Judd's Hill Winery

Judd's Hill is a small, very friendly, informal, down home, family winery that has a very good wine educator who exudes enthusiasm.  They also have some good, affordable wines and an interesting microcrush program. It was fun to visit, and I'm glad we did.

Judd's Hill is on Silverado Trail, just outside Napa.  For those of you who would like to make your own wine under your own label, they have a microcrush program.  There were numerous microcrush winery bottles along the wall in the tasting room.  Judd's Hill only makes 3,000 cases a year of their own wine.  An appointment is needed to taste, but you can probably obtain an appointment fairly quickly if you just call them from your cell phone as we did.  Of course, during weekends or the summer months, this will be more difficult so an advance reservation will probably be advisable. 

Mike M. was our tasting room host and was very helpful, enthusiastic and informative. He really made us feel welcome.  Judd's Hill is fortunate to have a wine educator of his caliber.  Tastings are only $10 and are waived with a $45 per person purchase.  We tasted the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($24), the 2008 Estate Pinot Noir ($34), the 2010 Burke's BBQ Zinfandel ($30) and the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($45).  The SB had a light nose, with more melon than the usual grapefruit on the palate.  It seemed rounder and less dry than some SB.  The PN is made from the Dijon clone that gives more forward fruit and the Pommard clone that gives some earthiness more in the classic French Burgundy style.  It is available only at the winery.  The Zin was developed to compliment BBQs. It had some cherry on the nose and was, indeed, the perfect wine for a bbq.  It saw ten months on French oak and has 8% Merlot and 2% Cab Franc blended in with it.

I didn't ask how to be invited to one of Burke's bbqs, but we heard they are fantastic.  We drank a bottle of the Zin later and it was good.  I only wish we had pared it with some BBQ.  My favorite of the flight was the Cab.  If you are a club member you can get a bottle for only $33.75 which is a bargain.  You can also be invited to various special events such as the upcoming Hanukkah Hootenanny which sound like a lot of fun. ("Come sip current vintages and library wines, enjoy our extravagant and enhanced latke bar, satisfy your sweet tooth with traditional jelly donuts and thrill to the sounds of Meshugga Beach Party, the greatest Jewish instrumental surf-rock band in the land!")  If you want to try a fun, unpretentious winery, visit Judd's.

Judd's Hill Winery
2332 Silverado Trail

Napa, CA 94558
(707) 255-2332

Date of visit: 11/30/2011

Black Stallion Winery

Black Stallion Winery is one of the newer wineries in Napa Valley, opening in 2007.  It is just a little outside Napa on Silverado Trail. They are open to the public, without an appointment, from 10 AM to 5 PM and offer five different tasting options from $10 to $20.  The tasting fee is waived if you purchase three bottles of wine.  They have a wine club for discounts, and individual wines retail from $22 to $150, with most of them in the lower priced range. We opted to taste the "Just Red Tasting" .  It included the 2008 Merlot ($38), 2009 Syrah ($38), 2009 BSEW Cabernet Sauvignon ($25) and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (regularly $65, on sale for $50).  We both liked the 2007 Cab best.  In addition to Cab, it has 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Merlot. It has a nice blackberry nose with soft tannins, good acid balance and a blackberry palate with a touch of chocolate and a good finish.  Although we didn't try them, we were curious about their premium Bucephalus wines which sell for $150.  For $20, you may taste three of them.  Maybe we will try these next time.

Black Stallion Winery
4089 Silverado Trl

Napa, CA 94558
(888) 279-6272

Date of visit: 11/30/2011

Cuvaison Estate Wines

Cuvaison Estate Wines provided us with a wonderful experience, thanks to their very good, well balanced wines, a beautiful setting and to our extremely friendly, courteous and knowledgeable wine educator, Patty.

Although I've heard of Cuvaison since the early 1970s when I first began doing comparative wine tastings, this was the first time I visited the winery; it certainly won't be the last.  With wines this good, hospitality this stellar and a lovely setting and view, Cuvaison is a place I now plan to take relatives and friends when they visit us here in Napa.

