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Trip to Napa/Sonoma
Napa/Sonoma
Tasted November 7, 2009 - November 14, 2009 by Nutty08 with 1,462 views
Introduction
I hadn't been back in Napa in several years, and Rachael had never been, so there was a lot of anticipation built up for this trip. Scouring the eRobertparker board for recommendations, we setup quite a lineup of tastings.
Flight 1 - Arrival - Bounty Hunter Wine bar (2 notes)
Wanted to get settled in Napa after a long day of travel.
Red
2005 Waypoint Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard
92 points
Had at the Bounty Hunter wine bar, not sure how long it had been open, but seemed smooth like it had been open for a while. Rather shy nose of spicy vanilla and cedar. Palate was smooth, with fine tannin and not terribly structured but balanced. Currants and a little cassis, but the palate was really dominated by chocolate, earth, and a very strong vanilla cream character. Despite having a heavy oak influence, I really enjoyed the dense layers of complexity on the palate, going into a lengthy finish of currants, cedar and vanilla cream. Complex, dense, full bodied cab that delivers now and show improve over the next 5 years.
Red
2008 Pursuit Pinot Noir Carneros
85 points
Rather disappointing. Thin acidic palate and shy nose, really only giving up sour cherry, barnyard, and animal character. Simple, thin, and short finish. Interesting style in a Cali cab(more in a Burgundian style), but lost in the crowd with other producers.
Flight 2 - Trespass (5 notes)
Beautiful day. Given the number of recommendations on the eRP boar thought we would check this one out. had a very nice afternoon tasting with Don Gallagher, who is very excited to show off his wines--as he should be. Our first tasting of the trip and we probably underrated his wines a bit. These were overall outstanding, the Oakville being the favorite of the trip fo Rachael, and were our benchmarks for Cab for the rest of the trip. Greats wines at great prices (for Napa).
Red
2006 Trespass Vineyard Cabernet Franc
90 points
T\his was very nice. had a great spicy herbal nose that showed some floral notes with time in the glass. Round smooth palate with fine tannins in the background. Showing red fruits with cedar and mocha on the finish. Quite impressive for 100% Cab franc.
Red
2006 Trespass Vineyard Rendezvous
91 points
I really liked this bottle. Takes the round red fruits and spice of the Cab franc and adds a roundness along with more structure that creates a fantastic balanced and complex cuvee with nice acidity on the palate. Fruit palate of plum and cassis with a vanilla cream finish with plenty of earth and mocha. Should improve in the short term.
Red
2005 Trespass Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
Rustic dense complex nose that with time in the glass showed pure cassis and black cherry along wiht mocha. Dense dark palate of mocha, vanilla cream, currants and well structured. Lengthy finish of coffee, roasted nuts, dark chocolate and earth. Tightly wound and built for the medium term.
Red
2003 Trespass Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
90 points
Very different flavor profile from the '05. Nosed with herbs and cedar. Palate is more red fruit centered with a nice herbal spicy quality. Medium finish of mocha and vanilla. Lighter on the palate and less complex than the '05, but much more open and accessible, giving more now.
Red
2004 Trespass Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville District
92 points
Strikinglydifferent flavor profile in this wine complained to the Estate cabs. Cassis and plum on the nose with dusty, musty earth notes. Prominent acidity on the palate, crisp, but dense and full red fruit character and adding layers of cedar, pipe tobacco, and going into a long finish of damp forest floor, mocha, and a very intriguing mineral note. Fantastic.
Flight 3 - Chappellet (6 notes)
Beautiful facility and great views. Had a lot of fun with the tasting group from NY and NJ. Overall great quality wines for good prices. i was a little disappointed with the Cab signature but the Pritchard Hill made up for it.
White
2007 Chappellet Chardonnay
89 points
Simple nose of pear, apple with a little cedar and nuts. palate was crisp with a little oak and touch of vanilla. Medium finish. Lacking complexity but quite refreshing.
