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As with the Eagle & Rose wines, Skyhawk are among the most reasonably priced Napa wines you will find. The 2005 Viognier is one of their nicest wines - and is actually their most expensive wine, even higher than the reds. Not going to find pricing like that at any other Napa winery! It is hard to find a good Viognier in Napa, but this one is a winner. It is a very aromatic wine with notes of pineapple, citrus, honeysuckle and tropical fruits in the nose. The palate has a nice rounded smooth mouth feel with many of the aromas contained within the layered flavors. There is a nice long finish. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, priced at $16 (we challenge you to find a more affordable Napa grown Cabernet Sauvignon!) This is a light to medium bodied Cabernet with notes of plum and some hints of oak. One feature that sets this winery apart from Napa area wineries is their very reasonable pricing. As of press time all Eagle & Rose wines are priced under $13 and you can even buy an older vintage Cabernet Sauvignon magnum for $45. We are not used to seeing case prices under $100! Eagle & Rose Inns also owns several boutique inns in the St. Helena area, Middletown and Cobb Mountain. Visit: www.eagleandrose.com |
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Eagle Eye was founded by Bill & Roxanne Wolf who both left previous careers. Unlike some who come to the Napa Valley and start a winery with a dream in the eye and leave much of the work to others, both Bill and Roxanne have jumped into the wine business with a well-rounded seriousness not often found by "newcomers". Before they actually started their wine label they certainly did their homework having taken numerous classes at UC Davis, gaining other wine certification as well as spending significant learning time in the vineyards in International wine regions. They currently manage about 9 acres in the Wooden Valley area of eastern Napa County. It is planted to select varietals including several clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This vineyard was the site of a very old walnut orchard. Before planting, the walnut trees were removed including all their root systems which if left buried, will carry a fungus detrimental to grapes. Holes up to 14 feet deep for each tree had to be dug in order to properly ensure the removal of the root systems! Alaska humus was brought down specially from Alaska; this is highly prized incredibly nutrient rich soil that has been formed by nearly 10,000 years of post ice age decomposition. It is soil that because of the long winters does not see the extent of microbial breakdown that you have in warmer climates.
The owners are also proponents of the Soil Food Web which is the basis to ensure a very healthy vineyard. Their vineyard is farmed organically and Bill was one of the pioneers in the use of Compost tea on wine grapes. The actual vineyard is surrounded by multiple varieties of olive trees which they do harvest, press and then bottle for commercial sale. In addition to their vineyard, they source fruit from various high end vineyards almost exclusively in the Napa area. They focus entirely on blended wines, often coming up with some unique blends that you will not find anywhere else. Their wines are meant to be consumed at the time of purchase, are typically more light bodied in style and are not huge fruit driven high alcohol wines. Combining their delicious wines with the unique labels produces a complete package and really helps separate this winery from the rest of the "pack". The labels are all based on original paintings by Roxanne - if you see one of the labels you will never forget this wine based on the unique artwork! Each wine has its own unique "eagle eye" label. Although young, this winery has already shown amazing resilience. In 2004 a huge warehouse storing 4 vintages of their wines completely burnt down. They lost all their wine which effectively put them out of business. Despite the fire and incredible loss, they still had the sources for the grapes and their own vineyard and it took a few years until they were able to fully resume operations. Today they typically produce 2-3 whites and 6 to 8 red wines annually. All wines are usually produced in quantities of 400 to 800 cases with the exception being their wildly popular non vintage Voluptuous label. The version we tried contained fruit from 2002, 04 & 05. Aside from Port, it is almost impossible to find a current release non vintage red wine from Napa and this one is a treat. It is a unique blend of Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese. As the owners say, "this wine does not kill food". Along with this statement we can add, "this wine and their other wines will not "kill" your wallet as all are very affordably priced, especially by Napa standards. The Voluptuous is light bodied with a soft mouth feel with hints of blackberry and cherry on the palate. They have taken a wine such as Pinot Gris which is somewhat lean and light by itself and blended in some Chardonnay. The Chardonnay gives it some structure, more of a rounded mouth feel as well as viscosity and color. Their Muscat Canelli is to die for with citrus aromas and tropical flavors on the palate. What is nice is the sugar on the finish totally drops off so you are not left with a syrupy sweet taste in your mouth. Look for their second label, Eagle Eye Limited in the near future. Visit: www.eagleeyewine.com |
