FUTO Estate

"Futo ... displays a style in common with the purity and elegance found in Screaming Eagle"
Robert Parker on 2006 FUTO

In 2002, husband-wife duo Tom and Kyle Futo leaped from Wichita, Kansas to the Napa Valley wine scene with their purchase of a hillside estate in western Oakville, releasing the first vintage of FUTO Estate in 2004. The inaugural release stirred up intrigue amongst wine collectors not only due to the presence of viticulturist David Abreu, the property’s original winemaker but also for their positioning adjacent to the world-renowned Harlan Estate. Today, winemaker Jason Exposto upholds the elevated standards set by Abreu and the FUTO team, maintaining the cult wine status established from the beginning.

Winemaking At The Futo Estate

Overlooking Oakville’s valley floor from loftier heights, the vines develop grapes with backbone, creating wines capable of lengthy age and development. The rocky inclines of the Mayacamas Mountains offer ideal drainage for an impactful expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. When blended with more finessed Cabernet Franc in the final cuvée, these wines show tension and minerality interlaced with focused dark fruits. To further this intensity, the final cuvée sees plentiful new oak to round out its character and create a seamless experience.

While David Abreu was the head winemaker when FUTO first opened, Jason Exposto took leadership in November of 2009, guiding the estate to new heights.  Previously working in his home country of New Zealand and then at Abreu Wines, Exposto brought with him a plethora of knowledge from world-class winemakers and a hunger to prove himself as a young upstart. The results have been phenomenal, as the estate has received multiple perfect scores from top-class critics and introduced two more wines to its collection. 

Futo Wines Napa Terroir

Futo's two estates - the Oakville and Stags Leap Estates - produce world-class wine thanks to volcanic soils and an exceptional terroir. The Oakville Estate is 155 acres large and primarily grows Cabernet Sauvignon with small portions of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot on the land. Stags Leap, meanwhile, solely grows Cabernet Sauvignon and contains well-drained soil perfect for the varietal. Of Futo's six labels, half are produced with grapes from each estate - CFX, Seta Red, and Seta Blanc - while 5500 and Futo Blanc are produced from Stags Leap and Futo Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Oakville estate. Each bottle contains its own signature, aiming to express the uniqueness of the terroirs, while illustrating the uniformity of the brand as a whole.

Stellar Vintages

As less than 500 cases of the 2007 Futo Cabernet Sauvignon were produced, the bottle is highly sought-after for its blackberry concentration and crushed rock minerality, a compelling display of aromatics mirroring the generosity of the vintage. The 2014 vintage was likewise highly regarded with vines benefitting from an ongoing drought, giving the final blend a deeply rich profile with soaring aromatics. The natural aging potential of both vintages, especially so in larger format bottling, makes them a collector’s dream. The few bottlings we have to offer are an opportunity to indulge in Harlan terroir without the ultra-premium price point.