Goosecross Cellars, February 22, 2014

Winery - 4 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Fun outdoor tasting with friendly staff.  Cabernet, Petite Sirah, and whites.  Reservations requested.
www.goosecross.com

I was thinking of calling this the “Goosecross Redemption”, since my first attempt to visit the winery failed.  After consulting Google Maps, it turns out that the gated and secured winery I originally tried to visit was Kapscandy Family Winery, makers of 100-point wines that sell for many hundreds of dollars.  Had I driven another half-mile up State Lane outside Yountville I would have found their neighbor, Goosecross Cellars.  And Goosecross is vastly more welcoming than Kapscandy, accommodating most guests with less than a moment’s notice.  In good weather (which is about 85% of the time), you may have the opportunity to sit outside next to the vineyards and be chatted up by either the tasting room manager or by the vineyard operations guy (as was the case during my visit).  As I was travelling solo, I joind a group of four others and had a very enjoyable visit.

Outside Goosecross Cellars by the patio

Goosecross Cellars is another authentic winery in Napa Valley.  They know how to deliver what matters – they serve good wine in a comfortable environment.  You won’t find luxury, architecture, or works of art here to distract you during your visit.  They let the wine do that.  In the event that the weather is not very accommodating, you can taste indoors.  Inside their cozy winery operations building, a wine bar has been set up that runs half the length of the building.  There is room for about six to eight people there.  Behind the guests are stacks barrels of wine, slowly waiting to complete their aging process before being bottled up.  The walls are a light shade of putty, with warm oak used in the tasting bar.  Outside, the building is rather plain, resembling a large two-story home painted white with dark chocolate trim.  There is also a patio set up with a bar for tasting outdoors in nice weather, and some tables set up along the vineyard edge to have an intimate tasting with the vines.  (This is where I was seated.)

Inside the tasting room and barrel storage at Goosecross Cellars

My tasting flight consisted of five wines.  I started with the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc and followed it with the 2010 Chardonnay.  Next I moved on to the red wines, enjoying the 2010 Merlot State Lane, then the 2009 Cabernet State Lane, and the 2011 Petite Sirah.  I enjoyed tasting the 2009 Cabernet, especially knowing that it abuts acreage with the Kapscandy wines.  But the surprise of the tasting flight was the 2011 Petite Sirah, which tastes ripe, complex, and nearly elegant.


Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 4 and the wines offered as a 6.

March 26, 2014 – A milestone

Just yesterday, my blog received its 10,000^th visit since its inception in February 2012.  I would like to thank all those who have visited my site and pushed me over this threshold.  In the coming months, I will add more day trips to my themed itineraries, and continue to visit and evaluate new wineries in Napa Valley and other wine-regions in California.  Here are the three most popular posts:

Hewitt Vineyards, May 12th, 2012
Unbreakable Wine Glasses
Wine Decanters

Additionally, the following itineraries were the most visited:

One Day Napa Valley Sampler
Where to stop for a quick lunch in Napa 
Some of my favorite Napa Valley Wineries


I look forward to continuing to provide useful information to readers interested in wine tasting in Napa Valley, and anyone with a general interest in wine.  Again, I thank all of you.

February 20, 2014 – Wine: 2008 Ridge Geyserville

I have long been a fan of Ridge’s Geyserville Zinfandel blend wine.  While most folks prefer the softer and flamboyant Lytton Spings blend for its immediate appeal, I have always leaned toward the Geyserville’s development potential, its depth and complexity.  I fell in love with the 2003 vintage and worked my way through a couple of cases of half-bottles.  (A magnum still slumbers in my cellar.)  When I tasted this 2008, it reminded me most of the 2003 vintage, so I collected another case of half-bottles.  I opened the first bottle of 2008’s in 2011 and found it a bit restrained.  Tonight, this wine has opened up and reveals depth and complexity typical of the Geyserville blend.  This wine needed 90 minutes to come into balance.  When it did, it was delicious and deep with flavors of cherry, pomegranate, leather, mineral, and baking spices on the palette.

Provenance Vineyards, January 20, 2014

www.provenancevineyards.com

I just cannot head to Napa Valley with friends without one of them wanting to end the day at Provenance Vineyards.  The good news is I thoroughly enjoy visiting here so it never grows tired.  Plus, there are enough wines on the tasting menu that I can try something different every visit (but only if I put my mind to it).  This time there were two new wines on the tasting menu that caught my attention (one of which I bought), so I was glad to have stopped in.

The glowing Provenance Vineyards winery building at dusk.

