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My first trip to Napa, Ca.
Tasted July 9, 2009 - July 11, 2009 by gripNsip with 1,617 views
Introduction
My first trip to Napa, Ca. I had heard many people say "Oh Napa is so commercial now and it's all about the money and not the wine", being originally from Oregon and naturally hating everything about California, I believed the hype. Napa however, was surprisingly open, very friendly overall and was incredibly beautiful. Quite a strange contrast to the Willamette Valley where all of the vines are on the hills, nearly all of the vines in Napa are in the bottom of the valley.
Flight 1 - Grgich Hills (8 notes)
Very friendly staff, full biodynamic production and delicious wine to boot. We just by chance stopped here and I was very glad we did. After much conversation they poured us some of the good stuff, I was very happy with their Yountville Selection Cabernet......very, very happy.
White
2006 Grgich Hills Chardonnay
87 points
Nice nose with a dose of chard fruit and a light oak treatment (light butter). Focused on the fruit, the palate delivers nice acidity and citrus fruits. Decent length in the finish with the oak making a small appearance.
White
2007 Grgich Hills Sauvignon Blanc Fumé Blanc
90 points
Strong grapefruit-lemongrass on the nose and palate, nice searing acidity that dances well on the palate. Fermented in oak but you would never guess it by it's mineral driven palate, quite refreshing and very enjoyable.
Red
2006 Grgich Hills Zinfandel
85 points
Blue and black berry pie flavors expressed on the nose and palate, large but balanced enough. Nice zin fruit on the palate with light acidity and low to no tannin. Enjoyable food wine, I am not a zin lover and this did not impress.
Red
2005 Grgich Hills Merlot
85 points
Very heavy fruit forward nose carrying a-typical merlot fruit. Light acidity, light tannins but nothing exciting to report. Oak is evident on both nose and palate.
Red
2005 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
90 points
Delicious nose, I want to eat this wine based on the smell alone. Lush cab fruits, spice, yummm. Strong acidity and tannins early on in the palate that taper off nicely leading into a long finish. The fruit is good early on but is dominated now by acid and tannins, something that will get better with time. Very enjoyable.
Red
2006 Grgich Hills Zinfandel Miljenko's Old Vines
90 points
Incredibly dark, big fruit forward cali-zin style but a fresh take instead of the raisin-y style that some people make. Black berries and fruits with tobacco and soil evident on nose and palate. Strong acids but light sweet tannins. Great secondary fireworks after the wine is swallowed, very enjoyable. Nice run out on the finish.
Red
2004 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection
93 points
The nose of this wine was like a warm down blanket, soft, inviting and incredibly comfortable. Lush soft fruits and spices along with dark chocolate and light cedar notes present themselves on the nose and palate. Perfectly balanced for being an 04, amazingly full bodied from start to finish. Don't mistake that for being "over the top", this wine just sings. Nice long finish that lingers for some time. I really, really enjoyed this, not your typical fruit bomb Cali Cab - this was on another level. Delicious.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Grgich Hills Violetta Late Harvest
93 points
Botrytis'd fruit flavors, deep pineapple creme brulee, dried apricot, honey, sweet breads dance on the palate. Lighter bodied and carries a nice acidity that only lends to the experience. Finish lingers a minute-plus. So delicious, worth every penny in my opinion.
Flight 2 - Elyse (10 notes)
Recommended this place by friends, I wasn't a true fan of their style. I am not into huge Zinfandels, and this place obviously was. If you are Zin lover check these guys out. I ran into the winemaker from Spangler Vineyards (from my hometown) wierdly and he could not say enough good things about the Zinfandels I did not really enjoy, so take my notes as you will.
White
2007 Elyse L'Ingénue Naggiar Vineyard
91 points
A white CdP blend, this had a big hit of blue cheese and honeyed pear on the nose. On the palate this wine had great mouthfeel, heavy weight on the tongue with ripe green pear, apple, honey that led into some oak on the finish. The acidity is light and tingles the sides of your tongue. The fruit combines with the oak in the finish well, I found this wine very enjoyable.
Red
2006 Elyse Pinot Noir
86 points
The nose on this one carries bright red berry fruits with some heat and acidity noticeable just by smelling it, a little worrying. The palate carries those same red berries forward in a wave followed by a strong acidity which comes in and does some dirty work on the finish, quite drying and is mildly destructive to the flavors present. Due to the clipped finish I found this good but pretty straight forward and average. A large pinot by character if thats your style.
