Introduction
We've had quite the journey with wine but one of the constants has been an annual trip to Napa to enjoy some of the wines that we like out here. Even as we've adjusted purchases towards the older and with a broader distribution, we've stayed careful to keep some Napa in the portfolio because there is something about visiting friends and hospitality that Napa has down that is hard to beat.
Great set of visits across old and new and really appreciated John from Bacchus Wine Tours carting us around and the Las Alcobas which has turned into a pretty spectacular hotel with a great food and spa program that we took advantage of this trip.
Flight 1 - Mad Fritz Tasting Room (0 notes)
Always fun to check in on what Nile and team are doing. The tasting room seems to have expanded with what felt like close to 20 beers on tap. Some that are unique to the room. Really interesting stuff. Good afternoon listening to some jams and trying a few different pieces. Unfortunately no notes, but I did like the white ale, plum project, and the new cognac barrel ones quite a bit.
Flight 2 - Bar room snacks @ Acacia House (1 note)
Easy spot as we love to stay at the Las Alcobas when we're in town and the bar has all of the great food from the restaurant but with a very laid back vibe.
Red
2016 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Ama Estate
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
From a 375. Mildly sacrilegious to drink Pinot in Napa, but we had a full week ahead of us and nothing from the Napa side was super compelling so what can you do. This is the fruitier lighter style of PN which to be fair is right in my sweet spot. It's young and lacking anything that can be described as non-primary, but it's a good start and I'd be very happy to revisit in a few years as it put on weight and the fruit fades just a touch and some flavor that isn't fruit comes around. I think it could happen - it's a well made wine.
Flight 3 - Tasting @ Arkenstone (3 notes)
First time tasting with Connor which was fun but then we got to see Jake and Susan and I'll say that being at this winery feels like returning to some old family friends.
Red
2016 Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon NVD
USA, California, Napa Valley
Second year in a row with this wine but that is the risk you take when you come every year in these situations. Sourced from four different vineyards each of which seems to have a connection back to the Krause's of Arkenstone. This wine is remarkably approachable a year later in bottle. I think a few more years would add to it, but the tannin is so super fine and the flavors are all in balance and it's hard to call it a 'young' wine really (which is what I do with 90% of the wine on this trip). Lots of sweet blackberry fruit, very soft and gentle in the tannin, very approachable. Perhaps a slight background of white pepper. A quintessential Napa cab, but in a good way. Nice for the price point.
Red
2016 Arkenstone Estate
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
This wine is much less approachable than the NVD which makes sense given the winemaking approach. It's a touch more heat, but I think that will integrate and potentially even help the wine with some time. Lots of blackberry again. Very soft tannins. A bit of the sweetness in the fruit. Oddly the slight extra heat and just something else (maybe the precursor to being more secondary) was also there and made me think while the wine isn't ready to drink now, it will be lovely in the future.
White
2017 Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
This is not a wine for the faint of heart. You need to be ready for a serious red and yet make do with the white. When I was earlier in my wine drinking and didn't drink whites at all this was a very appealing style for me. Now I find myself almost resetting the palate to get ready for it. This is unctuous. A bit sweet. Lots of the honey, Good acidity. Just a touch of green and it's more like a whisper and to be honest it's the piece that keeps the wine a bit more in balance for me. Because at the end of the day while it's an intense wine, it's a very well made wine as well. I continue to be impressed.
Flight 4 - Tasting @ Smith Madrone (4 notes)
There is something to be said for a seated tasting room where you can enjoy a conversation with the owner or tasting room manager and there is also something to be said for the place that eschews it all. I still maintain there is no better value in Napa than the SM CS. Today Charlie said he wanted a wine that was at least worth 3x so people felt like they were getting value. The truth is, I've always thought it was a wine that competes with the $100-250 crowd and very well.
White
2016 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
I'm not a chard person and that continues to be the case, but I will say that this style is much less offensive to me than some others. It's very clean and crisp and almost get a bit of bay leaf and maybe a hint of general green but in that way that makes the wine come across as fresh.
White
2016 Smith-Madrone Riesling
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
This was just beautiful and very easy to see how the wine ended up in the Riesling book in top 20 wines. Beautiful and fresh and crisp. Get lots of lychee and maybe some sweet pea pod to it. It's very bright and open. There's an underlying class to it as well which I think comes from a good structure and great balance and a very refined style of sweet.