Because of the plenitude of wine offered at the previous stops this day, I chose to limit myself to only three pours here.  This is very difficult because I so thoroughly enjoy the wines at Provenance.  But I stuck to my guns and tried the 2011 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by the 2010 Rutherford Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon, and ended with the 2009 To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon.  While the To Kalon is still my favorite, the other two wines surprised me.  First, I was impressed with the ripeness that was achieved in the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was a difficult cool vintage, but I was especially impressed with the quality of the 2010 Barrel Select Cabernet and actually bought a bottle to bring home.


A full review was written already about Provenance Vineyards during my visit on February 8^th, 2012.

February 14, 2014 – Wine: 2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia

I had two reasons to celebrate tonight, so I figured the wine needed to be twice as good as usual.  First off was Valentine’s Day, as good a reason as any to celebrate.  Secondly, I received a bit of good news at work, adding to the celebration.  So, I grabbed the nicest half-bottle from my “ready” box.  (I stock this about once a month with bottles that are ready to open, hoping to save time looking up wines each time.)  And what a nice bottle this turned out to be, especially for pairing with dark chocolate (which I highly recommend).  If you are looking for fruits in this wine, you need to wait 90 minutes.  Otherwise, you only get to enjoy the dark flavors.  After decanting, I noted a very complex palette featuring dark chocolate, tar, incense, tobacco, blackberry, dark cherry, and minerals.

2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia Red Wine

Whitehall Lane Winery & Vineyards, January 20, 2014

Winery - 6 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Good quality for the price.  Cabernet, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Half bottles too.
www.whitehalllane.com

It had been too long since my last visit to Whitehall Lane so I decided to pop in to taste their latest efforts.  The last time I visited was back in November of 2008 on a trip when I learned the hard way to count my pours.  On that trip, every winery I visited was pouring something special that the hosts insisted I tried, and Whitehall Lane was featuring their new Pinot Noir.  Needless to say, by the end of the afternoon, I could tell I was drunk and had to sober up in the back seat of my car for several hours before the long drive home.  Now I count every pour and have learned to say no (most of the time).  But today it was time to say yes to a return visit here to see how they are maintaining their position as one of Napa Valley’s better values.

The entry to Whitehall Lane Winery

Located at the southern edge of Saint Helena, just before the northbound traffic backs up, lies the purple and yellow winery building on the west side of the highway.  The exterior colors are anything but garish and lend some nice color to the landscape.  (In fact, the purple color has faded beautifully.)  Dramatic lines accentuate the exterior of the building, adding an interesting front to an otherwise boxy warehouse.  Inside, the tasting room is more interesting.  The centerpiece of your tasting experience is a large window looking into the production area.  The view behind the glass can be busy during harvest or dormant as the wine ages gracefully in barrels and tanks.  The tasting room itself is done in an off-white color on the walls, with rich wood trim on the doors and surrounding the windows.  The tasting bar provides contrast as it is done in a rich charcoal color with a deep green countertop.  Above the cellar-view window, the words “Leonardini Family Vineyards” are boldly displayed in a nod to the winery’s most prized vineyard in Saint Helena.

The tasting counter at Whitehall Lane Winery

During my visit, I tasted through the standard fair of the tasting menu.  A reserve tasting menu is also available.  I started with the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, which is performing as well as most in the valley.  Next, I worked my way through the red wines, starting with the 2012 Pinot Noir, and followed by the 2010 Merlot, the 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  My favorite was the 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which is performing nicely.


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

February 12, 2014 – Wine: 2005 Bell Cellars Sonnette

While I was a wine club member at Bell, this wine was perhaps my favorite each vintage, especially for the 2005 wines.  While always well balanced and delicious, this bottle seemed to bring out the nicer red fruit flavors of the vintage that I enjoyed so much.  At the time, I had so much Bell wine that I was reluctant to buy more, but now I am wishing I had.  This wine has aged gracefully, and while occupying the space between rich and elegant, the wine retains its body and balance and has softened to a palette-pleasing silkiness.  The wine offers up delicious flavors of pomegranate, cranberry, cherry, ripe tomato, and minerals.  Even after being left in the trunk for two days (in mild weather), the leftovers were delicious.

February 8, 2014 – Wine: 2007 Blackbird Arise

The movie Sideways had a big impact on Merlot sales throughout California.  How does a winemaker adapt?  Throw in a few other Bordeaux varietals and call it a proprietary red blend.  Of course, few Merlots are made without blending other grapes into the wine, so this is basically a change in marketing.  The Blackbird Arise is no exception, either, consisting of 75% Merlot, with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon added to complete the wine.  The result is a wine with good body, slight richness, excellent balance, and a fragrant nose.  On the palette I noted delicious dark fruits including dark cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, subtle minerals and dark chocolate.  Now, how long can I make the one remaining half-bottle last in the cellar before I reach for it to be uncorked?

