Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Porter Family Vineyards

Porter Family Vineyards is a very unique and beautiful winery that provides an amazing tasting experience. While visiting other wineries we kept hearing wonderful things about Porter Family Vineyards but had never been there.  It sounds trite but the phrase "hidden gem" is what immediately came to mind after our visit there.  In addition to a gorgeous setting and view, Porter Family has a lovely wine cave with an extraordinary tasting room, great hospitality, plus wines that are exemplary.  It is one of those rare places that while we were there we simply did not want to leave.  It was just so beautiful and relaxing!  And Tim Porter, the founder's son and one of the owners, was a great host, very down to earth and informative.  We wanted to spend the entire day there, especially after tasting their fantastic wines.


Porter Family Vineyards picnic table view

Porter Family Vineyards was founded by Tom and Beverly Porter.  Tom is originally from Michigan and studied electrical engineering at Michigan Tech.  After spending 27 years with IBM and other companies, Tom and his wife moved to Napa and, in 2005, founded Porter Family Vineyard.  They requested a "slight" alteration in the building permit, obtaining permission to add 17,000 square feet of wine caves, putting the entire winery, except for the crushing platform, underground.  This cave is 515 feet long, about 50 feet underground and has four fermentation bays, four blending tanks capable of 4500 gallons along with two storage bays.  Being an electrical engineer Tom developed one of the most technologically sophisticated wineries in the world with automatic computer controlled systems that even control the punch down machines, a deficit drip irrigation system, etc.  They also utilize sustainable farming methods which includes integrated pest management that utilizes bird perches, bird houses, nesting boxes and an insectary to encourage beneficial predatory insects. They also sponsor the Porter Family Foundation, started in 2003, focusing on donations to education, child well being, medical research, conservation and the humane treatment of animals.


Porter Family tasting room in wine cave

Their vineyard is 20 acres with only 14 planted acres.  The soil is a mixture of clay loam and volcanic soil and it is located about 600 feet above sea level in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley.  This area of the Coombsville AVA tends to be cooler in the summer and warmer in the fall and winter than other areas of Napa Valley.  They tend to have a longer hang time for the grapes and a harvest that is several weeks later than down in the Valley.  Only two to three tons of grapes are yielded from each acre. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, they grow the other red Bordeaux varietals of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot plus Syrah.   Some additional Syrah and their Chardonnay fruit is sourced from nearby vineyards. Total production is about 2,000 cases per year but will increase by next year to 3,000, making Porter Family a very small production family winery, offering handcrafted wines of the highest quality.

Porter Family Vineyards wine cave

We were greeted by Tim Porter and a new staff member, Florencia, who walked with us through the vineyard to the wine cave.  The views along the way were spectacular and the wine tasting room in the cave was amazing.  We had a separate glass for each wine so could go back and forth between them.  Tim and Florencia were great hosts. The setting and entire experience was simply heavenly.  

Porter Family Vineyards view

Our tasting began with the Porter Family 2012 Chardonnay at $45.  This saw a year in French oak with 15% being new oak.  369 cases were produced.  This began with a fairly good nose of apples and lemon.  On the palate it was smooth, rich and buttery with apple, lemon, vanilla and some minerality.  Finish was medium length.  Although not a style I usually care for, it was well done.  If you like a rounder, buttery type Chard you might want to give this one a try. 

Porter Family Vineyards tasting table

The Porter Family 2011 Cave Dwellers Blend was the second pour and it retails at $55.  It is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah and saw 22 months in French oak with 75% being new oak.  313 cases were produced.  My friend and I both really liked this blend which began with a good nose of black cherry and black currant.  On the palate it was full bodied with black cherry, black currant, black pepper, spices and earth notes, along with chewy tannins and good acid.  The finish was long and lingering.  Although great on its own, this should pair really well with many meat, cheese and poultry dishes.  It is also very drinkable now but has enough substance to cellar well.  We both found this wine to be very appealing and had to purchase some.  It was my second favorite wine of those we tasted.

Porter Family Vineyards front gate

Third up was the Porter Family 2010 Sandpiper Red at $49.  This is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot and was in French oak for 22 months with 75% of it being new French oak.  625 cases were produced.  I got a light nose of mostly cherry and plum.  On the palate I got lush cherry with some coffee and chocolate.  Tannins were well integrated and the finish was of medium length.  My friend liked this equally well as the Cave Dwellers Blend and purchased some, but I preferred the Cave Dweller.  The name "sandpiper" is in honor of the fossilized footprints of a sandpiper that were found on the property when the wine caves were being made.  The tiny tracks are about five million years old and a replica of the fossil may be seen on display in the wine cave.

