Trefethen Family Vineyards, June 21, 2013

Winery - 7 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Well-preserved old woodwork.  Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.
www.trefethen.com

The only time I have visited Trefethen wines was on one of my first trips to Napa Valley.  When my friend suggested we visit there, I was eager to see how the place might have changed.  Trefethen is one of the first of the larger wineries you come upon as you drive north out of the city of Napa along the main highway (CA-29).  Located at the corner of Oak Knoll Avenue, you need to drive nearly a half mile down the avenue to get to the winery’s driveway on the left, and then drive another ¾ mile down their driveway to get to the parking lot.  From the outside of the building, not much at Trefethen has changed.  Once inside I found a new tasting experience.

Trefethen Family Vineyards

 From Highway 29, you notice a cluster of tall trees surrounded by vineyards.  This makes the Trefethen winery easy to spot.  Parking in front of the winery operations, you find yourself in front of a three-story winery operations building constructed largely of wood.  In front of the main doors lies a patio for enjoying a bit of sunshine after your tasting, with a large, bowl-shaped fountain and pool welcoming guests as they arrive.  The impeccable maintenance of the exterior belies the age of this building.  Once indoors, old redwood timbers that have been at work supporting winery equipment in the upper floors for over 120 years show their real age.  This old wood is nearly black in some places, though it is evident where restoration work has sanded back a layer over the last few decades.  Once inside, a receptionist greats you and offers you a choice of two tasting experiences.  To the left is a barrel room with glass walls (to help stabilize the temperature of the wines as they age).  The floor is finished in a handsome, rich maroon paint, and a few leather chairs have been chosen to bring the color upwards into the room.  Despite the numerous windows in the building, there is not much natural light, which adds a sense of romance to the atmosphere inside.  Inside the tasting area are two tasting bars and a number of tables for a sit-down flight of wines.

Inside the reception area at Trefethen Family Vineyards

To be able to experience more of the wines that Trefethen offers, my friend and I decided to choose distinct tasting flights.  He opted for the reserve flight, while I opted for the estate flight.  This allowed us to share each wine to get a broader impression of their winemaking style (which favors medium-bodied elegance over mass and power).  I started with the 2011 Chardonnay, followed by the 2010 Pinot Noir, the 2010 Cabernet Franc, the 2010 Dragon Tooth (a Malbec blend), the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (from a Magnum bottle), and the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  My favorite of all of these was the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon for its development and depth, though the Chardonnay illustrates that 2011 is a great vintage for this grape.


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