Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Cain Vineyard and Winery

Cain Vineyard and Winery is something of a magical Shangri-La winery up on Spring Mountain, with beautiful views and unique wines.  It is located on a winding, forested road (Langtry) several miles long that veers off to the left as you climb Spring Mountain Road.  The winery was founded in 1980 by the Cain family.  Jim and Nancy Meadlock purchased the winery in 1991 after having worked there for some years.  Christopher Howell is the manager and winemaker.  Our excellent guide and host was Katie Lazar, Director of Sales and Marketing. Cain, like all of the Spring Mountain wineries, requires reservations for tastings.

Walkway to winery building

The vineyards range in elevation from 1400 to 2100 feet, with vines clinging to the sides of sweeping hillsides with steep inclines.  Planting this vineyard must have been an incredible feat and very expensive, and one can only imagine the amount of time and effort that goes into the care and production of these mountainside vines. The soil is composed of mostly of sandstone and shale with some clay. Conditions are not only adverse but also diverse, allowing for great variation and complexity. The weather is quite unlike that in the valley floor, with much more rainfall and a colder climate that sometimes produces snow in the winter but has fewer spring frosts.


Winery building


Cain produces only three wines, each one a classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, a concept that began with their 1987 vintage.  These are the Cain Cuvee, the Cain Concept and the Cain Five.  Our tasting began with the 2002 Cain Concept from the Cain library that sells for $70.  This was a lovely cab blend with a good nose of cherry and more red fruit on the palate.  With good acid and well-integrated tannins, this was very well balanced.  It was interesting to compare this to the 2008 Cain Concept ($60) that had a nice nose, red cherry on the palate and wonderful balance.  It is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 18% Cab Franc and 9% Petit Verdot.  It is quite drinkable now but should age well. The Cain Cuvee NV8 (mostly a 2008 vintage with some 2007 and a touch of 2006) comes from vineyards in Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville, Spring Mountain and Atlas Peak and sells for only $34.  It has 48% Merlot with 32% Cabernet Sauvignon along with some Cab Franc and Petit Verdot, making it more of a right bank type red Bordeaux that leans toward the soft and silky end of the spectrum. Although the winemaker described this as light bodied, that is only in comparison to some of the bigger, bolder Napa Cabs.  It might be more on the subtle “feminine” side for a Cab, but it is very much within the classical Cab tradition and is not a thin wine.  It does not have overripe Robert Parker like fruit or those big Napa Valley tannins that need taming with air, age or food pairing.  You can drink this one alone.  It had some raspberry and spice on the nose, with more red fruit and other subtle notes on the palate along with soft tannins, decent acid plus a very nice balance and decent finish.  Although I enjoyed each of these wines at their price range, especially the 2002 Cain Concept, it was the 2007 Cain Five ($100) that I loved the most.  It is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc and all the grapes came from Cain Vineyards.  It is a complex wine that is very layered and complex, a bigger more structured wine than the others, but not excessively so.  It obviously has some great fruit in it but is terroir driven with a great emphasis on balance and subtlety. It is substantial but also graceful. I found the nose rather restrained with a finish that was medium in length but delightful.  On the palate, it was mostly cherry with some mocha.  I found the wine to be very interesting, even intriguing.  Because of its subtle nature, I don’t think it would stand out that well in a blind tasting.  This is a wine that requires a more careful approach to appreciate it.  It is more like a Tarkovsky or Bergman film that demands more time and attention than some Hollywood blockbuster.  


Larger tasting table
Cain makes some very interesting wines that are extremely well balanced and have a lot going on.  It is not the sort of winery that would be appreciated by many tourists or those new to wine.  After 44 years of drinking Cabs and 39 years of visiting Napa Valley wineries, I appreciate wines that are unique, interesting, and have something to say.  So many times I’ve had a good Cab or Cab blend and thought to myself, “Oh, that is rather nice, but rather typical and not really different or interesting.”  Cain is a small winery up on Spring Mountain that seems more like a monastic retreat than ordinary winery. Their wines are interesting and unique.  I really enjoyed them, especially the 2002 Cain Concept and the 2007 Cain Five, and suggest you check their wines out if you are serious about Cabs.