Red
2005 Elyse C'est Si Bon Naggiar Vineyard
88 points
The wine smelled fantastic, unfortunately didn't keep notes of specific flavors. Nice weight in the mouth, something I found in many of Elyse's wines. Slightly herbaceous on the palate that carries first some blueberry and blackberry fruit but rosemary or some other herbal notes as well leading into a finish of nice length. A dark, soft wine, this was very good for the price and was drinking well.
Red
2005 Elyse Syrah Napa Valley
87 points
Has a small percentage of Viognier blended in which was immediately evident on the nose and palate. Soft dark Syrah fruits combine near the end of the mid-palate with the Viognier that was slightly to strong for my taste leading into the finish. A burst of alcoholic heat makes an appearance in the finish as well.
Red
2006 Elyse Zinfandel A.K.A.
88 points
I am not a zin person yet I found the flavors in the wine extremely enjoyable. Sweet dark and red fruits, a mid-weight mouthfeel again with nice texture and nice acidity. The only thing I was not fond of was the heat on the finish which came in strong once swallowed. This was a zin I would drink and not have a problem with.
Red
2006 Elyse Zinfandel Morisoli Vineyard
84 points
...and this was the style of zin I do not enjoy. Big prune and raisin on both nose and palate, tastes extracted and the sweetness clings to every nook and surface inside your mouth. You can tell this is well made wine by the balance of flavor and acidity but the sweetness and flavor profile just are not to my liking.
Red
2006 Elyse Zinfandel Howell Mountain
86 points
Fresher fruit on this one compared to the AKA or Morisoli from the same vintage, this almost reminded me of Italian Barbera due to the large amount of chalky bright fresh fruits evident on both nose and palate. Carries strong acidity that dries the mouth and begs for food. A blast of heat makes it into the finish. A well made effort but again not my style.
Red
2005 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Tietjen Vineyard
90 points
Missed notes on the nose, the palate is far and away a-typical California, nice balance and fresher fruit with great secondary fruit and acidic fireworks going on in the mid-palate and just after. Soft tannins and medium strength acidity carries on through the nice length finish. I found this very enjoyable due to the balance and though-provoking secondary mechanics. A more forward drinking Cabernet than their Jabob Franklin cabernet. 90+
Red
2007 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard
84 points
Yikes, this was a FRUIT BOMB. Supercharged fruit on the palate, huge and hot in the mouth. A huge monster if that is your style. I couldn't get around the fruit, you can sense this was intentional though due to the balanced acids, I hate to give it such a low score as I can sense the winemaker's abilities but for my palate this did not work at all. Strong alcoholic heat throughout palate and finish was this wine's biggest shortfall.
Red
2005 Jacob Franklin Cabernet Sauvignon Hoffman Lane
92 points
Must have been recently opened as a large raw beef component was going on in the nose and palate. Rich stewed dark berry fruit on the nose. Balanced well on the palate, great Cali cab fruit with some herbal and light asparagus flavors leading into the finish. Medium strength tannic finish that carries the fruit and runs along for some time. Large and silky in the mouth without being a bomb, very good stuff.
Flight 3 - Miner (7 notes)
I've had great experiences with the Pinot Noirs from this producer in the past and was very excited to check them out. Unfortunately the wines did not deliver and while the staff was friendly, they were using club members as bait by giving them the good stuff in front of the entire tasting room and then telling everyone "this is how we treat club members". Kind of awkward and rude.
White
2007 Miner Family Viognier Simpson Vineyard
80 points
Nice nose with that full Viognier bouquet, great fruit early on with a bitter alcoholic bite at the end of the mid-palate that clips the finish. Destructive heat. I didn't enjoy this.
White
2007 Miner Family Chardonnay Napa Valley
88 points
Oak driven nose with this wine's acidity evident just by smelling it. Buttery on the palate, nice chardonnay fruit with great weight and mouthfeel. Oak driven from start to finish, the fruit does enough to balance everything out with the nice acidity. I enjoy this style from time to time, and this was good. The only thing keeping it down is the alcoholic heat on the finish, it comes in a wave after the wine is swallowed, and ends slightly bitter due to this.
Rosé
2008 Miner Family Sangiovese Mendocino Rosato
84 points
A distinct smokiness on the nose carries through to the palate with bright raspberry fruit, low acidity and heavy weight on the palate. Pretty boring overall but a good rose.
