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Napa by N.A.P.A., Michael's Red 2015
RedUnited States2015
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2019-12-05 · Published 2026-09-14 · Updated 2026-09-14
At a glance
In one line
4.0/5 — the same as Vivino's 4.0 average · world avg price US$18 · Named for the youngest of the fifth-generation Scotto siblings, in a brand initialed after the older four.
None listed on Vivino · no formal review found from a major outlet
Market note: The N.A.P.A. line honors four siblings — Natalie, Anthony, Paul and Anne. Michael's Red and Bianca's White were added later, named for the younger siblings who joined the family business. The 2015 vintage's 4.0 beats the label's overall 3.7 — one of the better vintages on record.
Father's note — Daniel Min
Original author of the notes“Real Cherry”
What I learned today: sometimes only after you erase one word does the most accurate one remain.
Saturday, I bought two Santa hats at the stationery store. One for me, one for Master Seo. I held it out before opening, and he looked down at the hat for a long time, then hung it on the coat hook. "It goes to whichever customer wears it." Minjae said he'd be late because of the year-end event at the store.
Before the first customer came, Master Seo slid me a glass of red. Cherry. Not jam, not candy: a cherry with the stem still on. Behind it, plum and vanilla, a little cocoa.
One cherry pulled out the first glass of a certain night. I'm someone who finds dates by smell. Early December when I was twenty-one, a Thursday night with sleet sticking to the window and melting. The first of four cloth-wrapped bottles. At the first glass I put my nose in and said, "Cherry candy!" Father shook his head once and pushed the glass back under my nose. The second time, the candy sweetness was gone, and the smell of fruit skin was left. I don't know the bottle's name.
I opened the notebook. "Real Cherry." Four stars, the second-highest that night. Erase the candy, and "real" is what's left. The bottle was Napa by N.A.P.A., Michael's Red. Master Seo told me the story of the siblings hidden in the name. I don't have brothers or sisters. Still, I liked the story of each one getting a name and becoming a bottle. I stuck a wine-name Post-it into the notebook. Maybe with that first glass, Father wanted to wake my nose up before the long night ahead.
At eleven, Minjae rushed in and looked at the Santa hat on the hook first. In the end, the hat went on Minjae's head. What I learned today: sometimes only after you erase one word does the most accurate one remain.
What this wine is
N.A.P.A. is a brand out of the fifth-generation family winery Scotto Family Wines. The name works two ways at once: it's the place, Napa Valley, and it's also the initials of the sibling generation — Natalie, Anthony, Paul and Anne. Two more wines were added later for younger siblings who joined the business afterward: Michael's Red, for the youngest brother, and Bianca's White, for the youngest sister.
Michael's Red is a blend built mainly around Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Barbera — reportedly aged separately in French oak for 17 months per variety, then blended and rested six more (exact proportions aren't confirmed). Alcohol is 13.9%. It's a soft style of plum and black cherry layered with vanilla oak and chocolate; the 2015 vintage won 'Best of Appellation' at the 2019 California State Fair.
What the world says
I couldn't find a formal review from Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate or similar outlets, and there's no critic score listed on Vivino either — typical of a wine sold more through family-brand direct channels and smaller retail than big national distribution.
On Vivino, the 2015 vintage averages 4.0 across 77 ratings, with 77% at 4 stars or above. The label overall (all vintages, 1,228 ratings) sits lower, at 3.7 — this vintage outperforms it. The keywords lead with oak, vanilla and chocolate (122 mentions), then plum and black cherry (55), then cherry and red fruit (38). Structurally, intensity is 4.8/5 — among the highest of any wine covered in this magazine — with tannin at 3.1 and acidity at 3.7: powerful but still with some acid backbone.
"Very good red blend especially for the price. Bought at Harris Teeter in November 2019 for $9.83 but valued on Vivino at $16.50." — Vivino review, Jan 2020
"Smooth bold, love it." — Vivino review, Nov 2025
"Red blend with cherry, plum, vanilla and cocoa enhancements." — Vivino review, Nov 2019
How I drank it
December 5, 2019, 4 stars. The note is "Real Cherry."
One of four Napa and Chilean bottles I logged that day. Stag's Leap ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 got 4.5, this Michael's Red got 4, and two Montes bottles — Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon–Carmenère 2017 and Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 — both got 3.5. All four appear together in this magazine.
My 4 lines up almost exactly with the 2015 vintage's community average of 4.0. Since there's no formal critic score to weigh it against, the Vivino community is the only benchmark here, and on that benchmark I landed dead center. There's no re-tasting on record.
Vivino community data
2015 vintage rating distribution (77 ratings, average 4.0)
| 5★ | 15 (19%) | |
| 4★ | 44 (57%) | |
| 3★ | 15 (19%) | |
| 2★ | 1 (1%) | |
| 1★ | 2 (3%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Oak | 122 | oak 46 · vanilla 42 · chocolate 29 · tobacco 4 · mocha 1 |
| Black fruit | 55 | plum 25 · black cherry 10 · dark fruit 6 · blackberry 4 · jam 4 |
| Red fruit | 38 | cherry 23 · red fruit 6 · red cherry 4 · raspberry 2 · strawberry 2 |
| Earth & leather | 18 | cocoa 11 · leather 6 · earthy 1 |
| Spice | 10 | pepper 8 · black licorice 1 · licorice 1 |
| Dried fruit | 8 | fig 3 · dried fruit 2 · raisin 2 · dragon fruit 1 |
Structure: Acidity 3.7/5 · Intensity 4.8/5 · Tannin 3.1/5 · Sweetness 1.8/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 1228 ratings, average 3.7)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 3.6 | 166 |
| 2013 | 3.8 | 114 |
| 2015 | 4.0 | 77 |
| 2017 | 3.8 | 633 |
| 2019 | 3.7 | 60 |
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→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Napa by N.A.P.A., Michael's Red?
A full-bodied red blend from the Scotto family's Napa Valley winery. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Barbera, each aged separately in French oak for 17 months before blending. 13.9% alcohol, a style of plum and black cherry layered with vanilla and chocolate; Vivino 4.0 (2015 vintage, 77 ratings).
What does N.A.P.A. stand for?
It's both the place — Napa Valley — and the initials of the fifth-generation Scotto siblings: Natalie, Anthony, Paul and Anne. Michael's Red and Bianca's White were added later for younger siblings who joined the family business.
How much does it cost?
US$18 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, last listed Dec 2020).
Why doesn't it have a formal critic score?
As a family-run brand sold more through direct and smaller retail channels than major national distribution, it hasn't come up in the outlets that typically publish formal reviews. The 2015 vintage did win 'Best of Appellation' at the 2019 California State Fair.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- N.A.P.A. by N.A.P.A. official site — brand background and Michael's Red
- Wine.com — Michael's Red 2017 product page
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