Tasting Notes From June 2006

Trip Summary from Napa and Sonoma - Day 1 - Arrival

After settling in for a few minutes at our rented house outside Calistoga (The Aerie), we headed to the nearest open winery to start getting into the groove. Bennett Lane was that stop. One notable - the winery owner also owns a Nascar (Busch series?) team. They keep one of the two cars in the winery! It's about the strangest thing I have seen in a winery to date, though Paoletti (see below) added a new level of strange this trip as well. An Aggie (Natalie, class of '00) was doing the pouring and made us feel at home.

Bennett Lane
2005 Maximus White
Napa Valley
Aromas of tangy citrus, peachy watermelon. Pretty good. 88% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Chardonnay, 2% Muscat. Grows a little sweet and humdrum with more than a glass I suspect. $28; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Bennett Lane
2004 Chardonnay
Primus, Napa Valley, Carneros
100% Malo. Aromas of buttered popcorn-caramel corn. Nutty vanilla. Sweet palate. Pretty good if your in the mood. $45; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Bennett Lane
2003 Maximus Red
Napa Valley
63% Cabernet, 24% Syrah, 11% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot. Supple, polished nose with a touch of Aussie-like wood. Then a touch leafy with a coppery undertone late. Sweet oak. Red berry fruit. Lots of oak. Ok. $28; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Bennett Lane
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Cherry-currant fruit with a touch of cedar and maybe some cinnamon. Somewhat cottony tannin. Okay. Still fairly accessible. Not exciting. $45; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Bennett Lane
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Primus Reserve, Napa Valley
100% Cabernet. Red and black currant. Concentrated. Good. (must have stopped taking notes.) $85; Napa- Noma, June 2006

Evening one, we dined at the CIA for the first time. First, we thought students would be cooking and serving. That's not the case. Second, we were disappointed in the service and the wine list, but the food was pretty good. I don't see us going back. We opened a Jacob Franklin (Elyse) Cabernet Franc we picked up at Dean and Deluca as well as couple other wines. I think a Joel Gott Dillian Ranch Zin was in the mix.

Day 2 - Sonoma

We started day 2 by driving to Sonoma Valley and then up a treacherous road on the backside of the Mayacamas Range to meet Dan Schaefer at Audelssa. Dan was an excellent host, and took us for a tour in his pickup through the vineyards and poured their current releases. I was highly impressed with '03 vintage wines, particularly the reserve. The Navillus Birney label was a project he just purchased and the wine was already finished.

Navillus Birney (Audelssa)
2003 Chardonnay
Sonoma Valley
Buttery vanilla. Standard. A bit watery in the finish. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Navillus Birney (Audelssa)
2004 Chardonnay
Sonoma Coast
Less effusive nose than the Sonoma Valley with subtle pear and apple fruit along with some butter. Prettier. Napa- Noma, June 2006

Navillus Birney (Audelssa)
2004 Pinot Noir
Sonoma Valley
Dense, slightly tannic with a suggestion of old wood. Full red fruit but with an edge of green. Some tart cranberry and cherry. Atypical of Pinot Noir from this county, so I guessed Valley. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Navillus Birney (Audelssa)
2004 Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast
More Pinot character here - certainly more suggestive of RRV or Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Edge of metallic rhubarb with tart strawberry fruit. Okay. I think I prefer the darker fruit of the Sonoma Valley Pinot even though it is a little green. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Audelssa
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma Valley
Dense, clean red berry and currant fruit with a touch of green leafiness as an undercurrent of flavor. Green pepper finish. Okay. 100% Cabernet. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Audelssa
2003 Summit
Sonoma Valley
Much riper, fruitier nose than the 2002. Currants. Dense, but with a delicate texture in the middle. Good. 90% Cabernet. $50; Napa- Noma, June 2006

Audelssa
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve, Sonoma Valley
Spicy nose. Dense, yeast, sweet cinnamon roll cr確e brulee. Yumm. My notes indicate nice complexity, but I neglected to indicate why. Really good stuff though. This will be a fall 2006 release. $90; Napa- Noma, June 2006

Next up, Kosta-Browne, where Tony was kind enough to meet us at their shared facility. They are in the process of moving to a new facility now. All the following are barrel samples.