Cuvaison provides two different flights, one at $15 and another at $20, both for four wines.  It appears from other reviews that they often provide one or a few additional complimentary tastings.  This probably depends on how busy they are and how enthusiastic the tasters are.  Cuvaison also has a winery with many of the same wines up in Calistoga.  At the Carneros one, though, they have a lovely view of vineyards through huge glass windows or from their patio and they serve the wine to you at tables.  You don't have to edge your way in to a bar and stand.  It might have helped that we went on a Wednesday morning during off-season and were the only ones there.  Any winery can get really busy and swamped with customers.  But this is the same time we visit wineries every week and the service from Patty was really exceptional.  She even went out into the vineyard and brought in a bunch of Pinot Noir grapes on a large leaf for us to examine or taste while we were drinking the Pinot Noir.  It just doesn't get better than that.

All of the wines at Cuvaison were exceptionally well-balanced and multi-layered, even by the best of Napa Valley standards.  Here is a sampling of my notes:  Cuvaison 2010 Carneros Chardonnay ($23): 9.5 months in French oak with 60% malolactic fermentation.  Nice nose with apple and lime on the palate.  Dry with some minerality, extremely well balanced with a long finish.  I usually prefer Chards without MLF, but this one was not overdone.  In comparison, the 2009 S Block Chardonnay ($38) was 100% MLF, with 12.5 months on French oak.  The aroma to me was a little lighter and the oak and butter were more pronounced.  It had some nectarine and vanilla on the palate.  I prefer little or no MLF or oak and a drier, flinty, mineral presentation such as that found in good white Burgundies.  But if you like more of a round and buttery taste, you might really like this Chard.  Again, it is very well-balanced.  Their 2009 Carneros Pinot Noir ($35) is in the lighter style, a style I usually do not like all that much.  But this one is so well balanced that I liked it.  I got some cherry aroma with a soft but balanced light raspberry palate and a long finish.  For this style of PN, it is very well done.  The 2009 Carneros Syrah ($35) had some blueberry on the nose with nice but soft tannins and some jammy fruit.  Although it has ample fruit, it is not one of those Syrah "fruit bombs."  The 2008 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, at $45, was very good, and another "must buy."  It is 76% Cab, 11% Malbec and 13% of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petite Verdot.  It is quite good for the price.

We were also fortunate enough to be able to taste three wines that are usually not available for tasting and are sold only to wine club members.  After tasting them, we both wanted to join the wine club.  The 2008 Two Estate ($54) comes with a gorgeous custom wine label of stained glass.  I got a raspberry aroma, with a palate that was very smooth and balanced with good acid and tannin.  This one has more Merlot than Cab (64% & 39%) with 6% Malbec.  Even better, though, was the 2008 Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon ($90 but on sale for $78 to club members).  This was a very lovely Cab (88%) that had a little Malbec (6%), Cab Franc (4%) and Petite Verdot (2%).  This was brighter on the palate and perfectly drinkable now, although it should get even better with some age.  One of the best of their wines, and a tremendous value, is the Cuvaison 2009 Diablo Syrah. This is dry farmed and available only to club members.  It lists at $35 but sells to members at $28 and is one of the best California Syrahs I've tasted.  With some cherry on the nose and very good tannin, fruit and acid balance, this is not overly jammy like some Syrahs.  Both of us really liked it a lot.

Cuvaison is a winery you must visit!  The service was fantastic and the setting really lovely. Every wine we tasted was a winner, although some stood out more than others did.   This makes it a winery that is very high on the list for club membership by which you may have access to exclusive wines, discounts on all wine, invitations to special events and complimentary tastings for you and your guests.  We both plan to return soon. 

Cuvaison Estate Wines
1221 Duhig Rd
Napa, CA 94581
(707) 942-2455

Visited 12/1/2011

Bennett Lane Winery

Bennett Lane Winery is just past Calistoga, but well worth the trip.  They are famous for their Maximus wine, and after tasting it, it is easy to see why.

