Napa 2021 Trip
Napa Valley, CA
Tasted May 10, 2021 - May 13, 2021 by sean7711 with 589 views
Introduction
First trip to Napa since June 2019. It was quick trip (4 days total, with one day for travel / in Healdsburg). Unfortunately, American Airlines changed our nonstop to a connection on the way out, which made us miss our connecting flight out of Chicago. So we missed our partial day in Healdsburg and our tasting with Aperture. In Napa, we stayed at Vintage House in Yountville which is highly recommended - perfect to walk/bike to local spots and good central spot for our tastings.
Flight 1 - Restaurant wines (2 notes)
Other wines drank during the trip
Flight 2 - Cornell Vineyards (6 notes)
Great tasting to officially kick off our trip. After Healdsburg we headed into Santa Rosa, up the mountains and saw some of the fire devastation from the fires up on Spring Mountain Road. Chunks of the forest have been charred, with a lot of work to go on cleanup. It's amazing to see how the fires impacted Cornell, as they lost a structure, and one plot of vineyard, but the rest was spared.
Bailey was a great host. We pretty much had carte blanche and tasted everything. Drop what you're doing and order the 2018. It's amazing. I am not a chard drinker and their 2019 was also great and we ordered a few bottles of that. The 2013 is just starting to open up as well.
Cornell is also releasing later this year a bottling called Commitment which is an extended oak bottling of its estate Cabernet. Not necessarily a "reserve" but my guess is pricing will reflect that.
93.5% CS, 5.5% PV, and 1.5% Malbec, 999 cases.
Cherry, creme de cassis, bit of clove and orange zest. Well done for the vintage.
The healthy dollop of merlot adds some nice softness to this vintage that I liked. Showing well now at the 7 year mark, but will continue to age for 10+ more easily with the structure and backbone on the wine (this goes for all the Cornells tasted). Blackberry and blueberry, creme de cassis, more orange zest than the 2017.
After tasting a 2014 last year, this has definitely ticked up a few points, and will continue to score higher in a few years.
Almost dusty tannins at the 8 year mark, this wine (like the others) had been opened for a few hours prior to our morning tasting. It continued to evolve throughout the tasting, and went back to this one several times. Excellent wine. Picked up a 3 pack without hesitation.
Flight 3 - Memento Mori (5 notes)
Tasting at the downtown Napa lounge with Genevieve and her dog Riley (also my dog's name!)
Genevieve was great and opened up a ton of stuff, including Sam's Maxem label and was generous with our time. I continue to be impressed with the MM label and the wines were showing very well.
Overall, I preferred the Cornell Chardonnay to the UV. The Cornell was just racing with energy, excitement, and this one felt a bit more stodgy and more refined, holding something back. So for my tastes, mark me in the Cornell camp over Maxem, but I know everyone has different tastes. Pale yellow, straw colored. Lemon curd and lemon oil.
Surprisingly accessible out of the gate, this wine begs for your attention. I think it had a good amount of air from the morning since it was more open than some of the other notes that I am reading.
Lite is right - a 2018 VHR vs 2018 MM VHR is in the cards, but I think I want to give it a few years before trying! Really nice potential in 3+ years.
Flight 4 - Carter Cellars (7 notes)
Nice tasting of a mixture of 2017s and 2018s. I think I caught Carter at a weird time since they are sold out of most 2018s so offered me some 2017s to taste, and they are just about to bottle the 2019s so didn't have any barrel samples unfortunately. Would have been nice to have some 2019s to see how ready to go they are. But, I have only opened 1 Fortuna from 2018 so it was a good read on what's ready now vs. needs some time from the 2018 vintage.
Some relatively big news (not sure if this was announced yet) but Russell Bevan is taking over winemaking for Mike Smith in I believe 2020, or it may be 2021. Will be interested in Bevan's take on some of these blocks of BTK, LPV, etc.
Dark purple, glycerol, chewy tannins. Dry finish with a touch of mocha. Gf did not enjoy as much (but likely needs more time). Good potential but hold for now.
