Hall Winery, November 2, 2012

Winery - 6 / Wines - 5
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Casual woodwork, interesting glass mobiles on ceiling.  Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc.
www.hallwines.com

My friend recommended visiting Hall Winery.  I had visited about four years ago for the first time and tasted their 2004 wines and was a little disappointed (they lacked the special quality that many 2004’s possessed).  Since then, Hall has received three years of accolades, including a 96 point award for their 2006 Cabernet (which I tasted, and have to admit was impressive, especially for the vintage).  So, it was with mixed emotions that I headed for Hall Winery.  Perhaps they have changed wine makers since my last visit, or perhaps they were dealt off-quality grapes in 2004.  I recall during my last visit that there was quite a bit of construction underway, so I was eager to see what had changed.

Lush entrance to Hall Winery.

Driving into Hall Winery at the south end of St. Helena, I noticed that the biggest changes seemed to be to the parking area and surrounding patios.  All of these changes make the entrance to the winery seem new, although on closer inspection it is simply better accented by its landscaping.  The new entrance is lush with greenery, including a stone wall covered in climbing vines and flanked by shrubbery.  Walking through the glass doors, the wood-clad interior welcomes you.  The warmth of the woodwork sets a casual tone that makes for a more relaxed tasting experience.  The tasting room is ample and easily accommodates 20 or more people.  Outside the tasting room is a large patio area fitted neatly with several long tasting tables.  In the spring and autumn, these tables would be ideal for enjoying a sampling of their wines in the warm air of the valley.  The main purpose of the outdoor tasting area seems to be for winery events, though I did not confirm this with the winery.  My favorite feature of the winery is the collection of mobiles hanging from the tasting room ceiling, each suspending giant teardrops of red glass. 

The tasting room at Hall Winery.

My tasting experience began with a familiar face – my pourer worked at St. Clement Winery while I was a wine-club member there.  It is nice to meet a familiar face while visiting Napa Valley.  The tasting flight allows a small amount of flexibility, and I tasted the 2008 Merlot, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2009 Syrah blend, and the 2009 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, which was my favorite.  The Syrah had a meaty nose to it, for those interested in those varietal nuances.  Overall, the wines from this vintage seem to lack the wow factor from the 2006 Hall Cabernet.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 6 and the wines offered as a 5.  This is consistent with my prior visit.

October 30, 2012 – Wine: 2004 Bell Cellars Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon

When my favorite half-bottle web site put this wine on sale, I jumped at the opportunity to acquire six half-bottles.  Having already tasted this wine at the winery while I was a wine club member, the purchase was a no-brainer.  Tonight I opened the fourth bottle from this group, and I was pleased to notice the development of a certain richness in this wine.  It starts off with a prominent nose, and is followed by a well-balanced palette of cherries, blackberries, tobacco notes, and minerals.  I knew that this wine had potential (having enjoyed a number of 1996 half-bottles from the same source), but the richness took me by surprise.

2004 Bell Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon

October 27, 2012 – Wine: 2002 Surh Luchtel Cabernet Sauvignon

Back in 2006, I discovered that Brix restaurant in Napa Valley featured a wine shop where you could buy (at retail prices) the wines on their award-winning menu, as well as a few others.  When I inquired about their half-bottles, the saleswoman took me discretely into the cooler and I felt like a kid in a candy shop.  I found a half-bottle of Merryvale Profile, a Baldacci Cabernet, and this wine, which the saleswoman assured would cellar nicely.  It sure did, too.  A plush wine with vintage-typical fruit of cherry, cranberry, and red currant, as well mineral and leather notes, the wine remains highly structured, richly bodied, and retains dusty tannins.  I expect it to easily go another five years in the cellar, and I’ll find out when I open the last bottle.   Now, if only I could thank the kind saleswoman for directing me to this wine.  (Note that three nights later – corked on the countertop – the wine was drinking as well as it did the first night.)

2002 Surh Luchtel Cabernet Sauvignon

Ideology Cellars (at Silenus Vintners), November 2, 2012

Winery - 7 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Stylish, casual tasting room cooperative, Chardonnays and Cabernet blends, reservations required.
www.ideologycellars.com

When I first started enjoying Napa Valley Cabernets, I discovered Koves-Newlan’s 2002 Cabernets being sold at my local wine shop.  These cabernets were delicious when young and for just $10 a half-bottle, I’m kicking myself for not having bought more.  After being unable to locate more bottles, I decided to visit the winery for a tasting.  When I arrived at the Oak Knoll facility, a worker informed me that the winery was no longer open.  (Research suggests that they fell victim to bankruptcy.)  About a year later I noticed the Silenus sign appear and was glad that somebody had taken over, but I was never curious to return.  Recently, my wine-tasting buddy suggested tasting at Ideology Cellars, so I made an appointment and discovered that they are part of the Silenus Vintners cooperative now operating at the former Koves-Newlan winery site.  So, naturally I was looking forward to my upcoming visit.