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Breezes from the nearby Lake Hennessy arise in the afternoon and this cooling contributes to the slow maturation of grapes. The grapes are picked in the the cold of the early morning where the temperatures are usually in the 40's and then immediately brought into the cave which has a temperature of around 60. This is advantageous because the grapes slowly reach fermentation over the next 4 to 5 days (allowing the flavors to really develop in the juice) as the yeast used starts to kick in at the higher cave temperature. Most of the wine here is held back 4 to 5 years before being released. This provides extended proper aging before even reaching the market which not all wineries have the luxury of doing. Eagles Trace is located merely 3 miles from the Napa Valley floor but the drive is very windy and once you reach the property it feels like you are miles away from the main part of Napa Valley. This is because it has a feel of being an isolated location; it is very quiet and you are surrounded by the vineyards and hills. A visit here includes a short walk (weather permitting) to the cave for some barrel samples and then a tasting at the owner's home. Eagles Trace concentrates on high end Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and their Latitude 38 Blend (again the name of this label is a reflection on the "sense of place" as this vineyard sits at Latitude 38 degrees, 30 minutes north. Their Pinot Noir is among the most complex rich Pinots we have tasted in the Napa Valley. The Latitude 38 is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This is a dark ruby colored wine that has the elegance of a French Style wine and the richness of ripe California fruit. It is extremely well balanced. Visit: www.eaglestrace.com |
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The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is blended slightly with Merlot and Cabernet Franc - the idea behind using these two varietals is the Merlot adds a bit of softness while the Cabernet Franc helps provide additional structure. A combination of new and used French and American oak are used during the aging which on the 2005 vintage was 16 months. Both native and cultured yeasts are used during the fermentation. Two words can easily describe the mouth feel on the 2005 vintage - soft and balanced. It is not huge bodied but has layers of flavor and structure often found in Napa Cabernet's priced much higher. Nice cherry and blackberry notes on the nose follow to a palate with additional cherry flavors with notes of vanilla and a smooth finish anchored by delicate silky tannins. The fruit lingers in harmony for some time on this very long finish. When most people try this wine there is an element of surprise that follows when they learn the price! The punch line in our reference above, is this wine retails for $20 and you can find it even cheaper than that from some online distributors. This is one of those rare Napa Cabernet's where people often think the price is 2 and 3x higher and there are certainly a plethora of similar quality Napa Cabernet's out there at these higher prices. Out of more than 500 visits and tastings with Napa Vintners this wine is definitely in our top handful of price to quality ratio wines. In fact in 2007 Edge took the highest honors for best Cabernet Sauvignon $20 and under Food & Wine's American Wine Awards. Total production at the time of this review is about 16,000 cases. They are distributed in a number of states including parts of Western Canada. Locally, you can find the wine at JV Warehouse and Cellar Collections in the town of Napa, St. Helena Wine Merchants in St. Helena and Cal Mart in Calistoga. Visit: www.edgewines.com |
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All proceeds from your tasting fee and or sales of wine go straight to the Leducq Foundation's international cardiovascular research programs. This is the only winery with a physical winery location in Napa valley that we know of who has built their charity work directly into their winery. What a great way to directly contribute to a worthwhile cause and enjoy good wines at the same time! This winery was actually started in 1886 and remained open during Prohibition as a "home winery". Jean and Sylviane Leducq, originally from Paris - purchased the winery and created the foundation in 1996. The elegant tasting room is in the old stone ghost winery which has stood the test of time very well with additional structural support added. Drive down a long single lane road and park in the dirt parking lot in front of the tasting room entrance. As you walk in, note some of their displays lining the wall including the full wine barrels. The winery's original press dates from the early 1880's and is on display. Their vineyards are farmed organically (CCOF certified) and Biodynamically (will be certified most likely by 2009) which typically involves three things; you build the soil naturally using special natural compost, philosophically farm (prune and harvest based on phases of the moon and planets, and control pests and diseases without chemicals (cover crops, use plants that attract beneficial insects). There is a neat display about Biodynamic farming which sits on top of two wine barrels