James Moss

Winemaker, J. Moss Winery

James Moss comes from Dallas, Texas where he first was introduced to fine wines working for a Texas distributor. His work often brought him to the Napa Valley for further education. That is when he began to fall in love with the industry and had the desire to produce his own fine wine that he could share with friends and family and eventually all wine lovers. James decided to move to California in 1998 to follow this dream focusing on creating high quality, hand crafted, small lots of cabernet sauvignon from top Napa Valley appellations.

His career in winemaking began in vintage 1999 helping out a friend at his small winery and making his first J Moss wines. For the next several years, while working another full time job in the wine industry, James spent evenings and weekends learning the intricacies of winemaking. He realized the complexity and commitment it took to produce an award winning wine and he has remained committed to that goal ever since.

In addition to the day to day operations being the owner / winemaker for J Moss, James hand selects many vineyards where the grapes are sourced, is the welcoming host at J Moss winery tastings and works out in the market hand selling J Moss wines to on and off premise customers in Northern California, Texas, Hawaii and beyond.

Country born: USA

Education: For several more years, while working a full time job in the wine industry, James spent evenings and weekends learning the intricacies of winemaking. James was fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside three phenomenal winemakers in the Valley; Mark Jessup, former winemaker from Jessup Cellars, Robert Mondavi and Opus One and now winemaker at J. Gregory Wines, and subsequently with Gustavo Brambila, former winemaker for Chateau Montelena, Grgich Hills and now part owner/winemaker of Gustavo Wines. Gustavo introduced him to his current consulting winemaker since vintage 2012, Julie Hagler Lumgair. Their ongoing teamwork has produced numerous critically acclaimed wines and expanded his portfolio of single vineyard wines.

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Dreams do come true but not before a lot of hard work!

Our name on every bottle is a promise of the highest quality. Everything is crafted by hand, then patiently vinified in separate single vineyard blocks and barrel lots in limited quantities, with production steadily increasing each year. Our passion is to produce not just good, but great wines that reflect their vintages and single vineyards from top appellations in the Napa Valley.

Our winemaking style is to produce age-worthy yet full bodied, intense, complex and elegantly balanced wines that reflect our attention to detail and appeal to everyday wine drinkers as well as wine connoisseurs. Some people have called it cult wine.

Julie Lumgair

Winemaker, J. Moss Winery

Julie Hagler Lumgair, is a highly awarded consulting and hands-on luxury tier winemaker and winegrower with fifteen vintages and 23 varietals of fine wines made in eight of Napa Valley's world-class AVA's, Italy, and Sonoma's famed Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill AVA's.

Her calling cards are consistently producing wines that garner acclaim, distinct vineyard expressions, excellence in operations and a passionate attention to customer delight and relationships. Julie's wines have consistently achieved over thirty 90 to 95+ scores from critics including Robert Parker / The Wine Advocate, James Suckling, Wine Enthusiast, Jeb Dunnuck, Wine & Spirits and industry press. Her wines have been awarded "Top Ten" and "Year's Best" lists and over 50 Sweepstakes, Best of Show, Best of Class and Double Gold for a variety of her "full-bodied, impressive purity, density, richness...high-class" (RP) wine styles.

Her wine industry track record is complimented by 15 years as a Fortune 500 brand management senior executive with a sound understanding of the marketplace. She currently serves on the Board of The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, the Innovation + Quality (IQ) Conference and since 2013 has been Chair of the Napa / Sonoma Winemaking & Viticultural Roundtable of Women for Winesense. She is an active member of Napa Valley Wine Technical Group and served on NVWTG Board for three years.

Julie joined the J Moss team for Chardonnay in vintage 2010 and became consulting winemaker for the growing portfolio in vintage 2012. Proprietor / Winemaker James Moss noted "Julie has been a great addition to J. Moss as we refine and expand our artisan wine portfolio and sourcing from some of Napa Valley's finest family vineyards."

Country born: USA

Education: Julie's philosophy is one of life-long learning. She grew up farming, learning sensory science in her first career, then applying those lessons along with "roll up the sleeves" technical and analytical skills learned from many renowned mentors in the vineyards and cellars while studying in formal continuing education (U.C. Davis, technical organizations and publications).

As she launched and grew her first winery, she had the opportunity to sell over 300 tons of grapes per vintage to over 30 different wineries, and was fortunate to make 7 of those clients' wines in her cellar. Combined with her own vineyard and cellar trials, this collective wisdom comparing multiple winemaker's approaches on the same vineyard blocks over 8 vintages was a revelation, deeply informing her style and ongoing trials to this day.

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Honors / Awards:
Highlights
WS 2015 "Premiere Napa Valley Dazzling Cabs" (Top 9 of 225 auction lots)
W&S 2012 Year's Best Sauv Blancs (#3, 91 pts."Exceptional")
W&S 2013 "Year's Best Red Blends" (91 pts. "plush, delicious")

Numerous Cabs, Pinots, Sauv Blanc & Red Blends 90 TO 95+ pts. RP WA WS JL JS JD WE.
RP/WA 2016 95+ pts. "full-bodied, impressive purity, density, richness. High-class"

8 Best of Show/Sweepstakes, 40+ Best of Class, Double Golds & Golds

AMA's National Gold Effie and Gold Edison Awards

Winemaking Philosophy:
For this fifth generation family farmer, optimizing precise vineyard expression and the full beauty of each wine and vintage is realized by carefully "following the field" and "listening to the barrels," nurturing them on the journey.

Her couture winemaking approach is precise and hands-on, vine to table, tailoring each detail and decision to act, or patiently wait, to guide the wine style in harmony with the ever-changing agricultural environment.

Thoughtful and creative plans for each wine, individually tailored by clone, block, varietal and vintage, add up over time to a portfolio of elegant, age-worthy wines with a stylistic thread driven by notable aromatics, rich textures and layered delivery.