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The winery is situated on the side of a hillside at an elevation of about 1600 feet and the views overlooking the valleys and hillsides are killer. 21 acres of planted vineyards surround the winery. The winery is functional and handled their first harvest in 2007. The hospitality building is under construction and is slated to open to the public by late 2008. Cade Winery however has already released several 2006 vintages as their wine was made at PlumpJack until their own winery was ready for use. We tried their first ever vintage, a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc with a slight blend of Semillon. PlumpJack was a pioneer in the valley for using screw caps instead of corks and they are starting out their Cade wines in the same manner. This wine only saw 30% neutral oak and 70% stainless during fermentation so its not an "oaky" wine; it is a very crisp clean wine with some herbs and lemon flavors. They also produce a Cade Cuvee which is a Cabernet blend between two vineyards. Additional varietals are on their way. Visit: www.cadewinery.com |
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Cafaro Cellars was founded in 1986 and is owned and run by Joe Cafaro. He has a long history in Napa Valley (since 1969) of making wine at select well-known wineries including Chappellet, Keenan & Dalla Valle, among others. Initially he made wine from purchased fruit but in the mid 90's he acquired a 15-acre hillside vineyard right next to the southern boundary of the famous Stag's Leap District. All fruit for Cafaro's wines come from this vineyard. It is in a beautiful location slightly elevated over the valley floor set among rolling hills. He planted this with several varietals and manages all aspects of the growing and winemaking. His total production is about 3000 cases. He custom crushes at Miner Family Winery which is where you will meet Joe for a tasting when you make your appointment. This is a unique opportunity to meet with a very knowledgeable Napa winemaker who others in the area wine industry turn to. Appointments are for serious wine enthusiasts and are set around Joe's schedule - mornings work best and small groups 6 or less or preferred. Joe has part of a side cave within Miner's vast cave system reserved for his own barrels and you will taste several of his wines straight from these barrels. He focuses on using red varietals to make elegant tasting wine that can be consumed upon purchase but which also have a backbone that will allow them to hold up for again. His wines are styled to be best consumed with food.
We tried were a 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon - this is aged in both French and American barrels and has at least a year of bottle aging. As a result by the time it is released it is typically a slightly older current release than you will find at most wineries. This is not a bad thing as the flavors have had extra time to mature and come together. This wine has a lot of character and depth with very concentrated fruit flavors - all hillside fruit. The 2002 Merlot is lighter bodied than the previously mentioned Cabernet Sauvignon, with some herbal qualities on the palate combined with cherry and just a touch of cedar on the finish; the Syrah is full of fruit with some nice exotic spices on the palate. Joe's prices are excellent for Napa fruit grown right next to the Stag's Leap district - typically they run from $20 to $50 a bottle depending on the varietals and vintage. Note the cute quotes which appear on each bottle's label. You can also purchase Cafaro wines at the Calistoga Wine Stop in Calistoga (see below). Joe maintains a blog. Visit: www.cafaro.com |
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Our brilliant tour guide Luke was a walking winery encyclopedia and had well thought out answers to any of the wine related questions asked of him (and compared to most tours we have taken in the Napa valley for some reason our group was infested with questions... not a bad thing!). The tour winds through the fermentation tank holding room, the barrel aging room and ends in an elegant room with a long sit down table where you will taste three wines. The fining of their wines is done with egg whites (no filtration is done to allow for maximum color and flavor) - all natural yeasts are used during fermentation. Cain Winery concentrates exclusively on three very much blended wines. Part of the tour talks about the process of how they go from over 75 wines (blocks from the vineyard for each of the varietals) to just three wines in their final production blends. We've met with many small wineries who have maybe 2 or 3 blocks to blend, but with 75 your palate will be stretched to the max when making the final blend! Their are several philosophies on when to blend; Cain tends to blend early allowing for maximum integration of flavors. Their flagship wine is the Cain Five which is a blend of the five classic Bordeaux varietals each of which is planted in their vineyards. This is high end wine which has been hand crafted down to the smallest of details. We tried the 2004 vintage. Lots of nice earthy aromas spring from the glass complemented with cherry and currant both of which follow onto the very ripe juicy palate. Their other two wines are the Cain Concept (only grapes from alluvial deposits or bench lands are used) and the very reasonably priced Cain Cuvee. All of these wines are rich and intense and are excellent drinking wines with food. Springtime is a wonderful time to visit this winery as there are many pretty flowers in bloom around the main building including dogwood, azaleas & rhododendrons. Visit: www.cainfive.com |
