Chateau Boswell

One of our favorite winery tours from our last Napa trip. Small but quaint winery, with great wines, both white and red, although the reds are my favorite. It’s essentially a cave tour, ending in their elegant glass walled tasting room. We had a chance to taste from one of the vats, and meet the winemaker Russell Bevan, who was a great host. Overall a great experience, which I highly recommend.

WOW. After a private boutique tasting, I don’t think I can go back to being herded like cattle through retail wineries.
Gorgeous wine caves with artistic markings on the walls, perfect for photo ops.
They only make reserve wines and everything is limited production. The different varietals are procured from different regions to garner the best quality. Come back in the fall and you will get to crush grapes the old fashioned way.
Definitely check out the acoustics of the tasting room.
If you’re not a chardonnay person, CB will change your mind.
Khristopher was so engaging, knowledgeable and approachable. Wine sells itself, but K made the experience over the top. We tasted 7 wines and picked up a couple — which were promptly delivered to Meadowood the next day.
For those shopping for a new Lexus, this tasting is a PERK for you.
Highly recommend.

We had the pleasure of a visit and tasting in mid-​Oct. These wines are fantastic and I would be very hard pressed to pic a favorite. Boo was genuinely hospitable and gracious as our hostess and wine guide. I must admit, I did scan for arrowheads but unfortunately found none. Maybe next time. Make Château Boswell part of your tasting excursion-​as not only are wines wonderful, maybe you’ll find an arrowhead!

Beautiful winery, good wine and great atmosphere ! All the staff were very knowledgeable and extremely friendly! Will definitely be back !!

I’ve visited Château Boswell multiple times with numerous friends, and have always had a fantastic time. Matt is extremely knowledgable without being snooty, and enjoys questions and interacting. The cellar is beautiful but you may have to ask to see it. The wines are absolutely fabulous! I never thought I’d pay over $ 100 for a white but their chardonnays are so good, I end up buying a lot of it.
A definitely must visit!

WOW! This property is so so so beautiful. Ambiance gets an A+
The wines were great, but then again… they should be if you are paying $ 100 a bottle.
The caves were neat, and definitely worth seeing once. The wine tasting takes place around a table while you stand and taste the wines (not seated).
It’s not a traditional wine tasting in the sense that they don’t tell you what the wine tastes like, nor do they rinse out your glasses in between. It’s either you like it and you want to buy it or you don’t.
Why 4 Stars instead of 5?
They forgot our appointment. We had spoken to them on the phone two times prior to visiting so the fact that they forgot our appointment was pretty disappointing. We had to join another group that was already about 10 minutes into their tour.

This review is for a visit 2 years ago — December 2012.
Went in for a wine tasting. Beautiful place. Amazing tasting room and the person presenting the wines was great. Very knowledgable and friendly. So far so good.
As we live in Orange County California, we couldn’t fly home with the case of wine we ordered, so they offered to ship it for us. We waited and waited for that case to arrive. My boyfriend called several times and discovered his credit card was billed for over $ 500 twice. They finally got that straightened out and then we waited some more for it to arrive. When it finally did, we were very disappointed to find the wine that we received was nothing like the wine we had tasted and loved. It was mediocre at best. To put it bluntly, we felt that we had been duped.
Just sharing our experience.

A MUST VISIT WINERY — The most amazing experience I have had at a winery. We worked with a wonderful Sommolier who spent almost an hour with us. I am not a big white fan but their whites were exceptional and the 100% Cabernet out of the barrel was to die for. Luckily we are local and go and pick u a bottle when we want one, at $ 150 per it can’t be my daily drinking wine :(

We had such a special experience at Château Boswell Winery. Our host was Matt Simpson, who greeted us with enthusiasm and charmed us with his fun stories. He expertly described and poured 5 wines (3 white, 2 red) for us to taste. Matt shared wonderful history of the family vineyard and of the area. The wine was so delicious! I especially enjoyed the reds. Thanks again Matt for such a fun afternoon!

Was worth the wait! Matt was our personal host and this was amazing. The personal interaction makes all the difference. The wine is amazing from the Cuvée to the beautifully crafted Cab.