in the main tasting room. All their wines are from their own 39 acres of estate vineyards. We started our tasting with their 2005 Merlot - as they say at the winery, this is the Merlot of Cabernet drinkers. It is a fruit forward wine with nice structure and balance. It is what you would call a "rich" Merlot with layered flavors. Ehlers makes several very nice Cabernet Sauvignons including their 100% varietal "1886" which is the wine they are most known for. This wine (2005 vintage) is made from grapes which are selected from only the most rocky, porous soils - perfect terroir for growing high end fruit! As a result, only select blocks in their vineyard are picked ensuring only the highest quality fruit is used from the estate. This wine is extremely well balanced. The nose is elegant parting notes of black fruits and herbs with touches of vanilla. The palate follows with some raspberry and more cherry. Great mouth feel to this vintage. Also be sure to try their varietal Cabernet Franc - it is 100% varietal (somewhat rare to find in Napa). Aside from the fruit, the bouquet has some underlying aromas of cigar box and a nice herbal note. This is a delicious wine that delivers fruit all over the palate anchored by a finish that hints of spice and smokiness, yet is quite smooth. Picnic tables under the olive trees and a nearby Bocce Ball court are available. Ehlers offers a one of a kind Estate and Historical Tour - call for appointments. In addition as of press time they are planning a sensory and wine evaluation program. Visit: www.ehlersestate.com |
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Pinot & Chardonnay are the only two wines this winery makes. Wondering how an "up valley" winery can produce these two "cooler climate" varietals? Well, their vineyards are actually located further south in the Rutherford Appellation - in a part of this appellation that is conducive for these varietals. Those in the know, know that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are not usually found in this appellation and in in fact, their Pinot Noir grapes are the only vineyard that we know of planted to this varietal in Rutherford. Aside from the high land value to varietal income ratio, perhaps more wineries would start to take note of using Rutherford for high end Pinot Noir after trying El Molino's wine. Their Pinot Noir grapes are whole cluster fermented (the stems are lignified - which means they are brown and also "ripe" so you do not get any "green" characteristics to the wine). We tried the 2005, its color is consistent with previous vintages of this wine. It is very dark red in color with nuances of cherry floating on the bouquet with additional cherry notes on the palate. This is a rich, layered in flavor Pinot with nice spices and good structure anchoring the very long finish. Their Chardonnay is a beautiful golden color almost looking like some of the aged Rieslings we have tried - the nose is somewhat tropical with beautiful honeysuckle and interesting floral aromas. The palate is rich with notes of ginger, lime and additional honey nuances. Their wines have been served at a White House Presidential dinner. As of press time, the total production is about 900 cases of each wine. They have a mailing list and if you enjoy a great Pinot & Chardonnay we encourage you to signup via their website. Visit: www.elmolinowinery.com |
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They do have a tent outside which can seat 30 to 40 people and is a nice place to taste wine weather permitting. Typically that is reserved for wine club members, large groups who have made advance notice for tasting or for their Appellation tasting. This particular tasting is held once a day in the morning and tastes four wines from completely different growing regions within the Napa Valley. These wines are paired with select cheeses and your pourer will discuss how the differences in soil and climate help create such unique wines. For a small winery they make a large number of various wines from Napa fruit as well as from nearby counties. They have established long term relationships with various vineyards ensuring that they know the type of high quality fruit they receive as well as ensuring consistency in their wines. When we visited they had just recently started pouring a very light easy to drink Rose of Pinot Noir (which you won't often find in the Napa wine scene). Also be sure to try their amazing Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder (available in limited quantities). Because they have such a variety of wines to choose from their tasting options vary from time to time. A tasting typically includes four of their wines. If you are lucky you may happen to bump into either Elizabeth or Spencer as they will drop by from time to time. Visit: www.elizabethspencerwines.com |
