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George is in his 70's now and has a lifetime of experience including some trial and error in the wine industry. The focus of his tours are educational and questions are encouraged. You can tell a true farmer by looking at their hands. If they are spotless they are not a farmer - just before our tour, George had come in from the fields with dirty hands and scuffed up jeans. The tours are typically limited to no more than 8 people. Much of George's tour takes place in the actual vineyards and includes a lot of viticulture information you won't pick up from other wine tours. You will refreshingly see the "other side of Napa" from a farming perspective. Hendry's vineyards are located just north of the Carneros border; the property has several different soil types and micro climates. As a result all parts of their vineyards are block designated based on these characteristics. This allows Hendry to really micromanage their wines and produce the type of wine best suited to the block's specific characteristics. There are 203 acres on site, of which 117 are planted. The vineyards are then separated into 49 unique blocks, each of which is managed and controlled separately both in the vineyard and in the winery. Water is an issue in this area and Hendry tends to dry farm their vineyards after the vines have been well established, usually after 5 or 6 years. His vineyards are extremely diverse ranging from cooler moister regions near a local creek up to higher drier benchland. George has been keeping rainfall records on the property over the past 50 years and on average has interestingly noticed that his vineyard receives several more inches of rain today then when he first started keeping track. After the vineyard explanations you will make your way through their state of the art 22,000 square foot gravity flow winery. What is neat here is how the 2nd story is designed. The second floor wraps around openings of the tops of the steel tanks. The tanks are built right into the design of the winery - rather than having climb ladders to get to the top of the tanks or needing catwalks. They also have their own bottling line which makes it very convenient for bottling both their own wines as well as the several custom crush clients on site. George has conducted tests on his older Chardonnay's that were bottled with corks. He noticed varying degrees of oxidation between each of the wines and also how the flavors were affected. These wines in other words did not age consistently. He also conducted blind tasting tests on some of his wine club members between screw capped wines and wines that were bottled with corks (same wine, same vintages). Finding that most people chose the screw capped versions and based on his studies of older chardonnays, he now bottles his lighter white wines, the Chardonnays and some of his lighter reds with screw caps. He has noticed how screw caps keep the wine fresher, preserve the "fruitiness and extend the shelf life. The end of the tour ends with a rather extensive tasting. You will typically try 10-12 different wines at a sit down tasting in front of their enclosed cellar. Note the unique placemats - these show a map outline of all their vineyard blocks. Unlike all tastings we've been to in Napa where someone pours the wine, George passed the bottle around the table and we doled out our own small portions. Borrowing from wine terminology George holds three "blocks" dear when making wine, keep the alcohol under control for a number of this wines, produce dry wines - not sweet, and do not allow oak to take control of the flavors. George is also passionate about how wine should pair with food and will make pairing suggestions for every one of the wines you taste. If your tour is closer to lunch time you may find yourself becoming quite hungry just listening to his pairing advice! George grows Albarino, a Spanish varietal very uncommon to the Napa Valley (only several producers make wine from this varietal in the area). This is a varietal that grows in the cooler coastal regions of South West Spain and the cooler southern part of Napa makes an ideal area to grow this grape. This is a lighter styled wine that is fairly high in acid. Notes of citrus blossom and pomelo are found on the palate; this wine will pair well with a variety of seafood's especially shellfish. George also uses this wine to make salad dressing (Albarino wine, olive oil and a touch of lemon). An interesting side by side comparison is his un-oaked Chardonnay and his barrel fermented Chardonnay. Its fairly easy to notice the color differences between the two wines and the aromas and flavors are pronouncedly different. The unoaked Chardonnay is a true varietal expression of this grape whereas the oaked version brings a more rounded mouth feel and additional flavors imparted from the oak including a nuttiness, notes of almond and zesty spicy notes. We do not normally drink a lot of Pinot Noir but George's Pinot is quite appealing. With Pinot Noir he subscribes to the "less is more" theory in that this wine shows less intensity but rather displays a broader range of flavor or as he says, "I strive to make a Pinot Noir that is complex rather than macho"! This wine was fermented using wild yeast. The 2006 has an elegant nose with notes of slightly baked cherry and baking spices. This is a very well balanced wine with a long finish. A number of the wines are labeled with a specific block number and include fruit from just that one block. With 11 varietals planted on site Hendry makes a variety of wines. Other standouts include their Primitivo, several Zinfandels, a Bordeaux blend and their "biggest wine", the Cabernet Sauvignon. All their wines are *extremely* reasonably priced for Napa standards. Hendry's wines have generally received positive press but as George says, "the critics can't taste the wines for you" and he encourages you to try them yourself. You must make an appointment for a visit to the winery. Visit: www.hendrywines.com Wine with Tony |
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