Not what I’d hoped for from all the five star reviews. Our party of eight had a reservation for about a month prior to going today. From all the hype I was expecting a very private, elevated experience. We were greeted by a wide open gate, a number of large working trucks, lots of cars and only one parking space as someone was leaving. The place appeared to be under construction. There is a very long, very narrow, one way driveway, and upon leaving you have to back out the entire way! This is after a long wine-​tasting!
As for the wine tasting itself, you’re standing in the cave the whole time, no seats. You’re tasting white wines then red wines, no change of glasses, no water to rinse out the glasses, but the most disappointing aspect of our tasting was that most of the wines were literally just bottled yesterday and were WAY too young (by years, as explained to us by the employee) to taste! Why? And, yet, when we were in the store prior to leaving we saw bottle after bottle of wines dated 2006, 2008; we probably would have gladly purchased them if we’d had the opportunity to taste them since they were most likely the most drinkable wines there. The best part was when we were taken to the barrels and the women and men were given different wines to taste. We exchanged glasses so everyone tasted the two wines; then we blended the two wines together and voila, a great tasting blended wine. Overall, would I recommend this to anyone, not sure. I’d have to explain that if you’re adventurous and want to taste mostly young wines and invest in them and are willing to wait to see how they mature, then go for it. We went there hoping to come home with some great tasting wines we could enjoy now, and instead my husband and I left disappointed. Sorry.
For Chardonnay we still prefer Château Montelena and for reds there are so many other wineries!

When my brother planned a few winery stops in St. Helena, one of our stops was Château Boswell which was by far the best surprise i could expect.
From the able Sommolier on staff to Josh who married into the family and now helps run the entire operation. With a keen sense of taste, the wines were wonderul and i couldn’t be happier to discover this small operation that you can only order direct because no wine stores carry it.
They also are very green, without using pesticides and they even have bat houses on the hillside as a natural pest control. It is very reassuring that there are quality wineries in Napa which choose to avoid Cryolite (pesticide fluoride) and help people keep healthy.
If you get a chance to visit the winery they have some great choices from whites to red. A fabulous gem of a winery.

Thanks to Michelangelo’s Blog, we came to this place. It was really beautiful. You need to call and set an appointment, and there is a fee, but its waive with the wine purchase. We came on a weekday, so we got a same day appointment since I only learn about this the day before. The cute little path leading to the entrance of the cave that open to a nice elegant petite tasting room.
We went down to the cave and made fun of the fact that it took
8 years to build. I have loved V Sattui forever and I really love the tour of Castello Di Amorosa, but please don’t tell Josh this. I know he has worked hard to get his place and I think his wines are great. However, you can’t compare him to the GREAT CASTLE. If you want a grand tour, go to the castle, if you want to meet the vintners, taste some good wine, come to Château Boswell.
I can honestly say I really love Josh. He talked about his love for the wine, the wine making process, his wife (Jacquelynn) and their little girl. Who won’t love a man who spends his days talking about his wife? She’s a lucky woman and I bet he feels lucky to have her! Buy the Jacquelynn Cab and the Dutton Ranch Sebastopol Vineyard Chardonnay. We did, and we were NOT disappointed!
By the way, on the way out, my husband and I sat on their picnic benches while one of the winemaker was grilling some meat. That wine maker told me how college students can get internships through
… They have had students come from all over the world and work in the area! A handsome winemaker with a great TIP…:) what are the odds!!!