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Today from their property you can look out over a sea of more recent vineyards - mostly from large Napa wineries. Elkhorn was originally a grape grower for the first few years (selling fruit to other wineries) and in the early 90's came out with their first commercial vintage. A visit here is for the serious Pinot Noir wine enthusiast as all tastings are private with the co-owner and viticulturist Ken Nerlove. Ken's favorite place is among the vineyards and weather permitting will walk you through the vines and answer any vineyard related questions you may have. The vineyard is on site of an old sheep ranch and the tastings are held upstairs in the converted sheep barn. The tasting room is simple yet elegantly furnished and provides one an intimate tasting experience. From the adjoining deck on a clear day you can actually look across the San Pablo Bay all the way to San Francisco where you can see the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge rising far in the distance. Their Pinots are a combination of several different clones. We enjoyed a 2002 and a 2000 Pinot Noir. Most people will drink a Pinot within hours of purchase - but consider setting a few bottles aside for aging. The 2000 we tried was 7 years old and aged as well as any Pinot you will find. It had that nice ruby color, was smooth and well balanced. As of press time, only several thousand cases of the Pinots are produced and they also have a Chardonnay available which has an even lower production. Visit: www.elkhornpeakcellars.com |
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Ray's next job was actually as a tasting room staff at Whitehall Lane Winery. Talk about an interesting way to get your foot in the door to be a winemaker! Fortunately his passion for being a winemaker showed through and he wasn't long for the tasting room. He was moved to the cellar where he learned wine making skills and then was fortunate to open this winery in 1987. Elyse is named after his daughter. He later had a son Jake who when was in 4th grade started complaining that he did not have a wine label named after himself! ....so his father Ray produced a second wine label called Jacob Franklin and you can also find these wines in the tasting room. Only in Napa Valley...right?! Look for the wine dogs typically lounging around the tasting room entrance- they have been featured in the Wine Dogs of Napa Valley Book. As of press time, Elyse produces an amazing variety of high quality wines - 27 different wines. Wow. With the exception of their high end Cabernet Sauvignons (priced accordingly for Napa high end Cabernet Sauvignon), all their wines are priced very decently. A typical tasting is quite generous (8 different wines) part of the spirit that comes with producing such a large number of wines. Several of these wines feature extremely unique blends as well rare varietals not often used by Napa wineries. In order to acquire these varietals they source from various locations in California including the Sierra foothills. One of these is their 2006 L'Ingenue which is their Rhone varietal white wine blended with Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc. In part the Roussanne contributes a nice viscous creamy weighty mouth feel. Ripe pear and apple show well on the mid palate, with nuances of fig and apricot towards the finish. The 2005 C'est Si Bon is composed of 7 different Rhone varietals - some of which you will never find in Napa and as a result the grapes for this wine are again sourced from the Sierra foothills. Tasting notes aside, this wine "is good" - which the name in French translates to "its so good". Elyse makes two totally different style of Zinfandels. The 2006 Korte Ranch is a leaner style with lots of white pepper in the bouquet which follows onto the palate. Zinfandel fruit lovers take note of the 2005 Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel. If you had to smell this wine blind, you would swear you had a Zinfandel Port in front of you. The aromas are of very ripe fruit followed by rich flavors of blackberry, raspberry and hints of mocha. The 2006 Petite Sirah (with some Zinfandel and a splash of Viognier) is interesting in that most of the fruit hits your palate towards the finish. Enjoy a slightly sweet white wine? Try the 2006 La Peche a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Malvasia Bianca. Just the right amount of sugar versus fruit makes this a very well balanced wine with fruity notes of pear intermingled with almost a cinnamon aroma - leading to a palate with nuances of very red ripe apples...a delicious not quite dessert wine. Their Petite Sirah Port is "to die for". With a production of so many wines you can see we have only highlighted a few that we have tasted. Most others are available through their website. Visit: www.elysewinery.com |
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Emilio's Terrace is owned and operated by Phil Schlein a long time Napa area resident. It is uniquely refreshing to find a very humble winery owner from Napa. Out of all the wineries we've visited, this is the only winery that is named after a property manager! Emilio originally immigrated to the USA from his native Michoacan Mexico in the late 1940's and has tended to and managed the location where the vineyards are planted since the late 1960's. He originally got his start in the Napa Valley for Robert Mondavi (quite a few people in the wine industry in the 1960's were touched in some way by the famous Robert Mondavi). Emilio's Terrace vineyard is a South East facing very steep vineyard with unique microclimates. It is adjacent to Mondavi's famed Tokalon vineyard. The upper end of the vineyard typically ripens first and as a result is harvested first and crushed before the fruit at the bottom of the vineyard. Even though this is a small vineyard, ripeness is key therefore not all the vineyard is picked at once.