The Silenus (and Ideology) tasting room in Oak Knoll

The tasting room was grafted onto the existing winery operations building when the new owners acquired the property in 2006.  The exterior of the winery tasting room is understated, but its most prominent feature is easily visible.  A gently rounded glass wall graces the front of the building and makes for an interesting view both into and out of the tasting room.  The interior uses an interesting application of contemporary décor applied with restraint.  There is ample use of glass, both for walling off tasting areas and for bringing in the outdoor light, so the tasting room is softly bathed in natural light.  Rich colors grace the walls and accentuate the woodwork and glow in the warm lighting.  Just beyond the tasting bar, a pair of glass doors opens to the barrel room providing a mid-level view of the two-story high arrangements of working wine barrels.  The best part of the visit is getting a whiff of the thick aroma emanating from all those wine barrels.


The tasting bar at Ideology/Silenus.

As Ideology Cellars is part of the Silenus Vintners collective, your tasting experience there may include wines from other wine labels produced at the same facility.  My tasting experience started off with two different 2010 Chardonnay’s made by Ideology (one with more oak and one with more steel), followed by a 2010 Pinot Noir by Coleman Nicole, the 2009 Ideology Proprietary Blend (mostly Merlot this year), and the 2008 Ideology Reserve Block Cabernet.  My favorite was the Proprietary Blend, while my friend bought a bottle of the Pinot Noir.

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

October 22, 2012 – Special Wines

2004 Bell Cellars Talianna Red Wine

I remember being so impressed with the 2002 vintage of this wine that I bought a bottle, in spite of its price.  I had enjoyed the other 2004 Bell wines so much that I was comfortable buying this wine without tasting it first.  Then, I forgot I had it.  (That is the proper way to age a wine.)  Tonight, while searching my cellar for something special to open, I happened upon this bottle and decided it was time.  While I expected the flavors to be delicious, I never expected the richness that had developed in this wine.  Wow!  The nose was beautiful, the palette was wonderfully balanced, and the finish persisted long enough to enjoy this wine slowly.  The palette featured raspberry jam, minerals, black cherry, and leather.  After pouring the last glass, I started kicking myself for not buying more of this when I had the opportunity.

2003 Ridge York Creek Zinfandel

2003 was one of California’s greatest Zinfandel vintages of late, and York Creek produces elegant Zinfandels for Ridge.  Combine the two and what’s not to like?  I have been Jonesing to open this bottle for a couple of years now and finally decided I had the right mix of appreciative guests to uncork it.  While this wine was overshadowed by the intense richness of the Bell Talianna, had I poured this wine first it would have been nearly as amazing.  The richness in this wine is far more subtle, but the wine is also more elegant.  Nicely balanced, the palette delivers nearly pure fruits of black raspberry, cranberry, black cherry, leather, and minerals.  Again, I was kicking myself for only buying the one bottle.



2003 Ridge York Creek Zinfandel



October 21, 2012 – Wine: 2004 Saint Clement Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

I admit that I have a weakness for Howell Mountain Cabernet.  In fact, it was the 2001 and 2002 vintages of this same wine that lured me to join the Saint Clement wine club.  This bottle was in my first shipment five years ago.  Tonight, I shared this bottle with visiting relatives, along with my autumn harvest pasta sauce.  The wine was amazing.  The nose immediately offered up a bouquet or raspberries, while the balanced palette offered black raspberries, black berries, blue berries, minerals, and subtle tobacco notes, all wrapped in sturdy tannins.  In fact, this is one of the few wines from this vintage that I have tasted in the last couple of years that has retained that magical fruit that most of the vintage’s wines had when first released.  Based on the tannins and structure still present in this wine, I would guess that it has another five to eight years of growth potential.  (Oh, and it went terrifically with the pasta sauce.)

Frog’s Leap Winery, October 1st, 2012

Winery - 7 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Classic Napa Valley winery, veranda seating, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, and others.
www.frogsleap.com

Okay, by the time I reached Frog’s Leap Winery, the temperature was pushing 100F degrees.  (That’s nearly 38C for the rest of the world.)  While most autumn afternoons offer an irresistible opportunity to enjoy a flight of wines outdoors, this was not one of them.  While the folks at Frog’s Leap endeavored to seat each of the guests promptly, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy as we walked past a large table full of folks comfortably tasting indoors with ample air conditioning.  Instead, I was lead outdoors to the beautifully shaded veranda overlooking the lush gardens, seated at my own table al fresco.  Sure, my table was completely shaded from the sun, but there was no escaping the pervasive afternoon heat.  And I enjoy a side-by-side tasting more than most folks, but this way of pouring is terribly incompatible with serving outdoors in the heat.  With a little thought on the part of the folks working at Frog’s Leap, my experience could have been made more enjoyable.