Château Boswell is a remarkable Napa Valley winery on Silverado Trail near St. Helena, where the utmost importance is placed on attention to detail and perfection of their wines. The produce only very small lots of premium wines and take extreme measures not to compromise quality. Although main emphasis is on terroir, or the uniquely individual qualities of very special, site specific vineyards, Château Boswell also obviously values the highest quality fruit and goes to great lengths to use only the finest. So, we have a beautiful setting, gorgeous stone buildings covered in ivy, lovely wine caves, highly personalized assistance, plus exceptional wines, all at one winery. Do yourself a favor, if you are a serious wine lover; indulge yourself. Visit Château Boswell and Jackqueline Winery if you ever have the opportunity. For photos and additional information please see:
Our first tasting was the Jacquelynn 2010 Cuvee Blanc ($ 45) which is 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillon blend. It is hand sorted, whole cluster pressed with natural yeasts and Sur lies fermentation. Grapes are from Sonoma County and see 35% French oak. Production is only 465 cases. On the nose I got some lovely pineapple and honeysuckle. Although it had good acid, it was quite smooth and extremely well balanced with tropical fruit, white peach, melon and lime on the palate. This full bodied Sauvignon Blanc blend has a very good mouthfeel and long smooth finish. It is not as crisp and bright as some Sauvignon Blancs, the Semillon giving it a softer, more sumptuous presentation.
Next was the Château Boswell 2009 Sebastopol Vineyard Dutton Ranch Russian River Chardonnay ($ 75). Again this is hand sorted, whole cluster pressed, native yeast with Sur lies and 60% new French oak. Only 216 cases were made. This also sees 100% malolatic conversion or malolatic «fermentation,» otherwise known as MLF. (It was pointed out to me some years ago by a winemaker that this is technically not a fermentation but a conversion and I verified this by Internet searches and a discussion with a chemist.) I don’t usually like Chardonnays that have full MLF because they end up too buttery and unbalanced. I’m not even that keen on using oak with Chardonnay because it is so often overdone. This is a powerful Chardonnay with great fruit, good acid and a huge, rich, lush mouthfeel so that the malolatic acid and oak are beautifully balanced and compliment the wine. This is not your typical California Chardonnay. I don’t know how much of this is due to the soil and how much is due to the old vine Wente clone. This is not a soft Chard, although it certainly is not at all harsh or overly bright. It is full bodied and intense. I got peach and some minerality on the nose with concentrated citrus on the palate followed by a long finish. The balance is spot on. I’m not sure what you would pair this with, however.
The next wine provided an excellent example of exactly what terroir means. It is grown in the same area as the Sebastopol Chard. but on higher elevation in different soil. Both wines were produced identically. The difference in taste is entirely due to the differences between the two vineyards. Enter the Château Boswell 2009 Russian River Chardonnay «The Voyage» ($ 75). This does not have the dense richness of the Sebastopol Chardonnay, although it is still full bodied. The nose is earthier with some apple and citrus. Again it is beautifully balanced but has much more minerality and seems more Burgundian if you will.
As good as The Voyage Chardonnay was, our next tasting, the Jacquelynn 2010 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($ 175) was certain not to be anticlimactic. This is from the famous vineyard in Oakville and only 200 cases are produced. It sees 100% new French oak and has 14% Cabernet Franc. It is 100% free run. After a decent nose and soft but substantial entry, I got a divine mouthfeel of complex flavors of cherry, blackberry and spices with good but extremely well integrated tannins and numerous, complex undertones. I was reluctant to allow the first sip to go past midpalate, it was so decadently pleasurable. But when I did, I got a long, wonderfully soft finish. This is an outstanding Cab. Although it is a big Cab, it does not have the extremely ripe fruit of some Napa Cabs that offer an intense fruit experience nor is it big as in tannic and bold. It has substantial body and is intense while being extremely well balanced with lots of subtle layers. It has a lot of texture and is very multidimensional. I sipped it slowly and didn’t want to finish the sample I had.

Oh yeah! As good as it gets. Josh was very hospitable and made our visit a memorable one. The whites were very, very good. When we compare the quality and prices with other wineries we visited on our three day trip in wine country, this winery is close to, if not at the top of the list. Our Château Boswell cave experience will last much longer in our memories than the wine we brought home.
Reservations are required but don’t let that cause you to pass this winery by.
Changing my review to a one star because I am mad. One of the bottles of wine we got from Boswell was bad and they won’t return my wife’s calls after three days! We were looking forward to enjoying a nice bottle that they shipped and when I poured it, it looked like cider and tasted like medicine. Wouldn’t be so bad if they would return your call and replace it like any other winery.
Back and forth on this one… Susan Boswell definitely took care of our issue, and more. The replacement wine was magnificent. Just as we remembered it from the winery. Thanks for following up Susan… I am back to 5 stars for you!

