Ma(i)sonry, May 14, 2013

Winery - 8 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Historic stone building flush with art and sculpture.  Wine flights from many wineries.
www.maisonry.com

Ma(i)sonry is not a winery operation or a tasting room dedicated to a single winery.  Rather, it is a collective of several area wineries and offers a number of tasting options.  They offer flights of individual winery’s offerings or flights of related wines from different producers.  They also provide you with the opportunity to select a flight of your own from the many wines that they are pouring on any given day.  The name is a clever play on words and situation: mason is a stone worker, drawing on the beautiful stonework used to create this tasting room, while maison is French for house or home, reflecting the feeling one has in the gardens and tasting alcoves that make up this place.  If you appreciate three-dimensional art, you’ll really enjoy your visit to Ma(i)sonry.  Everywhere you turn you’ll find individual works of art ranging from palm-sized pieces to outdoor sculpture, all of which is offered for sale.


Ma(i)sonry's historic stone building

The Ma(i)sonry building sits on the main drive on the north end of Yountville and looks as though it may have been there for one hundred years or more.  The recently restored building is constructed entirely of stone and mortar, exposed both inside and out.  A number of windows admit an abundance of natural light.  A simple, finished concrete floor offsets the stonework inside, and a number of older furnishings lend a look of authenticity to this otherwise newly renovated building.  Surrounding the building on one side and to the rear are gardens, neatly divided into semi-private tasting spots featuring differing exposures to the sun and shade.  Both the inside and outside are furnished with artwork, with the outdoor pieces featuring weather tolerant sculptures.   Because of the glorious weather, I opted for a shady alcove under the trees in the garden to taste my wine selections.


Inside the Ma(i)sonry building

I had chosen to come to Ma(i)sonry to taste one wine in particular – the 2009 Lail Vineyards J. Daniel Cuvee.  Ma(i)sonry offered the most convenient option to do so.  So, I constructed a flight of wines from their menu, starting with the 2010 Blackbird Arise (a Merlot-based blend), then the 2009 Fisher Coach Insignia, and the 2009 Lail J. Daniel Cuvee.  For my fourth pour, I invited my pourer to recommend a wine, and I enjoyed a tasting of the 2010 Entre Nous Cabernet, which was my favorite of the flight.  Be forewarned that when arranging your own flight, two-ounce pours will be given, which is about twice what most wineries offer.  You should allow extra time for your body to process the wine, or sample fewer wines.

Based on this experience, I would rate the tasting room as an 8 and the wines offered as a 7.  This is consistent with my prior visit to Ma(i)sonry.

May 24, 2013 – Wine: 2005 Plumpjack Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

I have been sitting on two half-bottles of 2005 Plumpjack Cabernet for over four years now.  I was starting to grow impatient about opening a bottle, fearing I might have missed this wine at its peak.  Some of my 2005’s are starting to blossom, but this wine is still a work in progress.  Even after being open for 90 minutes, this wine was still in need of time to relax and integrate.  The good news is that the Plumpjack richness is showing well, and the flavors are tending toward black fruits and are complex with influences of minerals, leather, sweet black prunes, black currants, and black cherry.  I’m going to give the other bottle another three to four years to come into line and achieve better balance.


2005 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon



May 17, 2013 – Wine: 2009 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon

Remember Fanta grape soda?  I’m not saying that this wine tastes like artificially flavored grape soda.  In fact, this winery has been producing wines at a good price-quality point for years.  Their Napa Valley Merlot is particularly good and can impress for under $24 a full bottle.  But this Cabernet has a surprising element to its fruit flavors that pleasantly reminded me of the grape flavors in Fanta Soda.  These days it is rare to read a wine review that suggests the flavor profile of a given wine might actually reflect grapes, but this one does.  I also noted flavors of leather, dark chocolate and slight minerals.  The wine is still young and needs time to integrate, but is showing an interesting palette today.