The entrance to Frog's Leap Winery

Although this was my first visit to Frog’s Leap Winery, I couldn’t shake the feeling of de ja vu – I know I had seen this interior décor before.  The building has an elegant, contemporary home feel, with a veranda wrapping around three sides of the house.  Inside there is a large, open space that is two stories high.  The interior colors are mostly dark neutral colors of taupe and woods, with large windows in the main tasting room.  As you walk in, turn to your right and head for the cashier’s room, where you will be greeted and escorted to your table.  Once seated, you are promptly greeted by your pourer, who pours each taste into a separate glass, briefly explaining a little about each wine, and then leaving you to explore the wines on your own.  When the weather is pleasant, this is an ideal arrangement.  In the heat, I found myself stewing in my seat wondering how to pay for my tasting experience.  I finally walked inside to settle up.  Again, if not for the heat, this would have been a perfectly agreeable arrangement.



The tasting veranda at Frog's Leap Winery.


Frog’s Leap offers just one tasting menu each day.  On the day of my visit, they were pouring a 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2010 Zinfandel, a 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and a 2009 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon which is their flagship of the flight.  The Sauvignon Blanc was perfect for the heat, but my favorite was the Zinfandel.  Regrettably, by the time I started tasting the Rutherford Cabernet, the wine had warmed too much and was difficult to assess or enjoy.  There are a number of other wines made by Frog’s Leap available at the winery which are worth checking out.

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

October 20, 2012 – Wine: Boa Ventura Red Mutt blend

When I first tasted this red blend at the winery (Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Zinfandel), I was impressed with its freshness, its Zinfandel characteristics and the extra weight provided by the Petite Sirah.  While aging, this wine has taken on a woody and mineral character that is difficult to describe, though consistent with the other wines produced by this winery.  (I suspect either the barrels or the soil contribute to this.)  I picked up flavors of sour cherry pie, tobacco, mineral, and chalky tannins.  The wine is nicely balanced right now, but could stand another year of bottle age.

2008 Boa Ventura Mutt Red Wine

October 15, 2012 – Wine: 2006 Etude Carneros Pinot Noir

The fact that I bought this 2006 Pinot Noir (the vintage was rated 86-87 points) says a lot for the wine already.  Very few of the 2006 Pinot Noir offerings motivated me to buy any.  But, after tasting it at the winery, I saw some promise in the wine and bought a couple of bottles.  I opened the first bottle too young (back in 2009 or 2010), so I left a note to hold onto the second bottle until after 2011.  Now this wine has turned delightful.  The initial nose offered up notes of cinnamon.  The palette was beautifully balanced and elegant, with flavors of black cherry, raspberry, baking spices, and minerals.  Any of the 2006 vintage heat characteristics are now absent from this wine, which offers hope for my lone remaining Pinot Noir wine (a Gary Farrell).

Chimney Rock Winery, October 1st, 2012

Winery - 7 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Dutch influenced architecture, relaxing patio, nicely made Cabernets and blends.
www.chimneyrock.com

This was my first visit to Chimney Rock winery, even though I had passed by a number of times on my way to other places in the Stag’s Leap district.  The old-world architecture, easily visible from the Silverado trail, had long captured my attention as I drove by, so this time I planned a trip there.  I have to admit that I would have liked cooler weather for my visit (it hit 100F today), but inside the tasting room the air conditioning was working overtime to keep us all cool.  Fortunately, I visited early enough in the day (just before 1:00) to avoid the worst of the heat and had a chance to spend a short time on the patio enjoying my wine.  That didn’t last too long as the increasing heat drove me back to the air conditioning.  Had the temperature been 10F to 15F degrees cooler, you would not have been able to get me back inside (except for the next pour).

The patio at Chimney Rock Winery

From the parking lot, the exterior has a modest appearance such as you would expect to find in Holland today.  Inside, the tasting room is modest in size yet accommodating.  The tall, vaulted ceiling echoes the European feel established by the exterior and adds a sense of roominess to the tasting area.  A tasting bar occupies the center of the long room, with three sides exposed for guests to work their way through a flight of their wines.  The bar is made of classically sculpted fruitwood and is topped with marble.  The floor is done in a neutral, wide-planked wood that does not detract from the counter.  The open-beam ceilings support an intricate brass chandelier that helps to light the space softly.  Just outside the tasting room doors you’ll find a patio set up to accommodate six small groups in a very comfortable setting.  The patio’s style is very California and typical to Napa Valley, in stark contrast to the rest of the Dutch inspired architecture.  It is so well executed though that you hardly notice the change in style as you step outdoors.