White
2007 Chappellet Chardonnay Signature
91 points
Warm buttery nose with pear, apple and spice notes. Round palate, but with a nice acidic streak holding thing together into a lengthy finish of vanilla cream. Despite the oak influence, never heavy or over shadowing the fruit flavors.
Red
2007 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Signature
90 points
Very fruit forward nose of black cherry, wild berries and cassis. Round rich palate of red fruits and vanilla. Finish is medium length and complexity adding density with mocha and earth notes hanging on. Really nice accessible Cab for now.
Red
2007 Chappellet Mountain Cuvée
89 points
Shy nose at first, but eventually showing cotton candy, vanilla, black cherries and cassis. Raspberry notes comes out on the palate, with good structure. Finish has a strong scorched earth notes along with roasted coffee and chocolate. Touch of heat on the finish. Chalky tannins.
Red
2006 Chappellet Merlot
91 points
Really enjoyed this one. Herbaceous nose with plum and wild berries. Round palate, but well structured and a fantastic complex finish of forest floor, cedar and stone. Rustic character throughout.
Red
2006 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard
93 points
Really young and hard to get a handle on. Very dark in the glass and a subtle nose of blackberries, wild berries, and mocha. Palate was dense and well structured adding a touch of cassis with plum and blackberry. On the finish toast and cedar really come out, along with a minty milk chocolate note that changed more into cassis mocha with air. Very dense and structured. Really seem just to hint at a fantastic future as it wasn't giving much now.
Flight 4 - Dinner at Ad Hoc (1 note)
Very nice dinner, though wasn't blow away. The Telegraphe went especially well with the skirt steak.
Red
1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
94 points
Initially upon opening had a menthol/band-aid nose that made me question whether the bottle was off. This blew off after 15-20mins and left a distinctly mature Rhone nose of barnyard, cherries, and kirsch. Palate was lush and light, with a distinct liqueur-like quality and was slightly hot, but this gave way to dense layers of spice and stewed fruit, and hung on the palate for nearly a minute. Tannins were nearly completely integrated with a slight fine tannin background. Absolutely fantastic bottle, and maybe the best CdP I've had.
Flight 5 - DuMOL - barrel tasting (8 notes)
Admittedly, I was annoyed with DuMOL. The tasting was a pain to setup, and I was still annoyed they shipped my '07 so early to Texas. I was therefore looking for excuses to come off the list, but I just love the wines hadn't done it yet. We spent the morning tasting with winemaker Andy Smith at their phenomenal new facility outside Windsor. Andy was very gracious and wonderful host and the wines were simply stunning! I haven't tasted through the '07's yet, but the '08's look to blow the socks off '06, and I'm a huge fan of '06 from them. A great tasting overall. Thanks Andy.
