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The original winery was called August Hersch, named after the owner and 20,000 gallons were produced annually. The property is less than the 10 acre county minimum for having your own winery, unless a pre-existing bond can be located. When they purchased the property, the Tilley's had no idea there was an operating winery on site and only after the dedicated work of a local historical researcher uncovered a story on the front page of an old St. Helena Star newspaper, did their dream of having a winery on site take off. The Victorian style building which served as headquarters for the lodge still exists and is built on top of the original stonework for the old winery. At the time of this review, they are currently in the midst of restoring the old ghost winery as well as constructing a nearby redwood barrel facility. Three and a quarter acres are planted with clones 337 and 15 of Cabernet Sauvignon and their first commercial vintage was in 2004. As Chris says, he thought he was was going to own the vineyards when they were first planted but in fact these are really the domain of their winemaker because of the time he spends here! Chris Dearden (winemaker for Benessere) has been V Madrone's winemaker since day 1. Their wine has been made at Benessere Vineyards but will be made here as soon as the winery on site is operational. They specialize in a single vineyard 100% Cabernet Sauvignon each vintage - this is from the estate vineyard. However, they also source fruit for other varietals and these are always very limited productions - typically under several hundred cases (Old Vine Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Petite Sirah). We tried the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was aged in a combination of new and used French Oak as well as a touch of American oak. The main keys to having high end wine is terroir and a well managed vineyard, and having an excellent winemaker doesn't hurt either! This is an elegant wine with a fruit driven nose of blackberry and plum with underlying notes of minerals, even graphite and a touch of cedar. The mouth feel is plush, soft and rounded. Structured tannins and good acidity will ensure this wine will age well for years to come. V Madrone expects to be able to take appointments for wine tasting sometime in September or October of 2008 however the permanent tasting room in the main winery residence isn't slated to be finished until the end of 2009. A tasting here is very personable and down to earth. The property is beautiful with its blend of history, architecture and vineyards planted on reddish bench land soil, all of which lies at the base of the wooded Mayacamaus mountains. A tasting is a personal experience conducted with the owners and is for serious wine enthusiasts. As a testament to the quality of wine, it has found its way into some of the very high end local restaurants and resorts including Redd, Meadowood, Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Auberge du Soleil, and the French Laundry. Visit: www.vmadrone.com |
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The winery itself is beautiful - stately oaks grace the property and the Italian style rock moss covered winery buildings provide good photo ops. Walk down the stairs and take the free self-guided tour of their cellar room with small wine museum. Their members only wine club and tasting bar is in a side room adjoining the cellar and its usually much less crowded then their frenzied main tasting room. This winery has an excellent huge selection of cheeses, meats and other fine dining items. The deli is located in the front of the main winery before you walk into the main tasting room. Free cheese samples are given out on the weekends and BBQ's are often held outdoors, weather permitting. Tasting is complimentary for 6 tastes - which you choose from about 10 wines. $5 Estate tasting fee. The wine tasting bar lines the outside of 3/4 of the main room; it is divided into sections so when it gets crowded another section will open up. This is the largest tasting area of any of the Napa Wineries we have visited. Many picnic tables are on the grounds, but are only to be used for wine and other winery purchases and there are often many people lying around picnicking on good weather days.. Dario Sattui, the founder of this winery also owns the gorgeous Castello di Amorosa just south of the town of Calistoga in the north part of Napa Valley. Visit: www.vsattui.com |
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The tasting bar is good sized and looks into a very large mirror. Their tastings always vary which is a nice thing - you never know what types of wine will be served. Typically there will be at least a few Napa wines - but their collection includes California and beyond. They have a large selection of Charbonno wines - very few Napa area wineries make this wine and V Wine Cellar is a great one-stop source for this varietal. Weather permitting there are some tables nearby in their nearby patio for outdoor tasting; this overlooks a lawn area - great place for relaxing! Bummed that most Napa wineries close at 4 or 5pm? Stop by V Wine Cellar where they are open until 7pm for tastings. A seductive sofa/lounge seating area is available. Come here for the tasting and to shop for wines but also spend additional time browsing the quaint stores located in this shopping complex including antiques and art galleries. A plethora of parking surrounds both sides of the Vintage 1870 center but on busy summer weekends sometimes even this is not enough. Yountville is small and chances are a brisk stroll will get you here from one of your nearby hotels. Throughout the year special events are often held at Vintage 1870 including the Taste of Yountville Appellation event. Visit: www.vwinecellar.com |
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Valance Wine is owned by Michael & Valerie Raymor. The name comes from a balance that most Howell Mountain Cabernets develop over time. The owners noticed this balance and elegance for their 01' vintage while still in barrel. Creatively combining V from Valeries first name with the word balance, they came up with Valance. Michael grew up in a family with an agricultural background - farming stone fruit crops in the East Bay (SF Bay area). Michael has over 30 years experience working with vineyards and was vineyard manager for many years at Robert Mondavi and helped manage their famed To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. His passion is with vineyards and his enthusiasm for the vines clearly shows. Today he manages and farms 3 acres of hillside vineyards near the Howell Mountain Appellation. He purchased the property in 1973 and planted the original vines in 1978. He recalls visiting a local rootstock nursery and receiving a sales pitch about the benefits of AXR rootstock and how it was the future of rootstock (adaptability, easy to graft etc). Unbeknownst to many this rootstock was not resistant to a new form of the insect phylloxera that eventually developed. Fortunately Michael went with the tried and true St. George rootstalk (after enduring questions about his decision from some vineyard managers!) but as it were, he did not have to pull up any vines when phylloxera hit in the early 1980's. He is in a prime growing region with several very high end vineyards located within walking distance of his property. This is one of the smaller producers we have met with; Valance's total annual production is usually 75-90 cases.
