2010 Casa Piena Awarded 93-95 Rating By Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 2011-12-26
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Issue #198 December, 2011
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is totally striking. Layers of dark red fruit, plums, cherries and violets burst from this deep, textured Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2010 yields were down to 1.25 tons per acre, less than half the level of 2009. Those sacrifices in the vineyard have paid off big time. This is a stunning Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon that amply demonstrates the heights that are within reach here. I loved it. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.
Casa Piena is owned by the exuberant Carmen Policy and his wife Gail. Policy is best known for his work in the San Francisco 49ers front office during the golden era in which the team won four Super Bowls. Success breeds success, as the saying goes. These are two hugely polished, elegant wines from the Policy family and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.
— Robert Parker
2007 Casa Piena Awarded 94 Points By Wine Spectators! 2011-10-30
Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2008 94 points | $150 | 450 cases made | Red
A tight, vivid, juicy, concentrated yet graceful youngster, focused on
dense mineral, dark berry, currant and blackberry fruit, ending with
chewy tannins and notes of espresso and spice. Comes on the heels of a
2007 that seemed out of sync with the vintage. Best from 2012 through
2022. 450 cases made. –JL
2007 Casa Piena Awarded 94 Points! 2010-12-23
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Issue #192 December 23, 2010
The 2007, which was the debut vintage from this 14-acre parcel, is beautiful. Elegant, silky notes of red and black currants intermixed with lead pencil shavings, bay leaf, licorice, and earth are presented in a seductive, medium to full-bodied, fleshy, opulent style. Beautiful purity, texture, and length all make for an impressively well-balanced wine that is already showing complexity and savory elements. It should continue to drink well for 15 or more years.
A new project, and an impressive one at that, Casa Piena is owned by former lawyer and football executive for the San Francisco 49ers, Carmen Policy. None other than Thomas Brown is the winemaker at this facility, which is situated at the crossroads of Silverado Trail and the Yountville Crossroad, a pretty classy neighborhood, considering that Cliff Lede and Kapcsandy are also nearby. The wine at Casa Piena is aged 20 months in 80% new French oak casks and is virtually 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
— Robert Parker
2008 Casa Piena Awarded 95 Points! 2010-12-23
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Issue #192 December 23, 2010
Slightly better (which is no surprise, since it appears to be an impressive work in progress) is the 2008 Casa Piena. Production in this vintage is slightly higher as well. This wine displays similar character, with more unsmoked cigar tobacco intermixed with creme de cassis, camphor, graphite, and some subtle earthiness. Opaque ruby/purple, medium to full-bodied, layered, and opulent, this is a beauty as well, but slightly richer and potentially more complex than the brilliant 2007. This is an impressive newcomer, so take note!
A new project, and an impressive one at that, Casa Piena is owned by former lawyer and football executive for the San Francisco 49ers, Carmen Policy. None other than Thomas Brown is the winemaker at this facility, which is situated at the crossroads of Silverado Trail and the Yountville Crossroad, a pretty classy neighborhood, considering that Cliff Lede and Kapcsandy are also nearby. The wine at Casa Piena is aged 20 months in 80% new French oak casks and is virtually 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
— Robert Parker
Another field for Carmen Policy's talents 2010-01-24
Deborah Grossman, Special to The Chronicle Sunday, January 24, 2010
"What's on Carmen Policy's mind as he starts his day at his home and vineyard in Yountville?
He's
not reminiscing about the good old days as president of the 49ers. Nor
is he stressing about his consulting contract with the developer who
hopes to build the new 49ers stadium at Hunters Point in San Francisco.
After a cool winter evening, he's checking on the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes destined for his Casa Piena wine.
"Maybe
it's my Italian heritage, but there's nothing better than staying in
tune with the seasons and watching the grapevines change throughout the
year," he says. "I want to understand how all the winemaking pieces fit
together,"
Producing wine might have been a nice sideline to
Policy's career. But he doesn't see winegrowing as a vanity project. He
is a hands-on vintner.
"I met Carmen in 2005 before his first harvest. I sensed then and see now that Carmen is involved from dirt to shelf, and isn't shy about seeking advice. Quality seems to run in Carmen's veins," says Andrew Groth, vice president of operations at Groth Vineyards and one of Policy's neighbors.