A bit more silky than the coiled-up Three Kings tasted right before this. Also more blueberry, dark purple fruit from this than the 3K. A well made wine, needs another year in bottle but will be a 95+ wine then.
Structure, complexity, velvety, not overtly syrup-y (as some Carters can come off). Dark purple fruit, a hint of cola, cassis, oak/vanilla, and caramel toast.
From what I've heard, I think the 2019s will drink better upfront than the 2018s, which seemed to confirm that notion during the Carter tasting. Carter tastes extremely well early, and these were still a bit coiled up, grippy on the tannins for all of the 2018s in the lineup. Despite not tasting the 2019s for Carter during this trip, it will be a good one to buy.
Flight 5 - Vice Versa (5 notes)
Great tasting at the house with Ilse. Just dynamite stuff as always and a good reason why I continue to follow them and buy up their wines. Their 2018 Platt Chardonnay was just stunning. It's possibly the best white wine I've ever had. VV has streamlined the lineup offerings (i.e. no BBS, no Le Petit) for 2019 and has worked to produce the best wine from each site it works with. I'm excited to see their BTK Beatrix (I believe 65% CF, 35% CS from BTK). They also have another 2019 offering to be announced named after a Radiohead song, so be on the lookout for that one.
I can't pretend to be as elegant as csimm or wbw - but make no joke about it, this is a wine that can make me a chard drinker. Just effortlessly lifts across all the senses, makes you want to smell it all day, uniquely pale yellow straw color. Brioche toast, yellow citrus, melon, strong acidic backbone. Well done.
All the trademark characteristics of LPV - wet stone, minerality, blueberry/dark blue fruits. Will definitely be matching this up to Carter Verdad, Quivet, etc. versions of the same vineyard/vintage down the road.
This was up there with wines of the trip. So immediately accessible - while I didn't have many 2019s, this and the VV Dr. Crane seem to hint that the 2019s should be drank before the 2018s, along with what many vintners also indicated.
Creme de cassis, vanilla, cherry pie, fresh floral petals. Ordered another bottle for the fall. Will be hard not to resist one once they are delivered.
Purity of the fruit is off the chart here. All types of fruit - blue, black, red - combined harmoniously, mixed with resolved tannins, baking spices. This is a wine that comes from the folks at VV doing everything with a labor of love, and attention to detail, many others in the valley don't do. Bravo
You may look at 95 and be disappointed - but this was a hard follow up to the BTK and Dr. Crane right before it. It's no slouch by any means - more red fruited than the previous wines tasted, with more chewy tannins. I think this one will be one to put down for a few years after shipment, versus the others in the lineup that may be ready to drink come Christmas time this year.
Flight 6 - Sodhani (3 notes)
Tasting with Beverly at their house in St. Helena. Was going to take a walk to see the caves at Bergman (directly behind their house - Graeme Macdonald is going to be the winemaker there i.e. get on the list) but didn't work out due to timing.
The 2018 is already showing well right now. Not as complex or weight-y as the reserve. After a day of tasting (and writing this a few days later) I don't have any specific notes, but this is a good, $125 priced wine for Napa.
Flight 7 - Roy Piper Wines (2 notes)
Met up with Roy in Yountville. Really great to meet the man behind the wine and videos, and hear about his upcoming plans for his wine. A few amazing SVDs in the pipeline that I am sworn to secrecy on, but man they will be a great surprise and I'm sure it will only help his following. I will just say this, save up for his next few offerings so you can get your hands on them.
He also briefed me on his 2020 plan based on smoke taint. He will be using a few techniques to filter this out (if there is any to begin with which he indicated all tests were good from the labs) and offer a 3 pack for $175 total and basically it will be for the consumers to understand/taste and see if they can taste any smoke taint in the control bottle, and the bottles using various techniques. I think it's a good idea, although smoke taint may not come out for 5-10 years.