Their flagship wine produced since 1996 is their Reserve Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. We tried the 2004 vintage (only 510 cases made) which is blended slightly with Merlot, also from their hillside vineyard. This is a very elegant well balanced wine showing those great fruit characteristics from Oakville hillside grown Cabernet Sauvignon. It is dark, rich with notes of blackberry, cedar and coffee on the nose with ripe blackberry fruit & spices continuing onto the palate. This is a great food wine. Sophie's Rows is named after Phil's mother, with a nice play on words! Each year 8 specific rows in the vineyard are set aside for this wine. The 2004 vintage is Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This wine has many layers and depth of flavor. Also check out their Merlot Cab Sav blend called Moonschlein, a play on owner Phil's last name. This is an easy drinking everyday wine available at a decent price. Joe Cafaro has been their wine maker for many years - he also runs his own label, Cafaro Cellars. Emilio's Terrace also has an annual scholarship for wine writers given to a select individual at the Meadowood Wine Writer's Symposium. You can find Emilio's wine locally in St. Helena at Dean & Deluca wine shop as well as the Calistoga Wine Stop in Calistoga. Visit: www.etvine.com |
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Emmolo Wines was founded in 1994 by Cheryl Emmolo. Her family has a long history in the Napa Valley wine industry with her grandfather establishing a nursery near St. Helena to provide rootstalks in the 1920's. In fact he even built a stone winery (still standing today), but was never used due to bad timing with Prohibition. Her father has been a Napa Valley grape grower for many years and still provides grapes to a number of high end Napa wineries. She has always loved wine and wanted to provide a "wine legacy" to her sons who are also involved with the winery. Emmolo focuses on merely three wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and a Syrah Rose. We started our tasting with the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. The source vineyards include the Emmolo River Ranch property in Rutherford. This vineyard is trellised in an open leaf canopy style thus allowing maximum sunlight to reach the grapes. The grapes were not picked all at once, rather they were picked over a span of several weeks depending on ripeness. This wine is a light golden color all about the fruit. The aromas are full of citrus including lemon and lime with tangerine and a slight flinty or steel flavor on the palate. The mid palate is juicy and the finish is long.
The next wine is one of the lightest wines you will ever see. It is a Rose of Syrah and has just a touch of pink or color to it. Part of this reason is the juice only spent 3 hours on the skins so it did not have a chance to pick up much color. The fruit for this wine come from Cheryl's fathers' vineyard whose grapes have been historically sold to other wineries so they are fortunate to have secured this fruit. Everything about this wine is subtle including the nose which has floral aromas and the palate which hints of raspberry and graphite. This is a crisp very dry wine. Also of note is their 2005 Merlot which is a blend from two vineyards; one in Carneros and one from Atlas Peak. This is a big Merlot, dark purple in color with great blackberry, plum and cherry characteristics on the palate. It is a well balanced wine between fruit, acidity and tannin structure. Emmolo does not sell direct but is well distributed within the USA and parts of Canada. Visit their site for details: www.emmolowines.com |
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You can either taste indoors at the long tasting counter or relax on their patio. The well-known winemaker & co-owner of Envy, Nils Venge, used to work at Groth Winery and his cabernet many years ago was awarded the first 100 point American Cabernet by the famed American wine critic Robert E. Parker. Note Nil's initials, NV and you have an appropriate name for this winery! Besides Envy's wines, two other labels are made on site. One is Vine Haven which is Nil's "pet project" off and on again for the better part of the last 20 years. These wines are priced extremely reasonably for a winemaker of Nil's caliber. In addition, Carter Cellars makes their wines here. These wines are vineyard designates and he even uses some of the same rows every year. These wines are typically only tasted for prior appointments or specific requests. Carter Cellars focuses on very high end Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a Merlot. Their first vintage was in 1998 and their wines have received exemplary ratings. We recommend their Coliseum block Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is named after the way the rows of grapes are oriented in the shape of an ancient coliseum. A tasting includes any five wines from Envy and Vine Haven's collection. A couple of wines that stand out are their 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. This is a perfect wine to complement seafood or even drink before dinner on a warm night. A plethora of fruit flavors comes through on the palate including pineapple, pear and apple. Their 2004 Vine Haven Merlot has an exotic nose that has characteristics of a Port. However all resemblances to a port stop with the aromas as this is a dry very dark wine that is fruit driven with notes of chocolate rounding out the finish. Also of note is Envy's popular Bee Bee blend which is made every year. This is named in honor of Nil's now deceased dog and is the only blend he makes. Great blueberry aromas followed by dark fruit notes on the palate. It is a well-rounded with a delightful smooth finish. Having fun tasting? Request to check out their barrel room for a barrel sample or two. One other note of interest is the historical looking house far to the west of the tasting room was used in the movie, Nine Months with Hugh Grant. www.envywines.com |