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During a photo shoot in the Napa area Jack stopped to visit old friends - who owned an old cattle ranch (site of the current Cakebread Cellars). He told them to call him if they ever wanted to sell - merely hours after arriving back home in Oakland he received a call from these friends who said they wanted to sell. The rest is history - Jack and Dolores commuted from Oakland to Napa for many years until moving here full time in the early 1990's. They produce high quality wines which are found in many fancy restaurants nationwide. If you have the time, we highly recommend the 90 minute in depth tour which provides an intimate look at the wineries' inner operations and ends with a tasting in their hospitality room. This educational tour provides a good general overview of various wine topics and would be especially beneficial for someone new to wine tasting. These tours and other events are among the best values for the price in the valley. The tour guides are very informative and friendly - they really invite questions from the audience and this is a good opportunity to pick up on local wine knowledge. Cakebread often holds food and wine pairing events, sensory seminars, as well as other educational events. Regular tastings are offered every 15 minutes daily - any visit to Cakebread requires an advance appointment. They have a rather large garden in the back of the winery from which they source their vegetables and herbs. Most Napa wineries don't have a full time chef and there are a handful that have just one, Cakebread has two full time chefs. With their fresh produce straight from the garden, trained chefs on site and excellent wine, Cakebread is the epitome of the Napa Valley lifestyle. During our most recent visit we had the chance to see the winery really in action - this is during harvest which is always the best time to a take a tour in the wine country. They have two completely separate winemaking facilities; one for white wine and one for red wine. During harvest we saw employees zipping back and forth between the two on electric scooters or bicycles. Your tour will visit the white wine production facility only. Tour stops include their huge modern barrel storage facility, visits to the back of the winery where their large wine presses are located and a stop in the vineyard. One of the tour highlights is of course tasting the wine - and you do so on the second level of their fairly new hospitality center. The ceiling above the first floor is literally made from used corks - the most corks you will aesthetically see in one place at any Napa winery! The views from the 2nd level balcony are excellent - you look east over a sea of vineyards. You can also see the original winery where Jack Cakebread made his first vintage in 1973. Their Chardonnay is very well known especially among the restaurant industry as that is Cakebread's key outlet for this wine. They make a number of Chardonnay's; we tried the 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay right after its release. It has nice aromas including tangerine, just a hint of toasted oak and crème Brule with good citrus notes on the palate. It has good fruit and is slightly creamy. Both Chardonnay's undergo sur lee barrel aging (the lees or sediment at the bottom of the barrels are hand stirred - their Chardonnays are also mostly barrel fermented - rather than in tank) but the reserve vintage sees more aging than the normal Chardonnay. In addition, the Reserve vintage comes from just two very high end vineyards in Carneros - Cakebread's own vineyard and also the well-known Hudson Vineyard. The 2005 Reserve wine is dark yellow - big for a Chardonnay with a nice rounded rich mouth feel and notes of toasted oak. It undergoes some malolactic fermentation and is somewhat creamy and slightly buttery. A special mention can be made about their proprietary Rubáiyat - which you are not going to find at any other Napa wineries. This blend is predominately Pinot Noir with Zinfandel & Syrah. This wine is the best of both worlds if you enjoy Pinot and Zinfandel. The nose on the 2006 vintage is decidedly spicy, more representative of a Zinfandel whereas it is Pinot Noir flavor all over the palate - strawberry, raspberry and red cherry. This is a very fruit forward wine. Lastly their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is a great food wine - its well balanced between acidity, structure, and flavor. It is Bordeax style in nature - the nose is elegant somewhat floral with nice notes of blackberry which also follow through onto the palate. The mouth feel is smooth and rounded with firm yet soft tannins. Cakebread holds an annual photo contest; this started after customers started sending in photos of themselves enjoying Cakebread wine from various locations - more information about how to enter this is available on their website. Want to see long Limo's?! We've been to Cakebread a number of times and there is always a white or black limo, sometimes several, parked in the rear parking lot. Visit: www.cakebread.com |
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visit: www.calwine.com Note that Cal Wine will be moving to downtown Napa at some point, once construction begins on a new hotel on the site of their current location. We will keep this updated and will re-visit once they are in their new location. |