White
2008 DuMOL Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample of partial blend. From memory as I did not take detailed notes during the tour. Totally different style than the '06 Chard, the only other Dumol chardonnay I've had. Very bright acidity, almost fizzy, very crisp. Plenty of pear and green apple, but adds on some vanilla and a distinct mineral note. Very good. I will not pass on this. 90+
White
2008 DuMOL Chardonnay Chloe
Barrel Sample of partial blend. From memory as I did not take detailed notes during the tour. More subtle than the regional blend, but also more complex. Acidic and crisp, but smooth and round, with an absolutely thrilling, soft, lush mouthfeel. layers of complexity. Not to be missed. 92+
Red
2008 DuMOL Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample of partial blend. From memory as I did not take detailed notes during the tour. Very aromatic nose with game and barnyard flavors - atypical for the pinot I've had from Dumol. Still, enjoyable and complex, with a nice earth element on the finish. ill be interesting to see the final blend, but will have a different personality than prior vintages. 89
Red
2008 DuMOL Pinot Noir Aidan
Barrel Sample of partial blend. From memory as I did not take detailed notes during the tour. My favorite Pinot of the tasting. Had all the elements, with pure ripe fruit, prominent structure with balanced acidity. Floral and red fruit nose. Complex palate with an herbal spiciness, and a distinct mineral note on the finish. 93+
Red
2008 DuMOL Pinot Noir Ryan
Barrel Sample of partial blend. From memory as I did not take detailed notes during the tour. Striking acidic compared to the others, which the winemaker attributed to more whole cluster. Very nice, with red and blue fruit flavors and lengthy finish. 91+
Red
2008 DuMOL Pinot Noir Estate
Barrel Sample of partial blend. From memory as I did not take detailed notes during the tour. A very interesting wine that struck me as a mix in styles of the RRV and Aiden. Touch of gamy/barnyard, with focused red fruits that really come together for a fantastic Pinot. 91+
Red
2008 DuMOL Syrah Jack Robert's Run
Barrel Sample of partial blend. From memory as I did not take detailed notes during the tour. Glad to see this wine come back this year. Very deep dark purple color, and quite a tannic wine. Very dark fruit profile with tons of scorched earth, mocha, toast and vanilla flavors. Quite masculine in style. 92+
Red
2008 DuMOL Syrah Eddie's Patch
Barrel Sample of partial blend. From memory as I did not take detailed notes during the tour. Fruit forward compared to the Jack Roberts, with blueberries and wild berry nose, plum on the palate and a little cream vanilla. Finer tannins than the Jack Roberts. 91+
Flight 6 - Siduri (11 notes)
Had a nice time at the warehouse for Siduri/Novy in Santa Rosa. Overall, we weren't as impressed as I expected, but this was probably context as we were getting tired from the travels of the day and the fact my expectations were high from previous experience. Still, the best QPR of the tasting and I'm happy that i got to taste a few wines that I had already purchased without tasting. Fantastic quality year in and year out.
Red
2008 Siduri Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard
93 points
Very dark in color. Nose of blue/black fruit, but remaining bright and fresh on the nose. Nice acidity, big bold palate, but restrained and always in balance. Lengthy finish of mineral, herbal spice, and earth. Fantastic.
Red
2007 Siduri Pinot Noir Amber Ridge
91 points
Meaty Russian River nose with a touch of barnyard. Lush mouthfeel with a strong acidic streak with a complex finish adding damp earth. Nice, but never wowed me.
Red
2006 Siduri Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard
90 points
Black cheery nose with a citrus edge. Strongly acidic palate with a touch of orange, along with black cherry. Medium finish with a tough of heat. interesting, probably a good food wine.
Red
2007 Siduri Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard
92 points
Pure focused fruit nose with blue and red fruits. Full dense mouthfeel, with forest floor, mushrooms, and other earth characters coming out on the finish. Excellent.
Red
2007 Siduri Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains
88 points
Fine crisp nose with hint of barnyard. Crisp acidic palate, seemingly light and thin, with tangy cherries. Medium to short mineral finish. Not my style.
Red
2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Simpson Vineyard
92 points
Mocha earthy nose. Currants and plum on the palate with a fantastic roasted charcoal character. Lengthy finish of blue fruits. Fine tannins. Very impressive.
Red
2006 Novy Family Wines Grenache Judge Family Vineyard
88 points
Fine mineral nose. pleasant acidity, with cherry and currant palate, with a little grip on the back end. Medium to short finish. Never terrible complex.
Red
2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Napa Valley
90 points
nose of black fruit, cherries and currants. Finely structures and nicely acidic for a Napa Syrah. nice peppery Syrah that never gets too big and solidly complex.
White
2008 Novy Family Wines Viognier Russian River Valley
88 points
Lush pear and apricot flavors with a crisp acidity and nice mineral finish. Good.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2008 Novy Family Wines "Oley" Late Harvest White
Can't say i've ever had anything similar. Flamboyant peach apricot nose, sweet palate that hangs on forever. Quite enjoyable, but I'm not sure I'll ever buy a desert wine.