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Enzo Wines are run by a husband wife team, Franco and Francesca. Enzo is named in tribute to Franco's father; this name also happens to be the name of one of the world's greatest Ferraris. As a result this wine is very popular in certain Ferrari club circles. It was during his childhood vacations from San Francisco that Franco really fell in love with the Napa Valley. In later years he immersed himself in as much wine making knowledge as possible - attending UC Davis and Napa Valley college for hands on winemaking experience. He bottled his first home made wine in the late 1980s. Franco was the winemaker for their first commercial vintage in 2003 and continued making the wine for several years until turning over the primary winemaking duties. Enzo focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon and produces two wines from two vineyards - their Saunders and Tierra Roja Vineyards. They are located in one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon growing regions of the Oakville district in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. Their immediate neighbors are some of the most prestigious wineries in the valley - names such as Dalla Valle, Showket, and Screaming Eagle located slightly to the south. They dubbed this part of Oakville the "Magic Hill" - due to the extremely high quality of fruit produced because of the unique terroir and micro climates in this part of Napa Valley.
Our favorite of the two wines we tasted was the elegant 2003 Saunders Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (blended with Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot). This vineyard is low yielding but the intensely concentrated fruit more than makes up for the low quantities. It has a lot of cherries in the nose with some cocoa - the flavor is very distinctive with a nice long slightly smoky finish. During fermentation, Enzo uses a unique process called "simultaneous co-fermentation" in which the all the varietals are completely blended together starting from crush to yeast injection to fermentation. Their philosophy is that the earlier the components of the wine are integrated together, the better tasting the final product. A refreshing aspect of their wines is that they are not huge in alcohol percentages; the wines we tasted were in the mid 13's. Their bottles make a classy show with the black and gold labels and artwork picked from their private Italian collection. Enzo uses corks that are 1/2 inch longer than most corks on the market - and this is to ensure good aging of their wines. They are also very active with a variety of charity organizations. You can find their wines locally at the Dean & Deluca and Enoteca wine shops or visit: www.enzowines.com |
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Ever since selling his original winery he always wanted to have his own label again and an opportunity to work with several of Napa's higher end hillside vineyards presented itself. Bob released the first Eponymous wine in 2003. As of press time, he makes his wine at one of the historical custom crush facilities in the valley and the grapes are sourced from two high end vineyards - one on the slopes of Mt. Veeder on the Sonoma County side of the Mayacamas mountain range and the other at the entrance to Soda Canyon. This wine despite its very much hillside location is in the "Sonoma Valley" appellation. Go figure! The Mt. Veeder vineyard has a history of producing stellar Cabernet Franc as it can be hard to find high end vineyards in the valley for this varietal. Bob recognized early on the potential for this vineyard and locked up the fruit in a longer term contract. Currently Eponymous makes two wines, their red blend and a 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. We tried several individual components from barrel that will be used for blending in the 2007 MacAllister Mt. Veeder Vineyard red Meritage including the Merlot, Cabernet Franc and the Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines while very young were already showing good balance and well roundedness. We then tried their current release, the 2004 vintage. It is always interesting to see how each component taken by itself does not have the power and richness found in the final wine. The 2004 version is a very elegant polished wine. It is smooth, the Cabernet Franc really helps bring the rich fruit flavors to the foreground and the finish is long with structured tannin management. Touches of chocolate and rhubarb round out the complex palate. Their total production is about 1200 cases, however they are distributed in very select markets in about 25 states. With over 30 Napa harvests under his belt Bob is open to making additional wine depending on vineyard availability. As a top winemaker running your own small label, if an opportunity to source from high end terroir comes your way, you don't let it pass you by! You can find this wine locally at Whole Foods and JV Warehouse in the town of Napa. Visit: www.eponymouswines.com |