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Tastings are available at the bar or as sit down inside or outside. Weather permitting tables are setup outside on the deck overlooking their small pond. Plans also call for paired tastings to be located in their olive grove nearby. We tried the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc - reasonably priced this wine offers nice notes of citrus and grapefruit on the nose followed by tropical fruit on the palate including pineapple and kiwi. Their Rose is a very interesting wine; a blend of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This wine was created using the Saignee method in which the juice is "bled" out of the red wine during an early stage in fermentation (rather than merely letting the juice sit on the skins for a set amount of time). This is a delicate wine with a soft mouth feel - watermelon and strawberry aromas lead to cherry and other red fruits on the palate. The next two wines are by far their most produced. The grapes for the 2006 Chardonnay do not come from Carneros as you so often find from Napa wineries, rather they are grown at 1200 feet above Calistoga in the far northern reaches of the Napa Valley. Calistoga is a significantly warmer area than Carneros, so the elevation is key here to moderating the growing season. This wine has a nice smooth rounded mouth feel - pineapple and pear on the palate with mineral notes. The grapes for their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon were grown on site; it is blended with Cabernet Franc. For the quality this wine is reasonably priced - nice fruit and notes of cedar in the bouquet - plum, cherry with rich spices touch the smooth long finish. Private barrel tasting tours are also given but advance notice is required although sometimes you can try a barrel sample after your regular tasting. The estate vineyards on site are farmed organically and they have already applied for CCOF certification. Visit: www.cali351.com |
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The tasting bar is modern and chic with nice artwork in the main hallway which is for sale and rotates about every 2 months. In the summertime there is ofte live music during Saturday and Sunday afternoons. They typically have a nice balance of white and red wines available for tasting. We tried a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc; this wine only sees tank aging (no oak) and is crisp with a lively palate full of citrus, grapefruit and pear characteristics. The 2006 Chardonnay on the other hand is all fermented and aged in Oak. If you like a Chardonnay that undergoes full ML, is buttery and creamy, with nuances of some oak, this is the Chardonnay for you! Their 2005 Zinfandel is sourced from Pope Valley. This is a real crowd pleaser. Its not overly fruity, or jammy. Its what we call a more "muted" Zinfandel. Thats not to say the fruit flavors are lost in this wine -it has nice cherry and currant notes. The 2005 Merlot is a big wine - the Cabernet Sauvignon helps give it a very nice backbone. If you get a chance, try their Reserve Cabernet. It won double gold medal at a large tasting competition in San Francisco - for a wine of this caliber, it is decently priced by Napa standards. A highlight is their Port made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes - several sips of this will only leave you craving more! Good balance between alcohol and sweetness and additionally it is one of the most affordable ports you will find in the Napa Valley. Visit: www.calistogacellars.com |
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There is a guest room setup with tables adjacent to the actual tasting counter - from here you have incredible views looking north and west. A telescope is also available for more intimate viewing afar! Cardinale is owned by Jackson Family wines (founder Tess Jackson) of Kendall Jackson fame. As of press time, La Jota's wines were being poured at the tasting counter (another winery within the Jackson portfolio). Other Napa wineries also under ownership by Jackson are Atalon Winery, the old Chateau Potelle vineyards (not the actual label), Freemark Abbey, Lokoya, W.S. Keyes, and Robert Pepi. The old Chateau Potelle winery on Mt. Veeder is currently under renovation and will house the winemaking operations for Lokoya once completed. We have conducted seperate tastings for all the "wineries" under Jackson's ownership - click on each of the links above for our specific reviews. Cardinale's wines have received very high ratings from Robert M. Parker Jr. The blends they produce are very rich, elegant wines with a velvety mouth feel. Cardinale offers a variety of very personalized tasting experiences and tours - including a seminar that addresses how wines are blended. Advance reservations are a must. Visit: www.cardinale.com |
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Carrefour Vineyards is owned and operated by Greg & Marilyn Nitz who founded the winery with the purchase of 18 acres not far from the Silverado Country club - north of the town of Napa. No this winery is not named after their last name, rather Carrefour in French means "crossroads" or "meeting place" which is their idea of what wine should be part of - a meeting of friends, food and wine! Their first vintage was in 2002. For a number of years they helped the Truchards in the Carneros district with their wine making operations and one day the Truchards mentioned that winery property was increasing in value at a rapid rate and the Carrefour's might want to consider purchasing property. Well from that moment they haven't looked back! They planted their acreage with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Verdot. All the fruit for their wine comes from their own vineyard with the exception being the Pinot Noir from the Truchard Vineyard. The Carneros is further south than their vineyard and is in a cooler growing climate while their vineyard has a warmer microclimate more suited to the other varietals mentioned above.
