Elyse Winery, August 14, 2013

Winery - 4 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Small winey on the Yountville bench.  Rare quality Rhone varietals in Napa Valley.  Reservations required.
www.elysewinery.com

This is what’s fun about shopping for wine in Napa Valley …  I was in the Yountville Ranch Market when I came upon half-bottles of 2005 Elyse Petite Sirah.  I had enjoyed a few Petite Sirah wines before (from Amador) and I knew 2005 was a great vintage in Napa Valley, so I bought a bottle speculatively.  I knew the winery was just 1 mile down the road, so I decided to go for a taste.  I enjoyed the wine so much I immediately returned to the market for a second bottle.  There aren’t many places in the world where you can try a product at the source and pick it up at a market around the corner, so I was thrilled with this experience.  On subsequent visits to the winery I picked up some spectacular deals on cases of wine, so it is worth it to return here periodically.  Alas, it had been four years since my last visit, so I decided to head back to Elyse.  … And I was glad I did.

The entrance to the Elyse Winery tasting room

There is nothing spectacular about the Elyse tasting room.  It is cozy, softly lit, and easy to get into and out of.  From the outside, it is hard to distinguish from the rest of the winery operations, except that a vine-surrounded patio door welcomes guests inside.  In front of the tasting room lies a large concrete pad which was empty today, but during harvest is packed full of bins with the harvest’s bounty beginning its transition from fruit to wine.  It can be interesting to watch the process of punch-downs and pump-overs outside, especially when the winery’s dogs lend a hand with the clean-up work.  (The dogs no longer work at the winery.)  Inside the tasting room, a long tasting bar accommodates about eight people along its length, with plenty of room away from the bar for others to enjoy their pour.

The Elyse Winery sign asks for reservations, but they can handle walk-ins on slow days.

The tasting menu usually features six wines, but this time there were two special wines that were open that they shared with us as well.  We started off with the 2010 Chardonnay, then I asked for the 2009 C’est si Bon (a delicious GSM blend).  We followed with the 2008 Le Corbeau (a Grenache blend), the 2008 Syrah, the 2008 Morisoli Zinfandel, the 2007 Cabernet Franc (by Jacob Franklin), the 2009 Petite Sirah (by Jacob Franklin), and ended with the 2007 Morisoli Cabernet Sauvignon.  I nearly bought the Cabernet because it was so tasty and well made, but my budget forced me to fall back to my second favorite (and everyone else’s favorite), the 2008 Morisoli Zinfandel, which I brought home.


Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 4 and the wines offered as a 7.  This is consistent with my prior visits.