The tasting room at Chimney Rock Winery

The tasting menu offers four different flights to suit your mood, including a flight of the current release (2008) of their red blends.  I was in the mood for their vertical flight of Cabernet Sauvignons, running from the 2005 vintage through 2008.  My favorite of the lineup was the tasty 2005 vintage for its more prominent red fruits and its added maturity.  They sell the current release of the Cabernet Sauvignon in half bottles so I bought one to take home.

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

September 21, 2012 – Wine: 2004 Shafer Vineyards One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon

I remember tasting this wine in a vertical tasting of the 2002, 2003, and 2004 vintages at one sitting.  While the ’02 and ’03 were both Napa Valley blends, the ’04 grapes were sourced strictly from the Stag’s Leap district.  At the time, my favorite was the 2003 for its strength, while the 2004 was somewhat shut down.  Still, it was a very nice wine, and when I happened upon a half-bottle, I bought one.  Tonight, I chose this bottle to open for a toast to the Space Shuttle program and the work these amazing flying machines and their crews have accomplished.  In the half-bottle, this wine is nearing its peak.  The wine is utterly smooth, wonderfully balanced, with good weight, and features flavors of blackberry, black cherry, earthy leather, and a subtle mineral character.

2004 Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon

September 19, 2012 – Wine: 2007 Bell Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This was my last wine club shipment from Bell.  My cellar was overflowing and I needed to cut back on the supply, especially since Bell wines are made to rest for a few years.  So, I reluctantly dropped my Bell Wine Club membership.  The winery was singing the praises about this wine when I picked it up, but they were still pouring the 2006 vintage so I could not preview it.  (Most wineries release early to their wine club members – a perk.)  I decided it was time to try this half bottle tonight and I was impressed.  After about 75 minutes of decanting the wine knitted together into a lovely balance.  The wine is medium bodied with vintage-typical flavors of blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, tobacco, and mineral notes.  The finish on this wine is surprisingly rich – not plush like wines costing three to four times as much, but rich unlike most wines in its price class.  The hoopla is well-deserved.

2007 Bell Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

September 15, 2012 – Wine: 2005 Provenance Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

This was the first vintage of the Provenance Estate Cabernet.  The other Rutherford Cabernet is sourced from multiple vineyard sites, not all of which belong to Provenance.  When young, this wine was powerful and rich.  Last year it showed nice fruits and a rich mid-palette.  The richness is waning now, but the fruits are clean and the balance is impeccable.  I noted dark cherry, cranberry, black licorice, leather, and subtle minerals.  I wanted something nice to open for my sister’s last night of her visit, and this wine served that purpose nicely.

September 8, 2012 – Wine: 2002 J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard

J. Lohr is a well-known Paso Robles winery, but they have one source of grapes from Napa Valley called Carol’s Vineyard.  From there they get the grapes to make their Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  I first tasted this wine with the 2002 release and recognized its potential.  I opened the first bottle three summers back as a bribe to convince my sister to take in two adorable kittens I found in my back yard knowing her weakness for J. Lohr’s high-end Cabs and cute kittens.  Alas, the wine was consumed and I had to find another home for the adorable cats. 

Tonight my other sister was visiting from Colorado and I gave her a choice of three wines to open, including a 2002 Groth Cabernet and a 2005 St. Clement Rutherford Cabernet.  She picked this wine.  (We opened the St. Clement later when my other sister arrived.)  After about a 30 minute decant, the wine was showing wonderfully.  The texture had smoothed out to pure silk, while the fruits delivered prominent vintage-typical red berry flavors backed up by subtle minerals.  All this was delivered in perfect balance.  To say that this wine was at its peak would be an understatement.  (If you use a temperature-controlled wine refrigerator, it might go another year or two.)

November 2, 2012 – Fall Color on its Way to Napa Valley

If you are a fan of autumn’s annual festival of color, then the time to visit Napa Valley is fast approaching.  (My fascination with fall colors must be hereditary as both my parents originate from Upstate New York.)  During a visit to Napa Valley today, I noticed the change starting to take place.  Nearly every vine has already been harvested and is starting to develop yellow colors in its leaves.  While the days have remained fairly warm (in the upper 60’s and lower 70’s), the temperature at night is dropping into the 40’s.  This should lead to some spectacular colors in the days ahead, especially in about two weeks (Nov 14^th-ish) as we get some really cold night temperatures.  This is about a week earlier than in the past few years.



Fall color commencing in the Sauvignon Blanc vines at Provenance on November 2, 2012.