Red
2008 Miner Family Tempranillo
85 points
A distinct smell of salmon along with the dark fruits in the palate, salmon, cherries. Light weight mouthfeel. Carries strong acidity that dries the mouth on the finish. OK but pretty basic.
Red
2006 Miner Family Cabernet Franc
86 points
Gripping acidity on this wine that puts your entire mouth in a vise, light firm tannins with fruit that is that is hard to find under all of the tannin, acid and oak. It's there, enough of it, but just barely. I would have enjoyed this style with a fatty steak but this is far to expensive considering what you are getting. (50$ from the tasting room)
Red
2005 Miner Family The Oracle
87 points
Smells like your typical fruit-forward California cabernet blend with some oak present. Fruit forward palate, big and plush early on then dies quickly on the finish leaving only strong acid and distinct alcoholic heat and bite. The tannins are the front end are nice and dusty but thats about this wine's only great quality. To sharp and obtuse on the finish due to the alcohol. Again a circumstance where you can sense that the wine maker was really trying for quality here but the wine was just not showing it today.
Red
2006 Miner Family Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
88 points
My favorite wine in the tasting room, this was a fresher take on cabernet with the fruit on the nose and palate, nice balanced acidity and tannins, the acidity sticks around a while and slowly and gently dries the mouth in the finish. Very enjoyable. Would have rated higher if not for the same alcoholic bite many of the Miner wines were carrying, this time it was short enough to just blast you after swallowing but leave quickly enough so you could still enjoy the finish 3 seconds later.
Flight 4 - Rombauer (5 notes)
I have a confession, I really like the over-blown, over-oaked butterbomb style Chardonnay Rombauer makes. I have to be in the mood for it, but when I am Rombauer and ONLY Rombauer will do. So, we had to make a stop there, I wasn't expecting much but their wine was great, the staff very friendly and their desert wine very, very good. I recommend stopping here. The glasses you get to keep when you taste are of very good quality and shape as well. The last stop of day 1.
White
2007 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay
89 points
Rombauer hits this buttery, over the top oak driven Cali chardonnay style right on the nose. It's large in both fruit and oak but does so cleanly and without any of the harsh bite some other chardonnays done in this style have. I like this style when I am in the mood for it, and consider this my pedestal wine for butter-bomb Cali chardonnay considering the price. I agree with Vaynerchuk that there are cheaper bottles that can out-do the Rombauer but there are many far more expensive bottles that this one will out perform.
Red
2005 Rombauer Vineyards Merlot Carneros
88 points
Not as fruit-forward as other merlots I enjoyed today, this was a little less fresh and reduced. Nice blueberry pie fruit along with completely balanced tannin and acidity. It's loses out for being low on character and originality, but is integrated and drinking very well now. The wife enjoyed this and requested I purchase some.
Red
2005 Rombauer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
89 points
A rich and delicious distinctly Napa cabernet nose with ripe cabernet fruit leading into a nice length finish. Rombauer has done well with this one on the balance, it is perfectly straight from start to finish as far as flavor/mouthfeel/acid and tannins go. I would enjoy it more if it was able to do that and show me some more exciting traits, but this will do. Very enjoyable.
Red
2004 Rombauer Vineyards Merlot Proprietor Selection
90 points
Almost meaty on the nose with tomato, dark fruits. Balanced again, nice winemaking going on here. Beautiful mouthfeel with spiced dark fruits, balanced acidity that leaves only light fruit flavors behind in a gentle decrease through the long finish. Refreshing and very good overall. 90+
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay Late Harvest Joy
93 points
Hits just like a rich delicious Sauternes on the nose and palate, hard to believe this is 100% Chardonnay. Creme brulee, sweet breads, lemon custard, large on the palate from start to finish. Nice acids keep everything in check. This is a style of desert wine I love, so rich and soft on the palate. Very good stuff.
Flight 5 - BV (12 notes)
This place was a surprise. We started in their standard tasting room which was crowded and loud. The man helping us was very nice though, and they were running some deals that made my wine very cheap by the end of the visit in that room. We moved to the reserve room after that to start on the tapestry, and there was not a soul in there other than the single staff member. That man, I forget his name, was incredibly friendly and for the 30-odd minutes we were there he was incredibly friendly and open and made our experience very enjoyable. I recommend trying their reserve wines as most of them were fantastic.