Red
2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Christensen Family Vineyard
92 points
Quite unique. Peppery now with a distinctive citrus/grapefruit character that I've only ever gotten from Rosella's vineyard Syrah. Acidic but balanced palate, chewy tannins, with a fantastic finish of mineral, citrus, charcoal, and mocha. Fantastic.
Flight 7 - Dinner at the Bounty Hunter, Napa, CA (1 note)
Good dinner after a long day of tasting and hiking. Good BBQ.
Red
2006 Emerson Brown Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
87 points
Aromatic nose of currants and chocolate notes. Palate was very big, highly extracted, with bold dark fruits and lush mouthfeel. Lacking structure and flabby. Strong finish with gobs of dark chocolate, coffee and jammy fruit. Not my style of cab, overblown and over extracted.
Flight 8 - Jeff Ames (0 notes)
Jeff was gracious enough to let us walk through the custom crush facility at Laird Family and taste what he was working on. This was setup last minute and definitely appreciate Jeff's hospitality, as I'm sure he's busy. Didn't take detailed notes on the barrel samples as I got mixed up of what was going where, but the '08 Tor barrel seemed to be bright and fresh with red fruits and quite complex. Jeff's '08 cab was slightly more rustic with darker fruit profile and a definite herbal/spicy character (the good kind) and I was quite impressed. Glad I've already picked up some '08 on futures. We were quite impressed with Jeff's mourvedre/grenache blend, just loaded with iron and beef blood notes and great acidity. Overall, we had a great time with Jeff, and definitely appreciate his time spent with us. Can't wait to see what else he is working on.
Flight 9 - Alpha Omega (7 notes)
Definitely the highlight of the trip. We setup a tasting with winemaker Jean Hoefliger, who was gracious enough to spend time with us even after we moved the tasting time multiple times. (Thanks Jean!). Jean's wines were simply stunning, I can't say how impressed we were. Everyone on the eRP board was totally right, there are great things going on with this winery. I couldn't leave Napa w/o a bottle of the ERA, which I can say was the most expensive bottle I've ever purchased, and I wish I could have bought a case.
White
2007 Alpha Omega Chardonnay
92 points
Completed Malolactic fermentation. Lush aromatic nose. Warm mouthfeel, but retains a nice acidity, and has a backbone of buttery oak. Spicey vanilla cream finish with a hint of mineral. Really finely made Chardonnay in the smooth lush style, remains in balance and never too much oak.
Red
2006 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon
90 points
43% barrel fermented. 75% Cab/19% merlot/6% Petite Verdot. please roasted coffee and red fruit nose. Fine tannin backbone on the palate, with plenty of dark fruits-plum and currants. Lengthy complex finish of mocha and fresh roasted coffee, and wet earth. Overall, found the flavor profile to be dominated by earth and mocha flavors, with dark fruit hiding in the background, interesting for a Napa Cab.
Red
2006 Alpha Omega Proprietary Red
92 points
Red fruit nose of cherry and currants. Palate is dense with chewy tannins, but seems more open and approachable than the straight Cab. Pleasant roasted coffee note on the back end, leading into a long complex finish of currants, sweet tannin, and charcoal/flint. Dense and tight now, though enjoyable at this stage. Should improve. Impressive.
Red
2006 Alpha Omega Era
95 points
A profound wine. Surprisingly aromatic wine for being this young. Complex, subtle, and floral nose with currants and plum. This has fine acidity, good balance, and sweet fine tannins. Palate is dense and complex with a fantastic charcoal character. The finish is most impressive, with layers of complex flavors; toast, roasted coffee, cigar box and currants, that lasts a minute+. This is youthful, pure and balanced, but with incredible density and complexity, without any trace of being overdone. The most impressive wine of the trip.