Red
2015 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Funny because I think I like this wine more than the producers do. To me it's just wonderful. Yes, a bit more restrained and perhaps a touch less powerful than some past years, but to me that just makes it come across as more elegant. Reminds me a lot of the old world style. Spice dominant with some cigar and smoke but there's some darker red fruits in the background. For my tastes, this still needs some age on it, but it was relatively approachable for the pnp. 85% CS, 15% CF.
Red
2013 Smith-Madrone Cook's Flat Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Amazing how much a year can do for a wine plus I think this bottle might have been open for a bit so the wine had more time to express itself. Basically a right bank blend which was interesting. 46% CF, 21% Merlot, 33% CS. Darker and more berry driven than the 2015 standard CS. This had just a touch of sweet to it. Lots of cassis. A nice plushy style. Built to age. There's a great balancing herbalness towards the mid-back of the palate. Also quite enjoyable.
Flight 5 - Tasting @ Lokoya (5 notes)
It's a contrast on the hills of SM, but I think the truth is I'm both of those people. This is a really lovely hospitality experience. First because the folks at Lokoya know wine and not just their own but wine from all over. Second because there is a thoughtfulness to how they approach a tasting that really stands out. Today we got an intro to wines that are new to the porfolio (Caladan) and a specially curated set of wines to taste to see how Lokoya vs. Cardinale comes across with similar sites. Diamond Mountain a real standout for me.
Red
2016 Cardinale
USA, California, Napa Valley
To me this was all plum and blueberry. Not over the top fruity but fruit is the dominant flavor. It's young and needs some time for the secondary characteristics to come into place. Overall though a nice wine. A touch overshadowed because that 2016 Diamond Mtn in the tasting was just singing.
Red
2015 Caladan Cabernet Franc
USA, California, Napa Valley
Excited that we got a chance to try this since I love the right bank side of Bordeaux and have been interested to see what Napa can do with some of those same grapes. This is 76% CF and 24% Merlot. All sourced from Spring Mountain. Lots of darker fruits with just a hint of sweetness to them. A bit of spice. A decent acidity that keeps the mouthful almost a hint light compared to some of the cabs. Nicely constructed. A wine that we will keep following.
Red
2016 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain
USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
Wow was this good. Really a stand out in the tasting. There's is an added level of classiness/elegance/etc. to this wine which I think came because there's a background of lavender in addition to the darker fruits and then just a great structure. Continued to open up in the glass. Nowhere near prime time for me, but this is a wine I'm excited about in 20 years.
Red
2016 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
To be fair got a bit overshadowed by its Diamond Mountain brother that was just rocking. Here it's more of a blackberry liqueur/cassis and a fruit driven approach. Perhaps with some time will get a bit more secondary in nature. It's a nice wine, but I'd take the Diamond Mountain any day.
Red
2010 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
Always fun to go back and try some of these with some age. Still going strong and to my tastes still needs more time. This is all black fruits and black pepper and a kindof menthol to it. Very fresh. Very vibrant. Drinking nicely, but will drink much better I'd guess with another 10 years (at least).
Flight 6 - Dinner @ Farmstead w/Alex (3 notes)
Been a few years since we've made it to Farmstead but delicious food as always. Particularly a fan of their corkage fee which made it possible for us to enjoy a few random wines from Champagne and Cote Rotie as well as the non released vintage of MACDONALD.
White - Sparkling
1996 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut
France, Champagne
I love old champagne and while I wasn't that familiar with this producer seems like most bottles from 96 are good. I think good is the right descriptor for this. You can tell the age and it's got that nice aged champagne taste (just like an early almost caramel flavor), but it was missing a bit of extra complexity or similar. I enjoyed it, but I prob wouldn't actively seek out again.
Red
2000 Domaine Joël Champet Côte-Rôtie La Viallière
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Cote Rotie is one of my favorites and this is a classic producer from a great vineyard so always nice to get a chance to try. It's a lovely wine and if I could find it for closer to the community or auction average I'd be buying a bunch of it. Darker fruits, a hint of the brine but it's more background in this wine. Great structure and power. Drinking nicely.
Red
2017 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Much more approachable than previous vintages although still really built to last. Opened and decanted and prob poured about 30 mins later and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. This is a great wine. Alex has mentioned a bit more classic style and while I'd say all of these wines are classic in style you can see a bit more restraint here. Our first 2017 and it was completely free of smoke taint. Still tight even in the last sip, but a wine with some great stuffing and just a bit more accessible than usual, but one that we'll be holding for many years.