The tasting fee is $15.  Our tasting started off with the decent enough 2008 Reserve Chardonnay which is sold for $45.  It has 35% malolactic fermentation with seven months on French Oak.  Next was the very nice 2006 Maximus that won double gold at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition. It is 64% Cab, 19% Merlot, 9% Syrah, 5% Malbec and 3% Petite Verdot. Purple in color with cherry and chocolate on the nose this is a full, ripe, soft wine that is easy to drink but still interesting with a very long finish.  At $35 a bottle it is a bargain. They had a special on it for wine club members at only $24.50, which is in incredible deal.  Next was the 2005 Merlot, at $47, which we both liked.  This is well balanced, with touches of cherry, soft tannins and a nice finish.  Even better was the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon that was given 94 points by Robert Whitley.  This had an aroma of cherry with soft tannins, full body but very smooth and a nice finish.  This is well worth the $55 it sells for.  We also tasted the well-balanced 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at $95 which both of us liked.  

If you like red wines, you really should visit Bennet Lane Winery.  They have a number of good wineries up that way and some good places for lunch in Calistoga. Wine prices at Calistoga wineries seem less than most other areas of Napa Valley for comparable wines, and there seem to be fewer tourists.

Bennett Lane Winery
3340 State Highway 128
Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-6684

Visited 11/23/2011

Summers Estate Wines

Summers Estate Wines in Calistoga is a delightful, friendly winery to visit and we highly recommend it! Be sure to try the Charbono and the 2007 Diamond Mountain Cab.

Summers Estate Wines has one of the friendliest, most helpful and informative wine educators in the Valley, named Graham J.  They also have some very good wines and you may taste six of them for only $10 or have the fee waived with each bottle of wine you purchase.  Since any red wine drinker would want to leave with at least one bottle of the Charbono, that means a free tasting for at least one person.  (The Charbono sells out every year.)

We started our tasting off with the very nice 2008 Reserve Chardonnay at $22.  This was aged in French Oak for ten months.  It has no malolactic fermentation and is a dry chardonnay with some apple on the palate and a distinct touch of oak.  Summers is famous for their Charbono and we tasted the 2008 Charbono which sells for $28.  This is an Italian varietal that is not very common in California.  It is plum colored, full bodied, with soft tannins, notes of blackberry and a nice finish. Very nice and an interesting varietal.  We also really liked the 2008 Estate Zinfandel, at $34, with its cherry nose and soft tannins.  This had nice mouth feel and was not as jammy as some Zins. Although we are both Petite Sirah fans, we tend to like more substance, tannin and pepper than the pleasant, fruity 2007 Petite Sirah.  It was decent, but not in the style I like.  The 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at $45 was decent enough, well balanced with cherry on the palate.  Much more to my liking, however, was the excellent 2007 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon at $70. Dry with very good tannins, it is an interesting, complex mountain wine with blackberry and some minerality.  It should pair well with steak.  Although neither of us are very fond of most sweet wines, we both liked the 2008 Knights Valley Petite Sirah Port Style Wine at $36.  Other visitors to the winery were also raving about it.  This wine has a lot more going on with it than just sweetness.  My favorite of all, though, was the 2007 Diamond Mountain Cab.

Summers Estate Wines

1171 Tubbs Ln

Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-5508

Visited 11/23/2011

Clos Pegase Winery

Clos Pegase Winery near Calistoga makes one of the very best Napa Valley Pinot Noirs we have ever tasted.  It also has an interesting modern art display.

