September 13, 2013 – Wine: 2003 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Franc

This wine is tremendous.  I first tasted the 2004 vintage while visiting the winery and was entirely taken by this wine.  Then I came upon one lone bottle of the 2003 vintage in my local wine shop and bought it.  When I opened it, I adored the richness, balance, and delicious mountain grown Cabernet Franc fruit.  My mom and sister are also Cab Franc fans and immediately liked this wine as well.  Last summer, I found one more bottle among some sale items at a large Napa Valley distributor and snatched it up.  This evening, it was every bit as delicious as my previous bottle of the 2003.  This rich, smooth, balanced wine offers up nice red fruits, baking spices, and subtle minerals.  Next I have to open the last bottle of 2004.

September 12, 2013 – Wine: 2002 Clark Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon

I offered my wine-buddy the choice of four very nice Cabernets and he picked this one.  I started to worry that perhaps the Howell Mountain fruit would not be ready.  It might be too heavy and tannic and still in need of cellaring.  When I opened a half-bottle of this wine three years back it was heavy and tannic.  Well, after uncorking and letting it breathe about 45 minutes, I quickly learned that my concerns were wasteful worry.  This wine is drinking quite nicely now.  It is medium bodied and elegant, with a terrific nose, excellent balance, and delicious Howell Mountain flavors of cranberry, red currant, leather, and minerals.  I have one remaining half-bottle which I will probably open just after the new year.

2002 Clark Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon

Elizabeth Spencer, August 14, 2013

www.elizabethspencerwines.com

I was entertaining guests who hadn’t been to Napa Valley in a while, so I decided to enjoy the perfect August afternoon weather outdoors on the Elizabeth Spencer patio.  The weather was perfectly warm, but not hot.  And I was curious to taste their 2012 Sauvignon Blanc.  (So many of the 2012 Sauvignon Blancs from Napa Valley are turning out to be amazing wines.)  And what wine would pair better with this glorious weather than a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.  As it turned out, my coworker had some wines to be picked up for his wine club, so I brought those bottles home for him, saving him a trip.

The patio at Elizabeth Spencer Winery

For my flight, I selected four wines.  I started with the 2012 Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc, which was perfectly light.  Next I tried the 2011 Zinfandel, which like most 2011 reds, seems to be lacking in ripeness.  Third was the 2009 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvinon, which has delicious fruits but tannins that will need more than five years to resolve.  I ended with my favorite, the 2009 Napa Valley Special Cuvee, which is better balanced than the Mount Veeder Cabernet right now.  This was my favorite wine of the flight.


A full review was written already about Elizabeth Spencer Wines during my visit on November 2^nd, 2012.

September 8, 2013 – Wine: 2004 Bell Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon

My sister was visiting from Denver so I decided to bring out something special to sip on.  Nobody wanted a lot to drink so I brought a half-bottle of this Clone 6 Cabernet.  I am so glad that I did.  We each had a substantial taste of this wonderful wine, enough to appreciate what was in the glass.  This wine is holding up magnificently and continues to develop.  The balance is spectacular, with great body, good acids, and richness.  I noted flavors of red and black fruits, baking spices, leather, and well-controlled minerals.  While I no longer have any half-bottles, I am looking forward to opening the 750ml in the next year or two.

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.

September 3, 2013 – Wine: 2003 Clark Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon

Wow!  I was not expecting this wine to come out this good.  I have had a good bottle of the 2002 vintage of this wine, and tasted the 2006 at the winery.  But from all the bad-mouthing I have heard about the 2003 vintage, I was simply amazed by how this wine performed.  The nose was good, but the texture was what so surprised me.  The wine offers up plush tannins that suggest a richness to this wine which is what makes it so appealing.  On the balanced palette are flavors of cherry, pomegranate, hibiscus tea, minerals, and leather.  This was my first of two half-bottles, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next.

Hess Collection Winery, August 14, 2013

www.hesscollection.com

I was entertaining company and wanted to visit a winery that offers an impressive entrance, intimate tasting, and well-made wines at a reasonable price.  That, and I just wanted to go back to Hess Collection again.  I really enjoy the gently winding road through the redwoods that takes you to Hess.  While Napa Valley is itself an escape from the urban madness, Hess is a mountainside escape from Napa Valley in its own right.  Built with an eye for art, you will find art installations nearly everywhere you look.  But the art I wanted to see was the barrel room.  The smell of the wine soaking into the oak and the symmetry of the barrels stacked up appeals to me.

The barrel room at Hess Collection winery

On this visit I selected four red wines to try.  I started with the 2011 Artizin Zinfandel, which seems a little riper than most 2011 reds.  Next I tried the 2011 Artizin Petite Sirah, followed by the 2009 Hess Collection Block 19 Cuvee (a claret/meritage bland), and ended with the 2010 Hess Collection Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon.  Of these, my favorite was the 2009 Block 19 Cuvee for its ripeness and balance.

A full review was written already about Hess Collection during my visit on May 12^th, 2012.