Flight 7 - Tasting @ Napa Valley Reserve (3 notes)
Ok, I was skeptical of this place. We loved Matt when he visited and when he said come visit we appreciated the opportunity to connect with another fun person who likes wine again so of course we said yes. But I didn't know what to expect and I was pretty sure it wasn't really going to be our jam. And I was wrong. We liked this place a lot more than I thought we would. Of course we're shifting purchases to wines with age and a bit away from the new world, but this place intrigued me. Who knows what we'll do, but I give them a lot of props for managing against a lot of cynicism.
White
2017 The Napa Valley Reserve White Wine
USA, California, Napa Valley
Not a high quantity production but it's easy to see how if you are having a place for ppl to drink wine in Napa and your most popular time is the summer it seems like you have to have a white. This is that. Very crisp and clean and even with oak treatment it's still that way (although lots of used oak too). It's just flirting with the grassy style and a hint of greenness but I really mean just. Mostly the wine is edges and sharp and structure and while it might be a bit young to be contemplating in the winter if it was the summer this wine would be hitting on all cylinders.
Red
2015 The Napa Valley Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
These wines got poured without my paying attention and I almost asked about locations but then the point on the differences in oak treatment had come out and this one was slightly more relaxed, slightly more tight, and I figured I'd gotten it (verified but others wines) So less oak means a bit more fresh than the other, still a lot of the plushy fruit - some plum and berries and all of that. Touch of black pepper. A certain darkness of character. But well received. Again, still super young but it is super young. A wine that you want to revisit in 10+ years (although given the 05 was going strong maybe it's really 20?).
Red
2005 The Napa Valley Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
As we've continued our wine journey I have to admit that sometimes you try a wine that just is a bit of hedonism (not a lot, not a TRB which is almost always overdone for my palate), but there's some plushy and some fruit and some velvet and it hits that sensor in your brain that harkens back to childhood and something that is definitely not the green vegetable. So it was with this wine which has a touch of alcohol and a touch of the sweet vanilla and really is still aging. Give it time though. I see good things ahead.
Flight 8 - Tasting @ VHR (1 note)
Bruce. What can you say about Bruce? He is an absolute treasure of the valley. I think we've talked almost everything in the world in a coach/facing armchair set up that he has in this living room. This year was politics of the world (always dicey, no good answers). But one of those topics where you can take a true impression of a person and Bruce impresses with his intellect, humbleness, and thoughtfulness. And then of course we're drinking the wine which is pure excellence.
Red
2016 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
The 100 pointer (not sure if that breaks CT rules, but I won't give you any more details and it was fairly well publicized). What I'll say is, if you like this wine and appreciate the hundred points, drink other Bruce wines. This is great, but it's not greater than the other ones he's produced. He produces spectacular wines basically every vintage. If the critics just figured that out, good on them, but don't be a critic slave. What I love about this wine is similar to what I've loved about his others. There's freshness here. He's got real acidity. A plushy fruit character. A wine that has the chops to age (and personally, I think they all need the age, these are wines built to stand the test of time and it's not necessarily to consume them imminent to release). Class and structure. I see why this appealed to the critics. Compared to the past few years it's got the ability to drink early (I won't say what I think about critics where drinking early is the criterion). Balanced. This is a very well done wine. But like I pointed out earlier, it's a Bruce wine, so kindof of course it is.
Flight 9 - Lunch @ Mustards w/Brad (3 notes)
I am not a celebrity junkie. I can walk by basically any movie star on the street (and I do, we live in NY) and I just don't notice. But for some reason Brad is just one of those people who I am always blown away by. He does stuff that I could never do. He does it very well. He is incredibly thoughtful about his craft and he is one of the more humble people you will ever meet. Most people give themselves more credit than they are due. Brad gives himself much less. It's endearing.
White - Sparkling
2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne
France, Champagne
Somewhere in the last year I think we figured out bubbles. We always liked them, but now it's clear that you can have meals without reds and without whites and without sweets, but really not without bubbles. They are the ubiquitous wine that goes with everything. I'm going to disagree with someone who knows about a bizillion more things about wines than I do but at some point it's personal so take this as such. I like old champagne. I want some caramel and the bubbles to have softened and all of that. This to me is still young. It's still more acidic, more brioche, more toast. I like it, but I like it more still in that promise than currant state. But that's me and someone who knows A LOT more about wine in his pinkie than I do in all of me said it's ready to drink. So you decide.