All of their wines are produced in low quantities, typically around several hundred cases. Greg is the winemaker along with a consulting winemaker and all wine is made at Laird Estate. We started with the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. This is a delightful crisp lean white wine with flavors of cut grass, lemon grass (commonly used in Thai foods and soups), with fruit notes of pear and melon. The 2003 Merlot is a very big wine with earthy characteristics - large tannins and a long finish. The 2005 is more in style of the wine they are looking to produce consistently - its more elegant, softer and less harsh tannins on the finish. The 2005 Cabernet Franc has a very subtle nose which doesn't reveal the complexity of fruit flavor in this wine. Great Cabernet Sauvignon - 2005 vintage. Last but not least is their 11th hour botryisized Sauvignon Blanc. 8 rows were not picked during the normal harvest as they grow lower on the vineyard near a small creek and were not ripe. The day after they were picked late in the year, a huge rainstorm hit the vineyard, hence the name of this wine! Its a delicious medium bodied dessert wine with great flavors of apricot and peach. Wineries often say this type of wine is great for after dinner (which of course it is), but we find ourselves indulging in these wines most anytime. Their prices are quite reasonable based on Napa standards. Visit: www.carrefourvineyards.com |
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Their production is pushing 200,000 cases with 100,000 square feet of space so this is certainly not a small winery. Their initial release was merely 1200 cases in 1980 - all Chardonnay which ended up selling out in less than a month. Not a bad way to start a winery! The original founders are still owners. Tony Cartlidge is currently President and has an eclectic resume which includes driving logging and cement trucks and leading trips to Russia and North Africa. Their winemaker has been with them since the early 80's which is rare in the industry to be with one winery for that many years. All fruit is sourced from about 1000 acres throughout different parts of California. Note that they use "California appellation" - this is for a reason. They are free to blend fruit from a variety of vineyards regardless of the source which often contributes to the complexity of their wines. I.e., different clones, cool versus warm weather vineyards etc. In addition, Cartlidge & Brown is focused on showing the varietal aromas and flavors in their wines - and as a result are typically 100% varietal. They also produce wines that are not overly high in alcohol. As they say, "stick your nose in our business" and what a better place to do this than at the actual winery. The tasting is held right inside the warehouse at a counter overlooking the hundreds of barrels and giant steel tanks. Their location is certainly not in Napa Valley and typically you have to seek out this winery due to its somewhat isolated location. It is a working winery and this is part of the tasting experience. At press time they had 5 different labels and were complimentary tasting from 17 different wines. Other labels produced here include Rabid Red (a blend of course!), Stratford, Moser Scharding and Manzanita Canyon. Their pricing puts them in the category of only 2-3 other Napa area wineries that we have visited - i.e. most of their wines are priced under $20/bottle. A very nice single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc & Merlot are available under their main C&B label. We enjoyed the Stratford Cabernet Sauvignon. They hold events at the winery second Saturday of every month - art, BBQ's, olive oil tasting etc. Visit: www.cartlidgeandbrowne.com |
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The 18 acre vineyard was purchased in 1992 by Dennis and Ann Sutro. Carver Sutro takes its name from Dennis's last name and Anne's maiden name. Dennis was a trial lawyer for a few years and then made a dramatic career change and took up carpentry before becoming a vintner. This location was initially just going to be a bucolic setting to raise the family. However the property was already planted to vines so Dennis went to work - taking viticulture and enology classes at UC Davis and then working hands on in the vineyard. For several years they sold the fruit and made small batches of non commercial wine. However realizing the potential of these grapes and tasting the wines that they were supplying the fruit for, they decided to make commercial wine, releasing their first vintage in 1998. Much of the vineyard is just slightly above the valley floor with several hillside plantings. This is the only Napa winery that we know of that focuses entirely on Petite Sirah. We recently had a chance to walk part of the vineyards. The main vineyard contains old head pruned vines (30 and 40 years old) while their side vineyards are newer plantings of other varietals. It is becoming more of a rarity to see this older style of vines - as most of Napa's grapes are on trellising systems. The vineyard is dry farmed. Carver Sutro typically produces about 600 cases each year of Petite Sirah while still selling the fruit from the rest of their vineyard to other Napa wineries. Because of their location at the mouth of a narrow canyon up against steep forested slopes, animals can be a problem (hence the tall deer-proof fencing that surrounds the vineyard) - the occasional bear even sometimes wanders down from the steep canyon slopes. It is always a treat to find a special Petite Sirah that has both elegance and power, a wine that doesn't overwhelm your palate with mouth drying tannins. We've visited over 500 commercial Napa wine producers over two years and in merely two days we tried two of the nicest Petite Sirahs we've had on this entire project (reference our review of David Fulton for the other one). Carver Sutro's 2005 vintage was aged for 22 months using a combination of Bordeaux barrels and actually drinks quite well at a younger age. The dark purple color of the wine can be deceiving leading one to almost believe it will be a huge