Bianchi Will Steward the Estate Vineyard and Winery Towards Vintners’ Old-World
Vision to be a Grand Cru of Napa Valley’s Howell Mountain
Denise Adams, co-owner of ADAMVS, a profound and geologically diverse Estate vineyard resting atop the legendary Howell Mountain, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Alberto Bianchi as Winemaker. The Adams are also proprietor/vintners of Château Fonplégade, a Grand Cru Classé Château and vineyard in St. Émilion, Bordeaux.
Bianchi was selected by ADAMVS owners, Denise and Stephen Adams, following an extensive, months-long search for a winemaker who would not only steward ADAMVS wines in the cellar, but rear them from the moment of their inception in the vineyard, working closely alongside Consulting Winemaker, Philippe Melka.
“During our extensive recruitment process for a new winemaker, we knew this special individual would have to share our passion for purity, balance, and a near-obsessive approach to careful and responsible farming,” said Denise Adams. “We knew he or she would have to speak our language; one of total commitment to wines of integrity, place, purpose and emotion. Alberto Bianchi was a perfect match for our philosophy and vision.”
Raised in Milan, Italy, Bianchi’s passion for the vine and wine began at the age of seven, while helping his grandfather craft Barbera wine in his cellar, wine that the family enjoyed throughout the year. It is not just the act of winemaking that has always been of interest to Bianchi, it’s also the “romantic and heroic” nature of viticulture in extreme sites that has ignited the passion and commitment to wine that drives him today. He believes that the vineyard is the heartbeat of a winery.
“I’m greatly honored to join the ADAMVS team. The first time I visited the property I felt an instant connection,” said Bianchi. “Wine is a synonym for culture: it is the pure expression of the land, the soil, the climate and the people. It’s with great pleasure that I start this amazing journey on Howell Mountain.”
Bianchi holds a bachelor’s degree in Winemaking and Viticulture from the University of Milan and a double master’s degree in Winemaking and Viticulture from the University of Turin and the University of Lisbon. After completing his studies, Bianchi travelled extensively throughout Italy, France, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand, experiencing a variety of cultures and characters and winemaking techniques with the different grape varieties, and honing his craft.
In 2012, Bianchi was selected for LVMH’s Estates & Wines Early Career Winemakers program, where three up-and-coming winemakers are sent to three countries for three years of intensive training and development. He began in Argentina, as Assistant Winemaker at Terrazas de los Andes, followed by a year at Newton Vineyard on Spring Mountain, Napa, before his final rotation at Cloudy Bay in New Zealand, where winemaker, Tim Heath, became a mentor. “He taught me the importance of being respectful of the wine you have in front of you,” Bianchi said.
Upon completion of this three-year program, Bianchi returned to Newton in 2016 as Head of Winemaking. Today, Bianchi possesses the same boyish wonder that he felt as a child assisting his grandparents in Italy. His quest is to translate the beauty, nature and elements of ADAMVS’ profound and geologically diverse site into elegant wines that will evolve through time.
ADAMVS offers private tastings and experiences by advance appointment to allocation list members. For more information, and to join the waitlist, please visit the official website.
