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May 10, 2006
Pardon me a moment for the pretension, but the FAVIA "CERRO SUR" NAPA VALLEY 2003 ($85) is a true wine-geeks’ wine. "Cerro Sur" is 85% Cab Franc, 15% Cab Sauv from the Coombsville region, just east of Napa-town. Imagine Napa Valley grapes growing in sunny, rocky Chateauneuf-du-Pape: tobacco leaf, five spice and wild thyme mingle with red berry, cherry & currant. This is a wine-insider must-try. 200 cases.
April 29, 2006
Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon "Four Soil Melange" Napa Valley 2003, $55/bottle, is in the house. The 2002 Sequum was a big hit here...very much enjoyed. I've already shared a bottle of the 2003 with some folks, and this too is beyond very good. This is made by Paul Skinner, a geologist, grape grower and winemaker. He makes this up at Pride Mountain. The "Four Soil Melange" is in reference to the different soil types in each of the four vineyards from which he buys the Cab grapes.
The wine: deep concentration of fruit (at 15.1% alcohol, he certainly got very ripe grapes), exceptional complexity for Napa Cab with maduro cigar, bittersweet chocolate, anise and even a pleasing twinge of briny olive on the finish. This is Napa Cab at it's finest and most interesting.
October 9, 2006
Tony Soter (founder and the man of Etude) makes a tiny amount of SOTER CABERNET FRANC "LITTLE CREEK" NAPA VALLEY 2003 ($75) from his home vineyard in the outskirts of Napa town. Killer wine here, competitive with the best of Right Bank. 20% Malbec from the same place gives panache. Rich, dark fruit, smoke, black olive, underlying notes of violet and lavender, sweet and Asian spices in there too. This is very poweful wine but not tannic. "Seventy five bucks for Cab Franc?" I hear you asking. Yes indeed. Hey, "provocative" doesn't just describe nuclear bomb tests. Applies to the Soter Cab Franc, too. 250 cases made.
September 15 , 2006
LARKIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY 2004 ($60) just arrived. Sean Larkin has worn many hats in the wine trade here in the Napa Valley, but what he really wants to do is make wine. For the last five or so years, he's been doing a great job of it. He makes two wines: Cab Franc and Cab Sauv. The '04 Franc isn't ready yet, but I'm hot & heavy for this Cab here. Sean has sourced tiny lots of grapes from great vineyards in St. Helena, Calistoga, Pritchard Hill, Yountville and Oakville to make this wine. It's a classic modern day Napa Cab with it's big black cherry, cocoa, cassis and vanilla flavors and very lush style. It ain't sweet, but it's like eating candy Napa style!
May 10, 2006
FOUNTAINHEAD CABERNET SAUVIGNON "MORISOLI-BORGES" RUTHERFORD, NAPA VALLEY 2003 ($45) is special. Like the Detert, this is A+ property to grow Cab, and the wine shows it. The nose is fun with a Zin-like pepper spice, black cherry, cedar box and berry liqueur. The flavor is rich and seamless. The true sign of quality, I feel, comes just before you swallow. This is when the rich, sweet berry flavor attacks! Great finish. First there’s fruit, then more spice, olive and earth. The food pairing ideas here are endless as this wine has appropriate restraint.
May 28, 2006
This vintage, the PARADIGM CABERNET SAUVIGNON OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY 2002 ($47) I think is my favorite Paradigm wine yet. As is the case for many/most Napa Cabernet producers, it's particularly fruit-forward and luscious compared their norm. Which is nice. Classic black cherry and raspberry liqueur, vanilla bean and tobacco notes, bold yet velvety. It's as solid as they come.
May 10, 2006
BIG is an appropriate description for SEDNA CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY 2003 ($34). An Estate wine from just north of Napa town, the Sedna Cabernet is big on the blueberry flavor...15% Syrah added partly explains this. This is particularly complex Cabernet with cola berry, bittersweet chocolate, cassis and that notorious wine descriptor: minerality. While previous Sedna Cabs have been very fruit forward and delicious, this 2003 is the most complex, structured and "serious" Cab they’ve made yet. Only 350 cases made.
May 28, 2006
O'SHAUGHNESSY CABERNET SAUVIGNON HOWELL MOUNTAIN, NAPA VALLEY 2003 ($65) just came in. Before I tried it, a friend who had just tasted this 2003 said, "I didn't like it as much as the 2002...it's a little too over the top." Over the top is not a problem for most of you, my Napa Cab customers. And it is over the top, just a little. Very concentrated liqueur like fruitiness, creamy, lush and long. This is atypical Howell Mountain Cab as it's not as chewy/earthy/spicy as most. One thing it is: TASTY.
December 8, 2005
Bridesmaid Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003 ($40/btl.) is a joint venture between Pam Starr (Crocker & Starr), Drew Neiman (Neiman Cellars, Kongsgaard & Arietta assistant winemaker) and Josh Peeples (Chateau Boswell). Vineyard sources are a secret. Released while still a little shocky as it was just this August. Lot of fruit here: signature Napa black cherry, boysenberry, pomegranate. On the palate it teeters between briary and jammy fruit. Also get malt, balsa, primo cigar and earth. Finish is disjointed-all it needs is six months to start rockin'. Very cool packaging, too. About 900 cases made.
October 24, 2005
Igneous Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2002 ($85/btl.) cuts a little bit closer to home as it's the first release from friends of my pre-wine-geek days. Ann and Don Huckfeldt of Napa have an "in" for great grapes as Don owns a well-drilling company and has done some digging for (amongst others) Dave Abreu. This contact gave the Huckfeldts the urge to make something special, and so with "Thorevilos Vineyard" fruit comes this 170 case production, made by Kirk Venge. Excellent Cabernet with all the bells and whistles of super-luscious Napa Cab with big flavors and supple tannins. Not shy on the oak yet maintains balance. Mocha Creme Brulée, vanilla bean, finger-staining blackberries and mulberry pie. "Luxury Cabernet" to be sure with a package to match.
September 22, 2005
This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship: Violet Green Winery makes "Alder Springs Vineyard" reds, and makes them very very well! Just received Violet Green Merlot "Alder Springs" 2002 ($29/btl). Owners & Winemakers Lina Carro and Don Wattenberger live and make their wine in my hometown of Eureka, California (Humboldt County, five hour drive north of San Francisco). They drive two hours south of Eureka to "Alder Springs," near Laytonville in Northern Mendocino County (dizzy with directions now?) to get their world-class wine grapes. The wine: silky, concentrated, intense deep berry/cherry. Luxurious mouth feel like cashmere...how Merlot should be but usually isn't. Those who know "Alder Springs" say Merlot is the least successful grape there. This wine will change their opinion. Violet Green's 2003 reds will be part of Holiday Newsletter. I've tasted all of them and they're some of the best, new California reds I've tasted in a long, long time. Very small production. I first tasted their wines at the big "Family Winemakers Tasting" in San Francisco this past summer. My mouth lit up with flavor, then my eyes shined in excitement.
August 16, 2005
My vote for most underrated Cabernet producer in Napa Valley goes to Barlow Vineyards. Their 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($40/bottle net) once again puts them on the A Team for quality. Really, there's a lot of $60-$80 Cab out there that is not this good. 100% Cabernet from their family vineyard on Silverado Trail, three miles south of Calistoga. Intense, dark, classic black cherry. Mineral and bittersweet chocolate blends in with big fruit on the finish. Interestingly, Barlow Cabernets and typically more supple (less tannic) than their Estate Merlot. No exception in 2002.
Speaking of Barlow Merlot 2002 $33/btl., we have it. One of the best Merlots in California. No lie.
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