Eleven Eleven Wines, Hospitality and Fortune Aligned in a Glass

Ellie Anest of Eleven Eleven Wines of Napa Valley

To pause and be in the moment, over a glass of wine with friends, is something that Eleven Eleven Winery of Napa embraces. In fact, Founding Partner & CEO Ellie Anest has a word for it, “Parea”, drawing upon her Greek heritage to unleash the power of communal shared experiences involving food and wine. For Eleven Eleven, it goes beyond the hospitality aspect of it all, it’s creating a vision that includes a business plan and taking care of a community. And while aspiring to these lofty goals, if you can make fabulous wine at the same time, it’s a win-win situation.

(L-R) Director of Winemaking & Operations Brett Weiss, Founding Partner & CEO Ellie Anest, and Winemaker Kirk Venge, Courtesy of Eleven Eleven Wines

Eleven Eleven Vineyard, Courtesy of Eleven Eleven Wines

Interestingly, Eleven Eleven Winery didn’t begin as a winemaking proposition. It is an entrepreneurial story, where a lifelong friendship morphed into a business partnership over a decade ago. Good friends Ellie Anest and Carol Vassilliadis blended their skills in marketing and real estate investment, looking to build a portfolio of short-term rentals. Serendipitously, the first feather in their cap was a Napa Valley house surrounded by a 3.5-acre vineyard, in the Oak Knoll AVA. Here, the idea of winemaking took root, and the search for a winemaker began. The partners selected renowned Napa Valley wine consultant Kirk Venge, a third generation winemaker with his own Calistoga winery, and whose father crafted the first 100-point Robert Parker score wine in 1986. His extensive knowledge and connections proved invaluable, as the foundation for Eleven Eleven Winery was built. Opportunity knocked when a second vineyard, a 16-acre property, became available nearby, which gave Eleven Eleven more wine grape varietals to work with, expanding their potential wine offerings. Eventually, a third acquisition added another diamond in the rough to their portfolio, when the partners discovered an abandoned winery and undeveloped land near the city limits of Napa. Being close to Downtown Napa was a bonus, giving Eleven Eleven a winery and tasting room with an urban footprint. In fact, Eleven Eleven is the closest winery to Napa’s city limits. During this time, Venge consulted on the winemaking expansion, arranging to buy fruit from other growers until the estates’ vineyards would bear the fruit of their new label.

Barrel Room, Courtesy of Eleven Eleven Wines

Private tasting room, Courtesy of Eleven Eleven Wines

Although it sounds like a smooth process, there were lots of hurdles and decisions to get up and running. Ellie was advised, “Assess the worst case scenario and if you can live with it”, and so the partners plunged forward. But there was always a back up plan, the properties offered a myriad of income streams, from events to a custom crush facility. The partners’ business acumen focused not just on profits, but on team spirit and wellness, making sure to put the “aces in your places”, while making wine they could be proud of.

Ellie Anest with a lineup of Eleven Eleven Wines, Courtesy of Eleven Eleven Wines

Today, Eleven Eleven produces 3,500 cases from 16 varietals, an approachable style of wine that Venge carefully supervises. He works hand in hand with growers that supply the fruit, in addition to the vineyard management and winemaking, looking to ramp up this year’s production to 5,000 cases. Eleven Eleven sources fruit from their three estate vineyards and purchases from other area vineyards. Laki’s Vineyard, the origin of their winemaking dreams, is a tribute to Carol’s late husband, Laki, and the source of their flagship 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Destin Vineyards, the second jewel in their crown, is planted to Syrah, Riesling, Merlot and Malbec. Eleven Eleven Vineyard followed a few years later, offering Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Seven other vineyards within Napa Valley and Sonoma County provide the fruit that fleshes out their lineup.