Petite Sirah. However, Carver Sutro does as much as possible during the wine making to manage both the fruit and oak tannins. The bouquet is very elegant with notes of earthiness, blackberry and hints of cedar. The mouth feel is smooth and rounded with complex flavors dominated by dark fruit including blackberry and blueberry. The tannins are nicely managed - they are present of course but are well integrated into what is a very long finish. With this wines structure and good acidity the fruit will be well represented for years to come; it is a very age worth wine if you can resist drinking it now. Serious Petite Sirah enthusiasts may consider making an appointment. This is an ideal food wine and as you would expect they have good distribution at restaurants especially in California as well as in New York, New Jersey and Nevada. Some of Napa's top restaurants that carry their wine include the famous French Laundry, Tra Vigne and Don Giovanni in Napa. Historically their Petite Sirah receives excellent reviews and the price to quality ratio is excellent. You can also find their wine up and down the valley at select wine shops. Visit: www.carversutro.com |
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How many Napa wineries produce a Chenin Blanc, or a dry rosé blend of Merlot & Cabernet Franc? They also have a very nice 100% Cabernet Franc. One of their wines is named "Two Goats Red" named for the two goats that keep the weeds down in that particular vineyard! Did you know that there used to be large blocks of Riesling planted in the Napa Valley? Not anymore, and as a result it is extremely difficult to find a Napa grown Riesling - we are aware of at least 4 vineyards in the Napa area still producing Riesling and this is one of them! They produce a delicious off dry Riesling from a vineyard planted in 1966. This wine has great acidity with notes of spice on the nose, with nice fruit flavors including pineapple and citrus. The pourers affectionately refer to their tasting room as the "Hippy Room" lots of articles, Elvis memorabilia, some propaganda and other interesting items are hung on the wall. One note of interest is Elvis filmed part of a movie on location at this winery. Wines with the Tinto name from their Tinto Vineyard are very popular. If you like a very dry Rose - be sure to try their Rosado. You can only purchase their wines from the winery or from their wine club - no other distribution exists. Visit: www.casanuestra.com |
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When you arrive you will be directed to the Castaldo room where you can pay for a self guided tour and tasting (limited areas of the castle are accessible), or pay for a guided tour and tasting. This guided tour lasts almost 2 hours including the tasting and there is no other tour in Napa Valley quite like this one. Attention to detail went into every facet of the construction; many of the stones were chiseled by hand as well as was all the iron work. Case in point is the one turret which appears to be damaged, probably from cannon ball fire. This was left this way to appear like the castle suffered an attack! If you see something built into the castle that you have a question about, the most common answer you will receive from your guide is "well that's how it would have been 800 years ago!" During the tour you totally forget you are in a winery until you exit the back of the castle and enter the tank room. Triple jacketed steel tanks are used so detailed control of temperatures can be regulated during fermentation. This is extremely rare, these are the first 3 jacketed tanks we have seen on our Napa winery odyssey. There is a small "dungeon" room which contains some of man's most medieval devices for torture including a rack which was originally used to stretch limbs - a beyond painful method of torture. Look for several other nasty looking pieces of equipment including the rather confining "iron maiden". Right, you will *not* see this type of stuff on any other Napa winery tours! Many narrow brick walkways are built near the torture room and it can be easy to get lost down here. A barrel sample is included on the tour in the largest room in the castle which is full of brick arches and oak barrels. Apparently someone got a little crazy on one of the tours, testament to the broken glass scattered around the tasting area when we were there. Your tour ends with a tasting (either a general or reserve depending on which one you paid for). The tasting counter is in a small brick room - only those from your tour are lined up along the counter and its a good chance to meet others from your group. Keep in mind you are in the Castle of Love and romantic inclinations combined with glasses of wine are a true possibility here. Mark the wines you want to taste on the tasting card. Several small snack bread and other pairings are available. If you sign up for the Reserve wine tasting it is always nice to taste two wines of the same varietal side by side as you have the luxury of additional tastes over the normal tasting. 2006 Chardonnay has a rounded mouth feel, more toasted almonds and crème Brule on the nose with a note of toasted oak on the finish. The 2005 Chardonnay reserve on the other hand is more citrus like on the nose with hints of pineapple. There is a real nice finish to this wine. The "Gioia", a Rose of Sangiovese is quite popular. Literally translated to "Joy" in English, there is no Joy in the Castle when they are sold out of this wine. The only non blended wine we tried is the 100% Diamond Mountain grown "II Barone" Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a big wine with rather strong tannins on the finish. We also sampled their entire flight of dessert wines. Their "ray of sunshine" Muscat is a light crisp fruity wine with some nice mineral characteristics. Think their Muscat is fruity, try the Fantasia. This is wine made from Gamay grapes lighter in color and is slightly sparkling. Our guide described it as "adult soda". Ha. Their late harvest Gewürztraminer is made from botrytisized grapes (depending on your perspective, some of the ugliest grapes you can find as when they are harvested they are covered in grey and black mold). This wine is full of honey and honeysuckle aromas with nice tropical fruit characteristics on the palate. Note that like their sister winery, V. Sattui, the "castle" wines are only available for sale here - i.e. they have no distributors. Visit: www.castellodiamorosa.com |
