My first trip to Napa, Ca.
Tasted Thursday, July 9, 2009 - Saturday, July 11, 2009 by gripNsip with 1,619 views
Introduction
My first trip to Napa, Ca. I had heard many people say "Oh Napa is so commercial now and it's all about the money and not the wine", being originally from Oregon and naturally hating everything about California, I believed the hype. Napa however, was surprisingly open, very friendly overall and was incredibly beautiful. Quite a strange contrast to the Willamette Valley where all of the vines are on the hills, nearly all of the vines in Napa are in the bottom of the valley.
Flight 1 - Grgich Hills (8 Notes)
Very friendly staff, full biodynamic production and delicious wine to boot. We just by chance stopped here and I was very glad we did. After much conversation they poured us some of the good stuff, I was very happy with their Yountville Selection Cabernet......very, very happy.
Flight 2 - Elyse (10 Notes)
Recommended this place by friends, I wasn't a true fan of their style. I am not into huge Zinfandels, and this place obviously was. If you are Zin lover check these guys out. I ran into the winemaker from Spangler Vineyards (from my hometown) wierdly and he could not say enough good things about the Zinfandels I did not really enjoy, so take my notes as you will.
Flight 3 - Miner (7 Notes)
I've had great experiences with the Pinot Noirs from this producer in the past and was very excited to check them out. Unfortunately the wines did not deliver and while the staff was friendly, they were using club members as bait by giving them the good stuff in front of the entire tasting room and then telling everyone "this is how we treat club members". Kind of awkward and rude.
Flight 4 - Rombauer (5 Notes)
I have a confession, I really like the over-blown, over-oaked butterbomb style Chardonnay Rombauer makes. I have to be in the mood for it, but when I am Rombauer and ONLY Rombauer will do. So, we had to make a stop there, I wasn't expecting much but their wine was great, the staff very friendly and their desert wine very, very good. I recommend stopping here. The glasses you get to keep when you taste are of very good quality and shape as well. The last stop of day 1.
Flight 5 - BV (12 Notes)
This place was a surprise. We started in their standard tasting room which was crowded and loud. The man helping us was very nice though, and they were running some deals that made my wine very cheap by the end of the visit in that room. We moved to the reserve room after that to start on the tapestry, and there was not a soul in there other than the single staff member. That man, I forget his name, was incredibly friendly and for the 30-odd minutes we were there he was incredibly friendly and open and made our experience very enjoyable. I recommend trying their reserve wines as most of them were fantastic.
Dan and Trisha in the reserve tasting room:
Flight 6 - Peju (4 Notes)
This place was just OK, their wines were pretty average, it was neat to get to try the mini-vertical they were pouring though.
Flight 7 - AO (7 Notes)
I had been recommended this place by a friend, and they stay open late, so we made them the last stop of day 2. Friendly staff, a great tasting area, but their wines were not doing it for me. It could have been that I had been tasting all day but all of their wines were incredibly hot on the finish. Big wines, even bigger alcoholic heat. Some even warmed the stomach. The Era did stick out, this wine would have been scored much higher if it didn't warm my throat and stomach on the way down. I didn't get this the day prior or the last day though so I think the wines were just hot. This place stays open until 5:30, making it a great last stop of the day.
Flight 8 - Pride (5 Notes)
The napa valley vitners website says this place is open to the public, although when we got there they said it was appointment only. It is a hellish drive up to Pride so we were willing to wait around for the next appointment which kindly let us join them. The tour through their bottle caves was very enjoyable.
Flight 9 - Frank Family (5 Notes)
I've had their Cabernet reserve and that was really why I was here. A good tasting overall. I missed notes on their standard cabernet.
Flight 10 - Duckhorn (5 Notes)
The biggest letdown of the trip wine-wise, but a great tasting area and setup for tasting, they actually seat you at tables with a list and menu. Very organized. Their wine was all one-dimensional and hot, not to mention very expensive.
Flight 11 - RSV (4 Notes)
Recommended by a friend, their wines were good, the staff again very enjoyable and the tastings came with appetizers that matched the wines. Very nice. I recommend this place.
Flight 12 - Provenance (6 Notes)
The last stop of the last day, we went into this with no expectations. The tasting room was filled with tons of drunks and we almost turned around but were motioned to a table by the staff. They run seperate flights for their wines, but when we started taking notes the staff member said we could taste in whatever order we wanted and he would figure out the pricing later. Very nice! Their wines, especially their cabernets, were very good. The Beckstoffer To-Kalon was one of the most unique Cabernets I had on the entire trip. The Hewitt, while a young powerhouse, was very good as well, it will be interesting to see how it improves. I recommend this place.
Closing
The damage:
Over-all the trip was a complete success. I feel much better about Napa as a whole, sure it's big business and commecialized but the wines were of very high quality, we were treated very well and met many very friendly people along the way. Napa itself is beautiful, I like how everything is so close together, save for Pride which while being a crazy drive is worth your time. This was a fantastic trip that I will never forget.
2006 Grgich Hills Chardonnay 87 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(7/9/2009)
Nice nose with a dose of chard fruit and a light oak treatment (light butter). Focused on the fruit, the palate delivers nice acidity and citrus fruits. Decent length in the finish with the oak making a small appearance.
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2007 Grgich Hills Sauvignon Blanc Fumé Blanc 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(7/9/2009)
Strong grapefruit-lemongrass on the nose and palate, nice searing acidity that dances well on the palate. Fermented in oak but you would never guess it by it's mineral driven palate, quite refreshing and very enjoyable.
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2006 Grgich Hills Zinfandel 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(7/9/2009)
Blue and black berry pie flavors expressed on the nose and palate, large but balanced enough. Nice zin fruit on the palate with light acidity and low to no tannin. Enjoyable food wine, I am not a zin lover and this did not impress.
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2005 Grgich Hills Merlot 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(7/9/2009)
Very heavy fruit forward nose carrying a-typical merlot fruit. Light acidity, light tannins but nothing exciting to report. Oak is evident on both nose and palate.
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2005 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(7/9/2009)
Delicious nose, I want to eat this wine based on the smell alone. Lush cab fruits, spice, yummm. Strong acidity and tannins early on in the palate that taper off nicely leading into a long finish. The fruit is good early on but is dominated now by acid and tannins, something that will get better with time. Very enjoyable.
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2006 Grgich Hills Zinfandel Miljenko's Old Vines 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(7/9/2009)
Incredibly dark, big fruit forward cali-zin style but a fresh take instead of the raisin-y style that some people make. Black berries and fruits with tobacco and soil evident on nose and palate. Strong acids but light sweet tannins. Great secondary fireworks after the wine is swallowed, very enjoyable. Nice run out on the finish.
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2004 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville
(7/9/2009)
The nose of this wine was like a warm down blanket, soft, inviting and incredibly comfortable. Lush soft fruits and spices along with dark chocolate and light cedar notes present themselves on the nose and palate. Perfectly balanced for being an 04, amazingly full bodied from start to finish. Don't mistake that for being "over the top", this wine just sings. Nice long finish that lingers for some time. I really, really enjoyed this, not your typical fruit bomb Cali Cab - this was on another level. Delicious.
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2006 Grgich Hills Violetta Late Harvest 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(7/9/2009)
Botrytis'd fruit flavors, deep pineapple creme brulee, dried apricot, honey, sweet breads dance on the palate. Lighter bodied and carries a nice acidity that only lends to the experience. Finish lingers a minute-plus. So delicious, worth every penny in my opinion.
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