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Kanzler Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample of close 667 Pinot, old vines, neutral oak. The nose on this was very sulfury. The palate showed sweet tangy red berry/bright cherry fruit. Some cinnamon maybe underneath the sulfur. Okay. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Kanzler Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample of newer vines, also clone 667, destemmed - Earthier aromatics with a touch of balsa wood. A little spicy. Sweet concentrated black cherry fruit. Aromas of tangy cranberry. Pretty good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Kanzler Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample of Pommard Clone from new oak - Earthy black cherry, meaty, smoky. Sweet tangy, chewy attack then turning more tangy. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Keefer Ranch, Russian River Valley
Barrel sample of Clone 23 from once filled barrel - lighter color in the glass. Candied cherry and bright fruit. Tangy red watermelon finish. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Keefer Ranch, Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample of clone 777, also once used barrel - Similar to the prior wine, but less tangy and more toward the red berry or different type of cherry fruit spectrum. Good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Barrel Sample which includes 1/3 barrel fermented fruit - Slightly funky perfumey nose. High toned Pinot Fruit. Decent. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Barrel Sample from new barrel, Bertrand forest wood - Spicy cinnamon nose. Lovely nose really. Palate less integrated. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Barrel Sample, also of Bertrand, but from different cooper - Much less spicy aromatics and more fruit. Interestingly, Tony thought this was showing more wood. My palate may be off. Napa- Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Barrel sample of Allier forest oak MTL+ - Similar enough to the previous two samples that I was having trouble specifying the differences. This sample seemed sweeter. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Copeland Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample of whole cluster pressed 667 Clone grapes - Stinky pinon wood on the nose. Watermelon fruit. Peppery. Ok. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Pinot Noir
Copeland Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample of destemmed fruit - similar nose to the previous with a reduction in the stink. Ok. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Syrah
Vineyard?
Barrel Sample - Peppery with pinon wood aromas. Tannic. Green. Not good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Kosta-Browne
2005 Syrah
Amber Ridge Vineyard
Barrel Sample of destemmed fruit - Meaty and smoky. Dense fruit. Needs time. Napa-Noma, June 2006

The day got away from us, so we had to cancel a visit to Siduri. We scarfed some Pizza in near desperation and then headed to Martinelli, as it was about the only thing open.

Martinelli
2004 Sauvignon Blanc
Martinelli Vineyard, "Tessa Lee"
A little too warm on the serving temperature. Tangy gooseberry. Nothing exciting here. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Martinelli
2004 Chardonnay
Zio Tony, Russian River Valley
Sweet mineral- oak with pear fruit. OK. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Martinelli
2004 Pinot Noir
Zio Tony Ranch, Russian River Valley
Classic Pinot Noir aromatics with Tangy Pinot fruit flavors. Slightly hot (15.6%). Napa-Noma, June 2006

Martinelli
2004 Pinot Noir
Bondi Home Ranch, Green Valley, Water trough Vineyard, Sonoma County
Slightly flowery and fragrant. Denser and richer than the previous Pinot. Also a bit hot but pretty good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Martinelli
2004 Zinfandel
Giuseppe and Luisa, Russian River Valley
Fragrant cherry spice nose. Syrupy and hot on the palate. Not Good. 16.6% alc. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Martinelli
2004 Dry Gewurztraminer
Russian River Valley
Peppery, flowery, rather characteristic nose of lychee. Dry, slightly bitter, but overall fruity. Pretty good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Martinelli
2003 Syrah
Terra Felice, Russian River Valley
Smoky, meaty nose with a touch of tobacco. Bit chewy. The midpalate is down right firm. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Martinelli
2004 Zinfandel
EVO, Russian River Valley
1% Residual sugar. Pleasant sweet and grapey. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Next up, we headed to Healdsburg, so family members (cousins/nephew/niece) Kevin and Chris could meet up with us. We had reservations for dinner at The Farmhouse Inn (Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit!). Selby was open, so we stopped in. Lo and behold, a Dallasite (recent transplant) and Susie Selby's brother-in-law was working the tasting room.