If you are planning a drive through the area, there are a few special stretches that are my favorites.  On the south end of the valley, the drive along Highway 121 east near Domain Carneros is my all-time favorite as it develops more of the rusty red colors.  Second is the view of Oakville from either Silverado Vineyards or Miner Family Vineyards – both offer seating elevated well above the vineyard level.  I also enjoy the view from St. Clement vineyards just north of the town of St. Helena, the vineyard view from Cuvaison winery in Carneros, the roof of Opus One Winery in Oakville, and the gondola ride up to Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga.  Of course, if all you did was drive north along the Silverado Trail to Calistoga and return south along Highway 29 to Napa, you would still catch the majority of the fall color that Napa Valley has to offer.  Just try to go on a day that is at least partly sunny to catch it in all its glory.



The view from the Cuvaison tasting room in Carneros, November 27, 2009



Summers Estate Wines, August 24th, 2012

Winery - 5 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Modest winery that maintains the old Napa Valley feel (before bling became popular).
www.summerswinery.com

My start to the day was delayed by heavy construction traffic entering the valley, and I was unable to make up any time thereafter.  As I drove down the Carter Cellars’ driveway on the north end of Calistoga (and Napa Valley itself) at 4:45 PM, I wondered what to do next.  It was too early to get dinner, and too late to taste anywhere that closes by 5:00.  Directly across the street was the driveway entrance to Summers Estate Wines, with a closing time of 5:30 neatly printed on the winery’s sign.  Voila!  So, that’s how much planning went into this winery selection.  Sometimes, that’s how your tasting experience in Napa Valley goes.


The entrance to Summers Estate


 After the reserved stuffiness of Opus One, and the intimate tastings at the other two tasting rooms, it was nice to walk up to the tasting room bar and enjoy a very casual wine tasting experience.  From the outside, the building is humble and well-kept (except perhaps for one droopy gutter that gives the false impression of deferred maintenance).  Inside, the tasting room is nicely done in a creamy off-white color, with a large tasting counter in the center of the tasting room.  Around the edge of the room are a couple of tables for a more intimate experience, but I headed for the bar.  The long wall of the tasting room is made up of picture windows and glass patio doors that open onto the backyard, where a few tables are set up for outdoor tasting and picnicking, along with a bocce ball court for working off the picnic.


One of the intimate tasting spots inside Summers Estate tasting room



On the tasting menu are six wines, including whites, roses, and reds.  After all the wines from the day, I opted for just three of the reds.  I started with the 2009 Charbono, followed by the 2008 Zinfandel, and the 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  My favorite was the Cabernet, though the Zinfandel was a close second.  I have only visited two other wineries in Napa Valley where I recall a Charbono being poured: Augist Briggs and Hess Collection.  If you are a fan of this grape, these are the places to look for it.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 5 and the wines offered as a 6.

September 6, 2012 – Wine: 2002 Ritchie Creek Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I bought this wine online nearly six years ago.  One of the tasting notes at the time suggested holding onto this until 2010, but I grew impatient and opened the first of the two bottles by the end of 2007.  At that time, the wine was tannic and tight, so I put a piece of tape around the remaining bottle indicating the wine should be held until 2012.  What a transformation this wine has gone through.  The tannins have softened, but are still prominent.  The body is tending toward elegant.  After two hours open, the fruit finally let go with classic vintage characteristics of red currants, cranberries, leather, lime, and minerals, all woven together with nice balance and a persistent finish.  Double-checking the label confirmed my suspicion that this wine came from the mountain sides of Napa Valley, in this case, Spring Mountain.

2002 Ritchie Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

September 5, 2012 – Wine: 2005 Anomaly Cabernet Sauvignon

Having tasted the 2004 vintage of Anomaly (they make just one wine) when it was released, I was sufficiently impressed with the quality to purchase half-bottles of the 2005 vintage without tasting it beforehand.  Of course, the 2005 vintage received a number of acclaims for its quality, so my risk exposure was minimal.  As it turns out, it was non-existent.  In July 2011, I opened my first bottle and discovered a juicy, lush, well-balanced wine that was still quite tannic.  I immediately hunted down four more half bottles for my collection.  This time, the juiciness had subsided, but the softer character and impeccable balance made up for that slight loss.  The palette on this wine featured cranberry, mineral, cherry, and leather with a nice long finish.

2005 Anomaly Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine scores that don’t add up

 This week I had the opportunity to taste two wines that came with critical scores.  One was rated 95 points while the other was rated 89.  95 points should be a fantastic score which only a few wines produced each year ever achieve.  On the other hand, 89 points is a bit of a let-down for a wine that retails for upwards of $80.  But do aged wines always deliver on their scores?