If you are seeking high end single vineyard 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with extremely limited production from unique terroir combined with micromanaged vineyards Valance is an excellent choice. Michael takes a holistic and organic approach to vineyard management and farming in general and handles all aspects of this himself. Native trees are not removed and water and fertilizers are kept to a minimum, instead relying on native cover crops. Yields are extremely low even by hillside standards, often running 1/2 to less than a ton per acre. This is low! For comparison most hillside vineyards are higher with valley floor yields often significantly higher with averages ranging from 2-4+ tons depending on the year. There are several key reasons for Valance's extremely low production. It helps ensure longevity and the sustainable health of the vines and vineyard soil as well as enhances phenolic maturity and allows the grapes to develop rich concentrated fruit flavors. Valance also uses a variety of methods for deciding when to harvest; tasting the seeds and skins, tracking items such as dates of bud break - bloom & veraison, laboratory analysis of berry samples, and overall assessment of canopy management, seasonal conditions and quality of the grape clusters. Michael was very much influenced by French viticulture and winemaking practices from his many trips to France while working at Mondavi. His wines often see a month of maceration, 2 years in barrel plus another year in bottle before even being released. Consequently once they hit the market they have already been aged longer than most current releases which is not a bad thing for consumers. We tasted a vertical of their Cabernet Sauvignon from 2001 through 2004. The earlier vintages are presently available in very limited quantities. The inaugural release 2001 is a rich wine with a rounded mouth feel. Sultry tannins are smooth and elegant and provide a well structured backbone. The nose is pleasant followed by layered flavors of cherry and currant. Our favorite of the 4 wines is the 2002. This vintage has the elegance and grace of a Degas ballerina. The nose has wonderful fruit driven aromatics which continue to open the longer you leave it in the glass. The palate is a mix of cherry and red currant with cinnamon, tobacco and other spices present with almost an earthy characteristic. The tannins are slightly larger than the 01 but this wine is certainly ready to drink now! The 2003 was a tough year for ripeness and maceration time was much shorter. It doesn't have the aromatics yet of the earlier vintages and only time will tell as to what it does in the bottle. The 2004 is a characteristic terroir driven Valance wine which as of this review had not yet been released. Nice plum and cherry aromas which follow through to the palate - bright acidity, this is a lively wine. Because Valance has such low production their distribution is very limited. If you are in the area, try Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley, but the best way to acquire the wine is via their website. Visit: www.valancewines.com |
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Their first commercial vintage was in 1984. Andre's family was in the furniture business and he never considered a career in winemaking in the early days. Then a friend gave him a Cabernet Sauvignon - at that point he was hooked on finding more information about the wine industry. He then took a home winemakers class and in 1977 he and his family moved to the Napa Valley to their current location. Today they have about 23 acres and are growing 11 different varietals. Andre has never been formally educated in wine making. For a winery that typically makes between 2,500 and 3,000 cases, they offer about 30+ different wines, all made in very low production and some quite unique and rare. By numbers of wines, most of their wine is only available through their wine club. Andre is not afraid to experiment during the winemaking and over his long winemaking history in the valley has learned much about winemaking from the "learn by doing" motto. In addition, Van Der Heyden is not afraid to make new types of wines. That in and of itself can be very refreshing - especially after tasting with 500+ commercial wine producers in the Napa Valley! Case in point is their Chardonnay. This is the most un-Napa Chardonnay you will find. It is one of the darker Chardonnays you will see - a rich gold color. Van Der Heyden typically holds their wines back longer than most wineries - both in oak and in bottle. For many wineries, Chardonnay is a - in the barrel/tank, out the door wine - with a relatively short time from production to consumer. Not Van der Heyden. In addition this wine sees some skin and seed contact which also contributes to the color. The aromas are almost like a late harvest Chardonnay, very fruit driven with notes of caramel, melon and tropical nuances that continue to the palate. As of press time all wines produced are entirely from the vineyards that surround the winery with the exception of their Sauvignon Blanc. This is sourced from Mendocino County and sees no oak during its aging and fermentation. The mouth feel on the 2007 vintage is soft and rounded and its with wines such as this that terroir makes such a difference. We are willing to bet if the grapes used to make this wine were grown on Van Der Heyden's property this wine would have different characteristics. This was our favorite of their white wines - nice floral nose, hints of green apple, and citrus - it is very well balanced. A winner! Their late harvest Cabernet Sauvignon is the only one made year after year in Napa Valley. We are aware of at least one other Napa winery who has made a late harvest Cabernet and a few International wineries who produce this - but perhaps not every year and certainly not as a flagship wine like Van Der Heyden has made this over the years. This wine is not fortified with spirits and is a must try when you taste at the winery. It is also well aged before even being released to the public. We tried the current release, a 2002 (6 years old at the time of our tasting). Great chocolate, cloves, other spices and touches of vanilla on the bouquet - a veritable drinkable sundae! The sugar, alcohol, acidity and flavors are extremely well balanced. There are also nice notes of cherry on the palate. They also make another unusual delicious late harvest wine out of Merlot. Their aging on some of the sweeter wines can easily go several years. During one visit we tasted through a vertical of several older vintages of their late harvest wines. This was a good opportunity to see how these wines age and change in the bottle. Our recommendation is to buy some of their newer vintages and let them age properly for several years. If you can't resist the urge to drink - buy an extra bottle for consumption when you get home and leave the others to age! Their wines are premium quality and are priced accordingly especially their older vintages. Many Napa wineries close at 4pm or maybe 5pm. Not Van Der Heyden - they are open until 6pm and with their southerly location on the Silverado Trail makes a good stop for folks heading back south out of the Valley. For more information visit www.vanderheydenvineyards.com |
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Vare Vineyards is owned and operated by George and Elsa Vare. George is a long time veteran in the Napa and Sonoma wine scene. Many people who are George's age have pursued retirement when they are coming from other industries but in our experience, long time veterans in the winemaking industry rarely "retire". Rather they start new winemaking projects and manage additional vineyards. George is one of the founders of Napa's Luna Vineyards on the Silverado trail and his own vineyards planted in 1996 supplied Luna with grapes for a number of years. No Stony Hill is not the only exclusively white wine producer in Napa - enter Vare Vineyards! This is such a rarity in the red wine dominated industry of Napa winemaking that in our wine odyssey of almost 460 wineries this is only one of 2 wineries focusing entirely on white wines. Most wineries have the obligatory Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc or maybe even Viognier, not so with Vare Vineyards.
