April 21, 2013 – Wine: 2002 Merryvale Profile

When this wine was younger, I was disappointed because it could not compare to the 2001 vintage of the same wine.  That’s when I learned the lesson about how a vintage can impact a wine’s appeal.  Of course, a couple of years later I learned how a vintage can affect how the wine ages, too.  I found that the 2001 lost its magical appeal by 2010 (it was still nice), but this 2002 Profile has kept improving.  Sadly, this was my last bottle of the 2002 vintage, but I enjoyed it very much.  After three hours breathing, the wine showed good intensity, nice balance, and flavors of leather, dark cherry, minerals, lead, and notes of raspberry on the finish.
 

2002 Merryvale Profile



Larkmead, March 25, 2013

Winery - 8 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Relaxing, elegant tasting room and patio.  Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernets, reservations required.
www.larkmead.com

My friend who runs a wine shop in San Francisco accompanied me on this trip to Napa Valley, so I split the burden of selecting the day’s wineries with him.  I had pick-ups at two wineries, so my friend selected the other two places to visit.  When he mentioned an interest in visiting Larkmead, I was glad because I had wanted to visit there in the past but had never found an opportunity to go.  Larkmead not only bottles their own wine, but they sell some of their grapes to other wineries.  Ramey Wine Cellars (in Healdsburg) produced a Cabernet Sauvignon wine using grapes from the Larkmead estate vineyards through the 2006 vintage.  (I have a bottle of the 2004 vintage in my cellar.)  Needless to say, it will be interesting to compare the winemaking styles of Ramey and Larkmead using grapes from the same vineyards.


The impeccable operations and tasting facilities at Larkmead Vineyards

Right about at the point where the grape vines cross over from St. Helena into Calistoga you’ll find Larkmead Lane, off of which is Larkmead Vineyards.  The winery operations are at the end of a long driveway.  The main winery building features a large wooden door in a natural finish, which stands out against the mostly white winery building.  Off to the left lies the tasting room and offices which resemble a well-made farm house from the past.  Inside, natural light floods the room from large windows along the north-facing wall of the tasting room.  A counter is set up for tasting so that visitors look out this window while they enjoy their flight of wines.  Off to the left is an enclosed patio also set up for wine tasting.  And for warmer weather, I recommend tasting on the covered front patio under the roof that extends out several feet to provide a wonderfully shaded area furnished with a comfortable couch.  They strive for an intimate tasting experience, which explains the numerous tasting configurations.


The tasting bar at Larkmead Vineyards

Because the temperature was hovering around 70F degrees that day, our first pour of the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc was poured on the porch and taken into the vineyards across the street where the grapes for the wine grow.  For the remaining wines in our flight, we returned to the porch setting.  On the porch, we were poured the remaining red wines, including the 2010 Red Blend (featuring a red label), the 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  My favorite was the 2009 for its depth and fruit development.  The 2009 was sold out, so I opted to bring home the 2010 Cabernet.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 8 and the wines offered as a 7.

April 20, 2013 – Wine: 2007 Meyer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

I have been Jonesing to try this wine.  Having thoroughly enjoyed every bottle of the 2005 vintage that I have opened (about 2 cases), I was looking forward to tasting the 2007 vintage since the half-bottles arrived 18 months ago.  I could wait no longer, so I opened the first one.  The first thing that you notice is the terrific nose filled with vintage typical fruits.  The palette followed suit with sweet tannins and flavors of blackberry, blueberry, mineral, leather, and lingering black cherry notes.  My only disappointment is that the 2007 lacks the substance and weight of the 2005, but will surely develop into a more elegant wine in a few more years.

April 17, 2013 – Wine: 2001 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon

When I bought this wine, the reviews suggested holding onto this wine until 2011 or so.  After tasting the big 2003 vintage, and a well-preserved 1984 vintage, I decided to follow that advice and add a little more time just for good measure.  I let the wine decant for about 90 minutes.  Like most 2001’s in the half bottle, this wine’s fruit is a little past its peak.  With that said, what remains is still noteworthy and age-worthy.  This still-tannic wine features flavors of plum, leather, cranberry, tea, and strong minerals.  I may hold onto the other bottle until 2016 or so.


2001 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon



Anomaly Vineyards, March 25, 2013

I returned to Anomaly Vineyards to pick up a few half bottles of their new 2010 release, as well as get a chance to preview the wine.  I brought along my friend who manages a wine shop in San Francisco to share the experience.  He had not been to Anomaly in four years since I picked up my 2006 wines.  We were running a few minutes late and so had to skip the facility tour and go straight to the underground tasting room.  I have always enjoyed the intimacy of this tasting room.  From the working barrels lining each wall, to the practical yet immaculate concrete walls and floors, to the elegant wood table and bench seating and halogen spot lighting, the environment puts the taster directly in the midst of the winemaking experience.
 

Different bottle formats on the tasting table at Anomaly Vineyards.



During this visit I was most interested in tasting the 2010 release of the Anomaly Cabernet Sauvignon.  I had read some interesting reviews of the vintage in general and wanted to get a glimpse at how the 2010 Anomaly wines might develop.  At the same time, they poured three other vintages to learn how the Anomaly wines age and to get a kind of progress report on the bottles slumbering in my cellar.  They poured the 2009, 2008, and 2006 vintages.  Each surprised me by altering my expectations.  The 2006 is developing a richness while blowing off (or covering up) its vintage characteristics.  The 2008 is wonderfully approachable now, but still showing promise of more.  The star is the 2009 and its lushness, which is developing in a very similar manner to the 2005, albeit with darker fruit influences on the palette.

 A full review was written already about Anomaly Vineyards during my visit on April 6^th, 2012.

April 14, 2013 – Wine: 2005 Boa Ventura Maroon Label Cabernet Sauvignon

After a day of uninspiring wine-tasting in Livermore Valley, an insider recommended that I visit Boa Ventura winery to taste their Cabernets.  I was glad that I did.  All of the wines produced at Boa Ventura offer a sense depth and balance that is rare in Livermore.  As they are a tiny operation, it is more economical for them to use wax capsules on their bottles, so they color the wax differently for each wine.  Their top Cabernet uses a maroon colored wax, and is referred to as the Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon.  Not only was I impressed with this wine at the winery, I was elated to find it bottled in half-bottles, so I put together a mixed case.  The wine entered a shut-down state almost immediately, so I let it rest for a couple of years.  Tonight, the wine is showing quite nicely with better fruit development and good balance.  I noticed flavors of tea, cherry, red licorice, mineral, and leather.  I am eager to see how the last bottle of this plays out in a couple more years.

April 13, 2013 – Wine: 2007 Clos du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Wow, what a difference 4 months can make in a wine, though I suspect bottle-variation may also be it play here.  Checking my notes from December 15, the wine was tannic and locked down.  I was a little disappointed then because I recall how I was impressed by this wine when I tasted it at the winery.  Tonight, the wine seems to have awakened.  The pronounced tannins from December have since subsided to the point that this wine is really quite smooth, yet still nearly full-bodied.  The nose retains its classic 2007 attributes (most notably blueberry), while the palette offers up leather, sour cherry, baking spices, slight mineral notes, and a gentle, yet extended finish.