August 27, 2012 – Wine:  2005 Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape (95 points WS)

Having thoroughly enjoyed other 95 point wines, I was eager to try this one.  I had only ever tried two other CdP wines before, and found them to be quite likeable (even with lower scores), and I was hoping to broaden my experience.  The wine had a nice nose, but the palette was off balance, with flavors of sour cherry, iced tea, lime, anise, and minerals, with a very tannic finish.  The wine lacked any kind of wow-factor that I would have expected from a wine that scored 95 points, be it richness, elegance, or flavor.  A number of things could have caused this wine to end so far from its original score, including bottle variation and aging, but it leads me to be suspicious of how some wines are rated.  (This was #3 on Wine Spectators top 100 Wines for 2007.)

2005 Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape

August 30, 2012 – Wine:  2007 Hourglass Blueline Vineryard Merlot (89 points WS)

By contrast, a wine that scores 89 points has just missed the mark, and typically lacks an important feature.  Usually, the wine lacks balance, texture, flavor, or any sort of wow-factor.  When applied to a bottle that retails for nearly $80, that is practically a failure.  I had heard a little about Hourglass from friends, and Hourglass sells their wines in half-bottles, so I was eager to try them.  Purchasing the half-bottles directly from the winery was a bit of a challenge as it seems you had to have previously bought their wines to buy some from this vintage.  I convinced the kind woman to sell me a few bottles and laid them down.  Upon opening this bottle, there was a good nose.  After being open for two hours, the tannins finally relented and what was left was a gorgeous, rich Merlot with flavors of dark cherry, cranberry, subtle mineral, and a terrific finish.  In other words, wow!  Not having tasted this wine when young, I cannot understand how it scored only 89 points (unless they factored in the purchasing experience).  This is clearly a wine that was properly built for aging.

2007 Hourglass Blueline Vineyard Merlot

Carter Cellars, August 24th, 2012

Winery - 6 / Wines - 8
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Small productions of excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and blends.
www.cartercellars.com

I discovered Carter Cellars when browsing half-bottles of Merlot online and came across the 2005 Carter Cellars Merlot.  I bought one to try and opened it young.  While the wine was clearly too young and tannic, the “stuff” was there for the makings of a great wine, including a fragrant nose.  I decided to plan a visit to this winery at the north end of Calistoga to try more of their wines and get a few more half bottles.  As it turns out, as good as this Merlot was, the real masterpiece from this winery is its Cabernet Sauvignon, especially the To Kalon vineyard wines.  The wines are terrific and they are priced accordingly, so don’t look for any bargains here – just well-made wines that stand up against the best that the valley has to offer.

Envy Wines and Carter Cellars Winery

Carter Cellars shares its operations and tasting room with Envy Wines in Calistoga.  Most of the amenities are geared toward the Envy customers that make up the majority of the tasting room business.  The outside of the building seems like a California suburban homage to a Tuscan villa, with arched windows and a veranda surrounding the front.  There is a patio where you can enjoy your wine in the warm Napa Valley sun if you prefer.  When I arrived (on a Friday), there was a live band playing, though I expect this is mostly an end of the week offering.  Inside there is a comfortable feel to the place.  Warm neutral colors are accented by black leather seats, deep red curtains, a table set up for the Carter Cellars tasting, as well as a tasting bar.  During this visit to the winery, a fellow by the name of Mark Carter (the winery operator) joined us for a bit and poured us a couple of the tastings.  I discussed how long I had been drinking their wines and revealed a couple of gems of his making in my collection.  He was quite proud of his latest offering from the To Kalon vineyard in Oakville, and I was duly impressed by it.

Inside the tasting room at Envy Wines and Carter Cellars

During my first visit to Carter, they poured five different wines, one of which they poured twice to compare a freshly opened bottle with one that had been open for several hours.  That was when I learned the importance of counting your pours and limiting yourself.  On this occasion (to my relief), they poured just three wines from the 2010 vintage.  They started with the Hossfeld Coliseum Red Blend (Cabernet plus Merlot), followed with the Coliseum Block Cabernet Sauvignon, and then the “Three Kings” To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon from the famed Oakville vineyard.  The To Kalon was my favorite for the wow! that it offered.  But, the Hossfeld Red Blend is a lovely wine that is ready sooner and is luscious and well rounded.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 6 and the wines offered as an 8.  This is consistent with all of my previous visits.

August 19, 2012 – Wine: 2005 Gary Farrell Cresta Ridge Chardonnay

I never was a big fan of Chardonnay … at least not until I tried a couple of 2005 White Burgundy samples at a tasting once.  I discovered that I like a weighty Chardonnay with good body, balance, some toasty oak and mineral and light on the exotic fruits.  I also discovered that a well-made Chardonnay will age gracefully for five to ten years.  This one had the stuff to run even longer.  It so impressed me with its Burgundian style when it was young that I had to return to the winery and buy a bottle.  It then took me over three years to find an occasion to open it.  I had a couple of friends visiting San Jose (from chilly San Francisco) and we wanted something cool to sip outside in the shade.  This wine (once it warmed up from its deep chill) was simply wonderful, with terrific weight and balance, a nice nose, with subtle flavors of wildflower honey, butterscotch, golden apple, toasted oak, and mineral.  Plus it radiated a beautiful golden yellow in the decanter.  This wine was surely worth the wait.