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| Erba Mountainside Vineyards is a 20 acre vineyard located on the back of Atlas Peak. The property was purchased in the late 90's, planted to several Bordeaux varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Erba is owned by Paul Erba an Oklahoma based Physician who has a passion for wine. He helped select the specific clones based on the specific soil types in his vineyard. Part of the vineyard is so steep that it can only be hand farmed as it is not suitable for machines. Great views of Wooden Valley on the backside and the shimmering Suisun bay to the south west. The vineyard sits at about 1500 feet and as a result is above the fog which often covers the valley floor far below. This ensures a long ripening period. The vineyard is separated into 14 unique blocks each of which is harvested separate from the other based on when the grapes are ready to pick. Their first vintage was a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and in addition they make Syrah, Merlot and one of the owners favorites, a Proprietary Blend. A variety of new French Oak is used on all the wines, in varying amounts depending on the wine. The winemaker is the well regarded Kristophe Anderson who trained under Nils Venge at Saddleback and currently makes the wine for Gargiulo Winery. All the wines we tried were 2004 vintage. All had great color - very dark and inky representative of probably extended maceration and the hillside vineyard from which they were sourced. Their Merlot is a big full bodied wine full of dense fruit flavors including mouth watering cherry and red currant. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich very dark wine with many layers of flavor. As this is a fairly new winery, it takes some time for the winemaker and vineyard management to discover the sweet spots in their vineyards and find out which clones work best. One of their later Cabernet Sauvignons was already very highly rated at the trade only event, Napa Valley Premiere. Visit: www.erbamountainsidevineyards.com | |
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Erna Schein is named after Les's mother. Behrens & Hitchcock's first vintage was in 1993 and when the Hitchcock's retired Erna Schein took over as the primary winery. Plans are to continue to making small quantities of B&H wine (about 500 cases/year) for a number of years. Les originally made home wine and soon started making limited quantities of commercial wine. His grape sources were from high end vineyards in the Napa Valley and for several years during harvest he had to make the arduous one day 11 hour round trip drive hauling the grapes back north to where he lived. Eventually they purchased land and soon after he and his son constructed their small winery. His philosophy has always been to let the vineyard site dictate the wine - the old adage that 80% of winemaking is conducted in the vineyard is generally true! Winemaking here is very much a family affair and several other labels are made including Drinkward-Peschon, Relic, Robert Nenow, & Zeitgeist. Tasting is appointment only for serious wine enthusiasts and is always kept private for your party. There are fantastic views from the winery overlooking the nearby mountains. Tasting is usually held inside next to the barrels at what they affectionately called the "Coop Tasting Bar", as some of the other labels made at the winery are also available for tasting. They make red wines exclusively focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon and a variety of blends. All wines we tried were vintage 2005. Their Spare Me is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Cab Franc (the very unique label is of a woman bowling). This wine is made from primarily Calistoga grown grapes is well balanced with lots of fruit on the mid palate and a soft finish. The Herrick Moulds combines Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain and the Oak Knoll district - fruit from the hillside and fruit from the valley floor. This wine has a very earthy exotic nose with lots of fruit up front on the palate complemented by notes of cedar and tobacco. Two wines really stood out from our tasting; the Cemetery and the Family Reserve. The Cemetery name is interesting for two reasons; Les used to be a gravedigger and the vineyard providing the fruit for this wine backs right up to the St. Helena Cemetery! The label was drawn by the acclaimed artist Rosemary Feit Covey. It is one of the darkest wines you will ever see, is big and is very full bodied. In comparison the Reserve is a totally different wine. It is a blend of four Bordeaux varietals and is only made when they feel the "juice" is of the highest standards. It is a very elegant wine, soft on the palate and smooth on the finish. Erna Schein wines are distributed in a select number of states and you can find their wine locally at ACME wine shop in St. Helena and Backroom Wines in the town of Napa. Total Erna Schein production is about 2500 cases. Visit: www.ernaschein.com |
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Esca Wines was started by the husband wife winemaking team of Mario and Anna Monticelli. Both are young and like other young winemakers they already have International harvest experience. They met during their last quarter of school as undergrads at UC Davis while earning their enology and viticulture degrees. Mario is a fourth generation winemaker with extended winemaking roots in California (his father was winemaker and an executive for Gallo Winery and his brother is also a winemaker in Napa). As a result of his family background Mario's immersion into the wine industry started as a child helping to make wine at his grandparent's winery. Mario worked as assistant to the well known winemaker Philipe Melka, at Quixote and currently is the winemaker for Trinchero's Napa Reserve. Anna does not come from a wine making family and was on the fast track to medical school when a viticulture elective sidetracked her college education, and looking back - eventually became career changing. She worked a harvest in Bordeaux at Chateau Chevel Blanc and at Napa notables including Seavey Vineyard and Bryant Family. Currently she is the winemaker for Pina Cellars. Mario and his brother have operated their own label for a number of years and it was only a matter of time before Mario and Anna decided to create their own brand. They jointly share the winemaking duties - Esca is Italian, honoring Mario's heritage and means "allurement" or "bait" in Italian. Wine lovers beware - as Esca says, "just as the nectar of the Hibiscus flower attracts the bee on the label, these wines attract the enophile!"