Selby
2005 Sauvignon Blanc
Sonoma County
Vacant nose. Slightly lemony sweet. Fruit? Palate off? Sweet. $13; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2005 Rose of Syrah
Sonoma County
Sweet red watermelon fruit berry fruit. Pretty good. $13; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2004 Chardonnay
Russian River Valley
Crisp pear. Slight butter. Well made if cut in the same mold as most other Chardonnays. $28; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2004 Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley
Tangy nose. Typical metallic fruit Pinot flavors. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2002 Malbec
Alexander Valley
Dense, slightly tannic smelling. Lead pencil. Ok. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2003 Merlot
Sonoma County
Slight menthol tobacco aromas. Chewy. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2002 Syrah
Sonoma County
Slightly volatile nose. Sweet meat. Vinous palate. Not great. $24; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma County
Sweeter more cr確e brulee like nose. Chewy, but still accessible. Black currant. Slightly tart towards the finish. $28; Napa- Noma, June 2006

Selby
2003 Zinfandel
Old Vines, Sonoma County
Mona liked this. Spicy sweet cr確e brulee nose. Touch leafy. Sweet syrupy black fruit on the palate. Little cloying. $24; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2003 Zinfandel
Bobcat, Sonoma County
Briary sweet red berry fruit. Crowd pleaser. $32; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Selby
2003 Syrah
Vezenaz Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley
Smoky, meaty. Dense chewy wine. Serious tasting Syrah. Not bad. $32; Napa-Noma, June 2006

A little place was next door and had an active crowd, so we peaked in to kill some time. Sam (female) played friendly host. She is part of the family that owns Chateau Felice and recently returned home to head up marketing for the winery.

Chateau Felice
2004 Chardonnay
Acier, Chalk Hill Estate
From screw cap. No malo, all stainless steel. Slightly skunky, light and crisp. Bit too tart. Just okay. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Chateau Felice
2004 Chardonnay
Estate, Chalk Hill Estate
Very mildly oaked Chardonnay. Crisp smelling white fruit. Sweet attack. With pleasant balance. Decent. $24; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Chateau Felice
2002 Syrah
Estate, Chalk Hill
Stinky, reduction on the nose. Lime zest. Red, smoky black berry fruit. Ok. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Chateau Felice
2002 Zinfandel
Estate, Chalk Hill
Sweet peppery Jammy Zinfandel nose. Round palate. Okay. $19; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Chateau Felice
2002 London Cab
Russian River Valley
Dirty Diaper, Brett nose. Chewy. Unbalanced. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Chateau Felice
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Chalk Hill
Vinous nose. Cedar currant fruit. Eh. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Chateau Felice
2001 American Celebration
Chalk Hill
80% Cabernet, 20% Merlot. Serious smelling tarty currant. Pretty good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Ah, on to dinner. The Farmhouse Inn was our benchmark restaurant from last trip, so we were excited. Things lived up again, though they only had a couple cheeses from Andante Dairy this time, but they were delicious. The Maitre'd Andreas(sp?) was very gracious and gave us some background on Andante dairy and the passionate woman who is the force behind it. The wine list was fantastic, and the Copain was one of my favorites from the trip. Notes are from memory.

Copain
2003 Syrah
Hawk's Butte
Wow this was a stellar wine. Complex fruit, tapenade, animalistic flavors. Dense. Nicely extracted. Like it. At Farmhouse Inn. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Owen Roe
2001 Cabernet Franc
Yakima Valley
Nicely made Cabernet Franc. My notes are just impressions really. Also with dinner at Farmhouse. This didn't follow the Copain very well. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Day 3 - Spring Mountain

Terra Valentine's tour was weak, but they have a nice sit down tasting room.