2005 Gary Farrell Cresta Ridge Chardonnay

A tale of two Cabernets

August 15, 2012 – Wine:  2004 Rubicon Cask Cabernet Sauvignon

I was more impressed with this wine when it was young.  When young, it had nice depth, decent complexity and structure, vintage-typical fruits, and sturdy tannins that suggested it would age nicely.  Most importantly, this wine was well balanced when it was young.  It would seem that I have opened this wine during an awkward stage of its development.  No longer balanced as in its youth, this wine has a pronounced mineral component that approaches saltiness.  The mineral is followed by tobacco, restrained raspberry jam, and dark chocolate notes.  The fruits are so overwhelmed by the minerals that it is difficult to pick them out.  I am hopeful that in two to three years this wine will pull itself together again and deliver on the potential of its youth.  I thoroughly enjoyed the 2003 vintage of this wine every time I have opened it.

2004 Rubicon Cask Cabernet Sauvignon

August 16, 2012 – Wine:  2002 Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is everything that the Rubicon was not.  The fruits are delivered first and with purity.  The wine is elegant and graces your tongue on its way down.  The balance is exquisite, without any harshness to it.  The minerals, while present, are subdued.  Perhaps what I adore most about this wine is the red currants delivered as soon as the wine touches your palette.  This is followed by subtle sour red cherry and notes of baking spices and minerals.  My one regret is that I have just one half-bottle remaining in the cellar.

2002 Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Macauley Vineyards, August 24th, 2012

Winery - 6 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Small, intimate hillside winery.  Cabernets, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Petite Sirah.
www.macauleyvineyard.com

In stark contrast to Opus One Winery, Macualey Vineyards welcomes guests warmly in what was once a hillside ranch house.  The winey tasting room is actually part of the Hunnicutt winery property and was formerly used by Hunnicutt.  To find the winery on the Sliverado Trail, you will need to watch for the Hunnicutt winery sign and driveway.  Macauley had only begun operating out of this tasting room within the past two months, so they are still imparting their style on the place.  Shortly after sitting down to begin my tasting, a fellow by the name of Mac sat down to join us and listen to my opinions as I tasted the wines.  Mac’s last name is Macauley and he operates the winery.

The hillside house is decorated in very dark neutral colors, which not only makes the experience more intimate, it makes the hillside view out the picture window pop.  Tasting takes place on a very comfortable leather sofa situated in front of a coffee table to set down your glass.  Though clearly just getting started with establishing a décor for the place, the most noticeable décor are the animal trophy heads displayed on the wall, one of which is so large that it practically accompanies you at the sofa.  The room is tastefully decorated in a minimal style.

If the décor is minimal, the wines are not.  The tasting started off with a 2009 Chardonnay, followed by a 2009 Zinfandel, a 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from the famed Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard, and a 2009 Petite Sirah.  The tasting finished with a late-harvest Botrytis Semillon.  My favorite wine was the 2008 Napa Valley for its richness, terrific fruit, and good balance, although all of the wines were terrific.

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

August 9, 2012 – Wine: 2007 Landmark Grand Detour Pinot Noir

I remember tasting this wine at the winery in Sonoma Valley and thinking that it had nice potential.  The first two bottles I opened needed about 90 minutes in the decanter for the fruit to open up.  This time I was a little rushed and double-aerated this to speed approachability, but I doubt it needed it.  From the moment the cork was pulled, a delicious aroma wafted from the opening in the bottle.  The palette came on strong yet well balanced, with flavors of strawberry, black currant, baking spices, a dash of white pepper, minerals, and a note of lime on the finish.  The structure and body of this wine suggest it will age well for another three to five years easily.

2007 Landmark Grand Detour Pinot Noir

August 8, 2012 – Wine: 2007 Shafer Napa Valley Merlot

I must have opened the previous bottle of this wine prematurely.  Back in October of 2010, this wine was nice and obviously well made, but it lacked the wow! that I have come to associate with the Shafer Merlot.  Of course, being so young, the fruit was locked down.  After my love affair with the 2005 vintage, I guess I had set my expectations too high.  So I followed my own advice and let the remaining bottles rest a couple of years.  What a difference that made.  The wow! is back and better than ever.  While the palette stars black fruits instead of red fruits like the 2005, the wine is juicy, lush, and amazingly balanced with flavors of blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, dark chocolate, and subtle mineral notes.  Well done Shafer.