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During the summer as you pull into the parking lot you will be treated to wonderful vegetable and flower gardens and since you should be here early you will have some extra time to walk around the grounds. This winery is notorious for requesting that you be early as the tastings start very promptly. The tastings are limited to small groups (no more than 10 people) and as a result are very intimate. You will get to know your neighbors! As a result, if you plan on visiting during busy summer weekends or weekdays it is highly recommended you call several weeks in advance to make your appointment. The main tasting is held in a nicely decorated private room across the walkway from the retail sales office. The tasting coordinator stands at the head of the table and talks about the winery and wines and you are free to ask questions at this time. You will taste through three wines including their well-known Cabernet Sauvignon. We tried the 2005 Napa Valley vintage. This is a rich dark wine with lots of fruit aromas which carry into similar flavors (black cherry & plum) on the palate. Well balanced, with good acidity and structure yet retaining that smooth elegance means this wine can be consumed now or certainly aged. Two of the wines, their Zinfandel and Pinot Grigio can only be purchased at the winery. We could take home any of these wines - all are well balanced. The "Special Selection" is their high end Cabernet - typically its not on the tasting menu but you can purchase it at the winery or online. This wine was first produced in 1975 and focuses on only the highest quality lots from the vineyards - which then in turn receive additional barrel aging. Also check out the note from President Reagan and other awards that hang in their retails sales office. Visit: www.caymus.com |
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Cederquist Wine Company is made by long time winemaker Dan Cederquist. He started his winery career at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and then was head winemaker at De Loach Vineyards in Santa Rosa for many years and more recently started making his own wine. His first vintage was released in 2002. His focus is to make high quality red wines from both Sonoma and Napa counties. Initially his winery was known in the wine industry as a "garagist" winery - where his garage in Calistoga was actually a bonded winery. More recently he moved to the Napa/Sonoma county line and plans to plant his own vineyards on site. As of press time, all his fruit is sourced from very high end vineyards along the Russian River area in Sonoma County and from a Diamond Mountain vineyard in Napa. Unlike other new vintners to the industry who source fruit where they can get it, Cederquist has a long history in the industry and as a result has formed contacts with several very high end growers. In addition, Cederquist walks the vineyards, checks the soil type, determines when to pick and has a say in the actual vineyard management. His Pinot Noir is sourced from some of the best real estate in the Russian River area.
His philosophy with the Pinot Noir is to make a wine from this varietal that is not overly extracted, rather it is more light bodied and can easily be consumed without food. Natural yeast is used during the fermentation. It is a wine that is very representative of its specific soil type. We tried the 2006 Starfish vintage - it is a light colored Pinot Noir made from two clones each of which brings a specific aspect to this wine. This wine is very easy to drink and is full of cherry and raspberry flavors. A Zinfandel and a Diamond Mountain sourced Cabernet Sauvignon will be released in the next few years. Right now the production is around several hundred cases of each varietal but may grow slightly. Cederquist uses a very unique cork which totally eliminates cork taint. These corks called "DIAM" are made by OENEO Closures out of Napa and are an excellent option for those wineries who want stay away from screw caps while continuing to use corks for their wine. These corks are made from real cork but are treated with a specific process that totally eliminates TCA which is the abbreviation for the primary chemical compound which causes cork tainting. You can find their wines locally at JV Wine in Napa and the Calmart Supermarket in Calistoga. Additionally the resort Solage, and the restaurant Brannans carry their wine. Visit: www.cederquistwineco.com |
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Cefalu Family Vineyards is a one acre hillside vineyard located off of the northern part of the Silverado Trail. They do not source any other grapes for this wine and as a result they are definitely among the smaller of the producers in the Napa valley. This winery is owned by Nino and Barbara Cefalu. They planted all 1200 vines themselves and provided the vineyard management until recently. Nino has a successful third generation accounting firm in the Bay Area and has been a collector and wine enthusiast for many years. His fascination with wine all started when his firm started handling the accounting for a large liquor store. Their small hillside vineyard has beautiful views overlooking the Napa Valley and the Mayacamas mountains to the west. This winery produced merely 3 vintages during their short commercial offering from 2003 through 2005. As of press time they had just released their 2005 and final vintage. Not to worry, if you have been lucky to try one of their vintages, the grapes for their wine are being sold to another local winery. Their small vineyard is planted entirely to clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon and due to its small size typical production is usually around 200 cases annually.
