Provenance Vineyards, July 15, 2014

www.provenancevineyards.com

Between my wine club pick-up and a case of Carneros Merlot that I acquired on sale, I had quite a bit of wine to take home from Provenance, so I ended my travels here.  A great number of changes are underway outside the Provenance winery building, with the construction of a new patio area for folks to pass the time in the spectacular weather that often besets Napa Valley.  For now, the main lawn is gone, and half of the parking lot is closed off for the construction work.  A few architectural drawings in the tasting room reveal different plans for the patio area, but they all boil down to a number of sitting areas with some lush greenery in-between them.  There was also mention of repainting the exterior as part of the project.  I am looking forward to the new patio, and I hope they keep the exterior color as is.  This color makes it one of the easiest landmarks to point out to visitors looking for a great place to stop and taste.



Some of the Sauvignon Blanc grapes growing at Provenance Vineyards

For my tasting, I decided to revisit some old favorites.  I started with the 2010 Barrel Select Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.  Then I tried the 2009 To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon (which had been open for a day), and ended with the 2011 Sleeping Lady Cabernet Sauvignon.  Of these, the To Kalon Cabernet is shining beautifully and remains my favorite wine at the tasting bar.  I will miss it once it drops off the tasting menu.

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