Ruby Hill Winery, May 11, 2013

Winery - 6 / Wines - 4
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Friendly atmosphere, interesting decorating items, and deli counter.  Many wine varietals.
www.rubyhillwinery.net

Ruby Hill operates in the sweet spot of the wine world.  Their wines are usually good, some are great, and all are priced reasonably.  If you are looking for a well-made, $15 to $30 bottle of balanced, tasty wine, this may be the winery for you.  If you are in Livermore valley, then you should consider stopping by to taste their wines.  My sister was a wine club member here for a number of years and enjoyed most of the wines they produce.  The make nearly every variety of wine, mostly from grapes grown on their own estate in Livermore (importing as needed for quality).  The atmosphere inside the tasting room is always fun, with a dedicated stretch of the tasting bar for wine club members to provide better service.  You’ll find all kinds of amusing wine-related home décor, as well as a counter where you can purchase cheeses or deli meats.  There is even a spot in one corner furnished with toys to amuse the youngsters while the adults enjoy a sip.


The Ruby Hill winery building

From the outside, Ruby Hill looks like a well-façaded warehouse, with tile roofing, arched windows and cut-outs, a porch surrounding the building, and some stonework demarking the entry to provide some relief from the stucco walls.  They did a great job making a warehouse look like a villa with unexpected details like wrought iron inserts, large wooden doors, and hanging lanterns.  As the weather is usually warm or hot in Livermore Valley, you won’t likely spend much time outdoors.  Inside, the air is cooled and comfortable.  The walls are done in a creamy yellow with dark wood accents throughout.  A large, U-shaped tasting bar occupies the middle of the room, with the club-member corral on the left side and the rest open to the public.  The floors are a practical finished concrete.  Along the side walls and between the tasting bar and the entrance you can find all sorts of fun wine-related items to add some personality to your home.  (e.g., One sign for sale read “I used to care, but now I take a pill for that.”)  Off to the right as you enter is the play area for kids which is well equipped and far enough away from the tasting bar to keep them occupied and out of trouble.  There are additional tasting areas outside for those days when the sunny weather is perfect.


Inside the Ruby Hill tatsing room

The tasting flights offered include a mix of white and red wines, including a sparkling wine.  We asked for a strictly red wine flight and they accommodate our wishes.  We started off with a 2010 Pinot Noir from Monterrey, followed by a 2011 Zinfandel, a 2010 Sangiovese, a 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and ended with a 2010 Petite Sirah, all of which were grown on their Livermore estate (except for the Pinot).  My favorite was the Petite Sirah for its focus and balance.
Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 6 and the wines offered as a 4.  This has been consistent as long as I have been visiting Ruby Hill.

May 16, 2013 – Wine: 2007 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon

While I would love to be able to enjoy a well-aged Rudd Estate or Rubicon Estate every time I opened a bottle, that kind of wine consumption would break my bank and turn me into a wine snob.  Tonight, it was time to return to my budget reality (which still leaves enough room for some decent quality).  This wine has also taken an interesting turn, as it seems to be a look forward at the 2010 vintage rather than where I would have expected the 2007’s to lead.  The wine was smoother than I had expected, and featured flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate and leather.  The dark chocolate was the surprise for me.  It will be interesting to see whether any other of my 2007’s take a similar turn.

May 15, 2013 – Wines to celebrate an occasion

Tonight was a special occasion and required wines appropriate for the occasion.  I opened two half-bottles and poured into two glasses to share and compare side-by-side.  Both wines exceeded my expectations.  Picking a favorite was extremely difficult.  I leaned toward the surprising elegance of the Rudd, while my companion preferred the persistent finish of the Rubicon.  Thank goodness I don’t have to pick just one favorite!


Side-by-side, the 2002 Rubicon Estate Red and the 2002 Rudd Estate Red

2002 Rubicon Estate Red

The first time I opened this bottle I was amazed by its quality.  I half expected this youthful splendor to wane as the wine aged a bit, but that hasn’t happened.  Instead, this wine has evolved and become more pure and delicious with each bottle opened.  (I had the fortune to stumble upon a case of half-bottles at a fair discount back in 2007.)  Tonight, this wine was the more powerful of the two wines, which surprised me.  In past tastings (though never side-by-side), I always found the Rubicon to be more balanced and restrained than the Rudd.  The Rubicon retained its consistency as the Rudd took a radical turn toward elegance.  Tonight, the Rubicon was exceptionally smooth, with controlled power and a lingering finish, featuring clean flavors of red currant, baking spices, leather, black cherry, and slight mineral notes.  The Rubicon is made from grapes grown in Rutherford.