They focus on North & North Eastern Italian and Slovenian white grape varietals which are fairly obscure in the USA and are really obscure in the Napa vineyard scene. Try varietals such as Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Grigio, and Tocai Friulano for starters! In fact the Ribolla Gialla is the only known planted commercial vineyard in the USA. Their vineyards are in the cooler Oak Knoll district towards the south end of the Napa Valley, backed right up against the Mayacamas mountain hillsides. As a result part of their vineyard is slightly elevated above the valley floor. We walked part of the vineyards - George uses a number of vineyard management techniques that are used in northern Italy and Slovenia as far as canopy and cordon management as well as tight spacing. Genetically speaking, Pinot Grigio (grey Pinot) is an unstable varietal. A normal Pinot Grigio grape will be reddish with some grey coloration but Vare has found all levels of this genetic instability in their vineyards. A select number of their vines produce only white/green grapes, a few vines produce white and reddish/grey clusters, some clusters have been found to contain white and reddish/grey fruit and get this, one year they found a berry that was a well delineated 1/2 red and the other half white! A few interesting pictures of these variations can be found here. Vare released their first commercial vintage in 2004. One of the benefits of being small and having an open mind with regards to different winemaking techniques and methods means that Vare often makes small lots. Case in point is their 2004 Biano Sulle Bucce. Sulle Bucce means "on the skins" in Italian and that is exactly how this wine was fermented. It is a blend of Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. Each varietal brings some neat characteristics to this wine. The Tocai we tried had very fruit forward aromas with an interesting spicy palate; the Ribolla Gialla brings body to the wine and doesn't actually take away from the other varietal characteristics. This wine is really a food wine and needs to be paired with a meal. It is extremely dark amber in color (don't see this color in Napa current release white wines very often!) with a fantastically strong nose with notes of caramel and toasted nuts. The wine is full bodied; the palate contains some interesting spices, lots of fruit and a hint of ginger snaps on the very long finish. We tried both the 2004 and 2005 Pinot Grigio. The 2004 wasn't commercially released and contains 17.4% alcohol. And we thought we had seen high alcohol with Charbay's 16.5% alcohol Rose! All of the Vare wines we tried have very nice aromatics, rich concentrated flavors with long finishes and the 2005 Pinot Grigio is no different. A nose of honey, caramel, melon and peach jump out of the glass with the fruit flavors continuing on to the palate. Time the finish on this wine! Also note Vare's Bianco and Bianco Reserve, a unique proprietary blend you won't find anywhere else. All their bottles use Nomex corks - no TCA in this wine. With a certain percentage of all wine being corked, this was a wise move especially when you consider the uniqueness of the varietals and the fact most people probably have never tried these types of wines. Don't want to take the chance of making a bad first time impression. In addition Vare uses 500mL bottles rather than the standard 750mL. This is the perfect size for restaurant wines and is a size rather under utilized by the wine industry due to these bottles being the same cost for the winery but the consumer receiving a third less wine. Vare also has 1.5 liter bottles for larger uses. Note the simple colored brushstroke on each bottle. Different colors stand for the type of wine. Due to very limited releases of each wine and a few partnerships with local area restaurants, the best way to acquire some of the wine is to join their mailing list. Visit: www.varevineyards.com |
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Varozza has records that show grapes were first planted on site in the early 1860's. This winery has been within the Varozza family since 1913 until the current owners first vintage in 2000, the last wine made here was from the 1940's. Originally they managed the vineyard and sold all the fruit to nearby well-known wineries. Today their total production is about 550 cases and they do still sell grapes to other winemakers. Each year they produce a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Petite Syrah. Their philosophy is that wine is meant to be consumed upon purchase (because it has already been aged by the winery) and be affordable to the majority of the population. As a result their wines are very reasonably priced by Napa standards. They have a longer aging program than many small wineries with about 36 months in Oak and then another year in bottle. We tried their first vintage ever which is the 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a very elegant nose with some blueberries on the palate and hints of vanilla from the oak. The tannins are soft with a long finish. Their 2002 Petite Sirah is a wonderful big wine that is very dark and inky in appearance with aromas of ground pepper and lots of blackberry flavors on the palate. Its ready to drink now but you can certainly lay this wine down for the next 8 to 10 years. You can find their wine locally at JV Wine in Napa and the Sunshine market in St. Helena. Visit: www.varozzavineyards.com |
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Venge now makes their wine at Silenus Vintner's. The owners of Merus have purchased the old Venge winery and are using it as their production facility. Major update coming by late 2008 (after harvest). |
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Versant Vineyards are located high on the slopes of Pritchard Hill at about 1500 feet and on a clear day you can easily see the San Pablo Bay at the far end of the Napa Valley and sometimes even the skyscrapers of San Francisco in the distance. In the last 15 years much of this area has been planted with vineyards and their nearby neighbors are Cloudview, Chappellet and Stagecoach. Versant has about 30 acres of planted varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petite Sirah. As of press time they currently make several hundred cases of a single vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and also sell quite a few of their grapes to other wineries. They have plans to ramp up production to about 1000 cases. This is a small family run winery; the owner and founder Richard Martin is an architect from Los Angeles who was good friends with Gustav Dalla Valle. Gustav was a vintner in the Napa Valley who encouraged Richard to plant vineyards - he also gave his stamp of approval after walking their current vineyard. The soils in this area are extremely rocky and often quite shallow. There is a cross section of the earth on site that clearly shows the characteristics of this soil. The first 4 or 5 feet are completely riddled with rocks and boulders leaving little soil and underneath the "soil" is solid bedrock. To grow and thrive in this environment is a testament to the strength of these grapevines and vineyard management.