The Clos Pegase 2008 Mitsuko's Vineyard Pinot Noir is from Carneros (of course) and was rated very highly at 90 by Wine Enthusiast, although I'd rate it even higher. With cherry on the nose and some raspberry on the palate, it is perfectly balanced with nice acids, a great mouth feel and real (but not excessive) substance.  This is not one of your too thin, fruity little Pinot Noirs, ones that taste more like Beaujolais nouveau that PN.  This PN sells for a mere $35 retail or $28 club price.  Compare that price to the best Oregon or Russian River PN or a good red Burgundy.  It is a fabulous wine, especially at that price. We also recommend the 2007 Napa Valley Syrah at $29.75 and the 2008 Dunaweal Vineyard Pegaso Red with 60% Zin and 40% Petite Sirah, a most interesting and unusual blend, at $28.50 plus the very luscious 2006 Hommage Cabernte Sauvignon that sells for $90 and was rated 92 by the Wine Enthusiast.  All four of the wines we tried were winners, with the PN being a knockout.  I later opened a bottle of the PN and gave my wife (who usually prefers white wine) a glass without telling her how much I liked it and her reaction was, "What is this?  It is really good!"

Clos Pegase Winery has an Estate Tasting for $20 and a Reserve Tasting for $35.  Club Members receive a 20% discount on wine and everyone can get a 10% discount on six bottles or 15% on a case.  Our server, Steve, was very professional and informative.  Clos Pegase also has some modern artwork that makes it worthwhile to visit the winery even if you don't taste.  We were pleasantly surprised at how good their wines were for the money and were blown away by the Pinot Noir.  We highly recommend a visit to Clos Pegase.

If you can't make it there for a visit, you might want to try some of their wines, especially the Pinot Noir.  Be sure to get only the 2008, though, because this appears to be a special year for their PN and it is the only PN of theirs we tasted.  The Wine Enthusiast says of the 2008, "Quite a nice Pinot Noir and in fact the winery's best in a number of years."

Obviously we bought a number of bottles of the Pinot Noir and absolutely loved drinking it.  We also bought some of the Pegaso Red and it tasted even better at home than it did at the winery.  Clos Pegase Winery seems to be underrated by some.  If you can't visit their winery, try the Pinot Noir and consider the Pegaso Red.

Clos Pegase Winery
1060 Dunaweal Ln

Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-4981

Visited 11/23/2011 

Chateau Montelena Winery

Chateau Montelena Winery is one of the more famous Napa Valley wines, making headlines back in 1976 when nine French judges voted it the best Chardonnay over some very famous white Burgundy and other Chardonnay wines. I bought a case of that 1973 Chardonnay back then and it really was a wonderful wine.  The tasting at Montelena is $20 and includes five different wines. It is one of the Napa Valley wineries that everyone should visit at least once.

Our first wine was the 2010 Riesling ($25) that had a light nose with apricot on the palate.  It seemed more in the California style than the German or Alsatian. The 2009 Chardonnay ($50) was pleasant with only a little oak and, thankfully, no secondary fermentation.  It had some peach on the nose and was soft and somewhat citrus-like on the palate.  The 2007 Zinfandel was a decent, rather light Zin with some distinct vanilla notes.  Better yet was the Chateau Montelena 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at $49.  It had a definite cherry and chocolate taste that you can't miss, rather full but not over powering.  Even better was the Chateau Montelena 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($135) that was rated 94 by Robert Parker.  I think most people would really enjoy the 2008 regular cab but might want the Estate cab for that special occasion.  Service here was good.

Chateau Montelena Winery

1429 Tubbs Ln
Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-5105

Visited 11/23/2011 

Hill Family Estate Winery

Hill Family Estate in downtown Yountville is a wonderful, very friendly winery and we highly recommend that you visit it and check out their wine club. The quality of the wines, the comfortable setting, the friendliness and the highly affordable premium wines (that are even more affordable through the wine club) earn a very strong recommendation for visiting Hill Family Estate. 

Their very comfortable tasting room is in downtown Yountville, where they been since 2006.  They have been growing extremely high quality grapes for more than 25 years, still sell grapes to some of the best Napa Valley wineries, and there is a fair chance that if you have been drinking $100 plus cabs at other Napa Valley wineries, that you have been drinking grapes grown by Hill Family. Since 2002, they have been making some of their own wines.