One of the best decisions that Ellie and Carol made was selecting their winery name. It took some time, they didn’t want a vanity project with a family name, they wanted a name that was inclusive to all. And so Eleven Eleven came to be, the name so rich in imagery, it can mean so many things to so many people. It’s a synchronicity of time, 11:11, the only time all digits on a clock are the same. Significant in astrology and numerology, it’s the power of one times many. And for Ellie, it signifies a chance to pause and be in the moment. Eleven Eleven has created a brand that embraces the everyday celebration of life, the moments that make life extraordinary. In fact they’ve patented the phrase Make Your Moment®.

A few months ago, I shared the joy of Eleven Eleven wines with Ellie, Sales & Marketing Manager Jordan Goldberg, and the LA Wine Writers. Tasting four wines over a perfect AOC Brentwood lunch, Eleven Eleven wines inhabit a pitch perfect moment of classic Napa Valley wine, the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon really shone bright.

We started with the explosively fresh 2022 Eleven Eleven Beckstoffer Sauvignon Blanc, Melrose Vineyard, Napa Valley (SRP $42). Bright and zesty, it has layers of complexity that balances acidity, minerality and texture. Notes of white grapefruit and lemon zest pop among the green apple and pear flavors, while 6 months of aging in 20% new French oak softens its body and lengthens the finish. Paired with an Heirloom Tomato, Avocado, Green Harissa and Pepitas appetizer, it was a match made in heaven. Eleven Eleven is among the first to use the Melrose Vineyard classification from this over 40-year-old vineyard in Rutherford.

Next up, the highly appealing 2021 Eleven Eleven Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, Mill Station Vineyard, Russian River Valley Sonoma County (SRP $60). Fragrant, with aromas of ripe peach, bright citrus, pineapple and honeysuckle, this vibrant and balanced wine pleases with its depth of flavor, framed with restrained notes of toasty oak and vanilla. There’s a hint of salinity that adds intrigue to the long finish. Paired with the same Heirloom Tomato appetizer, Ellie stated that this Chardonnay was crafted to appeal to most people, and it certainly did to me.

For the second course, a Roasted Chicken “Ode to Zuni”, Panzanella, Fennel and Green Olives dish was paired with the 2019 Eleven Eleven Bacigalupi Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River, Sonoma County (SRP $95). The Bacigalupi Vineyard is the stuff of legend, being the source of the 1976 Judgment of Paris winner. The floral and herbaceous nose blossoms into a plush body of ripe fruit, balanced with good acidity, and herbal and mineral notes highlight its texture and spectrum of flavors. Expressive and layered, this is a complex style of wine according to Ellie and Jordan, made the same way every year, no matter the vintage. Unique in its production, the clusters are placed in half ton bins, placed in the sun during the day to ferment, then wheeled inside at night.

Last but certainly not least, the 2020 Eleven Eleven X-I Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley (SRP $90) was paired with a Cheese Plate. This is the third vintage produced, a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all from Eleven Eleven and Destin estate vineyards. Smooth and rich, aromas of roasted coffee, red fruit and oak are enticing. The textured and structured palate reveals cherry, plum and blackberry fruit, finishing deep and long.

Courtesy of Eleven Eleven Wines

Although Eleven Eleven started small, they’ve expanded their vineyards, and developed the winery, custom crush facility and Downtown Napa tasting room, all part of the master plan to put hospitality at the center of what they do. Today, with 16 varietals at the core of their wine program, Eleven Eleven offers a moment of reflection in a glass of wine, and you’ll like what you see!

Links:

Eleven Eleven Wines, https://www.elevenelevenwines.com/
https://shop.elevenelevenwines.com/assets/images/products/media/2022BeckstofferSauvignonBlanc.pdf
https://shop.elevenelevenwines.com/assets/images/products/media/2021_Dutton_Ranch_Chardonnay.pdf
https://shop.elevenelevenwines.com/assets/images/products/media/2019BacigalupiPinotNoir.pdf
https://shop.elevenelevenwines.com/assets/images/products/media/2020X%E2%88%99ICabernetSauvignon-SQAWOT.pdf