Joseph Phelps Vineyards, January 19, 2015

Tasting Room - 4 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Outdoor tasting during construction.  Red and white wines.  Reservations required.www.josephphelps.com

After a quick lunch in Yountville, it was onto Joseph Phelps Vineyards where I was eager to taste their 2012 Cabernets.  I had not yet visited Joseph Phelps, and I probably picked the wrong time to visit.  The tasting room has been closed for several months while it undergoes extensive remodeling, so I will still have no idea how nice the tasting experience is there.  The other problem was that after so much mine from my prior two stops that day, the last thing I needed was another six-wine tasting flight, but that’s what we faced here.  I had surrendered my driving role to my friend after lunch because I was already starting to feel the extra alcohol in my system and felt it would be irresponsible to be driving.  Why did I choose to come to Joseph Phelps Vineyards then?  It was at my friend’s request that we visit here.  The good news is that the 2012 Cabernet was well worth the visit.  (Too bad that they were still pouring the 2011 Insignia.)

The temporary visitor center set up at Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Because of the renovation work underway on the main tasting room, Joseph Phelps has set up a small complex of temporary buildings for their visitors’ center.  And, because the weather was spectacular for mid-January (even for May), we enjoyed our wines outside on the patio under the filtered sunlight.  The visitor center is set up for check-in and making purchases.  An array of tables has been set up outside for tasting and education, while a few rooms are also available (for inclement weather?).  The tables all look across and empty field toward the hillside where the future tasting facilities will open.  Because Joseph Phelps Vineyards is off the main roads, you should plan an extra fifteen minutes for your visit (75 instead of 60) to allow for the extra travel, check-in, and extensive tasting flight.  You will also need to make reservations ahead of your visit.

The vineyard view at Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Our tasting flight started off with two white wines: a 2013 Sauvignon Blanc and a 2012 Chardonnay (which was the better of the two).  Then we moved onto the red wines.  Two 2012 Freestone Pinot Noirs where poured, with the second being a single-vineyard (Quarter Moon) offering.  Next came the anticipated 2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by the 2011 Insignia proprietary blend.  The Cabernet Sauvignon outshone the Insignia, but this has more to do with the two vintages offered (2011 was a challenging year, while 2012 was wildly successful) than the production quality of these wines.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 4 and the wines offered as a 7.  Look for the renovated tasting room to open in June.

April 27, 2015 – Wildflowers making way for tame flowers

Driving into Napa Valley along highway 29 from the south, I couldn't help but notice that many of the wildflowers that were exploding into bloom last month have since faded, with only the stubborn and persistent golden poppy flashing its fiery orange along the roadside.  I did see the occasional patch of lupine trying to exhibit its purple bloom through the now taller (and browner) grass without much success.  If you don't stop to hunt it out, you won't know that the lupine is growing there.

In place of the wildflowers you'll find the cultivated flowers, most notably the roses.  It is common practice to plant a rose bush at the end of each row of grape vines, and those roses are now taking center stage.  Some vineyards have planted to a monochrome scheme, while others have favored color variety.  Also showing in the vineyards is the beginning of "flowering" (bloom), where the first grape clusters are starting to form.  (The individual berries are less than 1mm across at this point.). This week's rain may have been the saving grace for this fourth dry vintage in the valley, providing much needed moisture just as the fruit is starting to develop.

Roses lining the edge of the vineyard at Saint Clement

Ma(i)sonry, January 19, 2015

www.maisonry.com

While traversing the valley with my wine-tasting buddy, Ma(i)sonry was selected as our second stop (of five).  Planning for visiting five wineries should have included the quantity of wine poured at the tasting, but I overlooked this aspect.  It turned out that each stop offered an abundance of wine to sample, especially Ma(i)sonry.  The good news was that I was able to try three wines that I was eager to taste, and we were able to compare 7 samples of Cabernets (well, one was mostly Merlot) and pick our favorites.  And, the Ma(I)sonry tasting room offers an art-filled look back in time with its historic stonework and eclectic mix of antiques.  This is a very relaxing environment for tasting wines.

A generous mix of art and antiquities upstairs at Ma(I)sonry in Yountville

Each pour at Ma(i)sonry is about two ounces, which is double the size offered in most tasting flights.  My friend and I shared each pour from our two flights.  We started with the 2012 Blackbird Arise, which is remarkable for its flavor and structure.  Next came the 2010 Coup de Foudre Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by the 2012 Lail Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 Pahlmeyer Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 Pahlmeyer Red, the 2012 Tor Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and ending with the 2010 Juslyn spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.  The clear champion of this lineup is also the most expensive, namely the Pahlmeyer Red.  The Blackbird Arise was clearly the second favorite, and it was at the bottom of the price range.  (I ended up buying both.)

Looking past the old cut stone surrounding the windows to the tasting gardens at Ma(i)sonry

 

A full review was written already about Ma(i)sonry during my visit on May 14th, 2013.