Our tasting began with the Hill Family 2010 Tiara Sauvignon Blanc ($35) which is made with a special clone that gives it more peach on the palate than the usual grapefruit.  It is somewhat rounder, softer and less citrus like than most SB, but we found it very appealing.  The 2009 Carly's Cuvee Chardonnay ($27) was smooth, balanced with a touch of malolactic conversion that complimented the varietal taste instead of overwhelming it.  The 2009 Pinot Noir ($42) from Stewart Ranch good as was the 2009 Syrah ($35) and the 2008 Atlas Peak Cab ($68).  There is not space enough for all of my tasting notes, but we liked the Hill Family wines enough at our first visit that we joined the Wine Club and will be returning in a two days to taste more wines and pick up our first order.  The cabs are especially good for the money, but be sure to try the Tiara Sauvignon Blanc, too, which is quite different that your usual SB.  Much thanks to Robin for being so pleasant and helpful.

Addendum: Two days later, we picked up our first three wines as club members and were able to taste additional wines while having some tasty complimentary hors d'oeuvres.  In addition to an incredibly friendly reception, the winemaker, Alison Doran, came to our table and had a long, very animated and interesting discussion with us.  As much as we liked the wines we had at the tasting two days previously, some of the wines we tasted the second visit were even better.  This winery is producing some really good Napa Valley premium cabs at prices that are incredibly affordable!  If you love Sauvignon Blancs or Cabs and if you enjoy premium wine bargains, you should try this winery and seriously consider their wine club. Here are some excerpts from my notes during the second visit:  2010 Sauvignon Blanc:  At $17.60 for wine club members, this is a wonderful buy.  It is fermented in stainless steel and much more of a traditional SB than the "Tiara".  This is drier than the Tiara, with more grapefruit.  My wife loved it.  2008 Origin ($42) is a full luscious cab with lots of ripe fruit. More in the style I prefer, though, is the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($48).  This cab reminds me of cabs in the $100 plus range. Good fruit with full body but nice balanced tannins.  This is the type of Cab that made Napa Valley famous but at a fraction of the price that one usually has to pay these days. It is complex, interesting and with substance without being overpowering. At this price it is a great buy.  It is drinkable now but will improve with age. 2007 "Double Barrel" Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 and very limited production). With a nice nose and cherry plus chocolate on the palate, this wine has a long finish.  Extremely well balanced with ripe fruit, it will age well but is definitely very drinkable now.  If you are a club member you might be able to taste this if they have a bottle open. Much thanks, again, to Robin and the staff for being so helpful and making us feel so welcome.

Addendum 2/16/12:  We later bought several bottles of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) and it is outstanding, even better than the 2008.  We did not like the 2009 Cab as well as the 07 or 08 but then it is younger.  We also tried the 2009 Late Hervest Sauvignon Blanc at $35 which was fairly good and the 2009 Barrel Blend at $25 which is light, fruity, rather sweet tasting and did not appeal to either of us.  I'd really like to taste the Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon again.  At $150, though, it is a bit out of our price range, and it is not discounted for club members. 

  

Hill Family Estate Winery 
6512 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-9580

Visited 11/16/2011

Somerston Wine Co.

Somerston Wine Company has a tasting room in downtown Yountville and we think you would enjoy visiting it. Our server was very friendly and down to earth.  Somerston has three different labels, all produced by them: Somerston Estate, Priest Ranch and Highflyer.  They offer two different tastings, one at $25 for three Somerston Estate Collection wines and another for $20 that includes five wines from Highflyer and Priest Ranch.

