Bure Family Wines represents the harmonious blend of passion, heritage, and meticulous craftsmanship in the heart of Napa Valley. Founded by former NHL star Valeri Bure and his wife, actress Candace Cameron Bure, this family-run winery is dedicated to producing limited-production, exceptional wines that reflect the unique terroir of their estate and select vineyards. With a philosophy centered on balance and longevity, Bure Family Wines has quickly become a sought-after name among discerning wine enthusiasts.
Valeri Bure’s journey into the world of wine began during his extensive travels as a professional hockey player. Introduced to fine wines by veteran teammates with the Montreal Canadiens, Valeri’s interest soon blossomed into a deep passion. His personal cellar grew, filled with discoveries from around the globe, and wine collecting became an even greater pursuit after his NHL retirement in 2005. This evolving passion led him to Napa Valley, where a visit to Chateau Boswell and a meeting with Josh Peeples sparked the initial vision for Bure Family Wines. Valeri’s hands-on approach included even working a harvest at Chateau Boswell, immersing himself in the winemaking process. Early Bure vintages benefited from the expertise of winemaker Luc Morlet, and today, the esteemed Benoit Touquette, also of Realm Cellars fame, crafts their wines, with his first full vintage for Bure in 2018.
Valeri and Candace Bure of Bure Family Wines
The quest for the perfect vineyard location was a patient seven-year endeavor for Valeri. He sought a west-side Napa Valley site with an east-facing aspect, ideal for moderating the intense afternoon sun. Serendipity struck when the previous owner of what is now the Bure estate vineyard casually mentioned his potential interest in selling during a lunch with the Bures’ real estate agent. After a year of consideration, the sale was finalized in 2012, marking the beginning of their Napa Valley estate. This 2-acre hillside property, nestled north of St. Helena, serves as their second home and lies within the prestigious St. Helena bench-land. This coveted area, elevated along the Mayacamas mountain range, boasts distinguished neighbors such as Colgin’s Tychson Hill Vineyard, Grace Family Vineyards, Revana Winery, and Vineyard 29, solidifying its status as a premier vineyard locale.
Bure Estate Vineyard in St. Helena Napa Valley
While Bure Family Wines sources grapes from select premium vineyards across Napa and Sonoma counties, their estate vineyard contributes a special touch. Approximately 0.6 acres are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, totaling 1,873 vines. These vines, originally planted in 2001, utilize bud wood from the renowned Bosché clone, sourced from Dick Grace of Grace Family Vineyards, ensuring exceptional quality from the estate’s own fruit. The focus remains primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings, though prior to 2017, Bure also produced two acclaimed white wines from Sonoma County: a Ritchie Vineyard designated Chardonnay and a white blend named Nuit Blanche, showcasing their versatility and commitment to excellence across varietals.
At the heart of Bure Family Wines is a philosophy dedicated to producing “carefully and thoughtfully crafted wines from exceptional vineyard sites.” This commitment translates to wines that are remarkably balanced, even in their youth, and possess the structure to age gracefully, rewarding cellaring for years to come. Their limited production approach ensures meticulous attention to detail at every stage of the winemaking process, from vineyard management to bottling.
Bure Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
Exploring Select Bure Family Wines
The Bure 2017 Nuite Blanche, French for ‘white night,’ is a captivating blend paying homage to the family’s Russian heritage and the White Nights of St. Petersburg festival. This wine, composed of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Sémillon, presents an inviting bouquet of honeycomb, baking spices, honeysuckle, and citrus blossom. On the palate, it is clean and crisp, exhibiting superb balance and refreshing acidity, with a rounded, slightly creamy texture and flavors of tangerine and mandarin. The remarkable aging potential of Bure white wines is exemplified by the 2013 Nuite Blanche. Tasted nine years post-vintage, it displayed a medium golden hue and engaging aromas of pineapple, honeycomb, caramel, lemon zest, and a hint of hazelnut. The palate showcased depth, richness, and texture, with a creamy mouthfeel beautifully counterpointed by persistent bright acidity, lingering through to the finish.