Terra Valentine
2003 Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
Non estate fruit from Madrigal vineyards near Calistoga. Good nose of cedar and currant fruit lifted by the characteristic leafy violet aromas of good Cabernet Franc. Toasty oak. Palate a bit unbalanced and muddy. A bit tannic. Like the nose. Includes 8% Cabernet and 2% Merlot. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Terra Valentine
2002 Red Wine
Napa Valley
Toasty nut and cedar nose. Touch of anise. Decent nose. Mint. The palate has a distinc mint green edge turning tangy and a bit unpleasant in the finish. Shame, as the nose is nice. Coming back to this a couple minutes later, the green edge was even more pronounced. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Terra Valentine
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Spring Mountain District
Sweet, port-like currant nose. Less obvious oak. Concentrated oaky entry turns firm and tannic. Rustic finish. Needs food or something. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Terra Valentine
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Wurtel Vineyard, Spring Mountain
Red fruit. Berry and currant. Toast. Seamless, concentrated attack. Better balanece. Pretty good and clearly the best of the group. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Pride Mountain is expanding their tasting room, which is probably a good thing, as this day it was packed and a little bit off-putting.

Pride Mountain
2004 Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Typical mineral-toasty oak nose. Concentrated pear and white fruit. Better than I remember the last couple Pride chards being. $37; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Pride Mountain
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley and Sonoma County
Smoky dark berry fruit, earth. Leafy. Clearly a less fruit forward vintage. Accessible red fruit. Drink now. Well made. Pretty good, but a bit expensive for what it is. $64; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Pride Mountain
2004 Merlot
Napa and Sonoma Counties
Sweet tobacco. Berry fruit with a touch of oak. Pretty good nose. Concentrated berry fruit. Pretty good. $50; Napa- Noma, June 2006

Pride Mountain
2004 Cabernet Franc
Sonoma County
Includes 25% Cabernet Sauvignon this vintage - some previous included 25% Merlot if memory serves. Less obviously Cabernet Franc on the nose. Structure present on the palate. Tasty. $54; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Next up, we met Donny Galagher, owner of Trespass, to sit in his vineyards under an umbrella and taste his wines. The name for the winery came about because the vineyard is at the end of a small road at the base of Spring Mountain, and had been used (still used?) as Lover's lane by the kids around town. Apparently neighbors still treat it as their personal park to walk dogs through, etc. Donny plans to build a house on the site at some point perhaps.

Trespass
2003 Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
Nice nose. Silky, leafy Cabernet Franc character. Concentrated black fruit on the palate. This contrasts some with the 2002 as being more restrained and less overtly fruity. All estate fruit, 92% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Trespass
2002 Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
Sweet smelling nose. Brown sugar, black berries and violets. Concentrated with the flavors coming through on the palate the same way, save for the brown sugar. Nice. Tasty. I went back and foth on which vintage I prefer. This vintage is clearly more of a crowd pleaser. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Trespass
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Rich brown sugar nose. Concentrated touch of tobacco and currant fruit. Pretty nice. Very good even. I want retaste this someplace more objective. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Trespass
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Concentrated black fruit. Slight mineral earth. This is pinched and a bit tannic in the finish methinks. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Donny was kind enough to call his acquaintance Dave Wight at Lewelling to arrange a visit. The White family has owned lewelling for many years but it seems they only started saving a few grapes for their own wine recently.

Lewelling
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
80% new oak, 90% French oak. We were tasting this outdoors and the wind had picked up, so the nose was hard to catch. Somewhat grapey black currant fruit. Concentrated but with softer tannins. Nicely made. $40; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Lewelling
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
This was a surprise for the vintage. Sweet, concentrated, classically styled Cabernet. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Dinner on Day 3 was the best of the trip. We drove back to Healdsburg and dined at Cyrus. Wow! is about all I can say. This place has it together. The wine list is good, the food was delicious, the service was as professional (while remaining friendly) as I have ever seen. Someone compared it to the French Laundry at 1/5 the price and they were about right. It's not inexpensive, but your five course meal will only set you back $70 or so before wine. The only misstep was with the entrees, which were not quite as spot on as the previous courses. Ask about the Mexican Diet Coke. I still want to learn what that is about. With dinner we enjoyed a Whetstone Viognier, a Whetstone Pinot Noir, and a Peay Syrah. Was there a Carlisle Three Birds in there too? Sheesh.

