It’s a crisp winter night in Napa in 2018.
There’s roast chicken in the oven. David Green and Maayan Koschitzky are standing at the counter in David’s kitchen, trying out a sample bottle of the 2016 Royal Prince Pinot Noir before dinner.
“What do you think?” asked David.
“Well, when are you bottling the next one?” said Maayan with a playful smirk.
“Um, well in three months,” said David.
“Good, we’ve got time to fix it.”
With a hearty laugh, the seed of an enduring partnership was planted. David Green, a dynamic wine industry veteran, and Maayan Koschitzky, one of the Napa Valley’s most revered winemakers, would soon join forces.
“You’re hired!” David continued.
“You can’t afford me,” Maayan shot back playfully.
Around this time, Maayan was ramping up his own brand, La Pelle wines, and David was able to make some introductions and use his own industry expertise to help his friend with his brand. It was clear that a synergy was emerging. Soon David would buy out his investors in Royal Prince Wines and invite Maayan to become an equity partner.
“Maayan has all the reasons to be a primadonna, but he’s not,” says David. The duo work so well together, they launched additional brands under the Royal Wine & Spirits umbrella, including Slam Dunk, Ride and Ridden, and Slate. All of the wines met with immediate acclaim.
David Green and Maayan Koschitzky have an enviable rolodex. Between the two of them, they have contacts at hundreds of the best wineries in Napa and Sonoma Counties, and monthly contact with at least 50. This places them at the front of the line for new sourcing opportunities, whether it’s for prime vineyard contracts or a blue-chip winery with five or six more barrels of coveted Cabernet than they know they can sell.
On-Scene, Real-time Knowledge
Maayan’s role as Director of Winemaking for Atelier Melka finds him making the rounds in the vineyards of nearly every AVA in Napa and Sonoma Counties, from the pop of the first Pinot Noir bud in Russian River Valley all the way through the season until the last Cabernet Sauvignon berry is picked on Howell Mountain.
What this means is that he has a running list in his mind of the best-performing AVAs in the North Coast, even before harvest begins. In this way Maayan can focus his energies on the very best-performing sites and “sweet spots” when choosing fruit and wines to buy for the Royal Prince label.
Big, bold and racy, this Cabernet Sauvignon has a dense purple, almost opaque hue and offers up an electrifying bouquet dark red, blue and black fruits with notes of tobacco leaf, graphite and spicy oak. Opulent and layered it flexes its power but is framed by refreshing acidity with silky, sweet tannins. The 2021 displays loads of potential for being enjoyed in its youth, while also rewarding patience over the following decade. For bang for your buck, you can’t find better, or as Robb Report states, “Royal Prince is making the best wines you can buy for your money right now.”
Review:
Made by Maayan Koschitzky (of Atelier Philippe Melka), the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is all varietal brought up in French oak. Its deeper ruby/plum hue is followed by a classic Cabernet Sauvignon nose of cassis and black cherries supported by plenty of sappy herbs, graphite, and obvious minerality. This medium-bodied, lively, elegant Cabernet has ripe, building tannins, a good spine of acidity, and outstanding length. Drink this classic, impeccably made 2021 over the coming 10–12 years, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it evolve longer. (Jeb Dunnuck)
-Jeb Dunnuck 93+ Points
Wachau Riesling is dry and often defined by high levels of dry extract (due to a lengthy ripening period) and a pleasing freshness (due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night). Sedimentary soils of sand and stone give Kirchweg Riesling a dense mineral texture and fine fruity flavors.
Review:
Welcome to the dark side of Wachau dry riesling! Deep and delicately spicy nose that’s full of mystery. Incredible concentration and massive wet stone character on the very precise medium-bodied palate. Radical mineral energy and garden herb freshness at the enormously long and tightly-focused finish.
-James Suckling 98 Points
This ARCADIA VINEYARD Chardonnay offers inviting aromas of honeydew melon, peach pie, baked squash, brioche, lemongrass and honeycomb. These aromas are very fragrant and layered with just a touch of oak. The wine has a bright and flavorful entrance with flavors of Kiwi fruit, brioche, and a pleasing mineral note on the finish. Enjoy this wine with grilled fish or shrimp with capers and lemons, seared scallops drizzled with lemon-infused olive oil, or roast chicken with fennel and sage.
Review:
This beautiful wine stays with you beyond the palate. Deliciously balanced and bright, it holds its weight well, revealing rich, complex layers of green apple, pear and Meyer lemon with notes of baking spice, oak and crème brûlée. Virginie Boone
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points