Visiting Napa (Sept 9th-11th)
Napa, CA
Tasted Friday, September 9, 2011 - Sunday, September 11, 2011 by RockinCabs with 770 views
Introduction
I made a brief weekend trip to Napa to visit with some friends in St. Helena and managed to get out and do some tastings as I always do. I visited a handful of favorites, but a few new stops were included as well.
Flight 1 - Kelly Fleming (3 Notes)
I had viewed the photos of the new winery on facebook and have been a fan of these wines for quite a while, so I called and made an appointment to meet Kelly and see the new facility. I must say that the photos do not do the winery justice. The stonework is incredible, and the naturally yellow walls in the cave are unlike anything else I have seen. It was well worth the trip up to Calistoga. In addition to the cabs we were able to try the 2010 sauvignon blanc which was quite exceptional.
Flight 2 - Chateau Montelena & Carter/Envy Wines
As long as we were up in the northern part of the valley I had to stop into these two tasting rooms. The Montelena Estate cab is a benchmark wine of the valley, and I really enjoy the wines that Mark Carter and Nils Venge are doing over at thier new facility on Tubbs Lane.
In the 2007 vintage the Montelena Estate wine is medium bodied and classic. Black Cherry, Cassis, Dusty Oak, Sage and Leather were dominant and the wine seemed to have a nice structure that would age well. This is not a wine made in the "new" style at all. It is definitively old Napa and should age very well.
At Envy/Carter my favorites were the Petite Sirahs being made at Envy and the 2009 Grand Daddy from Carter. The wines here are all in a much more large scaled style and some do go over the edge on extraction. The Envy Cab was also a great value for the money.
Flight 3 - Cliff Lede (3 Notes)
I always end up at Cliff Lede. The wines are better with each vintage and the property is execeptionally well maintained. The replanting of the vineyard blocks is paying off and is beginning to show in the poetry wines as they seem to get more elegant with each vintage. I was disappointed to find out on this most recent visit that Cliff is closing down the art gallery to create a more "VIP" experience for those that wish to schedule a more thorough tour experience. In addition to the reds below we tasted the SB, which is decent in 2010, and a Pinot Gris from a new label that is going to focus on Pinot and other varieties.
Flight 4 - Napa Wine Co. (5 Notes)
Napa Wine Co is a tasting collective on highway 29 that is home to winemaker Rob Lawson, and hosts over 15 labels. I have enjoyed a few of his wines in the past and I like to stop in here because of the variety of wines being poured. On any given day you never really know what might be open, and if you ask there are instances where something off the menu might be available. These are a few of the highlights from this visit. I don't generally take notes on whites, but there was a reisling that was open Sunday that suprised me for its quality.
Flight 5 - Ma(i)sonry
This is a tasting room/art galley in yountville that is home to Blackbird Wines, Tor, Lail and a few other labels. On a really nice day I enjoy sitting in thier garden and tasting a few wines. The goal today was to go through the 2008 Blackbird lineup. Arron Pott continues to make ever more complex wines here and does show off nicely what can be done with Merlot in Napa. I had a hard time deciding which 2008 Blackbird I liked best, but they are all good wines done in a highly polished new world style without getting big and fruity. They were all plush yet well balanced.
2007 Kelly Fleming Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
(9/10/2011)
Nose of Blackberry, Cherry, Fine Furniture, Charcoal and some sweet vanilla. The Palate is nicely tiered and has fine grained tanins. Persitent finish that is more black fruit than red with some eucalyptus and chocolate wound in. Can't wait to see these evolve.
This is a very serious wine. Layered and well structured with a bit of the signature polish that Celia Welch puts on many cabs.
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2008 Kelly Fleming Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
(9/10/2011)
This was just bottled this summer, but shows promise. I found the wine slightly difficult to evaluate as the tanins were relatively hard at this stage and the baby fat from the new oak was not yet integrated. Fantastic concentration as it was the darkest wine of the lineup. Excellent palate weight and a nice touch of earthy tobacco that gave this wine a slightly "serious" St. Julien-esque profile.
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2005 Kelly Fleming Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
(9/10/2011)
This remains my favorite in the Kelly Fleming lineup to date. Voluminous nose of Cherries, Blackberry, Cassis, White Flowers and a bit of Oak. A very precisely constructed cabernet that is up front with dark berry fruit and a suave texture. The complexity of the wine includes floral notes, mineral/hot rocks and subtle eucalyptus and green pepper. The finish is lengthy and caresses the palate.
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