Provenance Vineyards, June 21, 2013

www.provenancevineyards.com

I have a genetic defect inherited from my grandmother:  I cannot resist a good sale.  And provenance was having a sale this particular week, so I had to drop in for a tasting (just like in the Far Side cartoon where a large-bodied woman clings for life to a lamp post as she is mercilessly sucked into a candy shop).  In this case, they had their 2008 To Kalon Cabernet marked down 40%, along with a few other deals.  After tasting this wonderful wine, I felt compelled to pick up a bottle.  They had the 2010 Hewitt available for preview at 30% off, so my friend bought one of those (and I get to cellar it).  They also had some of their new releases open which I was looking forward to trying.

Looking down a row of vines at Provenance Vineyards

One of the features of many wine clubs is that you get access to the wine before it goes into general distribution.  One of the drawbacks of this perk is that the wines are not usually open in the tasting room when you pick them up.  To my good fortune, there were a number of new releases and previews open the day of my visit.  From the Provenance menu, I selected the (on sale) 2008 Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by the 2009 Beckstoffer TK2 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2008 Three Palms Cabernet Sauvignon.  Of these, the 2009 TK2 was my favorite (and the most expensive).  Then I tried a three-vintage vertical of the Hewitt: 2007, 2008, and 2010, of which the 2007 remains my favorite (and my favorite of the day).


A full review was written already about Provenance Vineyards during my visit on February 8^th, 2012.

July 21, 2013 – Wine: 2003 Hestan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The only reason I know the name Hestan is because it is the winery (and winemaker) that hosts and produces Meyer Vineyards wines.  Upon discovering Meyer’s wines at a tasting, I searched the web and discovered the association with Hestan.  The price of the Hestan was always beyond my reach so I passed on the opportunity to try them.  Recently, while acquiring some half-bottles of amazing 2002 Cabernets, I was offered the chance to get this half-bottle as well (at a reasonable price).  After my experience with the Meyer, I was expecting a big, juicy, deep, and rich wine.  Instead, the wine was elegant, refined, deep but not rich, with a persistent finish.  I noted flavors of black raspberry, dark cherry, cranberry, mineral, dark chocolate, and leather.  This turned out to be a very impressive wine from what has been described as an irregular (and tannic) vintage.

Newton Vineyard, June 21, 2013

Winery - 7 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Spectacular views of mountain vineyards.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.
www.newtonvineyard.com

For the last few years my friend has been prodding me to fit Newton into one of our tasting trips.  This time the cards lined up to make this all possible.  Because of their mountain-top location, advanced reservations are required.  And plan your time carefully, as they do not accept parties 15 minutes after the appointment time.  Also, allow about 10 minutes to drive from the town of Saint Helena up the slow, winding road to the winery and tasting room.  Once there, be sure to take a moment to take in the higher elevation view of the Saint Helena and Rutherford valley floor down below.  There aren’t many places where you get the combination of altitude and proximity to view the valley as you do from Newton Vineyards, and the view is breath-taking.

The entrance to the Newton Vineyards tasting room

When you arrive at the Newton Vineyards tasting room, you are greeted as soon as you step out of your car.  Part of your visit involves taking in certain vistas, including the winemaker’s office with a control-tower vantage point over the vineyards.  The building has been dressed up by installing a redwood lattice wall the length of the building, with portals for light and visibility and a number of vines and shrubs taking advantage of the trellis work.  Once inside, you quickly learn how the location for the tasting room was chosen – large picture windows in each room frame the mountain-slope vineyards just a few hundred yards/meters away.  The ample light casts a warm, open feeling across the two tasting rooms.  A large double-door separates the two to create two isolated tasting environments.  One salon is set up like a living room, while the salon where I tasted was set up like a dining room.  The hardwood floors provide a richly textured base for the room, with matching window framing.  The walls and ceiling are painted a shade of linen, with one red accent wall to wake you up.  This red color is brought into the room as color accents on furnishings and décor.  A sturdy trestle table with black leather-upholstered chairs occupies the center of the room, with tasters on one side treated to magnificent views out the picture window.  There is also a fascinating sculpture fashioned from wood planks into a graceful arc that doubles as a display for the recent vintage of wines.

Inside the tasting salon at Newton Vineyards

The tasting is performed as an intimate lecture, with some interactions for questions and comments.  I find this style of presentation is great for a first visit, but on subsequent visits it becomes a little annoying and actually discourages me from making plans to return.  Still, the point of the visit is to taste the wines, and the wines have to compete with the spectacular views for attention.  The good news is that the wines accomplished just that.  We started with the 2010 Knights Valley Chardonnay, followed by the (spectacular) 2010 Merlot, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, and ended with a high-end Bordeaux-style blend, the 2009 The Puzzle.  While The Puzzle was my favorite, when you factor in the price, the Merlot was the real winner in the lineup.