If you want to attend a fancy, intimate tasting in a beautiful location… this is it. After being buzzed into a gorgeous gate, there were only 4 of us sitting inside the nicest cave I’ve ever seen (and I’m a fan of caves, so I make a point to go when possible), being educated by a gentleman more passionate about wine than anyone I’ve ever met. This being said in retrospect of everyone I met in the multiple wineries and restaurants we went to on our 3 day Napa vacation. My partner and I were sitting next to someone on a «research day», aka she works in the wine industry as well, and even though we were novices and she was clearly an expert, the gentleman attending to us seamlessly geared the conversation toward all of us so she wasn’t too bored (because she already knew xyz) and we weren’t too bored (because we knew very little in comparison). It was a really great tasting, with excellent wines. Granted, 3 of the 4 we tasted were whites, and that’s not my favorite… but these were strong enough for us to leave with a bottle. If only we had enough money for the Cabernet… it was exquisite! I didn’t realize wine could taste as good as that. As we were leaving Château Boswell, the gentleman in the other couple asked us what else where else we had been to which we responded that CB had been our first stop. «Oh that’s too bad,» he said «because everywhere else will pale in comparison, this really is as good as it gets.»
Note: In some ways he was correct, though we appreciated getting a vast array of tastings and hearing different perspectives on wine and wine-​making from the various other wineries we visited. That said… I highly suggest making Château Boswell one of the places you visit if you can get a reservation.

Gorgeous tasting room — very upscale. Love the new winemaker here — Russell Bevans of Bevan Cellars!

Went to visit Château Boswell this week end. Spend an hour and a half with Matt and Josh trying their different wines as well as discussing the different techniques that they use. Compared to all wineries I have visited, they are the most advanced in term of thinking and refining and the wines we tasted (their Sauvignon, Chardonnays and Cabernet) were outstanding. Top top notch and worth a visit if you want to learn about the latest wine techniques.

We visited last week. The wines were incredible… and they should be. They were about $ 75 to $ 125 per bottle. Needless to say they were worth the money. The staff is very friendly, fun and knowledgable. The cave was the setting for the tasting; what a great setting.
I love the story about Punky… A true love story. You will have to ask when you get there. Be sure to make an appointment
Not to be missed. A hidden gem… and buy lots of wine if you like it. Treat yourself… don’t cheat yourself as my friend at Domain Carneros once said.

CALL AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! I am passionate about wine, but I knew nothing about this wonderful winery before being referred by a high school friend from Texas, who had recently visited with his newlywed wife. I cannot even being to describe how delightful our visit turned out. We were welcomed so warmly by Susan Boswell, one of the owners. My mom, sister, and I were the only people there aside from a small group down inside the cave with the winemaker, Luke. We sat down at a table in the middle of the cave tasting room and she poured us all our wines, described everything with only the description/​story that an owner could give (or perhaps her son-​in-​law, Josh, could do the same), and was so un-​rushed and friendly. Everything about this winery is SO cared for, perfectionist, and… just lovely. We walked among all the barrels down below in the cave and even went to the room where they were draining and removing the fermented grapes (the workers accidentally sprayed new wine everywhere when we passed through! very authentic!). Susan did a beautiful job explaining why everything was happening, let us smell the fermenting grapes, showed us the cave formations, even described why the door was fastened on the hinges the way it was leading into the cave. We were there for nearly 2 hours, but the time went by v. quickly.
The wines here are made with the same perfectionist care, yet laid back attitude. I’m not a big chardonnay drinker (although they were good — round, but still delicate), but I thought the cabs were excellent. The first we tasted needed a little time to decant before drinking (then it was AMAZING), but the second one (the Estate cab) was just excellent from the start.
If you can get an appointment, I definitely recommend you visit this place on a trip to Napa. Well worth it. Boswell also doesn’t charge for tastings. They think if you make the trip out there, the winery and the wines speak for themselves. I couldn’t agree more.