Sequoia Grove Vineyards, March 31, 2014

Winery - 6 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Nestled among the few redwoods in Napa Valley.  Cabernets and interesting whites.
www.sequoiagrove.com

This place has a lot of wood … and some tall redwood trees in the middle of the vineyards.  It had been a few years since my last visit to Sequoia Grove.  My first visit here was motivated by a friend’s recommendation (he’s a cellar rat and has some experience in the area).  I don’t recall being too enthusiastic about my visit then.  Everything was nice it seemed, but …  This time, I suppose that the vintage smiled upon the folks at Sequoia Grove as I found some of their wines to be remarkable, especially when factoring in the price.  And, I have to admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for these gentle evergreen giants.  And, perhaps I paid closer attention to all the woodwork inside, especially the giant oak casks that seem nearly as large as the trees outside (in their own way). 

The Sequoia Grove tasting room nestled among the redwoods.

Driving down the Sequoia Grove driveway in the light rain, the winery building nestled between the redwoods takes on a mystical sense.  (Most of the time the weather is sunny, so this effect isn’t seen.)  Of course, you have to focus your view in order to see this, as the vineyards are a mere thirty feet away to each side.  The building is finished in redwood which has a neutral stain finish.  Inside, the woodwork abounds.  The walls and ceiling are finished in a nice redwood.  As the only light to the room comes through the French doors and a window above them, this woodwork tends to darken the room.  Fortunately, the redwoods themselves solved this dilemma by dropping a heavy branch onto the roof of the tasting room during a storm, motivating the winery to install a skylight where the branch had fallen.  Flanking the French doors are two massive oak casks that stand nearly two stories tall.  The tasting bar lines the back wall of the tasting area and can accommodate a dozen or more people comfortably.

One of the two giant casks inside the Sequoia Grove tasting room.

I opted for the red wines on the basic tasting menu.  I started with the 2010 Cabernet Franc, which has nice fruit.  I moved on to the 2010 Merlot, followed by the 2010 Rebellious Red which is a tasty blend of the classic Bordeaux grapes.  I finished with the impressive 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  While the Reserve Cabernet was my favorite, both the Napa Valley Cabernet and the Rebellious Red represent terrific values, and I bought a bottle of the Rebellious Red to take home.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 6 and the wines offered as a 6.  This is consistent with my previous visit.