Red
2007 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
92 points
Barrel sample, nit sure if this represents the final blend. Very dark purple color. Floral nose. Dense sweet palate with layers of ripe fruit and earth undertones. Less mocha/coffee than the others in the lineup. Lengthy fruit driven finish with a little cedar. Big, ripe, full and lush, but impeccably balanced. Overshadowed by the complexity of the ERA.
Red
2007 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon
91 points
Purple color. Fruity nose of currants and a little cassis. Dense complex palate with fresh roasted coffee. Lengthy finish with a little cassis coming through. Excellent, probably overshadowed a bit by the others in the lineup.
Red
2007 Alpha Omega Era
95 points
Likely the final blend, barrel sample. Another profound wine. Shy nose, but floral notes, currants, and flint come through. Intense, focused palate, that is incredibly complex, but always in balance, has good acidity, and fine sweet tannin. Seems more focused and precise than the '06, but is slightly tighter at this stage. Lengthy complex finish that is rich with plum, currants, and tar.
Flight 10 - Hiking (1 note)
We had some of this bottle after hiking up the hill in Bothe-Napa state park. Great views and great weather. Wine was fantastic with smoked sausage and cheese.
Red
2001 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape
92 points
Fantastic spicy nose of kirsch, thyme, sandalwood, with a little cherry. Palate is a nice crisp acidity and integrated tannin. palate shows a nice red fruit profile with some more mature liqueur, tobacco, and leather notes. Medium length finish with a strong mineral character. Very nice, not sure it will continue to improve, but certainly not fading.
Flight 11 - Chandon (0 notes)
Didn't take notes, but an interesting over-the-top tasting room, nice gardens, and some OK wines that weren't that memorable.
Flight 12 - Dinner at Travigne (1 note)
I wasn't that impressed with Travigne a few years ago, but with a free corkage fee and within walking distance to the hotel, we were sold. We enjoyed a couple of very nice pasta dishes that were better than my trip a few years ago. They actually came out so fast that we finished most of the wine with bread and cheese. Another fantastic bottle of Pegau.
Red
2000 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
94 points
Just a phenomenal classic CdP. Took 30-60mins to open in the decanter. Aromatic nose of kirsch, herbs de Provence, iron. Palate with prominent acidity, and a little grip on the tannins, but more notable for being full, rich and accessible. Dense red fruits, spicey herbs, iron and blood on the palate. mostly clean pure fruit, not much barnyard or brett in this bottle. Lengthy pleasurable finish, with iron, red fruit and an incredible herbal spiciness that wouldn't quit. Fantastic CdP, wish I had more. Drinking well now, might improve in medium term.
Flight 13 - Beringer (7 notes)
We setup a private tasting of a few library wines. We had a nice time, wines were good, and our host was knowledgeable and pleasant. A good stop on your first trip to Napa.
White
2007 Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay Sbragia Limited Release
92 points
Quite good, with sweet pear and apple on the nose. Creamy lush palate with fine acidity, leading into a lengthy finish of fruit with a little vanilla. More complex and slightly brighter than the regular reserve bottling.
Red
1989 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
86 points
Bricking and slightly orange color. Aromatic nose of stewed fruits and tobacco. Palate still quite acidic, but integrated tannin. Sour cherry note is predominant on the palate. Dry mineral finish. Pleasant, but seems to be losing fruit, not terribly complex. Past peak and tired.
Red
2005 Beringer Vineyards Merlot Bancroft Ranch
92 points
Aromatic, spicy cedar nose with a little plum. Fine tannic structured palate, but very ripe dark fruit profile. Spicebox, stone and cedar on the finish. Impressive merlot.
Red
1999 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
91 points
Nose of bell pepper, currants and cedar. Lush palate with mostly integrated tannin. Palate is open and accessible, of mostly mocha and cedar with currants in the background. Lengthy complex finish with flint and cedar. Touch of slightly dry tannin. Very focused pleasant cab, but I found the bell pepper note distracting. Hopefully the bottle left will have less of this green/pepper note, otherwise, a great Cali style cab.
