Tasted Friday, April 10, 2015 by ageverett with 423 views
Day 2 was a full schedule in the top of the valley. We managed to snag a late chance to get into French Laundry, and reservation was at 5:30. So no time to waste. Started with Rivers-Marie at 10:00, quick lunch at Solbar, then Mike Smith at 1:00. William Cole rounded out the afternoon before heading to an epic dinner.
Really gracious of Will to offer to host us for a tasting at the Rivers-Marie office in Calistoga. We poured through a wide variety of wines, and took our time discussing them. They were all pop and pour, but he did splash decant the Summa Old Vines for just a bit. This was the most educational of any of our stops. Will gave us lots of details on the vineyards; not just those that we tasted, but others where Thomas Brown makes wine in Napa and Sonoma. Overall he indicated that the 2012 pinots can drink now, and 2013 will need to wait. 2013 was just a huge vintage.
We met Mike in the private tasting room at Envy. This is where Mike makes almost all of his wines (Myriad; Quivet; Becklyn; 12c). He was also hosting a couple that won a charity auction for a tasting, as well as a couple of friends of his. All wines were accessed with a Coravin. We swirled and drank - no real air time (other than whatever it may have been exposed to in bottle).
Mike also gave us a cool tour of the winery. He owns his own tanks, which gives him more freedom in decision making for his wines. Mike is an incredibly down-to-earth guy that we enjoyed immensely. We stuck around after the other guests departed and chatted with Mike about wine for quite a while. Really nice to see Mike getting some publicity and recognition for his wines. I only hope that he can keep the price at current levels - I think basically all of his wines are bargains. He noted that his pricing is driven by fruit costs, and particularly Beckstoffer vineyards continue to ramp up prices.
Really a neat old property just West of highway 29. Lots of history - the main structure has been there for a very long time. Cellar is compact, but very presentable. The wood box for the Ten wine is pretty cool, and I couldn't help buy buy a bottle. This is a "luxury" brand, and everything about it is top notch. Packaging, presentation, etc.
We had our tasting up on the patio outside of the residence. Such a gorgeous day. Had a bit of cheese as well.
Such an incredible meal. My wife ranks as her favorite of all time. I am not far behind her - I would still give Alinea a slight edge.
The wine list is impressive. But the early dishes have a lot of seafood, and I just wasn't sure that a big red wine would go well across the board. They don't do "pairings," but the somm helped steer us towards doing two half bottles, which was just right. The red was decanted for about an hour.
Incredible day. Much more pinot than I have ever had in Napa in one day, but really fun to learn about it and get a "shift" from cab for a bit. Was nice to end the eveening relatively early to recharge for Day 3.
2013 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Joy Road Vineyard 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Just not my thing. Oak and honeysuckle. Less oak on the palate and good acidity on the finish. Full bodied and ageable.
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2013 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Much more my style. Golden in color. Less oak than the Joy Road, but still full bodied. Lighter. I would buy this in spades.
Right next to Summa vineyard.
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2013 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Old Vines 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Splash decant. Gorgeous wine. Spice/pepper and orange peel.
Incredible depth - I know that this will be a monster in 10 years, but it has a deep pit of aromatics that will draw you in right now.
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2013 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Lots of fruit on this guy. Crowd pleaser. Open for business. Best candidate of the R-M pinots for early drinking.
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2013 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
This is the "outlier" of the group. Much more Old World in style. Lots of funk and forest floor.
That said, I dig it.
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2013 Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
50% whole cluster
teeth-staining purple. Pepper and spice. Pretty solid grip.
Just seems a bit disjointed and overbearing right now.
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2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Corona Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
This will hit you in the face.
Small, tight berries. Produces a powerhouse. Still quite tannic - won't settle for a few years. Black flavor.
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