I had a bottle of this around Christmas, and it was similar in style and consistency to that bottle. Really in a good place now - this had been open for a few hours before our morning tasting. A bit viscous, dark dark purple from the extraction he likes to use in his wine. 50% Moulds, 30% Farella, and 20% Houyi. Compared to the 2018 that followed, I think you can taste some of that softer, cool climate Farella in this bottling vs. the 50/50 of the 2018 vintage from Moulds/Houyi.
Flight 8 - Di Costanzo / Kinsman Eades (5 notes)
Joint lunch with Erin and Shae at Charter Oak. I love the outdoor patio here, and it was just perfect weather and in the shade. Great to reconnect with both Erin and Shae. Shae had to be quick due to a sick kiddo, but she was still gracious with her time and able to pour some wines.
It's really interesting to hear how both labels are using 2020 to pivot to some other wines. For Di Costanzo, a syrah from Mendocino and a chardonnay are in the works. They also won't have any Farella after 2019 due to the sale of the vineyard to Realm. But they've been active in searching for new, cool climate, old vine vineyards that I think will continue to earn them success for the brand.
For Kinsman, they were fortunate to get Syrah from Bien Nacido and White Hawk down south that will help the loss of any 2020 cab crop. Meanwhile the 2018s are just singing and the 2019s are in the barrel and I will be looking forward to tasting them next year. It sounds like Nigel has been busy on the consulting side, with upcoming projects at Bella Oaks and Impensata.
I haven't opened any of this or the 2018 Di Costanzo SVDs yet, so this was a nice way to check in on the bottles.
Wow! Bright red cherry, slightly dusty tannins, sweet berry fruit with a hint of sour cherry on the finish. I think this could drink well now with a good chunk of air. Well made wine from the Moon Mountain District. I could see myself opening one of these soon, but these will easily age for quite some time.
I haven't opened any of this or the 2018 Di Costanzo SVDs yet, so this was a nice way to check in on the bottles.
I was able to taste two different bottles of Farella that Erin generously shared. One had been open for a few hours, the other for 2 days. It was an interesting experiment in tasting to see how this bottling is doing right now after more air.
Overall, I get a ton of blueberry fruit, very dusty tannins (but not overwhelming) that I've noticed in my tastings of the 2016 and 2017 vintage from the same vineyard. Pure fruit, not noticeable on the alcohol. 95 right now, maybe 96 if you add the bottle that had been open an extra few days. 97-98 potential. Well done - just hold on for the ride and try in 2024+
More red fruit, bright cherry, definitely more floral than the silky/velvety Rhadamanthus and Voleuse served prior. Will be looking to add these to my cellar upon release!
Flight 9 - Myriad / Mike Smith Wines (7 notes)
Met up with Leah at Heron House in Yountville. Was able to taste a number of wines that Mike makes in a cool, lounge space just a quick walk away from our hotel. Great to taste a few different labels, including Perchance (which was formerly 12c I believe)
First wine was the 2020 Kindred Rose of Pinot from the Sangiacomo vineyard. It had that pale salmon color that I tend to enjoy from a rose, but not quite the french Provence style that I tend to gravitate towards. For my money, I think Epoch and L'Aventure are the California roses to buy.
Not my favorite, if scoring I would say 88-90 but after being spoiled by cabs all day, wasn't digging this syrah. It's like a fruit bomb (typical Mike Smith) with olive and meat smacking you in the face at every sip or smell. I can see how people like this style, but not for me.
I've never had a Napa sangiovese, let alone a stag's leap district ava one. Overall, pleasant if this was a $20-30 wine that I could see making some Bolognese sauce on a weeknight. Not great QPR at $60. It was more fruit forward (in typical Mike Smith style) as compared to an earthy, rustic sangiovese from Italy.
Closing
Overall, great trip with a balance of revisiting a few places from 2019 and a few new places and meeting some new people. It was great to hear some of the changes coming to a few labels. Unfortunately the 2020 fires are still on everyone's minds, and seeing some of the devastation up on Spring Mountain Road was jarring.
Kinsman remains the highlights and if you're on the list, don't sleep on the 2018s. Vice Versa continues to impress as well. Not a bad tasting in the trip!
Already looking forward to our next visit in 2022.