2002 Rudd Estate Red

The real surprise tonight was the change in the Rudd Estate Red.  In my last tasting about 18 months ago, this wine was far from being ready, with big tannins and power.  Tonight, this wine has turned into a sublimely elegant expression of California Cabernet at its finest.  After a 90 minute decanting, the wine was silky smooth, featuring flavors of beautiful red currants, red rose petals, baking spices, leather, and black cherry.  All in all, a very complex wine, albeit with a shorter finish than the persistent Rubicon.  The Rudd is made from grapes grown in Oakville.

Boa Ventura de Caires Winery, May 11, 2013

Winery - 3 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Authentically rustic, family-oriented site.  Well-suited for picnics.  Many wine varietals.
boaventuravineyard.com

Boa Ventura de Caires Winery is so authentically rustic that it would be nearly impossible to replicate.  The winery is clearly a family run farming operation with a winery operation installed in the main barn.  The barn is rustic yet sturdy and sets a family-oriented mood.  Because this is such a small operation, the tasting room is only open on the first weekend of every month.  (Check ahead in January and September.)  By joining the winery’s mailing list, you can get advanced notice of when the tasting room will be open other weekends.  As this was Mother’s Day weekend, they sent out an e-mail earlier in the week announcing they would be open.  Since we were already in Livermore Valley for the afternoon, we decided to stop by.



The winery operations in the barn at Boa Ventura Vineyard

 The Boa Ventura winery offers an ideal setting to enjoy a warm afternoon in the sun.  The barn is surrounded by two yards set up with picnic tables.  There is a bocce-ball court set up along the side of the main barn.  And children will enjoy the large cage holding some of the farm’s animals, including a few chickens.  The owners have a few good-natured dogs that like to hang around the dog-lovers in the crowd.  (Don’t worry … if you’re a dog lover, the dogs will find you.)  Inside the barn you’ll find a long, low tasting bar running along one end of the tasting room, and a few chairs and a table with great cheeses along the other.  The tasting room feels narrow when a crowd develops, but is otherwise comfortable.  Rustic remains the theme with a stamped concrete floor, old redwood siding, and some of the funnier signage that I have seen in the area.  (One sign reads “Unattended children will be given espresso and a free kitten.”)  A few works by local artists also adorn the upper walls of the tasting room.  If you are visiting during the winter months, dress to keep yourself warm as there is no insulation.


The rustic tasting room at Boa Ventura Vineyard

The Boa Ventura tasting menu is long, so be prepared to spend a couple of hours here to let your body process the quantity of wine, or select a handful of their wines for your flight.  I started with the 2012 White Table Wine, which is a blend of Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat (which I describe as a cab-drinker’s white).  Next I opted for the 2009 Red Mutt blend, the 2009 Petite Sirah, the 2009/10 Platinum Label Cabernet, the 2009 Blue Label Cabernet, and the 2008 Maroon Label Cabernet.  (I skipped the Syrah and the Green and Black label cabs.)  Although the Maroon Label Cabernet offers the best body and richness, my favorite from this flight was the Platinum Label Cabernet for its balance of fruit and minerals.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 3 and the wines offered as a 6.  This is consistent with my previous visits.

May 13, 2013 – Wine: 2003 Rubicon Cask Cabernet Sauvignon

When I first shared this wine with my friend, he declared it his favorite.  Because of this, I felt obliged to hold onto a few bottles to share with him over the coming years.  So, tonight I opened the third half-bottle with him.  It has been fun to observe as this wine evolves over the years.  It has always been delicious, balanced, and potent.  Tonight, it needed two hours to open up and stabilize, but when it did, wow!  This wine was smooth, rich, and elegant, featuring flavors of dark cherry, baking spices, black currants, leather, and well-controlled minerals.  One half-bottle and one full-bottle remain.

