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.