All the wine was made by well-known local winemaker Bill Ballentine at a nearby small production focused winery. With a high end meticulously managed hillside vineyard source such as this one and the expertise of Bill, this is a wine that meets the expectations created by these two combinations. Each vintage is named Michael Anthony after the owner's son and the logo as on the label is their family crest. We had a chance to recently try their just released 2005 vintage. This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon - dark ruby in color. This is decidedly a Bordeaux styled wine - soft, smooth and elegant. It is definitely very food friendly. Mineralities touch the bouquet which dissipates after the wine has time to breath turning into elegant aromas of blackberry and cherry with just hints of toasted oak. The body is perfectly balanced with delicious varietal flavors as well as red cherry, red licorice and even subtle hints of cranberry. This is one of those wines that has a super long finish - the tannins are very well balanced and do not dominate. You can find their wine locally at Enoteca Wine Shop in Calistoga and at V Wine Cellar in Yountville as well as at select restaurants in the Napa Valley. Since 2005 is their final vintage they don't have a lot of distribution so they best way to order this wine is through their website. Visit: www.cefalufamilyvineyards.com |
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A visit to their estate is the quintessential Carneros experience. It is low key, relaxing and makes for an intimate tasting experience. As expected, vineyards surround the property. Be sure to walk the gorgeous grounds - they have a bocce ball court placed along one of the actual rows of grapes...bocce among the vineyards. The best way to play bocce at Ceja is with a glass of wine in one hand and a bocce ball in the other! A bronze bell is located in the back of the winery- this bell was going to be installed in Mission San Luis Obispo - but ended up being given to Ceja. They make their own innovative tables out of concrete poured in old wine barrels. The wine tasting can be outdoors if the weather permits, or indoors at their spacious curved wooded wine tasting bar. Being located in the Carneros they make several excellent Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay however one wine you won't find anywhere is their "Vino de Casa" which is almost a half blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah. Also try their Cabernet Sauvignon chocolate sauce; you won't find this from many Napa wineries. The Ceja Family is extremely friendly and will tour you around their grounds if you ask. You may smell incredible food wafting through the actual tasting room as one of the grandmothers loves to cook and one of the owners is a gourmet chef. Their wine pairs well with food especially spicy cuisine such as Mexican and Thai. With the winery having such a short history, they have already piled up the accolades including voted "Best New Winery" by ninety of the world's top wine writers, front page mention on the New York Times, a spotlight on CNN and appearances on several food related TV Shows. Join their wine club and you receive invites to all their parties - which we've been told are quite the experience. Ceja also operates a walk-in tasting room in downtown Napa. See the Ceja listing directly below for more details and additional tasting notes. Visit: www.cejavineyards.com |
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At press time, all the wines we tasted were under $40 which by Napa standards is a very good deal. Additionally, Ceja keeps their wines lower in alcohol than many wineries; all the wines we tasted were under 14% with many in the high 12's to low 13's. They make a wide variety of wines - and for the set tasting fee, 5 wines are poured. Unless otherwise noted, their wines are 100% varietals. We started with a Sonoma Coast 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. This is a crisp wine with great tropical pineapple guava aromas in the nose and flavors on the front palate - with a slight mineral touch on the finish. Their Vino de Casa is a real find. It is a an extremely unusual blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah. When the winemaker was in college one of his professors told him that its impossible to blend these two varietals. Never say impossible. This wine is a testament that these two varietals actually mesh quite well. The softness of the Pinot Noir is felt on the front palate and the Syrah brings a slight pepper flavor to the mid palate and certainly rounds out this wine with a long finish. Out of 500+ Napa wineries visited with to date, this is the only winery we know of blending these two varietals. Their 2004 Merlot is an interesting wine. Tons of raspberry aromas on the nose with a great flavor of dried apricots in the flavors. Their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is a juicy wine that will pair very favorably with a medium rare steak. Think Argentinean grown and prepared steak and you have a match! The last wine we tried was their 2004 Sonoma Coast Syrah - a cool weather grown Syrah that exhibits aromas of white pepper aromas fruit and leather on the palate. The Ceja Vineyards tasting room and grounds in the Carneros region is also open by appointment only - visit our review directly above for information about this location. Also ask about their "Ceja Pesos". At qualifying restaurants if you order or bring a bottle of wine you can contact Ceja directly for discounts on future wine purchases - inquire regarding the specific details of this. Ceja has plans to build a winery facility at their Carneros home which will allow them to ramp up production. We will stay updated about this and post any latest news regarding this here. Visit: www.cejavineyards.com |
