Provenance Vineyards, January 19, 2015

www.provenancevineyards.com

When trying to cut back on the wine you are consuming, it is probably best to avoid tasting at wineries where you are a wine club member.  Such was the case with this visit.  I had to stop at Provenance to pick up a wine order from a few weeks back, so the winery was hard to pass up.  As usually, I was recognized, greeted warmly by old staff (and treated well by the new person), and offered some very nice wines to try, including one that I had tasted two years prior at a special members-only event.  By the time that we left Provenance, I was grateful not to be driving, as I was starting to feel the effects of the day’s wine consumption.

Provenance Vineyards building as dusk settles.

I had intended to taste only three wines at Provenance, but as I was finishing my third pour, I was told that the 2009 Hewitt Double-Plus Cabernet Sauvignon was open and available to taste, which was a very rare opportunity.  How could I resist?  I started my tasting flight with the 2012 Cabernet Franc, followed by the 2010 Three Palms Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2010 Oakville To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon.  Next I was offered the 2009 Hewitt Double-Plus Cabernet Sauvignon.  As I was finishing that, I was told that the 2010 Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon was performing well right now.  The only problem was that this last wine faced a lot of potent competition, with the Hewitt Double-Plus being the star of the flight.  Impressive in its own right was the 2010 Oakville To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon, which was my second favorite.

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

 

Joseph Phelps Vineyards, January 19, 2015

Tasting Room - 4 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Outdoor tasting during construction.  Red and white wines.  Reservations required.www.josephphelps.com

After a quick lunch in Yountville, it was onto Joseph Phelps Vineyards where I was eager to taste their 2012 Cabernets.  I had not yet visited Joseph Phelps, and I probably picked the wrong time to visit.  The tasting room has been closed for several months while it undergoes extensive remodeling, so I will still have no idea how nice the tasting experience is there.  The other problem was that after so much mine from my prior two stops that day, the last thing I needed was another six-wine tasting flight, but that’s what we faced here.  I had surrendered my driving role to my friend after lunch because I was already starting to feel the extra alcohol in my system and felt it would be irresponsible to be driving.  Why did I choose to come to Joseph Phelps Vineyards then?  It was at my friend’s request that we visit here.  The good news is that the 2012 Cabernet was well worth the visit.  (Too bad that they were still pouring the 2011 Insignia.)

The temporary visitor center set up at Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Because of the renovation work underway on the main tasting room, Joseph Phelps has set up a small complex of temporary buildings for their visitors’ center.  And, because the weather was spectacular for mid-January (even for May), we enjoyed our wines outside on the patio under the filtered sunlight.  The visitor center is set up for check-in and making purchases.  An array of tables has been set up outside for tasting and education, while a few rooms are also available (for inclement weather?).  The tables all look across and empty field toward the hillside where the future tasting facilities will open.  Because Joseph Phelps Vineyards is off the main roads, you should plan an extra fifteen minutes for your visit (75 instead of 60) to allow for the extra travel, check-in, and extensive tasting flight.  You will also need to make reservations ahead of your visit.

The vineyard view at Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Our tasting flight started off with two white wines: a 2013 Sauvignon Blanc and a 2012 Chardonnay (which was the better of the two).  Then we moved onto the red wines.  Two 2012 Freestone Pinot Noirs where poured, with the second being a single-vineyard (Quarter Moon) offering.  Next came the anticipated 2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by the 2011 Insignia proprietary blend.  The Cabernet Sauvignon outshone the Insignia, but this has more to do with the two vintages offered (2011 was a challenging year, while 2012 was wildly successful) than the production quality of these wines.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 4 and the wines offered as a 7.  Look for the renovated tasting room to open in June.

April 27, 2015 – Wildflowers making way for tame flowers

Driving into Napa Valley along highway 29 from the south, I couldn't help but notice that many of the wildflowers that were exploding into bloom last month have since faded, with only the stubborn and persistent golden poppy flashing its fiery orange along the roadside.  I did see the occasional patch of lupine trying to exhibit its purple bloom through the now taller (and browner) grass without much success.  If you don't stop to hunt it out, you won't know that the lupine is growing there.

In place of the wildflowers you'll find the cultivated flowers, most notably the roses.  It is common practice to plant a rose bush at the end of each row of grape vines, and those roses are now taking center stage.  Some vineyards have planted to a monochrome scheme, while others have favored color variety.  Also showing in the vineyards is the beginning of "flowering" (bloom), where the first grape clusters are starting to form.  (The individual berries are less than 1mm across at this point.). This week's rain may have been the saving grace for this fourth dry vintage in the valley, providing much needed moisture just as the fruit is starting to develop.

Roses lining the edge of the vineyard at Saint Clement

Ma(i)sonry, January 19, 2015

www.maisonry.com

While traversing the valley with my wine-tasting buddy, Ma(i)sonry was selected as our second stop (of five).  Planning for visiting five wineries should have included the quantity of wine poured at the tasting, but I overlooked this aspect.  It turned out that each stop offered an abundance of wine to sample, especially Ma(i)sonry.  The good news was that I was able to try three wines that I was eager to taste, and we were able to compare 7 samples of Cabernets (well, one was mostly Merlot) and pick our favorites.  And, the Ma(I)sonry tasting room offers an art-filled look back in time with its historic stonework and eclectic mix of antiques.  This is a very relaxing environment for tasting wines.