May 8, 2013 – Wine: 2003 Anderson’s Conn Valley Eloge

After first tasting the 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in a lineup of 2007 Cabernets at my local wine shop, I decided to seek out some half bottles of this wine.  I went to the winery to see if they had any available, but they only had a few 2003 half-bottles on hand, including this 2003 Eloge.  I bought a couple to give it a try and found the wine to be complex, structured, and downright delightful.  So, I returned to snatch up their remaining inventory (about six half-bottles).  Tonight I opened my last bottle, and I’d say it was time to do so.  While still well structured and complex, the wine has turned backwards with the fruit taking a back seat to the other flavors.  On the palette I noted leather, tobacco, minerals, plums, and sour cherries.  While this wine still has many years of life left in it, its fruit-forward youth has now passed.

McGrail Vineyards, May 11, 2013

Napa style in Livermore Valley.  Respectable cabernets and other varietals.
www.mcgrailvineyards.com

To avoid the Mother’s Day crowds, my sister and I decided to treat mom to wine tasting in Livermore Valley the day before.  We started our trip at McGrail Vineyards where my sister is a wine club member.  She had a club shipment to pick up, so she was able to kill two birds with one stone.  The weather was warming up, so we headed outside for the shaded patio on the north side of the winery building and were able to secure a table large enough for our little group.  The McGrail winery sits about 75 feet above the Livermore Valley floor and is just high enough to give a commanding view of the surrounding area.  We brought along some light picnic fare to enjoy with our wine flights.


View of Livermore Valley from McGrail Vineyards

 We started our tasting flight with a nicely chilled 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, which turned out to be the star of the flight.  Not only was it weather appropriate, it was very well made, showing off the quality of the recent 2012 harvest.  The Sauvignon Blanc was followed by a 2010 Chardonnay, a 2008 Merlot by their Picazo label, a 2008 Proprietary Red also by Picazo, and ended with the McGrail (2010?) Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Our picnic fare included some cheeses that helped make these red wines sing.

A full review was written already about McGrail Vineyards during my visit on February 16^th, 2013.

May 4, 2013 – Wine: 2007 Ramey Claret

Since I discovered this delicious wine back at a tasting in 2006 (the 2003 vintage was poured), I have been a fan of this consistently well-made and good-valued wine.  It offers up a lot of quality for the price and it matures early enough to be easily enjoyed.  Either open this immediately after release, or let the wine rest about three years and enjoy it at its best.  The wine usually goes into a period of being shut-down for about two years and then opens up beautifully thereafter for another two years.  (This has been my experience with the 2004, 2005, and now the 2007 vintages.)  This bottle featured a pronounced, vintage-typical nose, good weight and balance, and well-controlled tannins (after an hour of decanting).  I noted flavors of juicy blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, leather, baking spices, and mineral.  This wine is one of Napa Valley’s better values.


2007 Ramey Claret



May 2, 2013 – Wine: 2004 Miner Family Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

After yesterday’s cork-taint disappointment, I was eager to enjoy something rich.  I recently made a pass over my wine inventory and isolated a few bottles that I thought might need opening in the coming months.  This wine made the list (but should not have) based upon my initial tasting back in 2009.  Tonight, this wine was opening up with a wonderfully complex palette offering all of what Napa Valley is best known for.  There is a plush texture developing that approaches richness, yet the wine retains enough tannin to last another four years or more.  The fruit flavors evolved and continually rebalanced themselves throughout the two hours that I drank this.  I noted cranberry, raspberry, black cherry, leather, black licorice, and subtle minerals.




Corison Winery, March 25, 2013

www.corison.com

It was time to pick up my wine club shipment from Corison Winery again.  The March pickup is dedicated to library vintages.  In this case, the shipment included the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, both from the 1998 vintage.  As I had already acquired these wines through earlier wine club shipments, I was more eager to expand my collection of 2004 and 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.  The winery accommodated my request to make this substitution.  (On occasion it is possible to make a substitution in a wine shipment to better accommodate your preferences).


The fermenting tanks at Corison Winery

As is often the case, Corison had a number of interesting wines open for tasting.  As this was our fourth stop of the day, I wanted to limit the number of wines I was sampling to just four.  I was able to taste the 2003 and 2004 Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which are showing surprisingly well.  Then I was able to taste the 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which has undergone a complete character evolution (from distinctive, powerful, and textured to elegant and clean).  Lastly I tasted the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which is performing wonderfully right now and was my favorite of the flight.

A full review was written already about Corison Winery during my visit on April 6^th, 2012.