Tasted Friday, December 10, 2021 by I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine with 207 views
Trip is winding down. We had a winery cancel before we arrived to Napa and never filled the vacancy (my liver is thankful for the slight reprieve!) Actually, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we really had a chance to spend quality time at VHR, with Bruce, and learned quite a bit about the art of viticulture, including grafting rootstock and clones, as well as the history of grape growing in Napa. Bruce was a wealth of knowledge and the information was beyond fascinating! Definitely a quality day!
After an educational stroll through the vineyard which was filled with a plethora of interesting facts about viticulture, including grape growing, grafting and drainage, we sat down and tasted the 2014 and 2018 vintages.
I was looking forward to this tasting after listening to Michael carry on about the virtues of VHR, even though I had never tried one, I was anxious to see what all the accolades were all about! This was an awesome tasting, and one that exceeded my expectations!
Afterward, Bruce let us take home the leftover wine, which we served with dinner...this provided an opportunity to see the wine with lots of air! How awesome was that!
Another winery I was looking forward to visiting! I loved their wines the first time I had one, which was at a James Suckling tasting event in Miami....this was one of my favorite wines, and tied with Paul Hobbs Cobos (Malbec) for first place with my niece! My recollection is that I only had the 2016 prior to the tasting, so I was looking forward to trying some other vintages....the winery came through and let us taste multiple vintages!
Tasting at VHR was fantastic....they make quality wines, and they are a great value and taste great too! Quintessa was extremely friendly and oh so generous! I am already feeling a sense of sadness at. the prospect of leaving! Still have one more glorious day left though! Hope it is as good as today!
2016 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Gastronome Blanc de Blancs Brut 88 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Tasted at VHR with Bruce - A nice enough Champagne with lots of minerality and saline...will appeal to some, but I prefer more fruit and a creamier mouthfeel. 88 for my palate, but many will think this score low.
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2014 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Tasted at the winery, and again at dinner. It definitely opened up more by dinner time, although very approachable at the winery with a decant. The wine initially showed lots of berries on the nose, with purple flowers and hints of herbs, leather and baking spice. Later (dinner), the nose showed some additional cherry and cocoa notes with some slight cigar box notes.
Palate was very plush with lots of red and black fruit, some wet stone, herbs, sweet toasted oak and hints of spice. Later (dinner), the flavors were more integrated and the emergence of baked dark cherry pie, hints of bramble and slight notes of graphite were discernible.
A pleasure to drink now, but should improve with some addition age. Bought 3 bottles and will open one every 3 years (at least that is the plan!) 95 initially and 95+ at dinner, with a good chance of raising that score with a little more time. Also, my score could be slightly jaded because it was drank side by side with an outstanding 2018 (which was more in my wheelhouse)
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2018 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Tasted at the winery and again with dinner (7 hours later). Nose didn't change much, and showed plenty purple fruit, lavender, sage and anise, with hints of tar and wood. Later, there were also hints of pine and lead.
Palate was super structured with plenty of red and black fruit, notes of earth, bramble, leather and hints of oak and spice. The wine showed plenty of acidity and tannins to say this wine is a marathon runner and will be drinking quite well in 25-30 years. One cannot help enjoying this fruit-forward wine now, but for me, you can already taste the potential A truly exciting wine that I look forward to drinking throughout the years....I agree with others who think this wine will eventually flirt with perfection! 96-97
Purchased 6 bottles, and will try to drink every three years or so...I have a feeling I will be saying better, but can still improve every time I open a bottle!
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