Day 4 - Play it by ear day

Jason at Pride had mentioned this as an interesting stop, so when we saw an open sign, we pulled in. An older man came wandering down out of the house mumbling something. Finally he introduces himself as Gianni Paoletti, and we start to understand. Gianni is from the old country. He built his parents a chapel on the property after they passed away. His caves have 40+ niches occupied by carrara marble statues, everthing from Ronald Reagan to Napoleon. Gianni apparently owns a famous Italian restaurant in LA, but the name escapes me. Gianni seems like a guy who doesn't take the wine too seriously but enjoys the lifestyle.

Paoletti
2004 Sangiovese Rose
Napa Valley
Lightly sweet with some obvious residual sugar. Pleasant. $14; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Paoletti
2002 Piccolo Cru Rosso di Napa
Napa Valley
A Bordeaux variety blend with pretty aromatics. Cedar. Leafy tobacco. Well made. Tangy midpalate and finish. Good value. $15; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Paoletti
2001 La Forza
Napa Valley
A Supter Tuscan blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet. Bordeaux-like aromas with toasty French oak. The palate speaks more of Sangiovese with tangy cherry fruit. Okay. $28; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Paoletti
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Earth and French Oak nose. Concentrated, but slightly peppery and green in the finsh. Tangy green. OK to eh. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Paoletti
1999 Non Plus Ultra
Napa Valley
Sweet oak aromas. Sweet black fruit on the attack. Concetrated with a touch of tobacco nuance with the fruit. Good. $65; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Paoletti
2003 Malbec
Napa Valley
Leather and a touch of Bret on the nose. French oak. Concentrated black fruit. Bit dusty. Pretty good I suppose. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Next up we cruise to Darioush to try their Viognier, which we have enjoyed in the past.

Darioush
2005 Viognier
Napa Valley
Nice floral citrus aromas. Classic warm climate Viognier. Sweet palate, a little hot, but lovely flavors. Tasty. (only 14.9% - some vintages have been higher I think) $34; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Darioush
2004 Chardonnay
Napa Valley
From Oakville and Carneros. Nutty French oak nose. Butter. Ok. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Darioush
2003 Merlot
Napa Valley
Polished new oak nose. Slightly unbalanced and hot. Eh. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Darioush
2003 Shiraz
Napa Valley
Sweet new French oak on the nose. Touch meaty. Maybe some white pepper. Sweet black fruit on the attack. Decent, but pricey. $65; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Darioush
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Includes a bit of each Bordeaux variety. 100% new oak. Sweet smelling cr確e brulee nose. Concentrated, slightly hot black currant. Pretty good. $68; Napa-Noma, June 2006

We stopped for lunch at Auberge du Soleil. Their bar is a great lunch spot. With a bottle of Pax Rose (delicious, but overpriced from the list at $45) we enjoyed some decent vittles.

I had called Brown Estate earlier in the day to inquire about an appointment. The first person I dealt with was a downright snooty, so we had low expectations, but when we finally did show up (late I might add) Coral Brown was a gracious host.