Bure Family Wines White Wine Selection
Sourced from Ritchie Vineyard, a highly regarded site for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Sonoma County, the Bure 2016 Malena Ritchie Creek Chardonnay is a testament to exceptional terroir. Its medium gold color precedes enticing aromas of crème brûlée, walnut skin, orange marmalade, and caramel, evolving to reveal apricot and peach notes. The creamy texture is perfectly balanced by lively acidity, leading to a diverse palate of mango, papaya, mandarin, and toasted hazelnut, culminating in a long, richly flavored finish. Even six years post-vintage, this bottling remains incredibly compelling. The 2014 Bure Malena Ritchie Creek Chardonnay, with its noticeable golden amber color, offers a complex aromatic profile of hazelnut, almond, honeysuckle, butter hints, and baking spices. Its intriguing, almost saline, oily, and briny texture provides a distinctive viscosity and suppleness, beautifully balanced by bright fruit and acidity, with lingering lemon-lime flavors. This wine has aged gracefully, maintaining its vibrancy six years after vintage. The name “Malena” itself is a charming tribute, derived from combining the first letters of the Bure children’s names: Maksim, Lev, and Natasha.
Vineyard Rows at Bure Family Wines
The 2012 Bure Thirteen, named in honor of Valeri’s jersey number 13, is crafted from premium vineyards, including a site near Dominus Winery in Yountville and the iconic To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. The layered bouquet reveals tobacco, leather, green pepper hints, and sweet cassis and rhubarb notes. The palate delivers dark cherry and blackberry flavors with notable density and concentration. Eight years post-vintage, the tannins, while present, are well-integrated, and the wine retains a juicy character with excellent acidity. From their tiny estate vineyard, typical production yields around 10 barrels, but rigorous selection often reduces bottling to 6-8 barrels (150-200 cases) of their estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Valeri recognized the exceptional aromatics of their inaugural vintage immediately after fermentation, attributing it to the unique combination of the Cabernet Sauvignon clone and the specific site.
Close up of Bure Family Vineyard grapes
The 2019 Bure Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark ruby/purple, almost opaque wine with a seductive bouquet of violets, blueberry, boysenberry, and mulberry, evolving to reveal mint/wintergreen and clove nuances. The aromas emphasize fruit purity, with subtle oak integration. Layers of dark fruit flavors, including plum and cherry, unfold on the palate, notable for its textural density with dusty, earthy tannins that are remarkably well-resolved even in its youth. Tasted again four years post-vintage, it has only improved, exhibiting a persistent dryness and a juicy, mouthwatering finish. Contrary to some predictions, this estate wine consistently demonstrates excellent aging potential due to its inherent tannic structure. The 2016 Bure Estate Cabernet Sauvignon showcases ripe yet elegant berry fruit aromas of blueberry and blackberry, with violet notes. Supple and smooth, it is concentrated yet balanced, with fine-grained tannins and a savory palate, promising a long and graceful evolution.
Bure Family Wines Logo on Bottle
A Royal Heritage: The Majesty’s Blend
The Bure’s Majesty’s Blend pays tribute to Valeri’s family history connected to the Russian royal family. Originally Swiss watchmakers invited to Russia by the Czar, the Bure family crafted premium timepieces for the royals for over a century, starting in 1815 with Karlovich (Carl) Bure. His son, Pavel (Paul) Bure, established his namesake watch company in 1875, earning numerous awards, including at the 1899 World Exhibition in Paris, and supplying watches to the Russian Army during World War I. Although the family watchmaking business was eventually sold to Zenith Watches, the legacy of Pavel Bure timepieces endures, with rare examples still available online for significant sums. Michael Roché, architect, designer, and artist, subtly adapted the Bure watch label for their wine bottles, incorporating a hockey stick and a watch into the bird emblem, a fitting tribute to Valeri and his family’s heritage.
The 2018 Bure Majesty’s Blend, a rare 100% varietal Cabernet Franc from To Kalon Vineyard, is a dark ruby, almost opaque wine. It is richly layered, anchored by dense tannins and notes of dried cigar and dark spices, with a lingering dry finish. The 2006 Bure Family Majesty’s Blend, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot primarily from the Coombsville region, offers earthy, dusty, and cigar smoke aromas. It is remarkably soft on entry, with abundant blackberry and black cherry fruit, a hint of vanilla, and a reprise of the dusty notes on the finish. Well-structured tannins, bright fruit, and lively acidity suggest further positive evolution with age.
Bure Family Wines also produced a late harvest dessert wine, Candy. The 2013 Bure Family Candy Alexander Valley, a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, exhibits a dark amber hue and intense aromas of honey, apricot, peaches in syrup, dried peaches, caramel, and toffee. Its creamy, viscous texture and intensely sweet, honeyed, and rich flavors are balanced by acidity, promising longevity even a decade post-vintage.
To experience these exceptional, limited-production wines, joining the wait list to become a member is recommended, as most wines are sold directly to consumers. Select wines can also be found at the French Laundry in Yountville. For further information, visit www.burefamilywinery.com.