A generous mix of art and antiquities upstairs at Ma(I)sonry in Yountville

Each pour at Ma(i)sonry is about two ounces, which is double the size offered in most tasting flights.  My friend and I shared each pour from our two flights.  We started with the 2012 Blackbird Arise, which is remarkable for its flavor and structure.  Next came the 2010 Coup de Foudre Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by the 2012 Lail Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 Pahlmeyer Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 Pahlmeyer Red, the 2012 Tor Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and ending with the 2010 Juslyn spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.  The clear champion of this lineup is also the most expensive, namely the Pahlmeyer Red.  The Blackbird Arise was clearly the second favorite, and it was at the bottom of the price range.  (I ended up buying both.)

Looking past the old cut stone surrounding the windows to the tasting gardens at Ma(i)sonry

 

A full review was written already about Ma(i)sonry during my visit on May 14th, 2013.

Robert Biale Vineyards, January 19, 2015

www.robertbialevineyards.com

My wine-tasting buddy and I had this holiday off, so we decided to spend the day in Napa Valley.  His idea was to start earlier so we could squeeze in one additional winery visit.  I also had pick-ups at three places and he had a pick-up at one, so in all it was a busy afternoon.  Since we would be starting earlier, I wanted to start at someplace on the southern side of the valley, in Oak Knoll.  He had never been to Robert Biale, and I was eager to try their 2012 wines, so we planned our trip to start there.  I took some beautiful pictures of the foggy fields with the mustard starting to open and bloom – and deleted the files by mistake when I tried to copy them to my laptop (the file names collided).  Although I was disappointed, it does afford me another reason to return to Robert Biale, especially during the fog.

The Robert Biale black chicken points the way to the tasting room

In order to visit five wineries today, I would need to keep track of my pours and limit myself.  Of course, once the winery staff recognize your appreciation for their craft, they start to bring out their favorite bottles (not on the tasting menu) for you to try.  In this case, rather than four samples, we were treated to six.  But that’s OK, because I can simply curtail later at the next stops.  (Right!)  We started off with the 2012 Black Chicken Zinfandel, followed by the 2012 Varozza Zinfandel, the 2012 Old Kraft Zinfandel, the 2012 Pagani Zinfandel, the 2011 Old Crane Ranch, and ended with the 2011Thomann Station Petite Sirah.  The Pagani piqued my interests because Ridge Winery also makes a Zinfandel from the Pagani vineyard.  Of these, my favorite was the 2012 Varozza for its balance and elegance, while the Pagani was a close second.

A full review was written already about Robert Biale Vineyards during my visit on March 1st, 2013.

March 23, 2015 – Wildflowers gone wild

On my drive into Napa Valley this day, the one thing that stood out were the flaming California poppies and the purple patches of wild Lupine growing along Highway 12 through American Canyon.  There were many other wild flowers, but these two stood out.  Surrounded by the green natural grasses, these colors popped in the midday sun.  All along Highway 29 through Yountville, Oakville, and Rutherford I came upon these patches of vivid colors.  But the most incredible was not strictly the work of Nature.  At Provenance Vineyards, they have removed about 75% of the lawn that once occupied the front of their winery operations.  They replaced this with a handsome patio and seating area, but still had about 25% of the area left to landscape.  This year they planted perhaps the largest wildflower garden I have seen.

Wildflower garden at Provenance Vineyards

I also noticed another annual milestone in Napa Valley … bud break.  This is the time that the foliage pokes through the crusted-over branches of the grape vine and the leaves start to emerge.  It won’t be long before you see the canopy develop and the appearance of the tiny, infantile grape clusters emerging.

Bud break at Corison Winery

December 20, 2014 – The five components of Bordeaux Blends: Cabernet Franc

Back in 2011, Hendry Winery offered a blending kit for a reasonable price.  The kit consisted of five half-bottles of 2007 red wines, each 100% of a single grape variety.  The idea is that you host a party where each person tries their hand at a blend of the five varietals to see what comes up.  Lacking enough wine-geek friends to drink that much wine in one sitting, I instead decided to open them one-by-one to learn the characteristics of each wine.  In May 2012, when they put it on sale, I decided to pick up a kit. 

 

2007 Hendry Blending Kit 100% Cabernet Franc

Tonight I opened the second of the five half-bottles, a 2007 Cabernet Franc.  This wine is a blending wine, often blended into Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to lend a little lift to the fruit, and some interest to the nose.  Even when it is sold as its own varietal, it has some Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon blended in to lend the wine some richness and depth.  I wasn’t certain what to expect from this wine, but from what I had heard from winemakers, I wasn’t expecting much.  … and I was right.  The fruit on this wine was really quite tasty, although it was not quite vintage typical.  The flavors tended more towards cherry pie and baking spices and lacked any suggestion of blueberry.  The palette was where this wine was lacking.  The fruit performed wonderfully on entry, but on the mid-palette and the finish, the wine became un-dimensional, lacking any kind of structure or complexity.  While uninspiring on its own, it is clear the role that this wine plays in improving the experience when blended into Cabernet Sauvignon.  I have experienced this same effect during the component barrel tasting events at Ridge winery.