Brown Estate
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley (Pope Valley?)
100% Estate grown fruit. Tobacco, pepper?, dark inky fruit. Dark black currant. Tangy, peppery finish. Decent, but expensive. $72; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Brown Estate
2004 Zinfandel
Chiles Valley, Napa Valley
Spicy dark fruit. Yeast/bread. Sweet berry fruit. Slightly tangy. Nice rich brown sugar like nose. Dusty. 15.8% alc. How come the Chiles Valley Zins have that same yeasty bread nose? I have noticed it in some Green and Red Zins as well. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Brown Estate
2004 Zinfandel
Napa Valley
Spicy nose. Sweet jammy. Rich. Nice. Lighter in color and weight than the Chiles Valley bottling. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Brown Estate
2002 Zinfandel
Napa Valley
Lightly spiced. Sweet concentrated. Clarifified butter. Loads of berry. Nice. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Brown Estate
NV Zinfandel
Late Harvest
Ever so slightly sweet and spicy. Sweet red berry fruit. Slightly tangy acids in the finish. Pleasant. Napa-Noma, June 2006

The Beringer reserve room had been a treat on previous trips, so we stopped in for another try. This visit disappointed.

Beringer
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Bancroft Ranch, Howell Mountain
Lousy vintage. Tangy red currant. Eh. $75; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beringer
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Rancho de Oso, Howell Mountain
"Elegant" light. Seems to have more age on it than the vintage suggests. Red currant. Tart smelling. Sweet red currant fruit. OK. $75; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beringer
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Steinhauer Ranch, Howell Mountain
Touch of pool water on the nose. Corky? Red berry. Better balance on the palate with this one. Still, just okay. $75; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beringer
2001 Syrah
Marston Vineyard, Spring Mountain
Sweet red berry fruit. Touch of powdered sugar. Decent nose. Straightforward fruit. OK. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beringer
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Private Reserve, Napa Valley
This was a bonus pour, and by far the best of the tasting. Much more attractive nose of sweet dark fruit, but in a balanced, more restrained style. Well made, pretty good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Day 5 - Last Day in Wine Country

Whitehall Lane
2005 Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley
Includes some Semillon. Pleasant gooseberry and tart fruit nose. Tangy and peppery midpalate and finish. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Whitehall Lane
2004 Chardonnay
Carneros
Non-estate fruit. 1/3 new French oak, 50% malolactic. Good nose - sort of tropical butter vanilla. Less interesting palate. Pretty good overall. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Whitehall Lane
2003 Merlot
Napa Valley
86% Merlot with the balance made up by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Translucent dark ruby appearance. New oak, coffee, toffee. Red berry fruit under new oak on the palate. Ok. The palate is a bit rusty. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Whitehall Lane
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
82% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot rounding it out, so to speak. Nice nose of polished red Cab fruit. Touch of complexity. Sweet black currant and toffee. Finish? Napa-Noma, June 2006

Whitehall Lane
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve, Napa Valley
Sweet nose. Slight raw oak. Red rhubarb currant fruit. OK. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Whitehall Lane
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve, Napa Valley
Concentrated inky smelling. Less primary and more structured. Solid. Touch of licorice/anise. Seems to need time. Might be good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Whitehall Lane
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve, Napa Valley
Includes 4% Malbec. Sweet caramel. Chewey red berry fruit. Cedar. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Whitehall Lane
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve, Napa Valley
100% Cabernet. Concentrated solid. Chewey. Solid black currant fruit. Firm. Som earth complexity in the background. Good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Mona wanted to see Opus (the winery) so we stopped in.

Opus One
2002 Red Wine
Napa Valley
Better than I expected. Crushed blackberry fruit nose tinged with cedar and vanilla(?). Concentrated attack, the midpalate fades slightly, but the finish is long with a doughy aftertaste. Overpriced, but rather tasty. $150; Napa- Noma, June 2006

Quick stop at Napa Wine Company

Volker Eisele
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley (Chiles Valley)
Sweet red fruit nose. Concetrated black currant. Seamless, tad chewey. Decent. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Falcor
2002 Chardonnay
Genny's Vineyard, Napa Valley
Nice nose of nutmeg and vanilla. Not overtly oaky, more creamy. Sweet attack with lots of white fruit. Pretty good. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Pahlmeyer
2004 Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Big smoky nose with mineral and nut undertones. Sweet attack with rich white pear fruit. Not bad. Show star Chardonnay. Napa- Noma, June 2006