Our tasting table


3800 Langtry Road
St. Helena, CA 94574
707-963-94574
Date of visit:  July 25, 2012

Ballentine Vineyards

Our visit to Ballentine Vineyards was delightful, thanks to David, our host, and to a very good, interesting and affordable line of wines.  Ballentine is located north of St. Helena on Highway 29 just north of Charles Krug.  The owners, Betty and Van Ballentine, came from families with a long history of wine making in Napa Valley. Betty’s grandfather arrived in California in 1884 from Italy and later, after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, moved to Napa Valley and founded L. Pocai and Sons Napa Valley Wines.  It was the 115th bonded winery in the state.  The Pocai ranch is the current source of Ballentine’s Merlot grapes.  Van’s father came to California from Ireland in 1910 and purchased an old winery founded in 1891 with its 160 acres that was abandoned during prohibition. His first vintage came in 1933 from Ballentine’s Deer Park, selling the winery in 1979.   The current vineyards that contribute to Ballentine Vineyards are the old Pocai Vineyard near Calistoga, The Crystal Springs Vineyards near the base of Howell Mountain and Betty’s Vineyard which is next to the winery and the 100-year-old Ballentine home.  So Ballentine is a family winery in every sense of the word, with a long family history rooted in Napa Valley.  On their web page, they describe the history in much more detail. They have a small tasting room that requires reservations because of community regulations, but you can often check in at the last minute to see if they can fit you in.  They do get big bus tours so this is not always possible.


Bill and David in the tasting room

Ballentine is well known for their Chenin Blanc and are one of the few Napa Valley wineries to produce this varietal.  We wanted to focus mostly on the reds, though, this time but did try the Ballentine 2010 Malvasia Bianca at $24 because it is so rarely found in Napa Valley.  This had a light nose with refreshing crisp citrus fruit on the palate that was fairly dry.  This is a poolside summer sipping wine, but it is also interesting and somewhat exotic. It also comes in a carbonated version called Frizzante. Our reds began with the Ballentine 2006 Betty’s Vineyard Syrah which had plenty of fruit, as Syrahs should, but was not overwhelmingly fruit forward.  It was quite nice for $23.  We were told that Ballentine is noted for their Zinfandels and is at the annual ZAP or Zinfandel Festival.  Unfortunately they were out of the 2009 Block 9 but we were able to sample the Ballentine 2009 Zinfandel Old Vines at $25 which was very well balanced, with good fruit, some spice (pepper)  and very nice overall presentation and a good finish.  It has 10% Petite Sirah and 4% Syrah added.  This is an excellent Zin for the money and one that is hard not to like. The Ballentine 2008 Cabernet Franc was next and it was one of the better Napa Valley Cab Francs but at only $29.  With an interesting, complex nose, dark cherry on the palate with delightfully integrated tannins, it also has a decent finish.  Not to be ignored, however, is a excellent Ballentine 2009 Petite Sirah Fig Tree Vineyard at only $28.  This one was well balanced with plenty of substance, blackberry fruit and lovely integrated tannins.  It is very drinkable now and should pair well with food. We couldn’t resist trying the 2006 Petit Verdot at $38.  Yes, one of the classic five of Bordeaux blends, but this time as a 100% varietal.  It was interesting and well worth trying, although I’ve never been convinced that Petit Verdots can stand totally on their own, although they have great color and are certainly interesting to taste.  Still, I admire a winery that offers it.