White - Sparkling
2010 Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Extra Brut Orizeaux
France, Champagne
One of my favorite growers and hard to find the single vineyards with age so Manny gets his mark-up and he totally deserves it. This is a wine that impresses (me, not clear about the others). I preferred it to the '02 DP. It's more of an apple, crisp, smooth, style. Drinking super well. Better than I thought.
Red
2008 Roagna Barbaresco Vecchie Viti Pajè
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
I love this producer. I usually love this wine. And it was good. With time and air and decanting even maybe very good. But it was not what this producer can and usually does which is floor you with finesse. Older and right around when transfer from son to parent was happening. We were sharing with a friend who knows his wines and I had hoped this would be a new one for him but I'll admit it didn't stand out. So it goes. Still as I said very good by the end.
Flight 10 - Tasting @ BV (6 notes)
I'm not 100% sure when we did one of the mainstay Napa Hwy 29 places and history and whatever as it is, the reality is that this is that. The tasting room has walk-ins and only some of those folks know something about wine and only some of those folks care. That being said, the history here is really something and the wines age like nobody's business and I found myself incredibly curious about this fully functioning winery that made it through prohibition and has been making wines that stand the test of time for many many years.
Red
1975 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
End of the bottle from a coravin where to a certain extent you are just drinking sediment. So take this note with a grain of salt. It's secondary and old bordeaux in an exponential manner Not fresh, but I have no idea how long that bottle has been 'opened' for, so could it have been? Maybe. To me it was all saddle oil and old leather and interesting, but not fresh which is something you look for in the old ones. It's on the downhill.
Red
1988 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
Maybe my favorite of the tasting. Ok, yes, it's old and it's aged and it's not exactly where it could be, but it's still drinking well and if I have a choice for just crossing the border of age or too young I'm going this way all the time. This bottle was also open already so hard to say that where it was for us is where it is. Fresher in style. Herbal dominated. Black fruits in the background. I enjoyed it.
Red
2016 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
I personally believe that we all experience wine a bit differently and this may be on that is a unique me experience. For me, this clone is quintessential Napa. It's a fruit bomb. It's hedonism on steroids. It's not actually something I'd seek out by itself. Maybe some liquor. Maybe some licorice. But not subtle at all. Not the opinion of our tasting room director, but what I got so take it with the grain of salt.
Red
2016 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
To me this was slightly less aggressive than the 4. More of the Rutherford Dust. A touch more of a broader palate portfolio. Don't get me wrong, still totally hedonistic, just maybe a bit less so than the 4 Clone. And a bit more drinkable on it's own. A bit.
Red
2016 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
This is poured into one of those super glasses that can fit a whole glass of wine which makes total sense because again we're talking about a baby and the more air it gets, the better it gets. When it was first poured I was a bit skeptical. With some time it's starting to round some edges, develop a touch more, be a bit less of a fruit intense style. Oddly, the '18 barrel sample was in a better place which intrigues me about that year, but this was coming along alright.
Red
2018 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
This almost never happens but in a vertical of these wines after you get past the few that have some age this is maybe my 2nd or 3rd favorite of the flight. Not in a drink now capacity, but in a 'wow, this could be a really great wine some day' sortof thing. It's already got a hint of secondary. Lots of red fruits. Fruit is just in that perfect level where it's fresh and not over ripe. It is not a wine to drink today, it's still super young and more primary in nature if not in flavor profile but I have a feeling this will be really something.
Flight 11 - Dinner while chilling (1 note)
We had this plan that we might go out and hang with some lovely wine folks and check in on the place whose wine list we just loved a few years ago (Charter Oak), but we had a few cancellations and that wine list is moving super mainstream (Burgundy and young Cali at 3x) and it was awfully compelling to take an evening and just chill. So we did.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cuvée de Réserve
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
After a full day drinking Napa cab it's fun to come back to the room and enjoy some bubbles. These were drinking quite well. Either because my palate was a bit fatigued or because it just was but this was a cleaner, lighter style of champagne for me today. More in that apple style. Less heavy toast or heavy acid. Easy to drink and quite nice.