Vinum Cellars
2005 Rose
Clarksburg
Good rose with lavender aromatics. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Del Bondio
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Rutherford
100% Cabernet. Powdered sugar and cr確e brulee nose. Sweet, slightly aged seeming. Turns tangy and a bit sour in the finish. Cherry fruit. Ok. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Downing Family
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Sweet fruit. Structured nose. Toasty French oak. Dense black currant fruit. Finish slightly rough, chewey. Unresolved tannin? This and the Del Bondio I recall being priced rather fairly in the $30-$40 range. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Showket
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville
Sweet velvety cr確e brulee nose. Dense red strawberry and cherry fruit. No secondary character right now. Pretty good. A Heidi Barrett wine. Napa-Noma, June 2006

A visit to the Beaulieu vineyards reserve room was better than expected...

Beaulieu Vineyards
NV Sparkling
Toasty dough aromas. Lots of oak and pear fruit. OK. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beaulieu Vineyards
2004 Pinot Noir
Carneros Reserve
Sweet cranberry and boysenberry nose. Touch new oak. Sweet smelling. Sweet red fruit palate. Pleasant. Napa- Noma, June 2006

Beaulieu Vineyards
2002 Dulcet
Reserve, Napa Valley
A Cabernet Syrah blend. Peppery olive nose. New oak. Meat. Tannic midpalate with late meaty smokiness. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beaulieu Vineyards
2002 Tapestry
Reserve, Napa Valley
Subdued sweet oak nose. "Sweet" lightly balanced sour red and black fruit. Late acidity. Seems more of a drink now style. Not bad. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beaulieu Vineyards
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
George de la Tour Private Reserve, Napa Valley
Cherry, currant, loam nose. Soy sauce? Touch of anise. Sweet balance. Supple Cab fruit. Fullish bodied across the palate. Nice. 100% Cabernet. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beaulieu Vineyards
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
George de la Tour Private Reserve, Napa Valley
More overt oak on the nose but still toward the subdued and classy end of the spectrum. Balsa wood, mint. Sweet, but more astringent barrel tastes are present. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Beaulieu Vineyards
1990 Cabernet Sauvignon
George de la Tour Private Reserve, Napa Valley
Old soy sauce aromas. Tired. No fruit. Soft. Touch green perhaps. Old wet wood. Past prime. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Finally, a very quick stop at Vintner's Collective before we needed to meet Chris and Kevin again down in their neck of the woods around Fairfield.

Vinoce
2005 Sauvignon Blanc
Pope Valley, Napa Valley
Honeydew tangy. Green something. Ok. $20; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Ancien
Chardonnay
Carneros
Buttery French oak vanilla. Sweet oaky white fruit. Prickly finish. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Mi Sueno
2004 Pinot Noir
Ulises Valdez Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Pretty, high toned red berry and cranberry fruit. Decent. Smells a bit like a Merry Edwards Pinot I had recently. Silky texture. Napa-Noma, June 2006

D-Cubed
2003 Zinfandel
Howell Mountain
Eh. Not doing anything for me. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Richard Perry
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Perry Vineyard, Napa Valley
Big, sweet fruit nose. Concentrated black berry and black currant. Nice. Napa-Noma, June 2006

Vinoce
2002 Red Wine
Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley
Subtle aromas of red fruit. Silky dark chcocolate and licorice. Tasty, but perhaps a little too delicate? Napa-Noma, June 2006

Chris and Kevin took us a winery near their house in the Suisun Valley appellation. They apologized in advance, but we will try any winery once.