Porter Family Vineyards view

Our fourth pour was the Porter Family 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon at $86.  I never read tasting notes prior to tasting a wine, but when I looked at what was next on the tasting list I noticed the words, "Dark and extracted."  My thoughts were that this was going to be some overripe, extracted, raisin type Cab that was one dimensional, and I would not like it.  But it was not.  I got a good nose of black cherry and blackberry with some cedar and a hint of mint. On the palate it was medium to full bodied with good acid and soft tannins.  I got mostly blackberry, black currant, cedar, cigarbox and mint on the palate, carrying over into the finish which was medium plus in length.  Although perfectly drinkable now, this Cab is one I'd recommend cellaring.  If you have not tried a Coombsville Cab before, this would be a good one to try.  It was my third favorite wine of those we tried.


Porter Family Vineyards whine cave photos

Our final pour was the stunning Porter Family 2008 Syrah at $54.  This saw 14 months in French oak with half of that new oak.  A mere 107 cases were produced.  This is an outstanding Syrah, one of  the finest American Syrah I've had in recent years.  It started out with a great aroma of blackberry, black pepper, and mocha.  On the palate it was lush, ripe and full bodied with more black pepper and exotic spices.  It was beautifully balanced with finely integrated tannins and a great finish.  So many Syrahs are overly fruit forward or fruit bombs, too jammy, too simple, and uninteresting.  This one is sophisticated, complex, interesting and brings out all the best in the Syrah varietal.  It is a fantastic Syrah and gets my highest recommendation!  Try it just to see how wonderful a really great Syrah can be.  Definitely my favorite of the wines we sampled.

Porter Family Vineyards view

Porter Family Vineyards has: 1. A beautiful wine cave.  2. A lovely tasting room.  3. Incredible views.  4. Great hospitality.  5. Outstanding wines.  Any one of these five items alone could warrant a visit.  Having all five of them at one place puts Porter Family Vineyards in the category of a winery that one absolutely must visit.  No wonder we kept hearing such wonderful things about them.  We are so glad we visited.  Much thanks to Tim and Florencia for hosting us at this remarkable winery.

Porter Family Vineyards view

Porter Family Vineyards
1189 Green Valley Rd
Napa, CA 94558
(707) 927-0765
Date of visit: May 27, 2014

Porter Family Vineyards is open by appointment only.  Call them or email them at this site:  Visiting
For tasting rooms that offer some Porter Family wines, check here: Tasting Rooms
Wines may be ordered directly from the winery here: Orders

Porter Family Vineyard grounds
Porter Family Vineyards office
Porter Family Vineyards crushing platform


Porter Family Vineyards view


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Saintsbury Winery

We really loved our visit to Saintsbury Winery! Saintsbury is a small, intimate and friendly winery with some great wines, especially their Pinot Noirs. Our wonderfully relaxed tasting experience was among the most enjoyable we have experienced.  When we first arrived we were warmly and graciously welcomed by their Hospitality Manager, Georgia, who showed us where our tasting table would be out on their lovely garden patio.  She also introduced us to our host, Emily, who was amazing--very friendly and informative, providing us with exactly the background information we needed as we enjoyed each pour while cheerfully answering any questions we had.  All three of us kept commenting on the lovely outdoor patio garden setting and the perfect presentation and timing of exceptional wines.  This was hospitality at its finest!


Saintsbury Winery garden patio tasting

Saintsbury is a small winery in the Carneros AVA of Napa Valley that is justly famous for their great Pinot Noirs.  The winery is named after George Saintsbury, an English professor who wrote the book Notes on a Cellar.  Saintsbury Winery was founded in 1981 by Richard Ward and David Graves who had met in 1977 during their graduate studies in enology at UC Davis.  After working at several different wineries, they decided to produce their own wine and focused initially on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Their first wines were produced using space at Pine Ridge Winery.  In 1983 their winery facility was built, and in 1986 their first estate vineyard of 13 acres was planted.  In 1992 their third estate vineyard, the famous Brown Ranch Vineyard, was planted with 23 acres of Pinot Noir and 8 acres of Chardonnay.  In addition to growing their own estate grapes, Saintsbury sources grapes from other vineyards, mostly in Carneros. Total production for the winery is about 30,000 cases per year.  The current winemaker is Chris Kajani.