We started with the 2010 Grenache Blanc which is a varietal of its own, not to be confused with the red Grenache grape.  This was the first time we ever tasted this varietal. It was a nice, pleasant, summer sipping wine, rather soft and fruity but balanced at $19.  The 2008 Pinot Noir was quite decent at $38 and comes from the Santa Lucia Highlands.  The 2007 Centerline Red Blend is one of those very well balanced, highly drinkeable wines you can take to any party and most people will like it.  (We certainly did.) A blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo and Grenache, it sells for $28 a bottle. The 2008 Petite Sirah at $40 was okay but had more forward fruit than many PS, with less tannin than I prefer.  Nicely balanced with soft tannins and 50% with 24 months of French Oak, the 2009 Priest Ranch Cab was a keeper at $40.  Best of all (but it will get better with age) was the 2007 Somerston Estate Cabernet Sauvignon which sells for $120.  We bought some of the 2007 Centerline Red Blend and the 2009 Priest Ranch Cab.  Somerston also offers cheese plates for $15 and chocolate plates for $12.  They are open until 9 PM most nights, 8 PM on Sunday and Monday so you may visit them after having dinner at one of Yountville's great restaurants.

Somerston Wine Co.
6488 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 967-8414

Visited 11/16/2011 

Jessup Cellars

Jessup Cellars has a tasting room in downtown Yountville and is well worth a visit. The tasting is $20 and includes a nice 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($28) with soft grapefruit on the palate, a very good, well balanced 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir ($48), a decent 2008 Merlot ($34) with some soft tannins, a good French oaked 2008 Cab ($55) and, my favorite, along with the PN, the 2008 "Table for Four" ($79) that is 65% Cab, 15% Cab Franc, 15% Merlot and 5% Petite Sirah.  The Table for Four was blended to go along with almost any dish so that four people at a table could share it.  Also, included in the tasting is a 2006 Cab Port, but we opted to pass on this since we were not up for a sweet wine.

Jessup Cellars
6740 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-8523

Visited 11/16/2011

Hope & Grace Wines

Hope and Grace in downtown Yountville is certainly worth a visit. They have various interesting artwork on display and have three different tasting flights at $10, $15 and $25.  We opted for the $10 flight that included four wines.  The 2009 Chardonnay ($32) is made without any malolactic fermentation and with minimal oak, in a style that I prefer because the varietal characteristics are not lost from overbearing butteriness.  The 2009 Pinot Noir ($46) from Santa Lucia was good with cherry on the nose and a touch of cinnamon on the palate. My favorite, though, was the 2008 Malbec from Oak Knoll ($64), with 24 months on French Oak.  It won't make you forget a really great Argentine Malbec, but it is quite decent for a California Malbec. We also enjoyed the 2007 Cab ($58). Service was very pleasant and helpful.

Hope & Grace Wines
6540 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-2500

Visited 11/16/2011

Wooden Valley Winery

Wooden Valley Winery is an extremely friendly, informal, family winery near Fairfield that exudes relaxation and good cheer.  Tastings are complimentary.  We tasted the 2010 Riesling, the 2008 Zinfandel, the 2008 Cab and, our favorite, the 2009 Petite Sirah.  Prices were $12 to $17.  There were quite a few sweeter wines that one could taste. They also had a fruitier red wine for those who do not usually like red wine, but we did not like it. This would seem to be a winery that would be a very good introduction for those who are not interested in more complex, challenging and expensive wines.  Even some who do not ordinarily like wine, might find some wine they like at Wooden Valley Winery.  In addition to the very reasonable prices, this is such a friendly winery that it is difficult not to like it.  They offer a 20% discount for wine club member, 30% by the case. 

Wooden Valley Winery
4756 Suisun Valley Rd
Suisun Valley, CA 94534
(707) 864-0730

Visited 11/12/2011

Ledgewood Creek Vineyards

Ledgewood Creek Winery is in Suisun Valley near Fairfield but produces wines that are comparable to many Napa Valley wines.  I'm not sure if this is due to the very close proximity of their vineyards to Napa Valley or to the excellence of the winemaker, but this is a serious winery that you really should visit.  Tasting is complementary and the service is very friendly and down to earth.