Ledgewood Creek
2005 Viognier
Suisun Valley
Slightly skunky/soapy with honey lemon and tangy fruit. Sour orange finish. OK. $12; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Ledgewood Creek
2005 Grenache
Suisun Valley
Rose-like appearance. In fact, the hostess pulled it from the fridge right before pouring. Fruity strawberry with a touch of leather. Tangy. This is basically a Rose in my opinion. $12; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Ledgewood Creek
2004 Rhone Blend
Suisun Valley
Glue nose. Reduced. More substantial red fruit palate. Bit overripe? Eh. $9; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Ledgewood Creek
2003 Syrah
Suisun Valley
Spicy oak. Underconcentrated with a touch of glue. Red berry. Eh. $10; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Ledgewood Creek
2002 Merlot
Suisun Valley, Library
Older feeling red. Berry. Mocha. Varietally correct. Pleasant. OK. $20; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Ledgewood Creek
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Suisun Valley
More concentrated than most of the lineup here. Red cherry cough syrup. Eh. $16; Napa-Noma, June 2006

Chris and Kevin hosted us that evening, where we enjoyed a few wines from the trip - an Audelssa Syrah stood out, and a Paoletti Non Plus Ultra was corked...then it was off to the airport the next morning.

Linne Calodo
2003 Slacker
Paso Robles
58% Syrah, 22% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre. Sweet liqueur, pomegranate, cherry fruit. Touch of dark spice. Creamy, yet high-toned. Good. Better than last tasting. $35;

Unti
2002 Petite Sirah
Dry Creek Valley
Yeasty black fruit with a touch of lemon squirt. Solid wall of tannins, but not unpleasantly so if you are in the mood.

Vieux Telegraph
1999 Chateauneuf du Pape
Chalk earth. Balsa wood. Sappy, high toned red cherry and berry fruit. Pretty good. Seemed to gain weight with a little time, but started lighter bodied. Chateauneuf du Pape at Daniele

Domaine Pierre Usseglio
2003 Chateaneuf du Pape
This is the regular bottling, though I intended to bring the Mon Aeuil. Very fruity, sweet nose. Sweet red berry fruit on the attack. Nice value. I like the intensity of the fruit, though it comes across a little bit like Beaujolais. $20; Chateauneuf du Pape at Daniele

Tor
2003 Syrah
Los Carneros, Durell Vineyard
Also labeled as Clone No.1. High-toned by Cali standards. Smells a bit Northern Rhone-like. Lime and tapenade. Ok. I was hoping for more from this. $47; Chateauneuf du Pape at Daniele

Calvet-Thunevin
2003 Cotes du Roussillon Villages
Domaine Hugo
Surprising nose of chocolatey oak covered fruit. Deeply colored. Sweet new world fruit and oak treatment here, but I like the results. Weighty. Very good. I noticed later that this is a bit north of 15% alc. Chateauneuf du Pape at Daniele

Clos del Rey
2002 Cotes du Roussillon
Deeply colored. A bit sour on the nose. Higher toned and more traditional. Ripe clean attack. Pretty good. My notes do not include a description of the fruit unfortunately, but I recall it being more red fruit oriented. Chateauneuf du Pape at Daniele

Chateau Calvet-Thunevin
2004 Cuvee Constance
Bordeaux?
I neglected to catch the appellation, but it is a Bordeaux blend. Inky dense currant fruit. Well made. Seamless. Nice. Chateauneuf du Pape at Daniele

Vieux Telegraph
1998 Chateauneuf du Pape
Corked. Chateauneuf du Pape at Daniele

Pride Mountain
2002 Cabernet Franc
Sonoma County
Lovely nose. Brown sugar, spice, sweet oak and violets. Concentrated sweet red fruit. Finish a bit short. After aromas of lavendar and violet. Palate a bit sweet-tart. $54;

Balleto
2004 Pinot Grigio
Sonoma Coast
Waxy, smoky, lemony fruit. Tangy. Not your typical Pinot Grigio, and fairly tasty. $13;

Tardieu Laurent
1998 Costieres de Nimes
Savory style of wine. Blocky build with inky dark flavors. Fruit is present but hard to pin down. Not bad. $28;

Carlisle
2003 Zinfandel
Russian River Valley
Less spicy on the nose that some of Mike's Zinfandels. This wine is more driven by concentrated juicy juice blueberry and boysenberry fruit. Loads of it. Sweet concentrated attack with a tangy lemon midpalate. Nice. Puts a Martinelli RRV Zin to shame. $30;

Cheers!
James

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