Wine Tasting in Napa
St Helena and Oakville, CA
Tasted Friday, May 16, 2025 by wmccone54 with 133 views
Introduction
Spent the day in the Napa vicinity on May 16, 2025 enjoying wine tastings with my youngest daughter at Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards, Groth Vineyards, and Miner Family Wines.
Flight 1 - Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyads, St Helena, CA (11 Notes)
First appointment of the day. Todd and Richard did a wonderful job of taking us through their current lineup of white, then red wines in their cave.
Flight 2 - Groth Vineyards (5 Notes)
Second Stop of the day. Went through a 45 minute tasting experience which focused on the differences between Groth's well known retail flagship offerings and their higher end "estate offerings" which are much more limited in distribution and availability.
Flight 3 - Miner Family Winery (8 Notes)
Last stop of the day. This is a somewhat new producer for me, and a winery which I've only become interested in recently. First time visit to this winery on Silverado Trail. I found it very interesting, they have no estate owned vineyards; all their grapes are sourced through long term contract with growers throughout Napa valley. Very impressed by the quality of their product lineup.
Closing
We had a wonderful day and got to really enjoy some outstanding wines from three of Napa's finest wineries.
2020 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. Pale lemon color. Aromatic. Great mix of citrus, stone fruit, herbs, minerals. Acidity provides balance and supports a solid finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2020 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Sarah's Cuvee 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. Nicely conceived blend of Semillon, Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay. Not quite as expressive as the Sauvignon Blanc, but very good. Very floral nose, a range of green and white fruits culminating in a medium finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2019 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Chardonnay 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. Pale gold color. Wonderful balance, not overly oaked. Citrus, stone and orchard fruits, light vanilla. Sees partial Malo so there’s definitely fresh acidity for balance and finish. Love the approach.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2018 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Right Bank 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. Clear, medium ruby color. The leafy aromas from the 56% Cabernet Franc really show through, with the 44% Merlot adding wonderful red juicy fruits. Early development. Structure will support medium to longer term cellaring. Balanced. Long finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2018 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. Second time with this particular vintage, and it’s great! I consider this to be their “flagship offering” and it never, never disappoints. I’ve had vintages of this offering dating back to the late ‘90’s and I can’t sing praises and acolytes enough for this wine!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2019 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Éloge
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. Second time with this offering. Carbon copy to my tasting last December in Austin. An excellent Bordeaux styled blend (Meritage).
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2022 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Syrah Sarah's
USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
Winery tasting. Second time with this offering. Youthful. Definitely very juicy and fruit forward. Given some additional cellaring, I think this will start to come into its own in he next 1-2 years.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2019 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Signature 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. First time with this offering in any vintage. Pours a deep, ruby color, full bodied texture. Very youthful. Shows a plethora of primary black fruits. Rich, deep mouthfeel. Very structured. Very long finish. Requires additional cellaring. I have two bottles of this in my cellar, which I’m unlikely to even open until the 2028-2029 timeframe. Needs decanting and food short and medium term.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2019 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. First time with this offering. Highly aromatic. Leafy tobacco, red fruits and notable structure. Early phase of development. Needs food and decanting short term. Finishes strong and long. Very nice.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2018 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Aurum 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. Despite a very solid lineup today, this was the “star of the show”. Comprised of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Displays a very deep ruby, bordering on a purple color. Killer nose, all black fruits, very structured. Youthful. Big finish. Like the “Signature Cabernet”, it’s just too early for this. Decant and enjoy with food short and intermediate term. Just outstanding!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2019 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Winery tasting. Similar to my experience back in December in Austin. You can’t beat the value proposition for this entry level cab. Excellent.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No