Initially Richard wanted to grow and sell grapes exclusively - but the "Napa Allure" of owning a winery took over. The vineyards were planted in the mid 90's and by 2000 they released their first commercial wine after dabbling with home winemaking. The primary definition of Versant means slope or angle on the side of a mountain and this is a very true representation of their vineyards. We tried their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon which is slightly blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It is wine such as this that gives Napa its reputation of being an excellent Cabernet producing region. The alcohol is not too high, the tannins are well managed and the mouth feel is what you expect of very high quality Cabernet Sauvignon. It is soft, silky and smooth in the mouth with just a touch of tannins and smoke on the finish. The nose is strong and opulent with aromas of ripe blueberries and blackberries. The grapes for this wine are whole berry fermented and aged in new French Oak for some 18 months. A variety of Tuscan olive oil varietals are planted on site and each year Versant produces high quality olive oil. It is always refreshing to try olive oil from small producers after having tasted more than our share of the mass produced bulk olive oil. This is an oil that has its own unique flavors which taste much more "natural" compared to the mass produced oils. www.versantvineyards.com |
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The soil on the slopes is typically about 8 inches deep and before planting the rock under the soil was cracked by machines to allow for roots to grow deep in to the ground. Unlike most hillside Napa Valley vineyards Viader does not use terracing - rather they plant their grapes in west facing rows flowing straight down the up to 32% grade slopes. Viader's flagship wine is simply called Viader which is a Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon blend. They have one of the best Cabernet Francs we have tasted in Napa Valley - this is found under their DARE label. Also an excellent Tempranillo, and a light yet rich Rose of Cabernet grapes. All their vineyards are farmed Biodynamically. You may see other wineries in the valley farming in this manner. Briefly Biodynamically farming 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). This winery consistently receives high awards in the wine industry. If Delia is not there during your visit you can pose for a photo with a real size cardboard cut out of her! Visit: www.viader.com |
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Their vineyard is quite unique - it has three distinct soil types within the small acreage, a tufa, a rocky section and a very clay like block. In addition, the vineyard is entirely south facing for optimum exposure and sunlight and sits in an area where nice breezes flow through the vineyards. As a result, mildew and other molds that might cause problems are kept to a minimum. Art is the vineyard manager; he keeps the watering to a minimum. He compares this to how vineyards are managed in Bordeaux France where you can water for 3 years to get the vines established and then they are dry farmed after that. The terroir, minimal watering, dropping of fruit, clonal choice and long hang time ensures they have fruit that is rich and concentrated. They produce the one vintage each year, entirely estate grown and 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. As a result of their small vineyard and the fact that they do drop fruit, their typical production runs merely approximately 300 cases a year. A variety of French coopers are used for the aging; all who produce tightly grained barrels including one cooper in which the trees have to be at least 150 years old before the wood is used. This tight grain in the wood allows for very slow integration of flavor into the wine and does not dominate (yes these barrels are more expensive then the typical French Oak barrel!). All new French Oak is used. Andy Schweiger, their winemaker has been on board since day 1 - he works at his own family winery located at a similar elevation in a neighboring mountain appellation. As a result he has lots of experience with mountain grown fruit which is exactly what the Goulards were looking for when they hired him. Their first commercial vintage was in 2004 and right out of the gate it earned a 92 rating from the Wine Spectator. Not a bad way to start with your first vintage! We tried this aforementioned wine. It is unfined and unfiltered for maximum color and flavor. Natural yeasts are used during the fermentation - the winemaker's philosophy is "let the grapes speak for themselves" and this wine is certainly an excellent example of this. Yes, it is very dark and inky with earthy aromas, think forest floor. As the wine opens up the bouquet evolves into more fruit driven aromas with additional notes of mocha and chocolate. The fruit explodes on the palate - rich and layered, its mouth watering attributes are all from the natural acidity. Flavors of blueberry, blackberry, plum and black current lead to a wonderful long finish! A rounded mouth feel with a smooth velvety touch on the palate makes this wine a delight to drink. You can find their wine locally at Sunshine Market and Press Restaurant in St. Helena or through their website. They also have a mailing list. A small exclusive private guesthouse is located on site accessible by automatic gate. Come here when you want a "secret" vineyard getaway and are looking for *absolute privacy*. A hot tub overlooks vineyard land through pine trees and a full kitchen is available in case you want to cook or hire a chef to provide meals. If you want to enjoy a full package - stay here and also request a tour of the property, vineyard and a tasting. For more information about their cottage and to make reservations visit: www.villahermosacottages.com and for their winery site visit: www.villahermosacellars.com |