Saintsbury Winery building

Saintsbury has received many accolades and awards.  In 1993 Robert Parker referred to their 1990 Reserve Pinot Noir as, "unquestionably one of the finest Pinot Noirs I have tasted from California."  In 1997 Wine Spectator declared their 1995 Reserve Chardonnay the winner from the top California Chardonnay and white French Burgundy wines they tasted.  In 2003 the Wall Street Journal called Saintsbury, America's "most consistent producer of Pinot Noir."  In 2004 their Pinot Noir was named the "Most Popular Pinot Noir in Wine & Spirits Magazine's Annual Restaurant Poll." If you like Pinot Noirs you really must visit Saintsbury, but don't overlook their excellent white wines. 

Saintsbury Winery building and garden patio

We always appreciate wineries that are environmentally responsible, and Saintsbury was one of the first wineries to obtain the Napa Green Farm certification.  They believe in sustainable farming which includes composting, organic fertilizers, cover cropping, native plant insectaries, bird boxes, recycling and integrated pest management. Plus they have nearly 7,000 square feet of solar panels.


Saintsbury Winery garden patio

Our first pour was the Saintsbury 2013 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris at $28.  Pinot Gris is the French name for Pinot Grigio.  In Italy it is always known as Pinot Grigio, but it goes by either name in the U.S. Usually the Italian style is lighter than the richer French style, but both tend to be crisp, refreshing and citrus like, often with slightly lower alcohol content. According to the Napa Valley Vintners Association, there are about 25 wineries in Napa Valley that produce this varietal.  This wine, which had a very lovely label, is available exclusively at the winery and is the first year of release for Saintsbury.  The grapes were sourced from Donnelly Creek Vineyard in Sonoma Valley near Boonville. It started with a very good, aromatic nose of lemon with some melon and floral overtones. On the palate it was light, lively, crisp and refreshing with great balance and mostly lemon with some tropical fruits.  It would be the perfect wine to enjoy by the poolside on a hot day.


Saintsbury Winery garden

Next up was the Saintsbury 2012 Sangiacomo Chardonnay Dijon 809 at $41.  This started with a good aroma of lemon and green apple.  On the palate I got good crispness with pleasantly rounded edges, good balance and not too much butter. It was mostly lemon and Granny Smith apple with some vanilla, the vanilla being even more pronounced on the finish which was medium plus in length.  Quite nice.

Saintsbury Winery building

Our third pour was the Saintsbury 2013 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir at $20.  I must confess that I usually do not like American rose or blush wines.  Most are simply too sweet and unbalanced.  The drier versions often are insipid and nondescript.  There are some very good and interesting French roses, but I rarely purchase these.  The only Napa Valley rose type wine I liked previously was the lovely Cuvaison Vin Gris of Pinot Noir.  I found this Saintsbury to also be very enjoyable as did my two friends.  In addition to the lovely color, this one had a good nose of strawberry with floral notes.  On the palate it was crisp and refreshing with good acid and nice fruit, mostly strawberry.  This is a much better balanced and far more interesting rose than you will typically encounter.  It even had a decent finish with strawberry and some pepper.  One of my friends, who hates roses with a passion, commented, "Now. I really like this rose."  It is a delightful wine that can be enjoyed anytime but especially while sitting outside on warm summer days.  We enthusiastically recommend it! 

Saintsbury Winery indoor tasting table

Fourth up was the Saintsbury 2010 Lee Vineyard Pinot Noir at $54.  It had a very good nose of red berries with some spice.  On the palate I got a lush presentation of strawberry with some red cherry along with good acid and some spiciness.  Finish was medium length with strawberry and a touch of pepper.  A very pleasant Pinot that is ready to drink now.

Saintsbury Winery building entrance

The Saintsbury 2010 Toyon Farm Pinot Noir at $54 followed.  This had a wonderfully intense aroma of mostly red cherry with hints of strawberry.  It was medium bodied for a Pinot Noir with mostly red cherry, good tannins and some very pleasant earthiness.  On mid palate I got some distinct and very pleasant crimini mushroom that carried over into the finish.  The finish itself was medium plus to long in length.  This Pinot is very drinkable now, and one of my friends even preferred it slightly to the wonderful Brown Ranch Pinot Noir that we tasted next.

