Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards

Flora Springs is a family owned winery that has been producing fine wines for nearly thirty years.  They have a tasting room on Highway 29 just South of St. Helena called “The Room” and the winery itself called “The Estate” where you can arrange a tasting and tour.  You may visit The Room without an appointment if you have less than six people in your party.  Tastings range from $20 for the Signature tasting to $55 for a Trilogy vertical.  At “The Estate” they have estate tours, single vineyard tastings, reserve tastings, Trilogy library tastings and a blending seminar.  Flora Springs offers anything from box lunches to red carpet dinners and hosting for corporate events.

Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards is certainly worth a visit.  They are well known for their Trilogy wine, a cabernet blend.  They also have a unique, modern style building and tasting room that is located right on highway 29 next to Dean and Deluca. We were told that they are the third largest family owned winery in Napa Valley, with 650 planted acres.  They use only 20% of their grapes themselves, however, and sell the other 80%.  You may have five tastings for $20 or five of their Italian varietals for the same price.  The reserve tasting is $35. Flora Springs also offers Italian varietals as an alternative tasting and cheese platters for $10 or $15. 

Our tasting began with the 2010 “Soliloquy” Sauvignon Blanc at $20.  It has lemon on the pronounced nose, with grapefruit on the palate and, for a Sauvignon Blanc, a long finish.  It is quite decent for the price and pleasant to drink.  The 2010 Chardonnay has 21% malolactic conversion, just enough to give it a little butter and smoothness but not too much to overwhelm it.  50% of this is on new oak.  It had a nice nose with some pear on the palate and good acid.  Not bad at all for $30.  The 2009 Napa Valley Merlot is a lighter style Merlot that is rather fruit forward, smooth with a nice finish.  It sells for $24.  The 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was also fairly good with lots of sweet cherry on the palate and a good finish.  We also enjoyed the 2009 Cabernet Franc, a varietal one does not encounter very often in Napa Valley.  This was $48, with a light nose, smooth tannins and some cherry on the palate.  The favorite, for both of us, was the 2009 Trilogy which is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 5% Malbec.  I got some black currant on the nose with bright fruit, well balanced.  This sells for $65.  Flora Springs had three other reserves, two at $85 and one at $100 but we did not try these. Check their web page out to review the many options they offer.

Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards 

677 Saint Helena Hwy S
Saint Helena, CA 94574
(707) 967-8032

Date of visit: 2/29/2012