Functional wooden sculpture at Newton Vineyards tasting room

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

July 17, 2013 – Wine: 2007 Duckhorn Merlot

I really enjoy a well-made Merlot, but thanks to aggressive editing of the movie Sideways, where the character’s disdain for Merlot is left in but the reason behind it was edited out, finding a good Merlot has been a bit of an effort this past decade.  It’s worth noting that the scene where the character associates Merlot with the emotional baggage of his divorce was the one cut and would likely have spared this great wine’s fate.  There are a few remarkable Merlots produced in Napa Valley, most notably those from Newton, Provenance, Shafer, Whitehall Lane, and this wine from Duckhorn.  Duckhorn’s apparent focus is on elegance and expressing Merlot’s best characteristics.  After about an hour open, this wine had a nice nose, with a balanced palette featuring raspberry, blackberry, dark cherry, minerals, and baking spices.  This was my last half-bottle of 2007 Duckhorn, but I am looking forward to the 2009’s.

2009 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot

Elizabeth Spencer Wines, June 21, 2013

www.elizabethspencerwines.com

It was time again for a wine club shipment pick-up, and my friend was able to enjoy his first visit to the tasting room as a wine club member since signing up last fall.  Our experience at Trefethen lasted a little longer than we had anticipated and our next visit required a bit of extra driving and a timely arrival, so we were a little pressed for time here.  Rather than enjoy our tasting out on the patio, we decided to hang around the tasting bar inside the cozy tasting room.  Something about the repeating patterns in the floor-to-ceiling wine racks and the surrounding brickwork gets my symmetry juices going and I feel in my element there.  (I have a background in mathematics and computers.)

The cozy tasting room at Elizabeth Spencer Wines.

During my previous visit, I picked up the 2009 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon for my friend.  This time the pickup consisted of the 2009 Mendocino Cabernet Sauvignon, which was not on the tasting menu.  I opted to try the 2010 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, the 2010 Pinot Noir, and the 2009 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, which was my friend’s favorite.  He was eager to taste this wine and was thoroughly pleased with it.  I next asked for a taste of the 2009 Special Cuvee Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which was my favorite.  This last wine is developing quite nicely, so we each brought home a few half-bottles.

A full review was written already about Elizabeth Spencer Wines during my visit on November 2^nd, 2012.

July 16, 2013 – Wine: 2005 Meyer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

I know I have already posted twice about this wine, but I cannot emphasize enough what a terrific value this wine is.  Priced $38 to $45 when released (for 750ml), this wine delivers substance that wines costing more lack.  What you might get from a more expensive wine would be either elegance and restraint or depth.  This wine is fruit-driven, lush, balanced, and nearly rich on the palette.  The fruit flavors remain fairly vintage-typical, with raspberry, dark cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate, minerals, and notes of leather on the palette, with a persistent finish.  With this wine, it has been a struggle between opening every delicious bottle and having the patience to allow the wine to evolve over a few years.  By acquiring more than a case of half-bottles, I’ve been able to do a little of both with joy.

Trefethen Family Vineyards, June 21, 2013

Winery - 7 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Well-preserved old woodwork.  Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.
www.trefethen.com

The only time I have visited Trefethen wines was on one of my first trips to Napa Valley.  When my friend suggested we visit there, I was eager to see how the place might have changed.  Trefethen is one of the first of the larger wineries you come upon as you drive north out of the city of Napa along the main highway (CA-29).  Located at the corner of Oak Knoll Avenue, you need to drive nearly a half mile down the avenue to get to the winery’s driveway on the left, and then drive another ¾ mile down their driveway to get to the parking lot.  From the outside of the building, not much at Trefethen has changed.  Once inside I found a new tasting experience.

Trefethen Family Vineyards

 From Highway 29, you notice a cluster of tall trees surrounded by vineyards.  This makes the Trefethen winery easy to spot.  Parking in front of the winery operations, you find yourself in front of a three-story winery operations building constructed largely of wood.  In front of the main doors lies a patio for enjoying a bit of sunshine after your tasting, with a large, bowl-shaped fountain and pool welcoming guests as they arrive.  The impeccable maintenance of the exterior belies the age of this building.  Once indoors, old redwood timbers that have been at work supporting winery equipment in the upper floors for over 120 years show their real age.  This old wood is nearly black in some places, though it is evident where restoration work has sanded back a layer over the last few decades.  Once inside, a receptionist greats you and offers you a choice of two tasting experiences.  To the left is a barrel room with glass walls (to help stabilize the temperature of the wines as they age).  The floor is finished in a handsome, rich maroon paint, and a few leather chairs have been chosen to bring the color upwards into the room.  Despite the numerous windows in the building, there is not much natural light, which adds a sense of romance to the atmosphere inside.  Inside the tasting area are two tasting bars and a number of tables for a sit-down flight of wines.

Inside the reception area at Trefethen Family Vineyards

To be able to experience more of the wines that Trefethen offers, my friend and I decided to choose distinct tasting flights.  He opted for the reserve flight, while I opted for the estate flight.  This allowed us to share each wine to get a broader impression of their winemaking style (which favors medium-bodied elegance over mass and power).  I started with the 2011 Chardonnay, followed by the 2010 Pinot Noir, the 2010 Cabernet Franc, the 2010 Dragon Tooth (a Malbec blend), the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (from a Magnum bottle), and the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  My favorite of all of these was the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon for its development and depth, though the Chardonnay illustrates that 2011 is a great vintage for this grape.


Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 7 and the wines offered as a 6.