2007 Shafer Napa Valley Merlot

Opus One Winery, August 24th, 2012

Winery - 7 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Just one wine, very well made.  Distinct architecture.
www.opuswinewinery.com

Opus One is one of the few California Cult wineries that remains readily accessible to the public.  Situated at the corner of Highway 29 and Oakville Cross Road, lies what can best be described as the world’s most fabulous artillery battery.  That is the view from the street.  As you pull up the long driveway to the winery building, the perspective changes as you notice the melding of architecture from different eras into one bold design.  The parking lot surrounds the winery in a large sweeping circle, with a large conical grassy mound in the middle.  Cut out of the center of the mound is the entrance to the courtyard, which is where the show begins.



The grand courtyard at Opus One Winery

A well-kept circular courtyard welcomes visitors as they enter from the parking lot.  Directly ahead lay the wood doors to the winery foyer.  The courtyard is landscaped with olive trees planted symmetrically on a well-kept lawn.  Once inside, a modest reception desk accepts guests and directs them to the tasting room for their appointment.  The tasting room, like the entire winery, is very elegantly appointed in a very tasteful, comfortable, restrained style.  Throughout the winery, classical music is piped in, whether in the tasting room, hallways, or the courtyard.  The music selected consists of highly recognizable movements from works by the great composers.  While elegant and comfortable, the entire operation comes across as too formal, overly orchestrated, and devoid of the warm personality you might find in a typical Napa Valley winery.  This is not to say that the experience is a bad one – simply a sterile one.

Inside the tasting room at Opus One

Since Opus One produces just one wine in every vintage, the tasting menu is quite simple.  The current release is always available in a three-ounce pour.  You are welcome to ask for an empty glass in order to share the pour with your tasting company or keep it all to yourself.  They often pour from an older bottle as well, leaving you with a bit of a choice to make.  In a one-hour visit, these two pours are too much to ask your body to process when you have other wineries on the agenda.  The good news is that when the weather is accommodating, you are welcome to bring your tasting upstairs to the observation deck looking out over the Oakville vineyards.  On my visit, they poured the 2008 vintage and the 2003 vintage.  Both feature a nice richness on the elegant, but restrained palette.  My favorite was the 2008 for the fruit it offered.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 7 and the wines offered as a 7.  This is consistent with all of my previous visits.

August 7, 2012 – Wine: 2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia

I was browsing a web site for half bottles when I stumbled across this bottle and thought “I wonder what a 95 point wine tastes like.”  I was working a second job for a short while and I decided to splurge on a half-bottle of Insignia.  Could a wine with that score be bad?  Apparently not.  When I opened this bottle in June of 2010, the wine was clearly performing at its peak.  (I used the word “spectacular” in my notes.)  I recall a magical richness, elegance, balance, and flavor that I have yet to reproduce.  So, I located three more bottles online.  Now, two years later, the magic is waning, but the wine remains terrific.  Well layered with flavors, I noted blackberry, pencil lead, chalky tannins, powerful minerals, and subtle black currant, all woven together in terrific balance.

2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia

August 1, 2012 – Wine: 2007 August Briggs Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

I remember tasting this wine at the winery when it was released and noting its classic Russian River Valley richness.  That was three-and-a-half years ago.  When I opened the bottle I brought home, the first thing I noticed was the smell of Dentine (cinnamon) gum.  After a while in the decanter, the fruit from this wine started to express itself on the nose.  On the palette were delicious flavors of cranberry, blueberry, cinnamon, and mineral, delivered in a richly textured body with terrific balance.  This wine was dark and fairly dense as Pinot Noir goes, but none the less delicious.  I would describe this as a cab-drinker’s Pinot Noir.

2007 August Briggs Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Space Shuttle graces Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards (video)

In its only pass over the San Francisco Bay Area, the Space Shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop a Boeing 747, graced the skies over the Santa Cruz Mountains this morning (September 21, 2012).  As part of its final mission, I’m nearly certain that the purpose of this flight was to add a magical touch to the wines made from grapes grown in these mountains, especially the Ridge Montebello harvest for 2012.  This video was taken from a parking lot just three miles from the foothills below Montebello.  As a big space geek, the fly over gave me goose bumps.  I’ll have to open something special tonight to commemorate the event.

(wait about a minute for the video to load)

July 27, 2012 – Wine: 2005 Rudd Crossroads Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

To lure a friend to join me for the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, I offered up this beauty.  I fell in love with this lush wine in the tasting room at the winery back in 2008.  Had they bottled it in half-bottles, I would have brought home a case of it then and there.  Instead, I bought just three full bottles that I have to share with dear friends.  Tonight, I did not decant as long as usual (just 15 minutes).  When I first tried it, there was an intense blend of dark chocolate, molasses, and coffee on the palette.  Given an hour, this wine pulled together in perfect balance, bringing out black cherry, red currants, minerals, and a note of maple.