Azur Wines

Azur Wines is a Coombsville estate producing polished Bordeaux-style wines with Aaron Pott, one of Napa's most acclaimed consulting winemakers, bringing his signature intensity to a site with distinctive volcanic soils. Founded in 2009, the estate occupies 12 acres of the increasingly prestigious Coombsville AVA, where the cool, bay-influenced microclimate and volcanic terrain create conditions that produce Cabernet of elegance and mineral complexity. The name "Azur" evokes the blue sky of the Mediterranean, a nod to the owners' love of southern French wine culture.

The 12-acre vineyard sits on volcanic soils deposited by the same ancient eruptions that created the Stags Leap palisades to the north. The Coombsville terroir, cooled by persistent breezes from San Pablo Bay, produces a growing season that is longer and more moderate than the warmer mid-valley appellations. The volcanic soils provide excellent drainage and mineral nutrition, contributing to wines of fine-grained texture and savory complexity. The vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, providing the building blocks for Bordeaux-style blends.

Aaron Pott, whose consulting portfolio includes Blackbird, Quintessa, and numerous other prestigious addresses, crafts the Azur wines with a focus on site expression. The estate Cabernet is structured and mineral-driven, with the cool-climate freshness of Coombsville fruit balanced by the volcanic intensity of the soils. The Merlot adds softness and aromatic complexity to the blends. The proprietary red, a Bordeaux-style assembly of the estate's best lots, is the flagship and the most complete expression of the terroir.

Tastings at Azur are by appointment and take place on the estate, where the volcanic soils are visible in the vineyard rows and the Coombsville landscape provides a quiet, contemplative setting. The experience is intimate and focused on the wines, with the staff explaining how the AVA's unique combination of cool climate and volcanic soils shapes the estate's character. The $65 tasting fee is moderate for wines of this quality from an increasingly prestigious appellation.

Azur demonstrates the partnership between exceptional terroir and a world-class winemaker that defines the best Coombsville estates. Aaron Pott's involvement lends critical credibility, and the volcanic soils provide the raw material for wines that are distinctly different from the warmer, fruitier Cabernets produced further north. For visitors exploring Coombsville's emerging identity, Azur provides a compelling example of the AVA's potential.