Superb Napa Valley Cabernet Wine Made By Famous Winemaker Is A Hidden Gem

Forbes

06-06-2025

Napa Valley vineyard at sunrise
A château in the Loire Valley
When pieced together, fragments of the beginning of a life give a picture of where one's place is in the world when there is a pattern of what brings joy. The tapestry of smells from walking the streets of Chinatown, startled halfway down the basement stairs by the popping of corks ejecting from grandpa's homemade wine, excitement flooding the brain after tasting a top Bordeaux wine for the first time, being surrounded by the surreal enchantment of the Loire Valley, in France, by driving around the historic towns on a moped, taking in the most exquisite châteaux on the planet….
Such a life of snippets from childhood to young adulthood shows the initial foundation of a journey driven by great wine and fantastic food, shared in an atmosphere of generosity and wonderment. Yet this is not just one life but two, a married couple lucky enough to meet early in life, merging their paths in the mid-1980s with a combined mission to devote their lives to bringing such moments that were pivotal to them in their youth to the wider world.
Larry and MaryAnn Tsai
Today, this husband and wife, Larry and MaryAnn Tsai, are making a stunning Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as a wine producer under the name Moone Tsai Wines. One of the most acclaimed wine consultants worldwide, Philippe Melka, is making their wines. Since they produce a tiny amount and have a great relationship with Philippe, he is able to be their full-time winemaker, which is unheard of as Philippe typically works in an advising capacity for most wineries. Yes, it is incredible that MaryAnn and Larry have a winemaker who has won several 100-point scores, worked for some of the most famous producers in the world and is truly a master blender of various vineyards when it comes to creating a harmonious wine, but he is a also a wonderful person who has become a good friend which is just as important to them.
Chinatown in New York City
MaryAnn and Larry may have each had a different childhood than the other, as one is Italian American and the other Chinese American; one lived in Boston, the other in Long Island, NY; one studied abroad in France and the other worked at a local Long Island restaurant getting the chance to taste ultra-premium wines; yet at the core of their cultural values laid a commitment to centering one's life around tasting amazing things with family and friends. As a first-generation Chinese American, Larry was introduced to Asian flavors and aromas from an early age. However, growing up on Long Island gave him plenty of opportunities to expand into other cultural sensorial experiences, and further travel just intensified his deep desire to build a life on such olfactory pleasures. MaryAnn grew up in Boston in an Italian American home. As a child, she witnessed the miraculous process of making wine from her grandfather, albeit as a hobby, yet it was a hobby that brought so much joy to her grandfather's life.
MaryAnn would not only get to study abroad in France, but she would fulfill a rare dream as a middle-class Italian American and get her MBA at Harvard while Larry had already received his MBA from Stanford. While they were living in New York City as a married couple, they decided to take the plunge to move to "The Golden State." MaryAnn could pursue her dream by working in the wine business and Larry would delve into food and beverages since MaryAnn loved the European way of life that was rooted in wine and Larry fell in love with California when he attended Stanford. However, both would initially have to go down the corporate route, despite their dreams of entrepreneurship, as, unlike today, that seemed impossible, and the corporate route was the only way for MBAs.
Napa Valley vineyards during sunrise as the fog rolls in
While Larry was working with gourmet food and coffee, MaryAnn started working for Beringer in 1989. At the time, the Swiss company Nestlé owned Beringer and wanted to increase their portfolio by purchasing ultra-premium wineries as well as increasing their vineyard holdings in Sonoma County and Napa Valley. Ten years after MaryAnn started, Beringer had accumulated an extra 750 acres in the Sonoma and Napa Valley areas, and MaryAnn was a key part of acquiring such valuable vineyards. Along the way, she gained incredible knowledge about where the best sites are situated, especially those plots that suited her personal preference for elegance, freshness and balance. During her time at Beringer, they were awarded three #1 slots on Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year" list.
Larry and MaryAnn Tsai
There were many moments, although brief, that connected to the joy of MaryAnn and Larry's childhoods while they were working for Fortune 500 companies: that surprising addictive aroma, a gorgeous texture, talking to those who crafted such delectable delights and learning about the process, yet schedules and pace were unrelenting and there was never time to savor the experiences truly. But after a time, as they found a few moments to take deep breaths and reflect on their lives, which included raising two lovely daughters, those fragmented memories of their early years came flooding back, but this time, the memories were more vivid and powerful; the message was clear, they needed to open their own winery, and Moone Tsai Wines was born in 2003.