Flight 12 - Tasting @ Ridge (Monte Bello) (10 notes)
The only other time we've made it to Ridge it was Winter in Wineland festival and just a mad house. So nice to have a bit more time to really learn about the place. The history here is just awesome. Some of the oldest vines you hear about in Cali. A place that has clearly cared about quality and creating classic styles. Very interesting to me to learn about how much American oak is used and how comfortable they are with aged oak. Special place.
White
2008 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
This wine pleasantly surprised me. It's aged quite well and is more in that honey style which I actually find enjoyable. At the same time good acid and crispness. Very fresh and going strong.
Red
2018 Ridge Monte Bello
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
From the barrel. 76% CS, 15% Merlot, 7% PV, 2% CF. Interesting as I had not realized that MB is made with mostly American oak (95%) and with a mix of old and new barrels (barrels are used for ~6 years). Makes a lot of sense though when you see the level of balance the wine has even at this early stage. It's still got quite a bit of fruit - darker in nature. Almost juicy berries. A hint of charcoal. Very well structured wine and built to age.
Red
2016 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
The baby brother of the tasting. These are some of the younger vines, etc. from the Monte Bello set of vineyards. This wine is very approachable from the start. Darker fruits. A bit earthy, a bit of dust. Very fine tannins. Suspect it will drink better with some more years, but doesn't have the same level of power and depth the the MB does.
Red
2016 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Klein
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Cabernet sourced from the lowest vineyard in the Monte Bello plot. Again the darker fruits, very balanced, a bit of dustiness to it, very fresh and well structured, needs some time but will be very good and a nice value.
Red
2016 Ridge Monte Bello
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Interesting to see the step up with the MB versus some of the other cabernets. The biggest difference for me is this extra level of depth. Dark plum and black currant and very fine tannins. It's more primary at this young age but already some more secondary/earthy notes are there in the background. Very well made.
Red
2009 Ridge Monte Bello
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Always fun to see these with a bit more age. There's a touch of heat on the nose, but it blows off with some time. Fruit here is a bit more in the red variety. It's still quite young. Great balance. Starting to get some more of the minerality. It's drinking well, but I'd wait for many more years on it.
White
2018 Ridge Adelaida Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Adelaida District
This was a lovely white wine and very quaffable. It's fresh and crisp and honeyed and sweet white fleshy fruit (think lychee). Very nice and easy to drink.
Red
2009 Ridge Petite Sirah Lytton Estate
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Really nice and peppery. Good red fruits. It's hard to tell that there's really any age on this. Still comes across as quite young. Drinks well with many years to go.
Red
2012 Ridge Petite Sirah Lytton Estate
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Interesting - compared to the '09 this is much younger, a bit more heat. Still the peppery. Some of those softer fruits like strawberry. Again quite young.
Red
2017 Ridge Petite Sirah Lytton Estate
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
The most recent release and super young (in comparison can tell that the '09 and '12 have settled a bit more although they also come across as young). Lots of the pepper and fruit and in this case I'm starting to get just a hint of floral. Drinkable now, but will benefit with time.
Flight 13 - Tasting @ Goat Rock Cidery (0 notes)
Sometimes you need a bit of a break from big red wines and cider is one of my favorites. Goat Rocks is right in the wheelhouse. All about the bone dry style. Very fresh and crisp. Tasted through the full line-up from the Gravenstein, Dry Cider, Hopped Cider, Rose Cider, Pear Cider and then some of the items in tank (an upcoming guava/apricot, blackberry/chocolate/oak, and another batch of the Rose). For me the Hopped was the favorite (it's a great option if you like beer but need something just a touch lighter). I also really appreciated the Rose (with passionfruit) which was very unique and also very delicious. All great though. Looking forward to following this place in the future and would definitely recommend reaching out to Trevor if you are in the area.
Flight 14 - Tasting @ Kobler (4 notes)
Goat Rock shares the space with Kobler and since we had a few mins after our tasting we went through a few here as well.
Red
2017 Kobler Estate Syrah Kobler Family Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Pre-release (has not even been labeled yet). Bit of oak and vanilla and more meaty in style. Black pepper. And maybe a bit of red berries. Needs some time but that's understandable as it's quite young.
