Featured Winemaker, fall 2007
Four wines made by Napa Valley Winemaker Karen Culler
LADERA Sauvignon Blanc
Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
2006 ($25)
CASAEDA Syrah
Sonoma Coast 2005 ($21)
PHAEDRUS Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley 2004 ($36)
RENTERIA Cabernet Sauvignon
Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley 2004 ($48)
The Karen Culler Mixed Case
Three Bottles of each Karen Culler-Made wine above
$350
Order Today!
Karen Culler makes wines for five wineries in Napa Valley, including her own label.
We feature here one wine from four of them: Culler, Wolf Family, Renteria and Ladera.
I have liked every Karen Culler-made wine that I’ve tasted. Red or white, her wines always balance great Napa/Sonoma richness (as it applies) with a velvety, luxurious mouthfeel. Karen’s wines are never overdone and still boast ample stuffing. Like the lickable wallpaper in Willy Wonka (“A snozzberry tastes like a snozzberry!”),you can always taste the grape in a Karen Culler wine. If you’re looking for authentic, delicious wines that also capture the purity of the respective grape, then these four featured wines are for you.
A U.C. Davis and Robert Mondavi Winery graduate, Karen went out on her own and made wine under all these labels in 1997 (except for Ladera, whose first vintage was 1998). All her ‘97s were immediate hits and much in demand. I still remember the 1997 Renteria Cabernet, a rich, luxurious, practically sinful pleasure. Ten vintages under her belt at each winery make for consistency in style and quality. Can’t think of many wines I can confidently recommend without tasting. Karen’s wines I can…we’ve tasted all four of these, however, multiple times. Tasting notes and thoughts on each are below.
Pick and choose if you like, and also consider our proposed mixed case, three bottles of each wine, offered at 10% off.
LADERA SAUVIGNON BLANC Howell Mountain, Napa Valley 2006, $25
Best known for their big, wonderful Mountain Cabernets, the Ladera Sauvignon Blanc is outtasight. The method of winemaking here is rather unique. It ferments and then ages on its lees in stainless steel barrels. No oak flavor, but a Chardonnay-esque creamy, velvety quality in this Sauv Blanc. Smells & tastes of honeysuckle, yellow peach, grapefruit, pineapple and mango. These flavors and the exceptional richness make this a Bordeaux-style white. It's dry, plenty rich, and hard to stop drinking!
400 cases produced.
CASAEDA Syrah Sonoma Coast 2005, $21
Casaeda is the Culler second label. Like the 2004 Casaeda, this is our favorite, premium “value” Syrah of the year. Northern Rhone in style, our notes on the Casaeda read like a delicious St. Joseph: wild plums and cherries, white pepper, briny olive, pink grapefruit, strawberry and raspberry. This definitely falls into the “pretty and complex” category of Syrah. Food pairings are abundant. I see a Weber full of herb & garlic marinated chicken legs.
PHAEDRUS Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2004, $36
Wolf Family’s second label, the Phaedrus Cabernet Franc is a first string wine. Phaedrus, by the way, is “wolf” in Greek. It’s Bordeaux in style, meaning a richer, darker, Cabernet Sauvignon-like wine (of which 25% is included). Tastes of dark cherry, blueberry, mocha, Asian spice and cinnamon toast. Smooth and lush, this couldbe the most food-friendly “bigger” Napa red in the shop. 311 cases made.
RENTERIA Cabernet Sauvignon Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley 2004, $48
The smooth, velvety Stag’s Leap style comes through in spades here. First come the dark plum, five spice, cedar, floral, raspberry liqueur and cherry preserves in a silky, luscious package. Slowly but surely it gets more rich and complex with air. Mocha, cigar box and allspice emerge with thirty minutes of air time. This medium to full bodied, layered Cab can be enjoyed from now through 2015. 260 cases made.