Dan and Trisha in the reserve tasting room:
Red
2006 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
88 points
Nice nose of rich spicy cabernet fruits, dark fruits hit early on in the palate that dies quickly into the finish leaving drying acidity. This was a pleasant surprise when I was expecting very little from this bottle. Very clean with no real harsh edges. One of the best QPR pics of my entire trip.
Red
2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
89 points
Large but restrained, this wine was well balanced throughout with rich fruits and tobacco but nice supple tannins and strong but pleasant acids. Well built and my QPR pick of the entire trip. I plan on buying a few of these to have around the house. Drinking well now.
Red
2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Maestro Collection Beaulieu #1
89 points
Rich cab fruit with a lingering spiciness in the finish. Oak evident on the nose and finish but balances well enough with this wine's other components. A large wine by character and would probably stand up to most foods. 80/20 cab/merlot.
Red
2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Maestro Collection Beaulieu #2
88 points
Smells like you took their Rutherford cabernet and dipped a strong cigar deep in it then smelled the end of the cigar. Strong tobacco flavors throughout nose and palate wrapped up in that rich cabernet fruit most of the BV's have. If you enjoy this flavor profile this is a great drink as the rest of the wine is balanced from start to finish.
Red
2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir Carneros
84 points
Fruit forward, slightly candied fruits with a thin mouthfeel. The finish dies quickly. Extremely boring effort, possible that I am spoiled but this was flat and boring. A light-bodied, easy drink if that's what you desire.
Red - Fortified
2004 Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Collection Port
88 points
Surprisingly good and great QPR for $30/750mL. Great extracted fruits early on with a secondary burst of toasted wood and popcorn leading into the finish. Clean and delicious, the alcohol is kept in check as well. An enjoyable drink, I bought some I was so impressed.
Red
2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve
89 points
Rich cabernet fruits with some charred wood and green olive making it into the picture. Great smoothness, precise and balanced. Nice light drying acids on the finish. A good drink but I would rather have the Rutherford for 12-14 dollars less.
Red
2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
91 points
Great smoothness with perfectly balanced acids, gentle tannins and fruit. Drinking very well now and quite accessible at this young age, open 6 hours according to the server. Long clean finish, I wrote "great fruit" 3 times in my hand written notes despite how short my notes actually were, haha. 91+
Red
1995 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
92 points
Age evident on the nose, this wine is progressing well. My wife nailed the smell of this wine, "it smells like the inside of a freshly made cedar box". This carries that BV rich cabernet fruits turned down a notch along with tobacco and light earth. Smooth from start to finish, this wine is drinking very well right now. The oak is integrated well with considerable acid and tannins still present. Great secondary aged flavors along with the fruit run out on the finish. What a treat. Don't know how much it will improve past now, it seems on that edge where the fruit is still fully intact but the aged flavors are also a large part of the picture, I liked where it was today very much.
Red
2004 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 337
93 points
Wow, this was a great cabernet. Rich but light weight, great fruit with some beautiful chocolate or cocoa notes hitting in the mid-palate. Surprisingly complex transitions in the mid-palate with flavors that escaped me at the time. The most feminine feeling bottle of cabernet I had the entire trip. Balanced flavors, seamless in every way, exacted a 'wow' from me every taste. Expensive but I couldn't leave without a bottle as it will be interesting to see where this goes in 5+ years. 93+
Red
2004 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4
90 points
After the incredible experience I had with the clone 337 right before this, I had high expectations for the other two clones. I found the clone 4 more forward with it's fruit and a touch more primary with more spice but less going on in the mid-palate. Really good wine, clean and delicious but paled in comparison to the 337.
Red
2004 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6
89 points
My least favorite of the 3 clones poured at the tasting room, big tobacco with less fruit but a heavy mouthfeel. The least fruity of the 3 clones tasted, actually leaves me wishing for more. Again that great balance of acidity/tannin, scored by itself I might have went higher but in contrast to the others I was not a fan.
Flight 6 - Peju (4 notes)
This place was just OK, their wines were pretty average, it was neat to get to try the mini-vertical they were pouring though.
White
2008 Peju Province Winery French Colombard Carnival
86 points
Sauvignon blanc style flavors on the nose, lemon grass, citrus notes. On the palate has great lemon citrus, light mineral and a nice brisk acidity. Low intensity throughout though, I compared this to one of my favorite local white wines, De Ponte's Melon, only down a few levels of intensity. Good overall.
