Range: 1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Tasting room deep inside a cave. A Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and blends.
www.connvalleyvineyards.com
This was my second tasting visit to Conn Valley Vineyards, and I was looking forward to it. Rather than a conventional tasting room, the folks at Conn Valley take you up to a hillside door. Behind this door lies the cave where much of the wine-making magic takes place. You walk past long rows of barrels to arrive at a large circular table set up for tasting, much as the chef at a restaurant has his own table for the staff to share new creations. It is here, deep inside the dark but nicely illuminated cave that we all sat down to taste through the wines.
The tasting alcove is furnished so as to make you feel at home. There is a credenza, the table and chairs, a water stand within convenient reach, and a few other furnishings. There is plenty of lighting along the way to the tasting area, and three stylish lights hanging directly above the table for good illumination of the wines. But the stars of the cave are the barrels. All of the barrels are stacked neatly along the length of the cave running down the middle and along the sides. I found the symmetry of the barrel arrangement appealed to my mathematical side. The air is filled with the scent of the young wine in the barrels – not intoxicating, but welcoming the visitor.
When you visit Conn Valley Vineyards for tasting, be prepared to spend more than an hour there. Not only is there an ambitious mountain road to travel to the winery, but they are generous with their samples. On my visit, we tasted a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, two vintages of Pinot Noir (though one vintage is usual), a Merlot blend, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Cabernet blend. (That makes seven.) Then, these folks are proud to sample the next two upcoming vintages of their Cabernet directly from the barrel. (That makes nine.) Unless you have hired a driver, you will need some time to sober up afterwards before returning down the mountain. That said, my favorite wine was the 2008 Eloge, a Cabernet blend that finds the sweet spot between power, restraint, balance, and elegance. I also noticed that the 2011 Cabernet shows amazing promise.
Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 5 and the wines offered as an 8. This is consistent with my previous visit about two years ago.
There is also a review of the 2005 Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Look for it in an earlier post.
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