Entrance to Ballentine's tasting room

When we return I’d like to try the Chenin Blanc plus the Merlot, Block 9 Zin and the two Cabernet Sauvignons, the regular and reserve.  All of the wines we sampled were very good for the price, with the Petite Sirah and Cab Franc perhaps being our favorites, closely followed by the Zin.  But each was enjoyable.  Ballentine Vineyards is certainly worth a visit (and a return visit) for their interesting line up of very good wines at reasonable prices and their excellent service.

2820 St. Helena Highway North
St. Helena, CA 94574
707-963-7919
Date of Visit: July 25, 2012

Charles Krug Winery

Charles Krug Winery was founded in 1861 by Charles Krug and is the oldest winery in Napa Valley.  From 1892 to 1943, it was owned by James Moffitt.  The Mondavi family purchased it in 1943 and the family of Peter Mondavi Sr. (brother to Robert Mondavi) continues to run it.   In 2010, they completed a nine year, 22 million dollar investment program with 400 of their 850 acres being replanted and new winemaking equipment being purchased. There is a lot more history, some of it very colorful. This is a winery with a lot of history and a landmark winery that everyone should visit if they love wine and are in the area.



One of the first premium Cabernets I ever tasted was a wonderful 1965 Charles Krug Cab.  We later had it along with the famous 1970 Beaulieu Vineyard Private Reserve Cab.  The Krug was a big, bold, rugged Cab that would age well or pair with food.  It needed some air.  The BV was in a much different style, more restrained and feminine like.  Krug and BV back then represented to us the two main styles of Napa Valley Cab.  I’ve tried other Krug Cabs over the years, but the 1965 was the most memorable.









Service was, relaxed, unpretentious and very friendly.  We began our tasting with the Charles Krug 2011 Sauvignon Blanc St. Helena ($18).  It had a very nice nose of citrus and was dry with citrus and a hint of melon like fruit on the palate plus a nice clean finish.  Next was the Charles Krug 2010 Carneros Chardonnay at $20 which has seen 27% malolactic conversion or MLF.  Lovely gold in the glass, it had some peach on the nose, with vanilla and peach on the palate. It was a good, well-balanced, very drinkable Chard.


Our reds began with the Charles Krug 2008 St. Helena Zinfandel which sells for $25.  In addition to the cherry on the palate, this had a very pronounced and welcome black and white pepper taste that use to be more common with Zins.  We really liked it and recommend you try it if you want to know what a peppery Zin tastes like.  The Charles Krug 2009 Merlot was fairly good, with blackberry on the palate and smooth tannins, but even better was the Charles Krug 2009 Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon at $27 which was a well-balanced, very drinkable Cab with some cherry on the nose and black fruit with well-integrated tannins on the palate.  It would be difficult to mistake this for anything but a Napa Valley Cab.  This was followed by a Charles Krug 2010 Limited Release Pinot Noir from Green Valley of Russian River, Dr. Galante Vineyard ($50).  After a pleasant cherry nose, I got some black cherry on the palate with good substance and a pleasant finish.  We would like to have tried the Vintage Selection Cab ($75) and the “Limited Release” Cabs but these were not available for tasting.



Charles Krug under the Peter Mondavi Family is a winery you really should read about and visit if you love wine and wine history.  In addition to the interesting history, they have some good, reasonably priced wines, very pleasant service and some intriguing limited reserve wines I’d like to explore some day.




2800 Main St.
St. Helena, CA 94574
800-237-0033
Date of visit: July 25, 2012

 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Waterstone Winery at Taste of the Oxbow

Waterstone Winery, in the tasting room called Taste of the Oxbow, makes a very pleasant, reasonably priced 2008 Merlot at $18 and a really nice 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon at only $24, with all of their other wines being quite decent for the money and most coming from vineyards in Napa Valley.  (The Pinot Noir is from the Sonoma side of Carneros.)


The windows have "Taste of the
Oxbow" on them.

Waterstone Winery is located in downtown Napa across from Oxbow Market. The tasting includes four tastes for $10, but there are coupons, groupons and other offers that you should check out on the Internet, and Waterstone is also in the Napa Neighbor Program if you are a local.  There were eight Waterstone wines available on the tasting list when I visited.