Rosé
N.V. Peju Province Winery Province
88 points
A blend of red and white wine, the palate carries red berry fruits. A fun combination of wine, clean and refreshing. A good summer wine. While I am pretty non-descript on the notes I did enjoy it, the pours were small and this went down to easily.
Red
2005 Peju Province Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
88 points
Smells distinctly Napa with nice richness of fruit and some light mushroom notes. I was a little let down by the flavor once tasted, good fruit early on but simple and with a sharply acidic finish. Good wine but nothing to make it stand above the rest.
Red
2003 Peju Province Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
88 points
What a difference a couple years makes for this wine, this was far more laid back than the 05, the fruit slightly stewed and lightened but still carried an off-balance acidity level. The acid dies away quickly enough to experience some nice fruit on the finish. This wine was already showing it's age in places. Good and enjoyable overall.
Flight 7 - AO (7 notes)
I had been recommended this place by a friend, and they stay open late, so we made them the last stop of day 2. Friendly staff, a great tasting area, but their wines were not doing it for me. It could have been that I had been tasting all day but all of their wines were incredibly hot on the finish. Big wines, even bigger alcoholic heat. Some even warmed the stomach. The Era did stick out, this wine would have been scored much higher if it didn't warm my throat and stomach on the way down. I didn't get this the day prior or the last day though so I think the wines were just hot. This place stays open until 5:30, making it a great last stop of the day.
White
2008 Alpha Omega Sauvignon Blanc
86 points
A mineral driven, grassy sauvignon blanc. Some light sweetness on the nose. Nice citrus and tropical fruit early on the palate but goes wonky and soupy on the finish leaving a touch of bitterness. Good wine, needed a touch more acidity.
Rosé
2008 Alpha Omega Rosé
87 points
A rich, delicious nose and palate here of cherry, red berries and fuji apple. Nice acidity but the finish gets dominated by some alcoholic heat. Despite that this was very enjoyable, the flavor and weight of this wine is very good.
White
2006 Alpha Omega Chardonnay
87 points
Fresh nose of apple, citrus fruit with a large toasted oak component. Really silky in the mouth with toasted wood and popcorn flavors so large the fruit almost seems like a secondary player in the wine. Despite this is finishes cleanly. A clean oak-bomb, surprising I would rate it this so highly looking at my notes now but I must have enjoyed it at the time.
Red
2006 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon
88 points
Slightly muted nose with good cabernet fruits showing. Very fruit driven on the palate with some light tobacco, clean and straight forward with light sweet tannins and strong acidity. I would have gone higher had the alcoholic heat made an appearance in the finish.
Red
2006 Alpha Omega Proprietary Red
87 points
Even more fruit-driven than their cabernet, this had lighter, brighter berry fruits, tobacco, seed, and something slightly herbaceous. Great length in the finish, you can sense the winemaker's work here but overall the wine is hot and uncomplex for the price point. The heat dominated hard on the finish here.
Red
2006 Alpha Omega Era
90 points
Strong bacon smokiness, heavy blackberries on the nose. Beautiful palate early on, wow, serious complexity starting then BAM!, like a ton of bricks here comes the alcohol heat. Well built with great complexity early on, this evolves for 2-3 minutes in the finish. Why rate it so low then? You miss nearly 20 seconds of flavor right after the mid-palate waiting for the heat to calm down enough to taste something. If I would have bought this I would sit on it for a long time before opening it, it a structured monster of a wine that needs to sleep. I can handle a hot wine, this was to much. Hopefully some time resting is all this needs. 90++
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Alpha Omega Late Harvest Reserve
89 points
Botrytised nose and palate, pretty typical but carries a HUGE amount of residual sweetness, it completely coats the mouth and is almost chewy. Will it age? I bought one to find out, I think it is a gamble though. Right now this is in no place to drink unless you like a sugar bomb as there is way to much now. Hopefully this will calm down with some age. 89+
Flight 8 - Pride (5 notes)
The napa valley vitners website says this place is open to the public, although when we got there they said it was appointment only. It is a hellish drive up to Pride so we were willing to wait around for the next appointment which kindly let us join them. The tour through their bottle caves was very enjoyable.