Flight 15 - Tasting @ Verite (6 notes)
Really fantastic visit. The wines here are truly special and getting a chance to see some of the wines with age and some of the newer releases was great. Each of these could be contender for wine of the trip.
Red
2015 Vérité La Muse
USA, California, Sonoma County
This wine is just beautiful and classic and elegant. Plushy red fruits, currants, spice. It feels like a wine built to last.
Red
2015 Vérité La Joie
USA, California, Sonoma County
Very nice as well. There's a good balance and structure to it. Darker fruits. Some more floral (lavender, violets, etc.). Very pretty in style. I quite enjoyed this.
Red
2015 Vérité Le Désir
USA, California, Sonoma County
This has typically been my favorite of the group. The other two wines are definitely more fruit driven. This is more herbal and spice but it still has a nice set of darker fruits in the background. Very classy again.
Red
1998 Vérité La Muse
USA, California, Sonoma County
Amazing what some age does. Tried this blind and never would have guessed what it was. This didn't come across as a merlot driven wine. Fruit was all darker. Bit more pepper. It was drinking very nicely though. Still much life left.
Red
2005 Vérité La Joie
USA, California, Sonoma County
First impression was brown sugar, herbal, dark fruits, more floral, again that kindof 'pretty' structure which I really like. Drinking very well and still quite young with many years to go. I really enjoyed this one as well. Love how well these wines age.
Flight 16 - Dinner @ Single Thread (2 notes)
This is the reason we ended up doing a Sonoma day. Have kept hearing about the restaurant and wanted a chance to get to try. I will say it is a very good meal. Nice Japanese influence. Some very tasty bites. The difficulty with being 3 Michelin stars and the high expectations is it can be hard to surprise and delight, but I'd say this met my expectations and was a good meal.
Red
1991 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
This one jumped off the list at Single Thread to me so was very interested to try. I'll say it was a decent Syrah, but at least the bottle we had wasn't really drinking as well as some '91s do and I don't think it was quite as awesome as I'd hoped. Would instead say a classic Cote Rotie, somewhat more basic than I expected, but does have that nice meaty style.
Flight 17 - Tasting @ Colgin (4 notes)
Has traditionally been a favorite of ours and fun to be back since last year they were using this time to do some upgrades to the building. Lots going on still as they're looking to plant some more vineyards on the property.
Red
2016 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley
One of my favorites of the tasting. It's a more feminine style of wine (compared to the other Colgins) although still towards the intense style. Lots of dark sweet fruits, crushed black pepper, some baking spice, blackberry and black currant and saffron and ripe black raspberry. It continues to evolve in the glass and open up, but I'd still call it very young and needing quite a few years.
Red
2016 Colgin Cariad
USA, California, Napa Valley
Darker fruits, more dusty tannins, bit of mint and eucalyptus. This was a bit more closed down than some of the other '16s and so seemed like it didn't jump out quite as much. It's an empirically well constructed wine but somehow didn't quite grab me.
Red
2016 Colgin IX Estate
USA, California, Napa Valley
This started just a touch closed but it really opened in the tasting. Sweeter black fruits, some baking spices, a very dark and brooding style. This is a wine that can almost be a meal in itself. But it's still very young and needs a lot more time.
Red
2016 Colgin Syrah IX Estate
USA, California, Napa Valley
This was probably my favorite wine of the tasting. It was described as clear new world Syrah and I suppose in terms of the vibrancy of the wine that is true, but this has all of the wonderful bacon fat and meat and olives and brine that I love of the northern rhone and it's clear that the clones planted come from that area. Great wine. Needs a lot more time, but it's clearly something special in Napa.
Flight 18 - Tasting @ Ovid (3 notes)
Always fun to visit Austin, Kaitlin and the team. These guys were a bit ahead of the curve on the Cab Franc with their Hexameter (which was my favorite of the group). These are definitely more forward wines but very well constructed and I think will be fun to follow these as they age and some of the fruit tames down.
Red
2016 Ovid Red Wine
USA, California, Napa Valley
Wine opened up quite a bit during the tasting. Lots of dark fruits and baking spice and then the hint of floral towards the end.
Red
2016 Ovid Hexameter
USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
My favorite of the three wines. There's a bit more parity here between fruit and other flavors. A touch of the sweet black notes but also a touch of a more austere. I enjoyed it. Still a baby.
