You know the saying, “The apple doesn’t fall from the tree?” Well. in the case of Trois Noix vintner, Jaime Araujo, the grape doesn’t fall far from the vine.
The Araujo family has been making acclaimed estate wines in Napa, California for decades. Bart and Daphne Araujo purchased their 162-acre property in 1990 which included Eisele Vineyard. The family built a winery and achieved success and top-scoring wines, notably their Eisele Vineyard Cabernets. In 2013, both Araujo Estate Wines and the Eisele Vineyard were sold to French businessman, Francois Pinault.
Ready to spread her own branches, Bart and Daphne’s daughter, Jaime Araujo, started making wine under the Trois Noix (“three nuts”) label in Napa, after living in Europe for many years.
Jaime Araujo lived in Europe for several years before establishing Trois Noix.
Araujo defines her approach to winemaking as “next Napa.” We asked her what the difference was between “established Napa” and “next Napa.”
“For me, established Napa are wines that helped to get Napa wines onto the world stage. This was the Cult Cab/Robert Parker era that focused on bigger, sometimes sweeter wine styles from a limited number of classic grape varieties, made essentially for a US audience, and made mainly by white male winemakers and vintners. This approach didn’t create an entirely inclusive wine community, although we owe a great deal to their chutzpah in pushing Napa wines to the forefront with collectors and buyers. Next Napa is the quest to make fresher wine styles, often lighter in alcohol, that appeal to a wider and more diverse range of wine buyers and customers, both in the US and abroad. We want to hold on to Napa Valley and the sense of place while inviting as many people as we can to revel with us in our shared love of wine,” Araujo responded.
Curious about the label name, as in “you have to be nuts to launch a winery these days,” we asked her what the name signifies.
“Trois Noix is both a nod to the next generation of my family (our three ‘peanuts’ ), an homage to my love of France, and a reference to our guiding principles of Opportunity, Possibility and Community. We work with our colleagues and partners to push the boundaries of convention and create outstanding wines of great value while pushing toward systemic change in the wine industry,” she responded.
Trois Noix checks off all the good citizen and sustainability boxes. It is a certified B*Corp, and Napa Green certified winery. The wines are approachable and meant to enjoy every day. We were sent three samples to try.
Here is what we tasted:
2022 Ehrlich Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc $40 SRP 270 cases produced
The Ehrlich Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc originates from 37-year-old vines situated alongside the Napa River in Oakville. Aged in 100% French oak for 6 months, 18% new and 82% used for six months prior to bottling. We found this wine to be bracingly bright – a combination of sun-kissed citrus and herbs.
Araujo suggested pairing with Melissa Clark’s Asparagus Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart. We’d recommend salad chevre chaud with lemon-herb vinaigrette or a pasta with fresh tomatoes, lemon and herbs.
2022 Ryan’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc $40 SRP 580 cases produced
Produced from the organically farmed Ryan’s Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District, and a blend of 60% Sauvignon Musqué and 40% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine is aged in 100% French oak for 6 months, 8% new and 92% used.
Araujo said, “I love Ryan’s Sauvignon Blanc with dishes that bring a little spice like Pad Thai or sushi with a dose of wasabi. That aromatic Sauvignon Musqué provides the perfect balance.” Being in New Orleans this wine holds up well to Cajun spice boiled shrimp and crawfish (when in season).
Given that Sauvignon Blanc’s popularity is strong in the U.S. (check out Melanie’s “Gatekeepers” article in Wine Industry Advisor (link), these are solid wines to have on hand for entertaining. The $40 price point is higher than what you may find at the average supermarket these days, but the quality of these wines uphold it. Why pay less for a Sauvignon Blanc that doesn’t sing with freshness?
2021 Muir-Hanna Vineyard Chardonnay $50 SRP 535 cases produced
Fruit is sourced from Mike Hanna’s hallowed 38-year-old H4 block of Chardonnay at Muir Hanna and the beloved Angel Block at Wheeler Farms. The winemaking team chose to forego any malolactic fermentation to maintain freshness and purity of expression.
This wine was our “winner winner chicken dinner” Chardonnay. Elegant and balanced, and blissfully unoaked so the fruit was not covered in toast. We had it with one of David’s terrific one-pot Mediterranean chicken dishes.
All the wines offer versatile pairings for different foods and would be a welcome bottle to drink to a dinner party.
Our summary: Three Cheers for Trois Noix and Jaime Araujo!
One of our favorite questions to ask How does she define herself as a wine grape? Araujo’s response:
“I am Chardonnay, all day – easy, fun, delicious, and can express myself very differently in different places and with different people.”
Check out: www.troisnoixwine.com
Follow: Instagram@troisnoixwine
Connect: Facebook: Trois Noix Wine