Part of the tasting bar.


The first wine offered was the 2011 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc at $18.  They mentioned that Wine Spectator gave it a score of 86, which is a good score for a wine at this price.  It was quite decent for the money.  The Waterstone 2010 Pinot Gris from Napa Valley had a very nice nose and was again well worth the price of $18.  (The Waterstone Pinot Gris is on the wine list at Pearl, one of my favorite restaurants in Napa.)  Next was the Waterstone 2011 Chardonnay Carneros at $18 which was dry and crisp and fairly decent although I’d rate the Pinot Gris as my favorite of the whites followed by the Sauvignon Blanc.


One of the tasting tables


The reds began with a Waterstone 2008 Pinot Noirone  from Carneros that sold for $22 and was fairly good for the price.  But it was followed by a lovely Waterstone 2008 Merlot that was only $18 and was even better.  It is one of the most pleasant Merlots for under $20 that I have tasted recently.  The nose was rather light, but it had pleasant cherry like fruit upon entry, followed by delightfully integrated tannins with decent substance and acid and a good finish. This is a very enjoyable Merlot with some excellent sourced fruit.  It was rated 89 by Editors’ Choice and 88 by Wine Enthusiast, while Wine Spectator listed it among its Best New Wine Deals and described it as “lush and deeply flavorful, reminiscent of ripe black cherries.”  Do not give this Merlot much air or try to carry an opened bottle over to the next day, however, because it will not hold up.  Equally as fine, or even better than the Merlot, was the Waterstone 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon at $24.  The respectable wine critic James Suckling gave this 93 points in Tasting Report and called it an “amazing value.”  This is a rather lush Cab with soft tannins, some herbaceousness and plenty of ripe fruit.  It is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cab Franc, 3% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec.  As with the Merlot, this is one to drink now and not put in your wine cellar or storage. This is a premium tasting Cab at a half or a third of the price one would usually expect. But don't trust me or Jame Suckling; try it for yourself.  If you are a serious wine drinker looking for a Napa Cab bargain, you should appreciate it.





Waterstone Winery is not one of those gorgeous mountain wineries with views to die for and there are no vineyards to admire or tour. It is simply a tasting room in downtown Napa.  But it is worth a visit, and if you can’t visit, I’d recommend trying the 2008 Merlot and the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon which are both very nice wines for the price. If you do visit, be sure to check out the various discount coupons and downtown tasting offers on the Internet. Downtown Wine Tasting Card





708 1st St
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 265-9600
Date of visit: July 11, 2012


The brown signs on each side of the
 entry read "Whetstone".

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Barnett Vineyards

Barnett Vineyards makes some excellent wines and has incredible views.  Located in Spring Mountain District near St. Helena, Barnett is near the top of Spring Mountain Road, close to the county line with Sonoma.  A sign on Spring Mountain Road marks the exit to a winding road that continues another mile and a half or so to the vineyard.  There are 40 acres total with 14 of them cultivated.  Barnett Vineyard was purchased in 1983 and produced its first wines in 1989.  The elevation is 2,000 feet and some of the steep terraces have a grade of over 35%.  Total production is around 6,000 cases.  Their Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are grown on Spring Mountain and the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are sourced from vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, Carneros, Russian River, Anderson Valley, etc.  Barnet is very well known for their Rattlesnake Hill Cabernet Sauvignon and their Merlot.  Reservations are required.