Policy's interest in Napa Valley paralleled his involvement with the 49ers in the 1980s, as he and wife Gail vacationed in Wine Country. After moving to Palo Alto in 1991, the Policys visited more frequently. "Carmen always enjoyed fine wine, and as we met more winemaking families, we realized we wanted this lifestyle, too," says Gail Policy..."
Wine Spectator's Wineries to Watch - Five rising stars in Napa Valley 2009-11-15
James Laube Issue: November 15, 2009
CASA PIENA A 49er Pans for Gold
When Carmen Policy left the NFL, he may have thought his toughest competition was behind him. Yet now he's competing on a whole new playing field: Napa Valley.
The former president of the San Francisco 49ers presided over that team's rise to greatness-starting in 1977, Policy helped build five championship teams from 1981 through 1995-as well as its unraveling, when then-owner Eddie DeBartolo lost control of the team. Policy still proudly displays his Super Bowl rings in his home office in Yountville.
"When it worked [with the 49ers], there was nothing better," he says of his tenure in San Francisco.
The last ring came in 1995. When ownership of the 49ers changed hands, Policy departed for his home state of Ohio to run the Cleveland Browns. No rings there.
In 2003, he and his wife, Gail, purchased their property in Napa, where they hired Jim Barbour to plant 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. The winemaker is Thomas Brown, who also owns his own label, Rivers-Marie, and makes Schrader's stunning Cabernets.
"It's a business and it's not a business," Policy says of Casa Piena, the Italian cardplaying term for "full house." The debut bottling from 2006 (93, $125) is a terrific wine-rich, intense, vibrant and full-bodied, with well-defined loamy currant, berry, herb and toasty oak flavors, yet made in a more elegant style than many Napa Cabernets. Production is projected to expand from about 250 cases to 800.
"What's the goal?" he asks. "The goal is to make something great. It's part of your credibility. [The wine] needs to stand up to value and quality. We didn't want a big, strong, dominant style, but something more like Bordeaux."
"I used the 49er model [for organization]," Policy says. "Putting the right people in the right positions and let them make the decisions. I oversee, but don't supervise."
"...Carmen Policy, former president of the San Francisco 49ers through the team’s Golden Age, knows about football and now he’s added a new addition to his playbook – wine making.
“In 2003, my wife Gail and I bought vineyard property in Napa and began Casa Piena,” he said. “The name means ‘full-house’ in Italian and vividly describes our family of three sons and two daughters – three of a kind and a pair.” ..."
Are You Ready for Some Football (Wines)? 2009-09-24
Unfiltered
Unfiltered kicks off the new football season with an overview of NFL stars past and present who are donning the winemaking helmet
"...Carmen Policy, the former president of the San Francisco 49ers who presided over that team’s rise to greatness—starting in 1977, Policy helped build five championship teams from 1981 through 1995—as well as its unraveling, when then-owner Eddie DeBartolo lost control of the team. Policy still proudly displays his Super Bowl rings in his home office in Yountville. In 2003, he and his wife, Gail, purchased a property in Napa, where they hired Jim Barbour to plant 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. The winemaker is Thomas Brown, who also owns his own label, Rivers-Marie, and makes Schrader’s stunning Cabernets. Policy’s label is named Casa Piena, the Italian card-playing term for “full house,” and the debut bottling from 2006 (93 points, $125) is a terrific wine—rich, intense, vibrant and full-bodied, with well-defined loamy currant, berry, herb and toasty oak flavors, yet made in a more elegant style than many Napa Cabernets..."
Carmen Policy on the national "What's Cookin" radio show from CRN Digital Talk Radio. 2009-05-11
"What's Cookin" radio show with Carmen Policy Hosted by veteran broadcasters Mike Horn & Paul Stern.
