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The winery building dates from 2004. Besides their wines, this is a destination winery (one of only a few "Destination Wineries" along the Silverado Trail). At the entrance, you drive past the metal gates which are always open during their normal operating hours. Then you drive down a very long narrow road with water bubbling up in the grass median and arrive at the winery. In the prestigious tradition of Opus One, at this point you have to choose whether you are a "right side" or "left side" parker - as parking lots are available on both sides. If its raining courtesy umbrellas located under a larger umbrella are available for you to carry between the parking lot and the winery. Walking up to this winery is like walking onto a Hollywood set. This winery is a modern looking building which "looks old" as it takes its historical influences from ancient Persian looking columns and general architecture. Many columns supporting nothing greet you at the main entrance. You saunter into the main room and may well see chic well dressed men and women lounging at the nearly 360 degree square wine counter. If they look up at your entrance, they are merely looking to validate that you are one of them. If they don't look up, they are too into their wine and this is a better sign. If tasting in the winter, enjoy a seat in front of the blazing fireplace. The fireplace's headstone, appropriately rests on the heads of two metal men and contains what appear to be ancient hieroglyphic scribbling. Ask the wine pourer at the wine counter to translate for you. There are a number of couches and coves throughout the tasting room area and you will often see people sitting down enjoying a more relaxed tasting. The tasting counter is rather unique; it looks like a broken windshield but is actually composed of several layers of glass with the broken glass being the bottom layer. The wine tasting fee is $25 and includes at least one white, a red or two, and their signature Cabernet Sauvignon. What sets this winery apart from other wineries other than the very unique architecture are their unique tastings (by appointment). Darioush has a distinctive partnership with Marin County's, Cowgirl Creamery. On Darioush's $50, 90-minute tour and tasting called Fine Wines, Artisan Cheeses, you are treated to hard-to-find limited production cheeses from family farms, and special winery release and library wines which you cannot find outside of this winery. This tour and tasting is offered once a day at 2pm. Advance reservations are a must. Another very exclusive event is Darioush's "By Invitation Only" event. This once a day event is offered only on the weekends and will appeal to serious wine enthusiasts. It is a two hour experience in which you will try wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy as well as their Signature series wines. This is a rare opportunity at a Napa based winery to actually taste wines from some of France's top producers. Two outdoor spots worth mentioning are the amphitheater which is for small intimate performances it only seats about 180. They also have a special section setup in the vineyard just north of the winery for private tastings - this is a beautiful spot in summer as you are entirely surrounded by vines. During our latest visit, we tasted through their flight of current releases. A few are listed here. The 2008 Viognier has a pleasing bouquet showcasing well integrated flavors including notes of pear, red apple and citrus blossom. The palate is slightly creamy with a nice weight that carries from start to finish. The finish is fairly long. The 2006 Signature Merlot (blended with 5% Cabernet Franc) shows some notes of cigar smoke and blackberry in the glass with a somewhat soft entry but a surprisingly intense long finish (all fruit). The 2006 Duel (60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Shiraz) has a nice bouquet that is somewhat spicy but reveals more fruit as it breathes. Sour plum and cherry show on the palate with dusty tannins anchoring the finish. The 2006 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon is a fairly dark wine in the glass with flavors of blueberry and blackberry. Like the Merlot this wine also shows intense fruit. Darioush also produces a 100% varietal Cabernet Franc. The bouquet on the 2006 vintage is the most elegant of any of their wines we tried - the palate is clean with notes of blueberry and red cherry leading to a clean lingering finish. This was our favorite wine. For more information visit: www.darioush.com Toni Mori's wine tour: |
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