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Choose from two tastings, one includes select wines from both Villa Mt. Eden and Conn Creek and the other from their list of entirely single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from Conn Creek. Their 2005 Pinot Noir from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley (central California) is full of mature fruit and not as earthy as some Pinots. Thats not a bad thing! Their 2004 Grand Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet is one of the best Napa Cab quality to price values in the valley. At $18/bottle this is about the lowest price Napa Cab you can find. It is an everyday drinking Cabernet, light to medium bodied with nice plum and hints of toasted oak on the nose and the touch of Cab Franc rounds out the smooth finish very nicely. Several Zinfandels are also available for tasting. Their Orange Muscat is probably the lightest Muscat we've tried in the valley and the vintage we tasted was only 4% alcohol. Definitely the lowest alcohol wine out of the 400+ wineries we have tasted at to date! Sometimes you can get a free tasting coupon if you visit the Conn Creek Website & signup for their mailing list. Another neat feature of this winery is their appointment only barrel tastings starting in early mid 2008. In their barrel room they have one barrel from each of the 14 distinct appellations within the Napa area. These barrel tastings represent specific terroirs and a rare opportunity to taste from all 14 AVA's in one location. Visit: www.villamteden.com |
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Vin Roc is owned and operated by Michael G. Parmenter and Kiky Lee. We have met with Napa vintners from a variety of backgrounds including a former prison guard, a marine biologist, cattle rancher, but this is the first vintner whose background was at a shoe company. This is truly a small family owned winery as both Michael and Kiky handle everything themselves from the vineyard management to the winemaking. Winemaking starts in the vineyards and mention must be made about their own vineyard. It is 5 acres at an elevation of 1600 feet on the slopes just below Atlas Peak. Growing conditions are excellent as they are above the fog line and even though the days may warm up in the summer, the nights are typically cool. This is mountain grown Cabernet Sauvignon country and that is the varietal they focus their efforts on. Everything at this winery is completely micromanaged and often their harvest can take 4 to 6 weeks as not every block ripens at once. Only a ton is picked at any one time and only specific clusters are harvested when acidity, flavor and sugar is at the desired level. They will go back a number of times to pick only ripe clusters throughout the harvest. The ripe blocks of their vineyard are harvested and then allowed to ferment and age totally separate from the other blocks until the final blending decisions take place. The terroir is volcanic rock and red soil - perfect growing conditions for high end Cabernet. As a result, yields are low and flavors are concentrated.
As of press time their production is extremely limited often just several hundred cases. Recently they introduced a "fun wine" - as during Kiky's trips to Southern France she would enjoy Rose wine. Not often finding a "true" Rose in Napa, they decided to produce small amounts of this. Enter Enjoie, a very unique blend of Grenache and Barbara. These varietals are not usually found in Napa and they source the fruit from Lodi. This wine was not created by bleeding off juice, i.e. the commonly used Saignee method. Rather it was made in the tradition of Southern France where the juice is allowed to sit on the skins for a short while, creating a nice dark pink color. It was picked lower in sugar thus allowing the acidity to be higher. This wine pairs well with food or can also be served as a stand alone wine, especially in summer. Nice citrus orange aromas followed by vibrant fruit flavors on the palate including strawberry and cherry. 2004 was their first commercial release. We tried the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. There is just a nuance of cedar in the bouquet with nice ripe fruit that is well balanced with acidity and structure. You can certainly drink this now, but its going to continue to evolve with some aging. When attention to detail is provided on a micro level such as with Vin Roc you can't help but make stellar wines. This is reflected in many of the tastings they participate in, often receiving very high accolades for their Cabernet Sauvignon. As they say, this wine will "roc-U", but in a good way! Visit: www.vinrocnapa.com We will visit the winery at some point and will update this review then. |
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Vinatieri Winery is owned by Pat Vinatieri. He has a long history of making wine for himself, friends and family and after receiving much encouragement and praise for his wine, decided to offer it commercially. The first vintage was released in 2001. It is called the Grand Meritage and incorporates five Bordeaux varietals which include Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. This is a very dark inky style unfiltered wine blend which is very rich in flavor. It is well extracted with delicious fruit on the palate including cherry. The wine is full bodied with a beautiful long finish. The tannins are well managed and having a few extra years in the bottle has really helped this wine come together. Pat has visited Italy many times and fell in love with the old-world style of winemaking. During his time in Italy he would visit a region and ask to visit the most "well-known" winery, and or winemaker in that region. He would make the most of these visits, often sitting down with the winemakers and "picking their brains" for ideas and techniques both enologically and viticulturally. It is these ideas that gave him the basis for creating a vineyard and a winemaking style that closely resembles the top winemakers in northern Italy.