"Their personal and private lives both characterize a commitment to providing the best possible effort driven by an extraordinary sense of passion.Carmen’s first career was that of a trial lawyer providing an opportunity to help defend and promote the interest of his clients in a competitive and dramatic setting. He moved from the courtroom to the gridiron. Following from his successful career in law, Carmen joined the San Francisco 49ers organization, where he played a key role in all five of the 49ers' Super Bowl winning teams, helping to establish them as one of the preeminent franchises in all of sports. He and Gail found their new life and their new home in San Francisco to be a virtual fairytale come true.The San Francisco 49ers became an extension of a strong sense of family that they both carried with them from their native Ohio. After 25 years of happily toiling in the NFL vineyards and creating a treasure trove of memories and accomplishments, Gail and Carmen realized, sometime in the 1990’s, that they were compelled to pursue the amazing lifestyle and challenges that winemaking and Napa Valley offered. Wine, sunshine, great food and romance were the enticements that could not be resisted."
Wine Spectator | 93 Points 2009-04-29
Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2006 93 points | $125 | 240 cases made | Red
"Both intense and vibrant, with a measure of restraint and finesse. Rich, concentrated, focused, deep and persistent, with chewy tannins. The flavors are built around tight currant, blackberry, black olive and cedary oak, with a touch of anise. Needs time. Best from 2010 through 2017".—J.L.
A Football Mogul's Home Game 2009-01-23
By NANCY KEATES
Big-time sports figures gather at 'Charmin'' Carmen Policy's Napa Valley estate
"Yountville, Calif. -- It's a flawless, 70-degree January day in Napa Valley, so quiet and still that Carmen Policy's Mediterranean-esque home, surrounded on all sides by grape vineyards backed by mountains, feels like an oil painting. The pool sparkles, and the lemon and orange trees lining the garden's stone paths are heavy with fruit.
It's lunchtime. Former Indy 500 race-car driver Randy Lewis drops by bearing bottles of his winery's Chardonnay and 2006 Van Gris Rosé. He and Mr. Policy, former president of the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers, seat themselves at the 14-foot limestone table in the outdoor kitchen where they share a meal of Cornish hen and roasted fingerling potatoes, cooked in the wood-burning oven by a chef from Bottega, a local restaurant.
Completed on 14 acres a little more than a year ago, Mr. Policy's $15 million estate is one of the hubs for the community of professional athletes and big-time sports executives who have channeled their competitiveness and their resources into the Napa wine scene. Mr. Policy's winery, housed in another location, will release its first batch of Cabernet Sauvignon this March. Former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana grows grapes down the road. Arnold Palmer, Mario Andretti and Jeff Gordon all have their names on local labels...."
Napa Valley Life - 7th Annual Intriguing Napa Valley 2008-12-31
Written by Kari Ruel - Majority of photos by Art & Clarity
"It's time once again to introduce you to intriguing Napa Valley residents worth getting to know... Carmen Policy, 65 - Former NFL executive and vintner"
"A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Policy is an attorney and former National Football League executive who is best known for his front office work for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980's and 1990's. He became presidents in 1991 and played a key role in the 49ers Super Bowl victories in 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990 and 1995...
Now Policy is focusing on his new venture coming out in Spring, the release of his 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon..."
Houston Chronical - Pro athletes pair well with wine 2008-12-29
By DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
"...After winning five Super Bowls with the 49ers — four with Montana — he’s aiming high in wine, too. His first Casa Piena, from grapes grown on nine acres of prime Yountville soil purchased from Charles Krug, is slated for release in the spring. With hot young winemaker Thomas Brown in the cellar, Policy believes he has “put the right pieces together” for it to become a cult classic..."
In the insular world of California Cult Wines, status is the point and prices is no object By Jordan Mackay | Photography by David Waldorf
"It is difficult to keep my eye from dwelling on the massive, diamond-studded ring on Carmen Policy's finger. Sitting in the living room of his Tuscan-style villa in Napa Valley's Yountville, we chat in the light reflected off the sea of bright-green vines outside. In a few months, Policy and his wife, Gail, will debut a wine called Casa Piena. The Super Bowl ring may have been a hard-won trophy for this former president of the San Francisco 49ers, but he understands that Napa's playing field is just as daunting if your hope is to produce that rare figure of success: the next cult wine. "We have high hopes for our first release," Policy says. "But after you've put the pieces together, you can only pray that things line up in your favor."
When things do line up, though, the success can be utterly overwhelming. The world of these often rich, hedonistic cult wines is one where demand - always heralded by a stratospheric score from wine critic Robert Parker - it can arouse the kind of fervor typically reserved for Google IPO or rolling Stones concert..."
Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2006