Their first wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon, and they have always been a believer in mainly sourcing from vineyards that would make complex, layered wines balanced by vibrant freshness and incredible texture. Together with Philippe Melka and his 30 years of relationships with Napa Valley vineyard growers, they were able to find plots that would accomplish such a goal. Today, they work with 12 different growers, have around eight separate wines in their portfolio with a few limited releases from time to time and have grown from initially making 180 to 3,000 cases – although still tiny, and hence, keeps their goal of wanting to make each bottle a forever memory that will bring a touch of magic to the lives of their customers possible.
MaryAnn and Larry Tsai
Two people living parallel lives driven by the smells, tastes and how such sensations formed uplifting bonds and the most significant bond is when MaryAnn and Larry found each other. Their combined mission has been to live an exuberant life with other wine and food lovers and make it a way of life that they would pass down to their daughters as well as inspire others to live.
Every journey starts with the incredible discoveries of those things that thrill and mystify. Then, as an adult, the road seems to be filled overnight with learning, experiences and lots of responsibility, until finally, one gets to the point where they can finally achieve the goal that they have carried in their hearts all that time… a goal that surrenders to the idea that one's time is precious. As it is easy to toil one's life away without ever experiencing true joy. But it is never too late, never too late to find that bottle of wine that will pulse through the weary body of someone who has worked the grind too long, pulse like a shot of electricity, opening a whole new world of wonderment.
Moone Tsai, Hillside Blend, Howell Mountain and "Cor Leonis" Cabernet Sauvignon
MaryAnn and Larry decided to expand into making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from some of the top vineyards in prestigious California regions, such as the Russian River Valley and Sta. Rita Hills, allowing Philippe Melka to employ his remarkable skills in crafting wines outside of Bordeaux varieties.
Moone Tsai, Paige Cuvée, Chardonnay and Corinne Cuvée, Pinot Noir
2022 Moone Tsai, Paige Cuvée, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California: 100% Chardonnay from the renowned Ritchie Vineyard. Named after their oldest daughter, Paige. A bright nose with lovely aromas of citrus blossom and stony minerality with lemon curd flavors highlighted by candied kumquat with a sustained finish, leaving the saline notes from the ocean in one's head.
2022 Moone Tsai, Corinne Cuvée, Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, California: 100% Pinot Noir from the Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard. Sta. Rita Hills is an incredible place for Pinot Noir as the top sites, such as this one, get an ideal amount of ripeness while achieving mouthwatering acidity due to the fierce winds in the area. This wine is named after their youngest daughter, Corinne. The generosity of a gorgeous bouquet is enthralling on this wine, with blossoming jasmine and rose petals intermixed with star anise with silky tannins caressing the palate with multilayered fruit and an extended length of flavor on the finish. Even though Philippe and Moone Tsai have made their name on Cabernet, this Pinot Noir can certainly go head to head with some of the best in Sta. Rita Hills.
Moone Tsai, Hillside Blend, Howell Mountain and "Cor Leonis" Cabernet Sauvignon
2021 Moone Tsai, Hillside Blend, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot from the hillside of Howell Mountain around 2,100 feet above the fog line. It is a wine that slowly beckons as it reveals itself with each sip and the juicy cassis flavors are an ideal counterpart for the broad tannins that allow one to sink their teeth into a wine that has an intense sense of place with notes of smoldering earth and crushed rocks with a long, spicy finish.
2021 Moone Tsai "Cor Leonis" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards located in the Napa sub-regions of Pritchard Hill, Coombsville and St. Helena, which shows the great blending talents of Philippe Melka. The name "Cor Leonis" translates to "heart of the lion," and this outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon represents the pinnacle of excellence that Moone Tsai has achieved with only 300 cases made; hence, it is on allocation. The aromas astonish with exciting notes of forest floor after a refreshing rainfall with wild sage and crushed volcanic rock balanced by blackberry coulis, cocoa nibs and cherry tart flavors and a buxom body with curves in all the right places and it is simply a showstopper that combines a big wow factor with an overall harmonious finesse that is extremely impressive.