Paragon Vineyard, which is the oldest continually producing property in the Edna Valley. The family sold Paragon and Niven Family Wines in 2020; John and Lucy founded Cadre Wines the same year and source fruit from the vineyard.

John Niven is a third-generation vintner, and one can taste his experience in these wines, all of which are fermented and aged solely in stainless steel, have screw cap closures, and retail for a suggested price of $30.

Here is the Cadre lineup I sampled:
2024 “Stone Blossom” Sauvignon Blanc
2024 “Sea Queen” Albariño
2024 “Band of Stones” Grüner Veltliner
2024 “Beautiful Stranger” White Blend

I took part in a virtual tasting last week hosted by Jack Niven, and he led us through the four bottles after sharing the story of his family’s history in the wine business. A few nights earlier I had opened the grüner veltliner with friends while dining at an Ethiopian restaurant, and it was perfect with the vegan cuisine (lentils, cabbage, carrots, potatoes); the grüner’s fruit is the product of the first coastal planting of the variety in California, which dates to the late 2000s. The three other wines I first tasted during the virtual session. The word “crisp” could be used frequently in this piece, because these wines demonstrate that characteristic in abundance. Cool-climate white wines is the key phrase here, and Niven has made some stellar examples.

The “Band of Stones” veltliner comes mainly from block 168 of Paragon Vineyard, a plot marked by well-draining soils containing limestone, sandstone, shale, and mudstone, all playing their roles in the wine’s sharp and complex texture. I loved the structured depth here, which certainly is influenced by fruit from Jack Ranch Vineyard, a steep, sandy property located at the northwest edge of the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA. The typical white pepper and floral aromas are lively here, as is a minerality melded with flavors of white pepper, citrus, and a note of ginger. Pair with curry dishes, grilled asparagus (yes, try it), or chicken schnitzel.

I like cool-climate sauvignon blanc, and Cadre’s “Stone Blossom” is an impressive one. It’s 100 percent sauvignon blanc (Clone 1, Musqué, and ENTAV Clone 530) from the Paragon and Salaal vineyards. Profound salinity was my initial impression, both on the nose and palate. Paragon Vineyard is about 5 miles from the ocean, and the maritime influence is strong in this wine. If you like sauvignon blanc, this is for you, and if you think you don’t like sauvignon blanc, please try this one. Aromas of Persian cucumber, lime, and soft coriander, followed by that salinity, mimosa, melon, and a bright herbaceous note, primarily tarragon and basil. I’d love to pair this with a meal of poached and grilled artichokes followed by a chicken and goat cheese salad.

Cadre’s 2024 “Sea Queen” has an interesting backstory that involves a relationship with Rías Baixas and the Morgadío Estate. In 2007, Niven journeyed to the region in Spain, which is considered the birthplace of albariño. He tasted a lot of wines and talked with as many winemakers and growers.

“We came back energized and knew immediately that Edna Valley could produce albariño to rival anything in Europe,” he said. Niven then procured cuttings from California growers whose vines had come from Morgadío, arguably Spain’s top source of albariño, and planted 45 acres in Paragon Vineyard, what he terms “the most ambitious albariño planting outside of the Iberian Peninsula.”

Referring to similarities between the Spanish region and the San Luis Obispo Coast, Niven added: “Much of California’s albariño is grown in warmer inland regions. Our vineyards lie just 2 to 5 miles from the Pacific, shaped by the ocean in ways that echo the Atlantic influence in Spain’s Rías Baixas. Albariño is most at home by the sea. The cool breezes, fog, and maritime moderation allow it to fully express vibrant acidity, lifted aromatics, and salty mineral character indigenous to this stretch of California coastline. I believe the San Luis Obispo Coast is the New World home of albariño.”

The “Sea Queen” is made with fruit from Paragon (block 163) and Morro View Vineyard, and this wine is one of the best examples of albariño I’ve had in a while. I’m going directly to the food pairing here, because if you have grilled shrimp (with garlic and parsley) on your mind do not hesitate to open this bottle when you sit at the table with your shellfish. I closed the bottle after the virtual tasting session and enjoyed it immensely with that very dish the next day. As with the Cadre sauvignon blanc, one can smell and taste the sea in this acid-driven wine, along with captivating aromas of peach and citrus and flavors of stone fruit, most notably apricot and muted nectarine.

The final Cadre bottle I tasted was the “Beautiful Stranger,” a blend of 60 percent grüner veltliner, 30 percent sauvignon blanc, and 10 percent albariño. Fruit from Paragon and Salaal vineyards is used here, and tasting this one after the other Cadre bottles was a revelation. I could, by focusing on them, discern the individual components, and the interplay between the three was magical. The aromatics of the albariño, the concise minerality of the grüner veltliner, and the sauvignon blanc’s herbaceousness combine for something complex yet approachable. I have no doubt this would pair well with roast chicken, as well as with pasta al limone.

Cadre also has an Ode series, which includes “Ode to the Few,” a sauvignon blanc, and “Ode to the Sea,” an albariño. Both retail for $45. The former’s fruit comes from a single block marked by volcanic soil rich with iron, while the latter’s is sourced from Spanish Springs Vineyard, which lies 2 miles from the Pacific. I look forward to tasting these wines; you can purchase all of them here, or ask for Cadre at your favorite merchant.

My next tasting session will feature wines made from traditional Italian grapes — carricante, nerello mascalese, and nebbiolo —grown in Northern Sonoma County.