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| Chameleon Cellars is owned by three partners who actually met when they were working at Mayacamas Winery in the mid 1990's. We met with Jeffrey Popick one of the owners and winemakers. He originally was doing vineyard management but became tired of always being in the "fields" and started learning winemaking. Their original focus was on Sangiovese and Barbera but since then their product line has expanded considerably and during our taste we had a choice of a wide variety of wines. Much of the fruit comes from the Napa area but they also source from a variety of other nearby counties including Sonoma & Mendocino. You can't miss seeing their label! It is a mostly blue Chameleon with a red eye. Their winemaking style is geared towards food friendly wines - wines that are not huge or overly tannic. Chameleon held off for many years on producing a Cabernet Sauvignon as they they focused their efforts on other wines especially the lesser known varietals. We tried their first vintage which is a 2005. Following in line with many of their other wines, this wine would not be complete without a little used varietal found from Napa wineries. In this case they blend the Cabernet with 17% Carmenere which ads a nice black cherry and black currant flavor to the wine. The 2005 Syrah comes from a block within the well known Stagecoach Vineyards at about 1400 feet on Atlas Peak. This is a fruit forward rich Syrah which will pair well with heavy duty meat dishes. Along with the good fruit flavors you can find tones of chocolate and and coffee on the palate. Their 2005 Carignane is worth a mention. The fruit for this wine comes from Solano County. This has an extremely smelly nose, almost earthy - French style. As the wine opens up the nose becomes more subtle. The palate is a mix of spices including pepper, chocolate and black cherry. Also of note is their Charbono, Grenache, Barbera & Zinfandel. All their wines as of press time are very reasonably priced - with almost all coming in under $30/bottle. Total production is between 5000 and 6000 cases. Visit: www.chameleoncellars.com | |
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We tried the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon after letting it bottle age for some additional time. This is a good wine and it only gets better in the bottle. True to the winemakers roots at Benessere Vineyards where they work with a number of Italian varietals and based on the fact that Sangiovese is planted in Chanticleer's vineyard a small percentage of this varietal is also blended into the wine. It brings some aromatics to the bouquet which is somewhat floral in nature, with notes of violets and just a touch of cedar from the oak aging. The palate is broad, rounded and smooth. Excellent layers of fruit flavors are represented including blackberry and black currant. Chanticleer recommends decanting this wine before serving. As of press time they still have some Magnum and other large format bottles, all hand painted and etched. Their label is a colorful rooster which has actually become quite popular with collectors! Total production is about 1000 cases of both wines and extremely hard to find and often much of it is sold out before it has even been released. Your best bet is through their website (mailing list) or locally in the Napa area at V Wine Cellar in Yountville. Also check out some of the mouth watering recipes their customers have submitted. Visit: www.chanticleerwine.com |
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A typical tour involves tasting as you tour the actual winery. Weather permitting, you will also take a quick educational visit to the actual vineyards next to the main winery building. There are many bottles of wine on display in their barrel room (vertical vintages) - note their 1969 Cabernet - its a very historical wine with only a few left in the world. If you are looking for a great Chenin Blanc this is the winery for you - this wine was their original focus. We visited during a bottling session; it is amazing to see how fast their wine is bottled, corked and labeled. Chappellet produces world-class wines. A couple of wines we will highlight are their Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. Along with the majority of their wines, the Merlot is very reasonably priced - great fruit with a very long finish. Their signature wine is the Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. It is what you expect of a high end hand crafted Napa Valley Cabernet - very velvety in the mouth, great fruit - with a very long finish. Their winemaker has been with them since 1990. That means a lot in this industry where some winemakers come and go. Visit: www.chappellet.com |
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