His family name Vinatieri literally means "wine of the earth" and "winemaker". Pat has lived in the Yountville region of the Napa Valley since 1978. During the mid 1990's many vineyards were planting their Cabernet Sauvignon on their highest quality land and planting other varietals elsewhere. Pat planted all the Bordeaux varietals on prime vineyard land with the thought to blend all the varietals from only the best "teroir". It is this type of field blending (varietals planted that are interspersed with other varietals) that creates such a captivating wine. As in Italy where meals can be quite lengthy, Vinatieri's wine is very food friendly and is meant to be consumed with meals. Compatible conversation, with good food and this wine makes for a memorable time! As of press time, the wine is *only* available by visiting the website and contacting the winery directly via phone or email. Production is very small - typically 150 to 450 cases per year, depending on the individual harvest. This wine has already been well received and its just a matter of time before its scooped up by high end restaurants and retailers. Plans are in the works for distribution in select markets, restaurants and wine shops. Stay posted for more details. Visit: www.vinatieriwine.com |
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The winery was started by Vincent, a former mechanical engineer from Silicon Valley who was looking for a more "rural" lifestyle. He was attracted to the farming aspect of the business and today still helps manage the vineyards as well as is the head winemaker. When he purchased the property there was much work to be done - prunes still grew on site (yes, Napa used to be full of prune and walnut orchards) and he removed many of the older vines and replanted. Vincent Arroyo has really grown - from 23 acres at the time of purchase and just a few hundred cases to over 85 acres today and about 8000 cases. All of their red grapes come from from the estate vineyards. For such a low production winery their prices are very reasonable. Vincent, the owner and winemaker, purchased land here in 1974 but typically sold the grapes to other winemakers - his first vintage was 1984. The wines are only sold at the winery - there is no distribution whatsoever other than from the winery or if you are a wine club member. They make one white, a Chardonnay and all the rest are red varietals. Even the "winery dogs" get in on the winemaking action. This is something you have to ask about! They have a variety of oak aging programs with their Bordeaux varietals seeing only French Oak and the Petite Sirah and Zinfandel seeing some American Oak. Some of their wines barrel age up to 24 months. Also of note are the variety of events held at the winery; a highlight is their "Amigos de Arroyo" in which up to 80 people help with harvest by picking grapes and taking them back to the winery for crush. This is open by lottery system. In addition they hold an annual winemaker dinner, open house every May, and a wonderful barrel sampling event held every February. Visit: www.vincentarroyo.com |
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If the weather permits you may even taste outside in the shade of the nearby trees overlooking the pond and other parts of their property. The caves are nicely laid out with no stacking of the barrels. Their production varies each year but is around 7000 cases with plenty of cave space left over. Ask for Steve if he is working - he knows many of the wineries in the Napa Valley. He has been in the industry for a long time and as a result has a wealth of information. Steve can discuss vintages from different area wineries like child's play and can provide insights in regards to variations with vintages. Vine Cliff makes high end highly crafted wines - always striving to produce improved vintages. They concentrate on two varietals, several Cabernet Sauvignons and a Chardonnay from the southern cooler Carneros district. They own three vineyards, Carneros, Calistoga and of course their main estate property. All vineyards are farmed sustainably. We started out with the 2006 Chardonnay - this is a nice example of what you can do with Carneros grown chardonnay. Much of this wine is from the highly regarded French Dijon clone. Nice aromas of tropical fruit as well as also mixed with fresh stone fruit - with more fruit including apricot as well as notes of toasted almond and crème Brule. The 2005 Cabernet Franc is a juicy perfectly crafted wine of this varietal - no vegetative characteristics on this wine, its all about the fruit. The story you often hear with Cabernet Franc in the Napa area is that it is rarely made. Well, compared to Cabernet Sauvignon this holds some credence, but we've seen it as its own varietal at probably 50 Napa wineries. The 2005 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is from the estate and is a very good representation of their hillside terroir and the multiple clones and vineyard blocks that go into making this wine. This is a classic California Cabernet - rich ripe fruit full of berries - a muscular wine if you will but restrained with mocha, chocolate and a exotic smokiness gracing the nose. The real high end Cabernet Sauvignon it the Private Stock 16 rows from their Calistoga vineyard. If you enjoy their wines, be sure to join their wine club. The club is small but gives you access to limited production reserve wines - it is a well managed club with members being those who actually enjoy the wine and want to be a part of the Vine Cliff experience. Private meals can be arranged in their cave or on site. Several wines are sold exclusively at the winery. As of press time, additional plans have been approved to dig into the hill and create a unique tasting tasting room that is outdoors and set back against the hill. This is slated to open by mid summer 2009 and will give Vine Cliff a true tasting facility, rather than in the caves or in their barrel aging room. For more information visit: www.vinecliff.com |
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Everything at Vineyard 29 is micro managed and as the owner Chuck says jobs here can take up to 10x as long as at other area wineries. Their focus is on quality and limited productions. Rather than harvesting grapes in large containers, they harvest grapes into small 40 pound boxes. Gentle handling is priority throughout harvest; grapes start fermentation as soon as the become crushed. Vineyard 29's post picking efforts result in fermentation that starts when they want it to. They hand sort individual berries several times and only the highest fruit is allowed to go into tank, berry by berry! During harvest, if you stand at the end of where their sorting table drops off, all you will see are perfectly ripe berries - no jacks, stems or other distractions. Fermentations tend to be long - as they are trying to extract as much flavor as possible. The "guts" of this winery are a real treat to see. Everything is very modern as the main facility was completed in 2003. They have several huge new French oak barrels that are only used 5x and then replaced. How many Napa wineries can gravity feed wine from their main tanks located in a separate room into barrels in their caves? This is a state of the art process perfected by Vineyard 29 - wine is transferred directly from their tanks through a conduit in the wall to the barrels in the caves. Pretty slick! They generate their own energy on site and are one of the most