Napa Visit 2023: Fran, Hill, Chris & Tracy

We took a once-in-a-decade trip to Napa with dear, dear friends. Across 4 full days in the Valley, we tasted at 7 different wineries with a cool 'bonus' bottle gift from Chris & Tracy enjoyed before the TORC Napa dinner on Wednesday. I'll share several TNs here - the most memorable one from each winery - from a truly wonderful trip. For those still reading, I think our 1.75 wineries per day was spot-on.
Our lineup, which I would do again, was: Whetstone, Caldwell, Progeny, Amulet, Far Niente, Round Pond, Nickel & Nickel.

• 2020 Whetstone Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Walala Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (7/10/2023)

  Tasted at winery - wonderful red fruit in this 2020 Sonoma Coast pinot noir. It’s like a cherry and raspberry pie filling, but far from going overboard. Also a subtle but enjoyable sweetness here, somewhere in between a vanilla extract and toasted marshmallow. Drinking very well right now.

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• 2019 Flint Knoll Royal Appointment 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  (7/12/2023)

  Very thoughtful gift from Chris and Tracy that we consumed on the Andaz terrace in Napa before dinner at TORC. Wine was velvety and smooth, lots of blackberry and vanilla. It was really singing after an hour of bottle air, so I’d do a 1 hr decant. Cheers to a wonderful Napa trip and even better friends!

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• 2013 Progeny Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Mt. Veeder 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder

  (7/11/2023)

  Tasted at Winery. This wine had the purest mountain fruit expression that I can recall tasting for many years: vivid red fruit, some sweetness, great structure in a smooth, fully integrated wine. At 10 years, I think this 2013 Progeny Reserve cab is at peak drinking. Alas, I bought 2018s with a plan to lay down for years and hope for similar evolution. For me, this was the wine of the week. Bravo to the team at Progeny.

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• 2019 Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Gravel Series The Vow 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  (7/13/2023)

  Tasted at Winery. Our group thoroughly enjoyed (and purchased) this wonderful wine from Round Pond. The Rutherford fruit here was so enticing, both on the nose and mid-palate: so much bright and mildly briary red fruit,yet woven into the wine's delicate structure. The 2019 Vow of course also featured the 'Rutherford dust' on the long and satisfying finish. For the group, this was wine of the week. I should also note that the Round Pond winery visit was our favorite of the week as well. The views, history, and hospitality were tops - to include the cool passport-like book with detailed maps that they gave our group. We'll enjoy this wonderful wine and reminisce about the associated good times for decades to come. Cheers!

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• 2019 Amulet Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  (7/11/2023)

  Tasted at Winery. The visit to Amulet and conversation with the winemaker were great. Among several tasty cabernets, this 2019 George III was my favorite. The wine was bright ruby red with a rich, seductive nose and warm, vivid red fruit that followed. The finish was long and satisfying. We bought with plans to track and enjoy this cabernet over the next decade - another truly excellent wine that we tasted during the Summer 2023 Napa trip.

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