In part one of our historical series on Freemark Abbey, we explore the beginnings of Freemark in the late 1800s when it was owned by Josephine Tychson, and later Antonio Forni, to its revival after the fall of Prohibition.
In our second edition of our Wine Collector Series, we're getting to know Rob and Mindy Albright — Napa Valley Cabernet enthusiasts and Freemark Abbey Wine Club Members from the up-and-coming town of Overland Park, KS.
Wine Collector and Mojo Media Labs CEO Mike Rose explores his drive to constantly improve and how specific Freemark Abbey vintages remind him of obstacles he's overcome.
How time flies. It seems like just yesterday we were adding the first bottles of the 1998 vintage to the wine library and today they are already primed for re-release.
“We were innovative back then, and we continue to be, but it’s always been about, ‘How can we make the best wine possible?’ It’s not chasing fads. Our involvement in the Judgment of Paris and the continuation of that style define who we are as a winery.” - Chris Jahns, Freemark Abbey Direct to Consumer Manager
Involved with Freemark Abbey since the 1980 harvest and named its head winemaker in 1985, Ted has enjoyed a stellar career at one of Napa Valley’s most storied properties. In addition to steering the winemaking ship all of this time, he gets to monitor his (and his predecessors’) wines’ development in the bottle. “Every so often we go through and pull open a bottle of everything,” he said. “We like to see how it’s holding up, what its qualities are and characteristics and such. So I have notes on all of these vintages.”