Red
2016 Ovid Syrah
USA, California, Napa Valley
Interesting to see how different this was than the Colgin Syrah we had this morning. This is much more in the fruits and spice style. Lots of fig and plum and all of that. Very bright.
Flight 19 - Tasting @ Continuum (3 notes)
What a really wonderful visit. Nice to reconnect with Clarissa and Chris. The day was just awesome and so this had a view all the way down to the Bay Bridge. Also a treat to get to try an older vintage and man is that '08 really special. Lovely to see where the wines are going with time and great to see how well they age.
Red
2017 Continuum Novicium
USA, California, Napa Valley
About 25% from each of the four major varietals. There's a natural elegance to this wine which is nice to see in a 2nd label. Darker red fruits which have a nice depth to them. Very balanced and restrained. Only one of two 2017s we had on this trip, but thus far I'm positive with the ones we've tasted.
Red
2016 Continuum Proprietary Red
USA, California, Napa Valley
Dark and brooding and blackberry and some fine tannins and not really totally strutting its stuff yet, but with some great stuffing to be an excellent wine in the future. Fun to try next to the 2008 which was memorable.
Red
2008 Continuum Proprietary Red
USA, California, Napa Valley
Wow was this lovely. It's still on the younger side, but 11 years can really make a difference. Still more of the black fruit character. There's this wonderful purity to the wine. Tannins a bit more resolved and so mostly just fruit and floral and a hint delicate and drinking just super well.
Flight 20 - Dinner @ Miminashi (1 note)
We had wanted to try Kenzo given all of the good things we've heard about it, but they weren't doing the sushi option and a full kaiseke menu felt like a bit much given how much other food we've had this week.
Flight 21 - Tasting @ BOND (6 notes)
Always fun to catch up with Scott and see a different part of the BOND portfolio. Like many '12s this is a vintage that is relatively open for business although for my tastes I'd like some more age on them. Melbury is the easiest hello. Pluribus and Quella were a bit more brooding. St Eden is always a favorite, but I will say the Vecina stood out more to me than it normally does. A fun line-up and now that we've seen the wines over a few years I feel like I'm learning them a bit better.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
France, Champagne
Precursor to the BOND tasting and what a nice way to start the day sipping some champagne and overlooking the valley (pretty stunning spot up there). I'm pretty sure most recent disgorgement. It's a softer style of champagne. Cashmere bubbles. Light and clear. Drinking well if very young.
Red
2012 BOND Melbury
USA, California, Napa Valley
I can see why they start the tasting with this wine and not just because it was the first vineyard in the portfolio. This is a wine that is always just a bit more friendly than it's compatriots. Open for business. Soft and plush, red fruits, very fresh, great structure, very approachable. It's a nice wine. If I was going to drink one of these young, would always pick this one.
Red
2012 BOND Quella
USA, California, Napa Valley
Nose on this was wonderful but the wine itself was a lot shyer than the nose would suggest. Kindof dark and brooding and almost a bit elemental in style. Can almost taste a rocky terrain to it. Very balanced. I fully expect this wine to be awesome, but it was a bit quieter today.
Red
2012 BOND St. Eden
USA, California, Napa Valley
Hand soap on the nose which originally made me a touch skeptical, but on the palate it's all floral and red fruits and this really nice structure and back bone to it. More time and the fruit starts to get a bit sweeter but in a nice, fresh way. I didn't get as much of the iron/ferrous character as I have in other years, but definitely enjoyable. Probably my favorite of the vineyards although it's splitting hairs as they're all great.
Red
2012 BOND Vecina
USA, California, Napa Valley
Similar to the Quella this started pretty tight and closed. This one however just kept evolving and really drank very well by the end. Get this slightly unripe blackberry that is unripe in that good way that creates a bit more tension and precision to the wine. Still a bit dark and brooding, but it continued to grow on my through the tasting. Needs of course more time, but a well made wine.
Red
2012 BOND Pluribus
USA, California, Napa Valley
Often my second favorite of the tasting but today we never really connected. Get the handsoap smell again here but in this case it translated to the palate and had this kindof mid palate kick which felt a bit overdone. Still pretty reasonable tannin. Will have to revisit in the future and see how it goes.