White
2004 Pride Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay Vintner Select Mountain Top Vineyard
90 points
Great balance of bright tropical fruits, toasted oak and acidity with a touch of candied apple in there as well. Age barely showing on this, quite refreshing still. Good stuff.
Red
2007 Pride Mountain Vineyards Syrah
86 points
Very fruity, needs some time to settle down I think. Primary bright red fruit flavors, red berries, large acidity. A bright, refreshing style of Syrah, while simple now this will get better once it integrates more.
Red
2006 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot
91 points
This was the wine that made me want to check out Pride. I had this at a tasting room and was blown away by how well it tasted. My expectations were high going in and it didn't disappoint, but didn't wow me like it did before. Smelled beautiful, on the palate fresh merlot fruits with a great weight and balanced medium acidity and medium grip tannins. Nice long but clean finish as well. They did great with the oak treatment on this wine. Delicious stuff.
Red
2006 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
91 points
Rich cabernet fruits, very focused. Dark fruits and spice, slightly off-balance acidity with a nice long lip-smacking finish. I feel this is a bit young still and will benefit greatly from another year or two in the bottle.
White - Fortified
N.V. Pride Mountain Vineyards Mistelle de Viognier
87 points
Brandy evident on both nose and palate, this is light weight in the mouth with tropical fruits and a nice green tea component. Doesn't stick around to long on the finish but still clean and delicious.
Flight 9 - Frank Family (5 notes)
I've had their Cabernet reserve and that was really why I was here. A good tasting overall. I missed notes on their standard cabernet.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Frank Family Vineyards Blanc de Blancs
86 points
Crisp green apple, light honey notes on the nose. Once swallowed the ripe green apple is there along with light toastiness, light nuttiness, nice bubbles and a light acidity. Nice clean, simple bubbly.
Red - Sparkling
N.V. Frank Family Vineyards Rouge Carneros
84 points
I think the kid in me really enjoyed this, it was like sparkling fruit juice. Very fruity, cranberry, pomegranate flavors along with very light bubbles. Surprisingly some heat hit on the finish. I won't lie, I enjoyed it. I would take it to my next monster truck rally as I am sure it would taste great out of a plastic cup.
White
2007 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay Napa Valley
88 points
Nice toasty oak cradles the bright fruit flavors in this wine well. Great cooked apple, pear and light dose of butter on the mid-palate. Clean and good.
Red
2006 Frank Family Vineyards Zinfandel
88 points
Typical but balanced fresh cali Zinfandel. A restrained, lighter zin that still carries great body and weight. Nice acidity as well, very light tannic grip. Probably my favorite Zinfandel of the trip.
Red
2005 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rutherford
92 points
This was the wine that brought me to Frank Family. Showing very well now, and drinking surprisingly well at this age. Silky in the mouth, great weight. Perfectly balanced, great fruit and spiciness, great oak, great everything really. Just like before, the only reason I don't rate this higher is aside from the balance there isn't anything to really push it forward. It's like a perfectly handling sports car with a boring exterior. It performs well, is exciting to drive but when you just look at it you wish it had more going on.
Flight 10 - Duckhorn (5 notes)
The biggest letdown of the trip wine-wise, but a great tasting area and setup for tasting, they actually seat you at tables with a list and menu. Very organized. Their wine was all one-dimensional and hot, not to mention very expensive.
White
2008 Duckhorn Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
87 points
Fruit driven that holds a strong acidity well and is quite delicious. Less grassy with some light mineral notes. A little short on the finish, I still enjoyed this and found it quite good.
Red
2006 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Estate Grown
83 points
A well built merlot that carries a strong acidity on the mid-palate and finish but grossly out of balance alcohol heat on the finish. The finish honestly killed for me what would have otherwise been a good wine.
Red
2007 Decoy Red Wine
84 points
What a fruit bomb. Tart leading into ripe huge red berries and cherries, a little chalkiness, almost barbera-like in it's fruitiness. Strong acidity, carries some mild heat on the finish. Some richness as well, if you love BIG fruit wines this would be the one for you.
Red
2006 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard
85 points
Smells great, more smokiness and less fruit driven than the estate bottling. Great merlot fruits and some tobacco and wood notes on the palate turning astringent on the finish. Huge acids come in along with heat on the finish and shake everything up. Wildly out of balance currently. You can sense the greatness of this wine early on but it completely failed in my book due to the finish.