environmentally friendly wineries in the Napa Valley. Lights in the cave's automatically turn on as you walk in. The caves are plush, elegant and a fine blend of function and beauty - they culminate in their sensuous dramatic Library Tasting room where you will typically try three wines. This is definitely among the most elegant tasting rooms that we have visited in Napa. These are also among the few caves we've seen in Napa Valley that are sloped - which helps with managing the barrels, water flow and other winemaking efforts. Their wines are like drinking liquid velvet - all the ones we tasted are well balanced between flavor, acidity and tannin structure. If you will, a bottle of Vineyard 29 contains the best fruit their vineyards can offer - it is a true balance between terroir and technology. Their well-respected winemaker is Philippe Melka who also has his hand in other high end Napa Wineries including Marston and Roy Estate. Their main wines are a delicious Zinfandel from their nearby Aida vineyard (Turley used to produce Zinfandel from this vineyard), the Aida Red Wine (blend) and their very high end Cabernet Sauvignon. Their wines often score very high among wine writers especially with Robert Parker. They have a mailing list but there is a multi-year wait to get on this. Vineyard 29 historically supports a variety of charities; one of their wines was hand crafted to support Hurricane relief efforts and raised more than $150,000, all of which was donated! You can find their wine locally at some of the high end Napa restaurants. We could go on an on about this winery but you can wet your appetite with a visit to their website: www.vineyard29.com |
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The winery sits a short ways in on the Spring Mountain "summit winery" road and affords one fantastic views of Mt. St. Helena and the neighboring mountains. The entrance to the winery is built to resemble a home and you would not guess the size and functionality incorporated into the building until you go downstairs or see it from the backside. A massive 700 pound copper door greets you at the entrance and once inside you step into a room with a 180 degree windowed view of the surrounding mountains. The massive table in this room is made from wood dated at over 40,000 years old. It is Kauri wood from New Zealand and is considered some of the oldest workable wood in the world. Amazing! During their initial years they sold entirely wholesale but now they also sell direct to consumers. The owner's son Wesley is assistant winemaker after working as cellar master at the famed Harlan cult winery. Their winemaker comes from a French winemaking family and as a result has much experience working in France and in the Napa Valley. Since the Steffen Family purchased the vineyards, great attention to detail has gone into the actual vineyard management as well as during harvest. Specific rows are picked only when they are ready meaning specific blocks of the vineyard are picked at multiple times to ensure only ripe fruit is used. A number of small tanks ensures that they have enough room to micro manage fermentations block by block. A kitchen is located on site and private food and wine pairings will be offered. Total production is quite limited at about 1800 cases - some of which is distributed in the far east including China (the number 8 is considered lucky in some Asian cultures!) Their 2004 Chardonnay is a very nice representation of what you can do with Spring Mountain grown fruit. Its an elegant wine with a nice nuance of lemon, pineapple and some toasted nut flavors. The other wine produced is Cabernet Sauvignon. We tried the 2004 vintage. An interesting nose contains some mocha, very ripe berry fruit, think raspberry and blackberry. The palate is nicely balanced and the tannins integrate very well on the very smooth and long finish. Visit: www.vineyard7and8.com |
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Vinoce Vineyards is owned and operated by a husband wife team, Brian & Lori Nuss. Their vineyard is the northern most vineyard in the Mt. Veeder Appellation. We recently had a chance to visit their vineyards which contain 24 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Franc and Merlot perched on hillsides entirely surrounded by native vegetation. Mountain Lion, deer and sometimes black beer call this area home. The Mt. Veeder Appellation has some of the most remote vineyards in all of Napa County and Vinoce's Vineyards are no different. Rugged hillsides and forested slopes in all directions make this one of the more remote vineyard locations in Napa County. Brian & Lori moved here in the mid 1980's seeking an alternative to the urban life they left behind in Los Angeles. Brian was involved in a non wine related business but as has happened with a number of people we have met who moved to the Napa area was bitten by the Napa Allure. Within several years they had cleared and planted the slopes to grapes. Brian is the vineyard manager as well as the winemaker. He subscribes to the adage that most of winemaking occurs in the vineyards and as a result great attention to detail is given to every single vine from pruning and trellising to crop management.
All grapes for their wine come from their estate vineyards with the exception of their Sauvignon Blanc which is sourced from Napa's Pope Valley. Vinoce's total production is about 2000 cases. We started our tasting with the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. This is a nice easy drinking wine that would pair well with appetizers or by itself before a meal. Aromas of orange, lemon, lemon grass and other herbaceous qualities fill the glass. As the wine opens up melon and slight hints of pineapple come out on the palate. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon we tried was produced in extremely limited quantities. The reason for this downturn in production is a freak hail storm hit the vineyard after fruit had set and destroyed the majority of the crop. An event such as this is much more likely to occur in the Mendoza wine growing region of Argentina (where special nets are placed on top of high end vineyards to guard against such damage). In any case what ended up in the bottle is very representative of Mt. Veeder grown fruit. It is a dark inky wine with a big nose with earthy aromas and white ground pepper followed by flavors of cherry, plum and chocolate. The finish is slightly spicy, warm and is extended in length. The third wine they make is a proprietary blend of predominately Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. You can taste their wines at the Vintner's Collective (described immediately below) located near downtown Napa. Vinoce was the first winery to have its wines available for tasting at Vintner's Collective. They are also well distributed within the USA and can also be found in select locations in southern Vietnam of all places! Visit: www.vinoce.com |