Red
2006 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
92 points
Bigger, classy PR compared to '89 and '99. Nose of plum, currants and vanilla. Round lush palate, with sweet tannin structure and dense core of dark fruits with a touch of cassis. Lengthy charcoal cedar finish with a little spice. Rich and restrained.
Red
2005 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bancroft Ranch
90 points
Shy nose with a little pepper and spice. Red fruits on the palate, very structured with mocha and cedar notes. Seemed to have a strong cedar/oak influence with the fruit hiding. A little backward and not terribly enjoyable at this stage, but well made.
Red
2005 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
93 points
Aromatic nose with sweet cassis, vanilla, and touch of cedar. Palate flavors were accessible and open, with lush fine structure and good acidty. Plenty of bright red fruits, sweet cassis with spice and cedar highlights. Lengthy fruit finish. Floral and focused. Impressive.
Flight 14 - Shafer (6 notes)
This was maybe the tasting I was looking forward to most. I can trace most of my interest in wine back to a tasting here with the '02 HHS, which I guess you could describe as a wine epiphany. This time around while having good wines, I wasn't as impressed. Maybe I'm more experienced now and not as easily impressed, or maybe the '05 HHS just isn't close to the '02 or maybe our experience at Alpha and Omega just overshadowed this tasting. Good wines overall, but not worth the price to me (and I was planning on getting some HHS if I liked it more).
White
2007 Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch
91 points
I tend to prefer Chardonnay that have completed malolactic fermentation, but this was quite enjoyable. Spicey pear and apple nose. Zingy acidic palate, but never sharp, always focused with apricot flavors. Fine precised lengthy finish with a strong mineral character.
Red
2006 Shafer Merlot
90 points
Aromatic nose with plum and candied cherry. Bright red fruits on the palate with complex spicebox and cedar. Medium finish. Very focused and restrained with fine tannic background that is slightly drying. Well made but boring.
Red
2005 Shafer Relentless
86 points
This was disappointing and certainly not as good as the '06. Fruity nose with perceptible alcohol. Concentrated fruity palate, with stewed fruits going into a lengthy finish with strong amount of heat on the back end. Some port characteristics. I was surprised the winery was serving this given how out of balance it was, seemed to be overdone and hot. Disappointing. Serving slightly below room temp may help.
Red
2006 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five
89 points
Shy charcoal and mocha nose, with a little currant and cassis. Palate with subdued fruit with cassis and currants, with chewy chalky tannin that were dusty and slightly drying. This sweetened with time in the glass. Finish was clipped, short and rather simple with coffee notes. Disappointing complexity for the price, I remember previous vintages being better. Certainly a horrible QPR given the $70 price tag. Maybe needs time? (Rachael loved it)
Red
2006 Shafer Relentless
90 points
Much better than the '05. Dark blueberry and boysenberry nose. Sweet palate with dark fruits, chewy tannin and good structure. Lengthy finish with mocha, purple fruit and cedar. Big but pure fruit and no hint of heat. Nice complexity.
Red
2005 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
93 points
Big aromatic nose with currant and cassis and just a hint of dark fruit. Big but focused clean palate with layers of fruit flavors: currants, boysenberry, and hint of cassis. Lengthy fruit driven finish, with only a hint of earth and chocolate and touch of vanilla. Vibrant acidity. Balanced focused and just packed with gobs of fruit, but comes across as restrained. Very young and primary at this point, but with soft tannin. I had high expectations coming in as I was blow away by the '02 in the past and given this was rather disappointed. A very well made wine that is not exceptional. Hopefully will gain a little complexity with time.
Flight 15 - Hall (3 notes)
Was in walking distance from the hotel. Given the press in WS about this winery, I was curious. The wines tasted were very good, with bright acidity and red fruits. I can see how they would stand out in a blind tasting and were very good now, but I'm not sure how they'll age or if they will improve at all.