Flight 22 - Tasting @ Progeny (5 notes)
This is a winery that we've seen almost since the beginning. A personal favorite and this trip was no different. We did the food and wine pairing which was just exceptional (esp that lobster pot pie). The wines here are held back for more years (current release of the Reserve is '15, of the SSR is '13) so they've had a bit more time although these are wines that are made to age. Paul brought up some of his personal collection since the last time we visited and it has a group of 'inspiration' wines. The one that clicked the most for me is Unico. A lovely wine that is built to last and to be fair needs quite a bit of time. Progeny wines have always reminded me of that (with perhaps the Trinity series being a bit more accessible with a good decant). Always fun to see Blanca and def a highlight of the trip.
2014 Progeny Trinity Blanc
Lobster Pot Pie
2015 Mt Veeder Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Classic French Cassoulet
2014 Mt Veeder Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Grilled Akaushi Short Rib with Porcini, Chestnut & Purple Potato Gnocchi
2013 Mt Veeder Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Cremeux des Citeaux, Mista di Capra & Gruyere 1655
White
2014 Progeny Winery Trinity Blanc
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
Drinking very nicely and was a pretty spectacular pairing with the lobster pot pie. It's honey and citrus (mostly lime) and a nice softness to the wine and very tasty. Served at cellar temp and the flavors kept jumping out as it warmed up.
Red
2015 Progeny Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Mt. Veeder
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
I think the Reserves are a bit more approachable than the SSRs but even with that this is pretty tightly wound (15 as a year also tends to follow that approach). It's darker and brooding and built to age. Lots of structure. Looking forward to watching this evolve.
Red
2013 Progeny Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Mt. Veeder
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
Fun to do the vertical of these wines but we had gotten to chatting and I didn't write as many notes on this one. It was also a young one and a bit tight, but more accessible than the SSR at this point. Wine built to last and if I remember correctly back to the dark and brooding category.
Red
2013 Progeny Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
Ok - a total baby but there is so much going on here. It's lots of darker fruit and spices and pepper and almost a menthol note to it. Again in the darker and brooding style and really this wine needs 10+ more years. But going to be awesome.
Flight 23 - Dinner @ Press (4 notes)
Funnily enough for as many years as we've been coming to the Valley this was our first time at Press. Have heard great things esp about the wine list and wasn't disappointed. We also brought a champagne and Paul/Betty kindly provided an '08 Progeny which was my WOTN (still too young, but some of the baby fat is gone and with some time in the decanter it was really lovely).
Red
1982 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
First time we've had an old one of these although have heard a lot about them. This was very nice. Still going well although I'd say probably right in drinking window. Towards the end of the night it was starting to fade just a bit. Dark fruits still there, but also more of the secondary cigar and forest floor notes. Enjoyable.
Red
1981 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
From the 'vintage pour' at Press. This was great. First of all, not often that I get to do birth year wines and given the birth year not often when I do that they are actually good. But this was drinking very well. Old school Napa.
Red
2008 Progeny Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
Opened and decanted and poured later in the evening. This is still very young and I'd say continue to hold, but man was it also really good. My WOTN. And it just kept getting better and better as we went. Some of the baby fat and tightness is gone. It's got lovely black fruits and spices and this lovely depth and vibrancy to it. Very special and a real treat to get to try.
Closing
As always, lots going on in the Valley.
A few places starting to plant some more vineyards. A lot more places starting to think about Cabernet Franc (often at the expense of the Merlot which apparently is struggling a bit more with the high temps). I didn't realize that CF fruit gets a similar price to CS fruit which is saying something given how much the price of CS fruit has gone up over the last many years. Fires are now a way of life and any halfway intelligent winery has invested in generators. While we didn't have a lot of the '17s (and there prob won't be a lot - some places are making none and some are making a lot less) my impression is that could be a really great classic vintage. You just needed to have your fruit in before the fire started because it turns out smoke taint isn't something that always shows up right away and the wineries that have a focus on quality aren't taking any chances (much appreciated - would not be fun to cellar a wine for 20 years to find that the smoke was an issue).
Personally it was also a fun visit. Always great to see some familiar faces and catch up and I like the personal connections as well as the wine.
Speaking of the wine, in the past year we've really started to drink a lot more old world and a lot less Napa. I was a bit tentative on how this visit would go and where my palate is. To be fair, there are some more fruit forward wines which esp young didn't stand out in the same way to me. On the other hand, I was glad to see that many of our favorites really do have the balance and restraint with perhaps a few exceptions but I wonder if a few years might let them find themselves.
So overall, a success. I look forward to 2021.