Their first commercial release was in 2002. We started our tasting with the 2005 Zinfandel sourced from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County - the only non Napa wine available as of press time. This ruby colored wine has big Zinfandel aromas somewhat floral in nature with notes of violets as well as cedar. The mouth feel is soft, supple with lively fruit and bright acidity. This is a not a huge spicy Zinfandel rather its more elegant with just a touch of spice on the palate. Soft delicate tannins anchor this delightful food friendly wine. The 2005 Syrah is very dark with a consistent nose over time full of candied fruit and notes of cassis. It is full-bodied and soft all across the palate with structured but fairly smooth tannins. Good fruit shows from the entry to the finish. The 2005 Esca Cabernet Sauvignon is priced very well considering it was made with fruit sourced from Oakville and Yountville. Black fruit dominates on the aromas and on the palate - with soft fruit showing up front including blueberry, blackberry and black currant intermingled with nuances of smoky oak. Mouth watering - natural acidity - good steak wine! The tannins are the biggest of the three Esca wines we tried but are still well balanced. A new project that Anna is spearheading under Esca is a second label called Ilaria named after an Italian cousin in the family. The focus of this label is on high end single vineyard wines with their first vintage being a 2007 Syrah. Syrah is one of Anna's favorite varietals, not only because of its unique aromas and flavors but because of the differences it exhibits based on specific terroir and microclimates - i.e. cool weather versus warm weather Syrah. This wine was sourced from Coombsville - a rolling hill vineyard covered area just east of the town of Napa which is more on the cooler side of the curve. This small block of a larger vineyard planted to an Alban clone - makers of fine California Central Coast Rhone based wines including Syrah (often called the "Father of Syrah in California). This vineyard is certainly a good source! While Esca sources fruit from various vineyards, Ilaria will be from vineyards that are locked into longer term contracts, thus ensuring consistency of fruit. The 2007 Syrah is a totally dark black inky wine and while totally young as of press time already shows big fruit with juicy characteristics. Great layered flavors, chocolate, plum with hints of vanilla on the bouquet. This is a wine you buy several of - for drinking now as well as aging! Additional plans under the Ilaria label call for other varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon. Here is a unique situation where you have two extremely talented winemakers who have combined efforts to focus on affordable wines that are to be enjoyed now with friends and family. For the quality to price ratio - Esca is among one of the best values in Napa Valley. I mean, where else can you find fruit from Oakville and Yountville in a Napa Cabernet under $30?! You can find their wines locally at Dean & Deluca or Backroom wines in the town of Napa. Visit: www.escawines.com |
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Tastings are by appointment only during the weekdays and are offered 3x day. They are open by walk-in on Saturdays only. Choose from two tasting flights. The standard tasting includes their Fortitude label and their Vineyard Designated & Appellation tasting includes higher end Pinots and Cabernets. Typically each type of wine is made in quantities of only several hundred cases. Your tasting occurs in a private room and if lucky the head winemaker may stop by as he did when we were here. Out of our numerous Napa winery tastings this tasting had the most wine glasses on a single table that we've ever seen! The larger special glasses are for their Pinot wines. Our choice for Pinot is their Heirloom Carneros and our pick for their Cabernet Sauvignon is their Rutherford. Also informative color maps of their vineyards will be shown during your tasting. Visit: www.etudewines.com |
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