Wooded drive to Barnett

Gate to Barnett winery


Tastings are held outside at tables just in front of the entry to the wine cave next to a spectacular view.  Our tasting began with the Barnett 2011 Andrews Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek Valley.  At $28, it is a good SB with some lime and kiwi on the nose and more melon and apple on the palate.  It has some bright acid typical of Sauvignon Blancs but is very well balanced.  We moved next to the Barnett 2010 Savoy Vineyard Chardonnay ($42) from Anderson Valley.  We were told that this one has 60% malolactic conversion and 20% French oak and I thought it might be a butter bomb with too much MLF, but it was not.  The fruit is so intense that had it not undergone MLF, it would not be balanced.  The aroma was good. On the palate, it was well-balanced, more green apple and lemon with some richness but mostly intense fruit.  I liked it and Bill liked it even more.


Outdoor tasting in front of wine cave
Tasting


The Barnett 2010 Donnelly Creek Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley at $42 was next. This is a lighter style Pinot, rather delicate and fresh, but very well done with some minerality and a touch of blueberry on the palate. It is a wine to drink now and not cellar.   I usually do not like lighter style American Pinots because they are too simple and one-dimensional, almost like Beaujolais Nouveaus.  This one, however, is very well done, interesting with complexity.  It led to my asking who the winemaker was.  I learned it was David Tate who was trained at the great winery Ridge.  After tasting the Barnett 2010 Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir ($55) from Anderson Valley, I knew David Tate had an affinity for Pinot Noir and that Anderson Valley was due for a visit by us.  With a nice nose, medium plus body, ripe black cherry-like fruit, good acidity, integrated tannins and a great balance, this PN is one of the finest I’ve tasted from a Napa Valley winery.  Obviously, some great fruit was put into the care of a wine maker who knew what to do with it.  Our kudos to David Tate, the winemaker.  This will definitely make the list of one of our favorite Pinot Noirs!  Our final bottle sample was the Barnett 2009 Merlot from Spring Mountain ($55).  It had 11% Cabernet Franc added and was very nice indeed and much more interesting that many Merlots.  It was every bit as good as the Savoy PN and is one of the finest Napa Valley Merlots.  We thought that would be the end of our tastings, but we were invited into the wine cave for a barrel sampling of the well known and difficult to obtain Barnett Rattlesnake Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.  This was the 2009 still in a barrel.  Once it is bottled, a few people will be able to purchase some for $140 a bottle.  This Cab has a reputation of being a spectacular, huge, mountain cab and I was expecting a young, unbalanced, tannic, difficult to appreciate Cab that needed many years of aging.  Instead, I got this lush, concentrated, intense but interesting Cab with good acid and tannins and all sorts of subtle earth, spice and berry tones.  It has not even been bottled, but is very drinkable.  Barnett also makes a Spring Mountain Cab and a Cyrus Ryan Cab which we were not able to taste but I suspect are very good.



Just outside tasting area
Inside new wine cave

If you don’t have the opportunity to visit this lovely winery, you might still be able to locate some of their wines.  You will probably not be able to find the Rattlesnake Hill Cab and you might not want to spend the $140 (even though it really is worth the price), but you might be able to locate and will certainly want to purchase some Merlot and the Savoy PN.  BTW, they also have very reasonably priced library wines, including a Barnett 2000 Merlot for only $45.  (We were informed that this is 100% Merlot, but it tasted a week later it seemed more like a Merlot that  has some Cabernet Sauvignon in it, with its good tannin and bass notes. I’m not, of course, questioning the information we were given. It just tasted more like a right bank Bordeaux than a 100% Napa Merlot, and that is meant as a compliment. Light cherry on the nose with excellent balance of red cherry, good acid and very well integrated tannins, this is a very nice Merlot.) The library wine list is on a counter at the end of the cave. It is well worth checking out but difficult to read with the dim lighting. Be sure to check it carefully because you might find an older Cab or Merlot at a great price.  The 2010 Savoy Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley, 2009 Spring Mountain Merlot and 2009 Rattlesnake Cabernet Sauvignon will be placed on our favorite wine list when it is updated.



Can you imagine what this looks like on a really clear day,
in the morning mist or when the sun is setting?


4070 Spring Mountain Rd
Saint Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-7075
Date of visit: July 3, 2012