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The inside is beautifully decorated and each winery has their own plaque at the tasting bar. Friday afternoons are a great time to hit this place; regardless of when you visit, the staff is always friendly, attentive and quite knowledgeable (they do a great job keeping track of many different wines from all their vintners). The owners of Vintner's Collective also make their own wine under the Las Bonitas label. This wine is always very small production and the types of varieties vary each year depending on availability. Vintner's Collective is within walking distance of the historical downtown Napa and there is ample street parking in the area if for some reason you cannot find space in their own good size parking lot. Private tastings and pairings are held upstairs in their "vintner's room" by appointment only. In addition to being a hub for tasting wine from small producers, Vintner's Collective also can secure special rates on hotels, can help with private winery tours and reservations and provides exclusive access to La Casita Bonita cottage in historic downtown Napa. This is a small 2-bedroom home built in 1927 and located within walking distance to many of the tasting rooms and restaurants. Large plasma TV, gourmet kitchen and even hens producing fresh eggs are all part of the experience. Well received press from a variety of well-known newspapers and wine guides has made Vintner's Collective one of the hottest places to visit in the downtown Napa area. As of press time they were tasting the following wineries: Ahnfeldt Wines, Ancien Wines, Buoncristiani Family Winery, Destino Wines , Gregory Graham, Longfellow, Melka Wines, Mi Sueno Winery, Parallel, Richard Perry, Showket Vineyards, Spelletich Cellars & Vinoce Vineyards. We enjoyed the D Cubed Cellars Howell Mountain Zin (one of the few exclusively Zinfandel wineries in Napa Valley - and the awesome Cabernet made by Phelan Vineyards. Ask about the Downtown Napa Wine Tasting Card - multiple downtown area tasting rooms participate in this - for a one-time fee you can visit & taste at each of their tasting rooms. Visit: www.vintnerscollective.com |
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Vinum Cellars is run by two winemakers, Richard Bruno and Chris Condos who met when they were both studying at UC Davis. They are certainly not the first Napa winery to start after meeting while studying at Davis! This winery produces varietals not often found from Napa based wineries including Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, Grenache & Mourvedre. All fruit for their wines come from vineyards they have locked up in long term contracts. Sourcing from the same vineyards builds consistency and overtime the winemaker becomes familiar with the type of fruit produced from each vineyard. To be fair, most of this fruit does not come from the Napa Valley, rather it is sourced among other varietals from 10 vineyards in California ranging from Santa Barbara in the south to El Dorado County in the north (Sierra Nevada foothills). However, this is done for a reason. Both winemakers feel that specific teroirs best represent specific varietals and the Napa area is certainly not the premium growing region for a number of the varietals that they produce. However, Napa is synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon and they do make a Napa Cabernet. They are open to experimenting with different types of yeast and typically use specific strains of yeast based on the actual varietal. Their white wines are aged sur lie which help create bigger mouth feels and more complexity to the flavors. They stress skin contact during their fermentations - only open top fermentors are used, punch downs are all conducted by hand and the grapes go through extended maceration before the juice is pressed out. Their focus is on the varietal characteristics and older French Oak barrels are used.
They have scoured California for the best growing regions for each of their varietals. One of their vineyards in El Dorado County is organically grown by someone who also grows stone fruits (peaches, apricots etc). This farmer ensures his vineyards and crops are carefully managed and it is vineyards such as this one that helps this winery stand out. The one vineyard they source from in the Napa Valley is located in the far north of the valley near the town of Calistoga. This vineyard supplies the grapes for their delicious Cabernet Sauvignon Rose. This is an affordable easy drinking wine with flavors of raspberry, strawberry, and cherry. It is a soft wine and the finish has hints of red cherry and spices. All their wines are made at the famous Napa Wine Co in the heart of the Napa Valley in Rutherford. You can even taste an array of their wines at the Cult Tasting Room at Napa Wine Co. Their wines are priced extremely reasonable when you think about the fact that they are all hand made in fairly low quantities. As of press time, their Chenin Blanc is a steal at $10/bottle! Visit: www.vinumcellars.com |
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Wine enthusiasts and those looking to get away from the main part of Napa Valley should seriously consider a visit to the Eisele vineyard property. We recently had a chance to walk the vineyards - they are in a beautiful secluded location and are a combination of hillside and valley floor. Volker Eisele has 400 acres of which 60 are planted to vines. They are hidden away, east of St. Helena in Chiles Valley, an extremely narrow arm of the Napa Valley that seems worlds away from the crowds you often find in the main part of Napa. Here there is a nice balance between the natural landscape and vineyards. The Eiseles have always used a holistic approach to their farming. They've farmed organically since the vineyards were planted and have since earned their CCOF and Green certifications. Vineyards in this area were originally planted in the late 1800's and these original "footprints" were still in place at the time the land was purchased. The Eiseles have only planted where the original vineyards were and as a result have not had to remove additional trees from the property. Volker Eisele has served as president of the Napa County Farm Bureau as well as of the Napa Valley Grape Growers. The original winery is still standing, Rather than the typical Napa ghost winery that is mostly built out of local quarried stone, this winery is completely wooden. The original press and some of the old wood tanks are also still preserved. On average Chiles Valley is cooler than the main part of Napa Valley and sees a fair amount of fog. With proper fruit thinning and canopy management, combined with the cool weather, veraison and harvest are usually 3-4 weeks later than the valley floor. They often pick until the end of October with up to a month between their first and last pickings of the Cabernet Sauvignon. This results in a very long growing season helping to ensure that the fruit ripens slowly and evenly. We started our tasting with the 2006 Gemini . This white wine is an unusual blend (for Napa that is) of 72% Semillon and 28% Sauvignon Blanc. This is a white wine that will actually age quite well - the characteristics of the Semillon help in this regard. It has a certain phenolic grip - not as much as the more weighty Roussane white grape varietal but just enough to give a bigger mouth feel than just a Sauvignon Blanc. Nice floral and tropical notes are found on the bouquet, with a rounded rich mouth feel - pear and stone fruit flavors. The finish has slight mineral notes with a pleasant almost a dusty graphite quality. The 2004 Estate Cabernet (blended with Merlot) is a very nice wine to pair with food - think something tomato based. It has bright fruit and lively acidity with a very elegant nose with notes of dried rose petals. Beautiful fruit shows on the palate, dark cherry with a structured finish that is slightly smoky. This is their most produced wine. A real "winner" is their Terrzetto which was |