Among the wines that were quite good for the money were the 2009 Estate Grown Three Clone Chardonnay, the 2008 Syrah, the 2007 Merlot and the 2008 GSM.  There were two real standouts (must buys) for me, though.  One was the 2009 Signature Chardonnay at only $18 ($14.40 for club members).  This is a Chard that is not ruined by over oaking and secondary fermentation.  It is very well balanced with a nice nose, good balanced acid, some pear on the palate and a lovely finish.  It sells at about half the price of a comparable Chard in Napa.  The other is the 2007 GSM (which stands for the three varietals in the blend) a knockout red wine in the Rhone style, a wine that is an incredible bargain at only $18 ($14.40 for club members.)  It is made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (49%) and is evidence that the "Rhone Rangers" are up this way!  This is surely one of the best red wine buys and one that I could drink regularly.  If you are not familiar with full bodied, complex, interesting Rhone style reds, this would be a great place to start. 

 

Ledgewood Creek Winery
4589 Abernathy Rd
Fairfield, CA 94534
(707) 426-4424

Visited 11/12/2011 

Franciscan Estate Winery

Franciscan Estate is a well-known Napa Valley winery that offers some especially affordable premium wines.The classic tasting is $15 with one fee being waved with each $100 purchase. They also have a wine club that offers 30% discounts.

Our first wine was the 2009 Chardonnay ($18) that has nice nose with some apple and minerality on the palate.  It is well balanced and not too buttery.  The 2007 Merlot ($21) is rather light and fruity with some pepper and tobacco notes.  The 2008 Cab ($27) is 80% Cab, 12% Merlot, 4% Cab Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.  It had some cherry notes with nice soft tannins.  This is a nice cab for that price. Our favorite, though, was the 2007 Magnificat ($50) which is a blend of 71% Cab, 26% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec.  It is a more complex Cab than the 2008 with soft tannins and some age potential.  We bought a bottle of the Chardonnay and the Magnificat.  Service was good. 

Franciscan Estate Winery
1178 Galleron Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 967-3993

Visited 11/2/2011

Freemark Abbey Winery

Freemark Abbey offers some premium Napa Valley wines at very affordable prices along with a beautiful grounds. Freemark Abbey has been a Napa Valley landmark for over 125 years and has a long, interesting history as well as a great wine library.  They offer a classic tasting of four wines for $15.  You will also want to stroll around the lovely grounds and take photos.

Our tasting began with the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc at $24.  This was a very nice, well-balanced wine with more melon than grapefruit on the palate and a hint of pleasant herbaceousness.  The 2010 Chardonnay ($25) was also good.  It had some peach notes and no over powering butter.  Both of these white wines represent very good values.

I love Petite Sirahs but the 2007 Petite Sirah ($30) was too light for my taste.  It had a bit of spice and some fruit but not enough substance for me.  The well-balanced 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($40), though, was very nice, with interesting integrated tannins, some currant on the palate and a decent finish.  Definitely try this one.  It is not too complex but very drinkable now.  We also tried an okay 2008 Merlot that was smooth, light and fruity.  Best of all, though, was the Freemark Abbey 2006 Sycamore Cabernet Sauvignon ($70).  This is a powerful cab that I'd like to try again in a few years. Overall we were very pleased with the wines at Freemark Abbey and definitely  recommend a visit.  Service was exceptional. 

Freemark Abbey Winery
3022 St. Helena Hwy N
Saint Helena, CA 94574
(707) 302-3721

Visited 11/2/2011

Twomey Cellars

Twomey Cellars is well known for their Pinot Noirs and Merlots.  It is owned by the same family that owns Silver Oak Cellars.  Our tasting began with the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc which was a very smooth on the palate with the usual grapefruit.  It is only $20 a bottle.  The 2009 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir was $50 and was in the lighter, fruitier style of which I am not that fond.  Much better, given my preferences in PN, was the 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir at $50.  This had good fruit and was very smooth and balanced with a great finish. We liked the 2007 Merlot which was $50 and one of the better Merlots in Napa Valley.  Although the Russian River PN was not available for tasting we bought some anyhow, largely based on how good the Sonoma Coast PN was. Service was very good.

Twomey Cellars
1183 Dunaweal Ln

Calistoga, CA 94515
(888) 505-4850

Visited 11/2/2011