Red
2006 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley
86 points
I found this the most drinkable merlot of the whole line-up while tasting at Duckhorn. It is rather simple though, but drinking well now and actually has it's acids and alcohol under control. Smooth with a light weight on the palate.
Flight 11 - RSV (4 notes)
Recommended by a friend, their wines were good, the staff again very enjoyable and the tastings came with appetizers that matched the wines. Very nice. I recommend this place.
White
2008 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Pinot Gris
88 points
Very aromatic nose, citrus fruits with light pineapple. Strong citrus again on the palate, great acidity leading from mid-palate to finish. Very clean and delicious. 88+
Red
2005 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Pinot Noir Vandal Vineyard
90 points
Red berry fruit with that bit of funk you expect from good pinot on the nose. Bright red berries and cherry fruit early on with some medium-strength acidity taking over in the mid-palate that balances nicely with the lingering fruit and spice notes. A very good Cali pinot with no outstanding flaws.
Red
2005 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Cabernet Franc Vandal Vineyard
89 points
A very good cab franc, nice balanced style with bright fruit, some green olive, light tannins and light but lingering acidity. I found this very enjoyable.
Red
2006 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Pinot Noir Los Carneros
87 points
Good and bright on nose and palate with nice acidity but a large hit of alcoholic heat once swallowed. If that heat wasn't there it would be 89-90 point range as this was very good wine despite that one glaring flaw.
Flight 12 - Provenance (6 notes)
The last stop of the last day, we went into this with no expectations. The tasting room was filled with tons of drunks and we almost turned around but were motioned to a table by the staff. They run seperate flights for their wines, but when we started taking notes the staff member said we could taste in whatever order we wanted and he would figure out the pricing later. Very nice! Their wines, especially their cabernets, were very good. The Beckstoffer To-Kalon was one of the most unique Cabernets I had on the entire trip. The Hewitt, while a young powerhouse, was very good as well, it will be interesting to see how it improves. I recommend this place.
White
2008 Provenance Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford
82 points
A medium intensity Sauvignon Blanc with nice flavor early on but a awkward mid-palate and finish with some heat and a waxed fruit finish. Pretty boring but does carry nice acidity.
Red
2005 Provenance Vineyards Merlot Beckstoffer Las Amigas Vineyard
90 points
Candied red berry fruit, oak showing through but nice. Darker, heavy fruit on the palate with dried fruit undertones. Heavy mouthfeel, carries balanced medium acidity going into the finish. Very good with some subtleties and complexities. One of my favorite merlots of the trip.
Red
2006 Provenance Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard
88 points
A youngster still, this carries great merlot fruit with pronounced tobacco and light earthy notes. Great acidity and tannins in the finish, very tasty but still primary with it's flavor profile compared to the 05 Las Amigas merlot tasted beside it. They kept the alcohol firmly under wrap here, doesn't hit on the finish like many 06's I had on the trip. Enjoyable wine but I wouldn't touch this for a couple of years.
Red
2005 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
91 points
Smells like a beautiful mix of coffee and dark chocolate with berry undertones. On the palate is dark chocolate covered red berries, coffee notes with light tobacco. The fruit is balanced by the other flavors of this wine, this is drinking really well right now. This was a very interesting cabernet with definite complexities, a real joy to drink. I had to buy some it was so good. The only reason I don't go higher is it is a bit light on the palate, was hoping for more weight. That said this was great wine.
Red
2005 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
88 points
A more a-typical California cabernet with a larger fruit forward nose and palate of dark berries, pipe tobacco and hints of raisin. The finish carries nice acidity and sweet tannins that delicately disappear, you can feel this is well made wine. It looses points for hitting mildly on the finish with a whack of alcoholic heat.
Red
2005 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
Heavy on the nose, rich cherry pie and pipe tobacco. This wine is massive on the palate, dark berries evolve into lighter red berries, some cedar notes all wrapped up in a hugely acidic and tannic finish that leaves light fruit behind for a minute-plus. This is a balanced, structured brute of wine that will evolve for some time, I had to buy some to sit on and find out. 92+
Closing
The damage:
Over-all the trip was a complete success. I feel much better about Napa as a whole, sure it's big business and commecialized but the wines were of very high quality, we were treated very well and met many very friendly people along the way. Napa itself is beautiful, I like how everything is so close together, save for Pride which while being a crazy drive is worth your time. This was a fantastic trip that I will never forget.