Red
2006 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley
92 points
Very enjoyable floral cedar and cherry nose. Big fruit driven palate with mostly red fruits, lots of cassis with a little currant mixed in. Lengthy finish with milk chocolate and vanilla. Chewy tannins. Very well made and with lush fruits, seemed to be drinking well now.
Red
2005 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld
91 points
92% Cab, 6% Mer, 1% PV and Malbec. Bright, focused floral nose with red fruit highlights. Crisp light weight palate with cassis and currants and an interesting spicy quality. Lengthy finish with a touch of green/herbal character. Chalky tannin. Very good.
Red
2006 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain
93 points
Very dark purple color. Dark fruit profile, currants with mocha and vanilla. Complex palate with spice box, and vanilla. Prominent tannins, but turns sweet on the finish with a little milk chocolate, with great length. Quite impressive, will probably improve in the short to medium term.
Flight 16 - Louis M. Martini (3 notes)
On the walk back to the hotel before dinner, we decided to try some entry level cab's. they were fine, but nothing special after the wines of the day. Generic Napa tasting experience.
Red
2006 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
86 points
Slightly reduced notes a little spice. Red fruit palate, some cedar notes. Short finish. Simple, pleasant, but not a lot going on.
Red
2006 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
88 points
Bright sweet floral nose with cassis and vanilla. Crisp palate, with cherry and sweet tannin. Medium finish of cassis, mocha, and vanilla. Pretty good QPR.
Red
2006 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
88 points
Nutty musty nose. Smooth round palate with fine tannin. Some currants and cedar, chalky tannin. Some herbal character and forest floor on the finish. Still slightly simple, but fine for the price.
Flight 17 - Schramsberg (5 notes)
I didn't know much about sparkling wines and this tour was quite informative. I haven't had much higher end champagne and I was quite impressed with the quality here. Will be looking for this in the future.
White - Sparkling
2001 Schramsberg Vineyards Reserve
Faint yeast on the nose. Lush, warm mouthfeel with almonds. Lengthy finish with nutty flavors. The pinot influence is obvious. Really fantastic.
White - Sparkling
2001 Schramsberg Vineyards J. Schram
Strong nose of yeast and almonds. Rich nutty palate with mineral finish. Impressive complexity.
Rosé - Sparkling
2006 Schramsberg Vineyards Brut Rosé
Pink color. Floral raspberry nose with a little roasted almonds. Crisp fruit flavors and lengthy finish with some raspberry and watermelon. Very nice.
White - Sparkling
2006 Schramsberg Vineyards Blanc de Blancs
Pleasant nose with a little fresh dough, pear and apple. Crisp palate with a distinct mineral note. Refreshing bright citrus finish without any bitterness. Quite nice.
Red
2006 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain
88 points
Rich nose that was dominated by vanilla cream and currants. Round palate that was fruit centered, with little tannin and acidity and was almost flabby. Mocha/chocolate finish. Jammy and reasonably complex. Didn't hold up well to the other cabs on the trip and certainly not worth the price.
Flight 18 - Martinelli (9 notes)
On the way to SF, we stopped here as we loved the '06 Two Sisters bottling. Overall, this was hit or miss. We found the wines overdone and hot. Still, there were a few very good ones in the bigger Cali style...but I find myself getting away from that style as time goes on.
Red
2006 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto di Evo
85 points
I'm not sure what to make of this... a desert wine from Zin? Wild berry nose with jammy currants and tobacco on the palate. Very long finish but quite hot. Jammy and port-like.Good complexity but not a style I enjoy.
Red
2007 Martinelli Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa
90 points
Big berry nose with a little vanilla. Boysenberry, plum and currants on a palate that is big and flamboyant. Lengthy complex fruit driven finish. Holds the high alcohol well and is well made for the style. But not a style I enjoy enough to purchase.