Saint Clement Vineyards, January 20, 2014

www.stclement.com

I was traveling with a buddy who enjoys the wines, views, and setting at Saint Clement Vineyards, so I decided to visit.  That turned out to be a costly, yet beneficial, decision as they were featuring a case sale that day.  Who can resist their delicious Oroppas blend, and at nearly a 50% discount on six bottles, why not?  There was one catch – I had to (re)join their wine club to get that pricing.  So, I decided I would trade my membership at Freemark Abbey for a membership here for a while and see how it goes.  After all, I have always enjoyed the taste and quality of Saint Clement’s red wines, and the setting is delightful, especially on a mild afternoon like today.  I also picked up a case of the 2010 Napa Valley Merlot to bring to parties (at under $20 a bottle, it’s perfect).

The historic tasting room at Saint Clement Vineyards

Naturally, when I saw that these wines’ prices were so dramatically price-cut, I had to taste to see what was up.  I started off with the 2011 Napa Valley Chardonnay, and followed with the 2010 Napa Valley Merlot and the 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  Both these reds were nice, and the Cabernet was surprising considering the restraints imposed by that vintage.  Still, the Merlot impressed at its price point.  Next I tasted the 2010 Oroppas Cabernet blend, and the 2010 Star Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Oroppas was my favorite of the day, but this vintage of Star Vineyard (from Rutherford) looks like it will develop into an exceptional wine.


A full review was written already about Saint Clement Vineyards during my visit on May 12^th, 2012.

February 2, 2014 – Wine: 2005 Hollywood and Vine Cabernet Sauvignon

Continuing my exploration of 2005 Napa Valley red wines, I decided to open next this half-bottle of Hollywood and Vine Cabernet when my friend visited.  Originally, I thought it would be split between the two of us, but then another friend joined us and we were each down to a single, four-ounce serving.  Ordinarily I would not have minded, but this wine is drinking so wonderfully today that I wanted to drink the whole thing myself.  At least my friends were appreciative of the wine I had poured.  The last time that I opened this wine I made the mistake of pouring it alongside a much richer wine and this wine paled in the comparison.  Tonight, by itself, this wine shined like the star it is.  While I still noticed the lack of richness, this wine made up for that shortcoming in spades with its beautiful red-fruited palette and nose.  I savored the flavors of cranberry, cherry, red currant, minerals, and baking spices.  The only problem was that I found myself wanting more.

Silverado Vineyards, January 20, 2014

Winery - 7 / Wines - 6
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Spectacular, intimate views of Napa Valley.  Cabernet and Sangiovese blends.
www.silveradovineyards.com

The weather this January afternoon was comfortable in the mid-sixties – quite pleasant for mid-January.  I wanted to start my wine-tasting trip today at Silverado Vineyards so I could take in the elevated view of Napa Valley.  Perched atop a small hill, Silverado has ideal vistas of the valley floor overlooking Yountville and Oakville.  The casual wine-tasting atmosphere also fit my schedule, as they offer tasting for walk-in guests without an appointment.  During my last visit here, I tasted the 2006 vintage and was sufficiently impressed with their wines to want to give their new releases a try.  After all, I much prefer the 2009 vintage to the 2006 wines, so I was hoping to be impressed with their wines.

The entrance to Silverado Vineyards tasting room and operations

The winery building was built on a grand scale, which is good because it accommodates a larger number of guests comfortably.  Everything about the tasting experience is set up around the fantastic hilltop view of the valley just below.  The exterior of the winery is nicely done, but there is little that makes it distinct.  Once you walk inside, though, you are exposed to the view through floor-to-ceiling windows lining the entire wall.  In pleasant weather, you are welcome to bring your pours outside to enjoy on the patio, which shares the same view as the tasting room.  The tasting room is done nicely with a large wooden bar running the length of the room, terracotta tiles on the floor, and giant wood beams holding up the roof.  A fireplace at the end of the room provides a little warmth on those days that we are lucky enough to see a little rain.  And the room is furnished with a number of comfortable sitting areas where a small group can enjoy their wines.

Inside the comfortable Silverado Vineyards tasting room

I shared a wine flight with my companion and was able to taste a few additional wines by sharing our pours.  I started out with the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, followed by the 2010 Fantasia, a Tuscan-styled blend of 60% Sangiovese 40% Cabernet.  Next I moved onto the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Claret, the 2010 Mount Richardson Cabernet Sauvignon, and ended with the 2010 Solo proprietary blend.  Of these, we both preferred the Fantasia for is presentation of fruits and its nice balance and depth.

The outdoor tasting patio at Silverado Vineyards is ideal in warmer weather

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 7 and the wines offered as a 6.  This is consistent with my previous visit.