Freemark Abbey, December 28, 2012

Winery - 7 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Old world tasting room feel.  Nice selection of well-made varietals.
www.freemarkabbey.com

I may be a wine geek, because I chose to visit this place because of its role in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting.  In that event, six California red wines were tasted blind along with four renowned Bordeaux reds, with one of the California reds receiving top honors.  Having already visited five of the six California wineries in the tasting event (Clos du Val, Heitz, Mayacamas, Ridge, and Stag’s Leap), I figured it was time to visit the remaining winery.  So, I bypassed the town of St. Helena by using the Silverado Trail and cut across Deer Park Road to get to Freemark Abbey.  It was nice to see that they had preserved much of the history of the original winery in the tasting room building.  Much of the stonework and the woodwork dates back over 100 years (which is old by Napa Valley standards).  Apparently the winery endured by changing its crop to other fruits during the infamous period of prohibition.  They have long since switched back to strictly wine-making.


The historic Freemark Abbey tasting room

There are few things more welcoming on a chilly winter’s afternoon than a fireplace burning as you walk into a room, even when the fire is fueled by natural gas.  Walking into the stony winery building, I spotted the fire an immediately set out to warm my hands.  The fireplace is furnished with two leather chairs which make for a comfy place to taste your wine.  The walls of the winery are the original stones, not stone siding used in modern construction.  The same stones are exposed on the interior of the building, revealing the craftsmanship that went into its original construction (and restoration work).  The rich hardwood floors echo the woodwork used in the ceiling of the building, much of which is alleged to be from the original construction.  The tasting bar blends in with the rest of the woodwork in the room, while built-in bookshelves proudly display large-format bottles of Cabernet for sale.  A second tasting room for wine club members lies behind the original tasting room and was built more recently.  I joined the wine club during this visit, so I’m looking forward to checking out the other tasting room during my next visit.

Inside the original tasting room at Freemark Abbey

I opted for a flight of various red wines and was pleased with what the winery has to offer.  The wines are all made with nice balance, appropriate weight, decent complexity, and nice fruit.  I started with the 2010 Merlot, followed with a 2009 Zinfandel, then a 2009 Petite Sirah, and lastly the 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  I purchased a bottle of the Cabernet for myself, and was impressed enough by the Petite Sirah to pick up a bottle as a gift.  When I returned home, I tucked away the little bit of history I has just purchased in the cellar.
Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 7 and the wines offered as a 6.

January 8, 2013 – Wine: 2002 Hewitt Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

To honor my drinking buddy’s imminent birthday, I offered him a selection of some of the nicest wines in my cellar.  It was fun watching him struggle to choose just one bottle, but in the end, he settled on this 2002 Hewitt.  This is the wine that sent me down the path in search of some of Napa Valley’s finest, and to this day remains my favorite wine out of Napa Valley.  I first tasted this (naively – out of a preview bottle) in February of 2005.  The wine was consistently impressive from the moment it was opened until four hours later when we finally started to drink it.  Since then, I have opened it three times to celebrate my birthday and have relished every drop. 

Tonight, this wine was again spectacular.  The aromas from this wine swept over the dinner table as soon as the glasses were poured.  It needed about 30 minutes to whip itself into shape, but near perfect balance was attained after about an hour or so.  The palette is both elegant and powerful, with rich flavors of red currants, black cherry, chalky minerals, leather, and tea (to name just a few).  Upon finishing the wine, what struck me most was how consistently this wine has delivered ever since my first sip back in 2005.  The way that this wine has held up, I expect to enjoy another bottle in eight to ten more years.


2002 Hewitt Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon



January 6, 2013 – Wine: 2006 Ridge Carignane

This was the fourth vintage of the Ridge Carignane that I have enjoyed, including the 2004, 2005, and 1992.  The 2004 was a little disappointing because of my expectations (but not bad), but the others have been outstanding, including this wine.  I first discovered a Carignane made by Nine Gables Winery in the Sierra foothills.  Their 2001 vintage of this grape was excellent.  The Ridge Carignanes have all been equally as good or better.  Carignane is usually blended with Zinfandel or Syrah, but on its own it provides a nicely structured wine with aging potential and nice flavors.  The Ridge is well balanced with nice flavors of sour cherry, tobacco, minerals, and cranberry.  I enjoyed this wine after it had been opened from the night before and it was holding up nicely.


2006 Ridge Carignane



January 2, 2013 – Wine: 2005 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Having thoroughly enjoyed the 2007 vintage of this wine, I was eager to open my last remaining bottle of the 2005 vintage.  After decanting for about 90 minutes, the wine was nicely balanced and wonderfully smooth, although the fruit has definitely taken a back seat to the mineral and tobacco flavors.  Reviewing my tasting notes from a couple of bottles opened earlier, it seems this mineral development has happened in the last year.  A number of wines from 2005 have disappointed me with their aggressive mineral development, this wine included.  Compared to the 2005 Provenance Cabernet that I opened for Christmas, the restrained fruit was a bit of a letdown.  (This may be due in part to the 375ml bottle format.)