Red
2007 Martinelli Pinot Noir Zio Tony Ranch
92 points
For fans of the big pinot style for sure. Spicy meaty nose with raspberry and black cherry. herbal spicy palate and lengthy finish of herbs, wet earth, and black cherry. More balanced and less heat than the others in the tasting, but still for fans of big fruit driven pinot.
Red
2005 Martinelli Syrah Terra Felice
92 points
After the other huge wines in this tasting this was surprisingly structured and balanced. Deep dark purple color. Meaty sausage nose with some currants and boysenberry. Dark fruit palate with some wild berry highlights, and quite a bit of grip on the backend. Roasted nuts and coffee on the finish. Really quite well made, balanced for a big wine. the standout of the tasting.
Red
2007 Martinelli Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard
89 points
Plum, berry, and black cherry nose. Complex palate with some roasted nut but a flash of heat on the backend that really kept this from being a pleasant experience for me. Earthy finish with damp forest floor. Just seemed slightly candied and hot.
Red
2005 Martinelli Pinot Noir Bella Vigna
87 points
Disappointing. Big meaty nose of cherry and roasted almonds. Big palate, a little sour cherry. Tons of heat on the backend that overshadow a lengthy complex finish. Out of balance for my palate. Serving cooler than room temp may help.
White
2005 Martinelli Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch
91 points
Honeysuckle floral nose with almonds and vanilla. Zesty lush palate with roasted nut finish and creamy vanilla. heat on the backend was a definite negative, but enjoyed anyway.
White
2006 Martinelli Chardonnay Charles Ranch
88 points
Aromatic creamy nose with pear notes. Lacks acidity with lush mouthfeel but borders on flabby. Sour apple notes on the mid palate with a lengthy heavy finish. Needs a little more acidity for me.
White
2006 Martinelli Chardonnay Woolsey Road
88 points
Very aromatic nose of pineapple, apricot and creamy vanilla. Palate with plenty of zip with a dense creamy vanilla finish. Plenty of heat on the finish and heavy and tiring on the palate. Great nose and acidity though.
Flight 19 - Hartford (4 notes)
A nice change compared to Martinelli. Great balanced wines and a most impressive Zin. A nice visit to wrap up our winery tastings.
White
2006 Hartford / Hartford Court Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards
89 points
Creamy nutty nose with apricots. Lush soft mouthfeel with fine acidity. Medium finish with a little bitterness and decent amount of oak. Good.
Red
2006 Hartford / Hartford Court Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards
91 points
Smokey meaty nose with bright red fruits and touch of funk. Crisp acidic palate, but never harsh, with red fruits and touch of almond. Dark fruit undertones on a lengthy finish with damp earth notes. Very nice, pleasant drinking pinot.
Red
2007 Hartford / Hartford Court Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard
91 points
Peppery nose of boysenberry and wild berry. Bright fruit palate with good acidity, never seemed heavy or jammy. Nice spicy berry finish. Very pleasant soft mouthfeel. Very impressive Zin, and I'm usually not a fan. Good balance and structure.
Red
2007 Hartford / Hartford Court Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard
90 points
Rich aromatic nose of dark fruits and toasty oak. Peppery vanilla palate with vanilla cream and spicey herbal finish. Good, but the degree of oak influence was distracting.
Flight 20 - Dinner at Boulevard (1 note)
Dinner at Boulevard to wrap up vacation. Fantastic dinner and highly recommended. The Kanzler did not disappoint.
Red
2007 Kanzler Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
93 points
A big Pinot, but well balanced. Aromatic nose of boisenberry and black cherry. Very fruit driven palate, with dense dark fruit flavors and an herbal spicey complexicty. Lengtty fruit finish with touch of mineral and plenty of herbal spices. Fantastic now.
Closing
Overall, a fantastic vacation with special thanks to the winemaker who took time out of their busy schedules to spend time with us.