2005 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon



Turnbull Wine Cellars, December 28, 2012

Winery - 6 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Antique Ford Model A and photography exhibit.  Nice Syrahs, Cabernets, and Sauvignon Blanc.
www.turnbullwines.com

I discovered Turnbull’s wines before I discovered their winery.  One day while browsing some half bottles of wine online, I placed an order for two half bottles of Turnbull Sauvignon Blanc.  Thanks to a warehouse worker’s rush to fulfill my order, I was instead shipped Turnbull’s 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (an understandable mistake) instead.  I decided to repeat the experiment and wound up with the two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, as expected.  After being impressed by the Cabernet, I decided to pay the winery a visit, and have returned a number of times since.  It had been nearly four years since my last visit and I was eager to return.  So I started my day’s wine tasting by stopping by the Turnbull tasting room in Oakville.


The approach to the Turnbull Tasting Rooms from the parking lot

 There are two distinct, redwood-sided winery operations just off Highway 29.  One is for Cakebread Cellars in Rutherford and the other is for Turnbull Wine Cellars in Oakville, just south of Cakebread.  The Turnbull parking lot ends at a courtyard where a nicely restored Ford Model A pickup rests, for those of us who are motoring fans.  To the left of the truck is the reserve tasting room (not used in the colder weather) and photo gallery.  During my visit, they had a number of photographs by Ansel Adams on display (among other artists), mounted to racks of stacked wine barrels. 


The estate tasting room at Turnbull Wine Cellars

 To the right of the truck is the entrance to the estate tasting room, where reserve tasting is also offered in the colder weather.  This room is where I did my tasting during this visit.  Inside, the tasting room is done in white walls, an earthy green slate floor, and rich woodwork for the built-in wine racks and the L-shaped tasting room counter.  A large Christmas tree dominated the middle of the tasting room floor and was decorated with items offered for sale.  (The tree is seasonal.)  Large French doors open onto a patio and let in an ample supply of indirect light.  Guests can bring their wine out to the patio during the warmer months.


Inside the estate tasting room at Turnbull Wine Cellars

 I had a choice between the Estate and the Reserve tasting menu and opted for the Estate menu, primarily to taste the 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Estate menu also included a Viognier wine which I opted to skip.  I started my tasting with the 2008 Syrah, followed by the 2009 Estate Cabernet, and the 2008 Petite Sirah.  Finally, in a generous gesture, I was allowed to substitute the 2007 Leopoldina Cabernet Sauvignon into my tasting lineup.  Surprisingly, my favorite wine from the lineup was the Syrah for its rich smoothness and clean fruits.  (But, as I recall, the 2005 Turnbull Syrah was also remarkable and I bought a bottle as a gift.)

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.

December 26, 2012 – Wine: 2002 Ridge Home Ranch

This wine was probably the one most responsible for my love-affair with Ridge Winery.  Always delicious, the Ridge Home Ranch (Cabernet/Merlot blend) offers a richness approaching the Monte Bello with younger approachability and priced at half the cost.  Regrettably, my favorite wine at Ridge was only produced in two vintages: 2001 and 2002.  The 2001 vintage matured early, allowing me to thoroughly enjoy that wine while the more tannic 2002 rested.  Now the 2002 is showing its stuff with explosive red fruits of cranberry, cherry pie, currant, leather, and minerals.  I am grateful that this is not my last bottle.  When I heard there would be no 2003 vintage, I began hording the 2001’s and 2002’s.  (I bought two cases each of half bottles.)

2002 Ridge Home Ranch (Meritage)

December 25, 2012 – Christmas Dinner Wines

For Christmas dinner, I was to bring the wines and a fresh green bean dish.  After staying out too late on Christmas Eve, I dashed off for Christmas dinner sensing that I had forgotten something.  I had set aside the wines to bring two days earlier, but the green beans stayed in my refrigerator (unprepared).  So, we had a medley of frozen vegetables instead.  Fortunately, the rest of the dinner was delicious and nobody missed the green beans.  These are the wines I brought:

2003 St. Clement Progeny Vineyard Syrah

This delicious wine was the middle vintage of a three-year vertical from one of my wine shipments.  After slumbering in the cellar for four years, this wine is entering a phase of poised elegance.  Delicious fruits, exquisite balance, and silky smoothness made this a fantastic treat to pair with the lamb chops for dinner.  Of course, I opened the wine too early and it was gone by the time the lamb chops made their way to the table.

2003 St. Clement Armstrong Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

I remember tasting this at the winery at a special event back in 2009.  It was surprisingly tasty then.  Tonight, it has developed and refined even further, showing its pure red fruits, restrained minerals, and near elegant texture.  For a vintage that has been given a poor reputation, these two wines tell a success story.

2005 Provenance Oakville “To Kalon” Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine showed that it was the youngest of the three, but it also flaunted its superior vintage characteristics.  While still somewhat tannic, the fruits are well presented and delicious with wonderful balance.  But the real gift in this wine is the richness on the finish.  Picking a favorite from these three wines is not an easy task, but I am leaning toward this wine tonight.