Saintsbury Winery inside building

The Saintsbury 2010 Brown Ranch Pinot Noir at $72 was the final tasting and was my favorite of the day.  This release saw ten months on French oak with 30% of this new oak. 683 cases were produced. It began with an amazing aroma of ripe red cherry with hints of brown sugar and mushroom.  On the palate I got deep, dark, red, ripe fruits, mostly cherry with some strawberry. It was very smooth, lush and fairly full bodied (for a Pinot Noir), but there was still a delicacy and complexity to this Pinot with underlying hints of cedar, thyme, coffee and sweet tobacco leaves.  It had good structure and substance while not being too fruit forward or overly ripe. This Pinot should age beautifully but is very drinkable now.  It is one of the finest Carneros Pinots I've ever tasted.  A wonderful Pinot Noir. If you love great red French Burgundies or top Russian River Pinot Noirs and have yet to warm up to Carneros Pinots, give this one a try.  Very highly recommended!!!

Saintsbury Winery painting

If you are fond of Pinot Noirs, you will certainly want to visit Saintsbury but don't forget their Chardonnay and lovely Pinot Gris.  The outdoor garden patio setting is very relaxing and beautiful and the hospitality is fantastic.  We hope you enjoy your visit there as much as we did ours.  Much thanks to Georgia and Emily.


Saintsbury Winery patio

1500 Los Carneros Ave
Napa, CA 94559
Phone number (707) 252-0592
Date of visit: May 22, 2014

Saintsbury is open by appointment.  Please call them or visit their web page for an appointment or additional information: Visiting Saintsbury


Saintsbury Winery painting

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Beringer Winery Revisited

For first time visitors to Napa Valley, I would place Beringer Winery at the top of the list of wineries that you simply must visit. I have been to Beringer Winery many times over the past forty years, more frequently than to any other winery.  Of the over 200 wineries I have visited, Beringer Winery is the one winery to which I always take friends and family when they first come to visit us.  Not only is it one of the most historical and famous Napa Valley wineries, but it is one of the most beautiful, with charming Victorian architecture and lovely gardens. Their wines are also excellent and range from easy to drink, affordable wines that should appeal to those who are new to wine, to some of the finest reserve and single vineyard wines in the world.  Their gift shops are extensive, and we have always found their friendly, well organized service to be among the finest.  Beringer is a winery that seems to have something for everybody, and all of those we have taken there have enjoyed their visit regardless of their level of interest in wines. In fact, it is one of the few wineries I take friends and relatives to visit even if they have no interest in wine.


Beringer Rhine House

The history of Beringer Winery is quite interesting. Jacob Beringer arrived in California in 1869 and worked as Cellar Foreman at Charles Krug Winery.  In 1875 he and his brother, Frederick, purchased 215 acres in St. Helena that were known as Los Hermanos.  It became the heart of the Beringer estate.  In 1885 the brothers planted the elm trees that still line the highway in front of the winery.  Beringer was one of the few Napa Valley wineries to continue to operate during the Prohibition Era.  From 1920 to 1933 it operated under a special federal license that allowed it to make wines for religious purposes.  When Prohibition was repealed in 1934, Beringer become the first Napa Valley winery to offer public tours.  In 1967 the 91 year old winery was registered as a State Historical Landmark.  In 1972 the Rhine House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  In 2001 Beringer celebrated its 125th anniversary, making it the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley.

Beringer grounds

The beautiful Rhine House was designed by the architect Albert Schroepfer and was completed in 1884.  It has lovely stonework on the outside, with beautiful stained glass windows and extensive wood paneling on the inside.  The 17 room mansion was modeled after the Beringer family's German home on the Rhine.  It is described on the Beringer web page as "a classic example of ornate Victorian architecture with its many gables, turrets and ornaments."  Reserve tastings and another gift shop are offered inside the Rhine House.


Beringer Rhine House 

The Hudson House was built in 1850 and sat where the Rhine House is today.  After the Beringer Brothers bought the estate in 1875 they had the Hudson House lifted on to logs and moved by horses 200 feet north to where it sits now.


Beringer Hudson House

Regular tastings and the main gift shop are up in the Old Winery set against the hillside.  The Old Winery was built from 1876 to 1877.  Beringer also has 1,200 linear feet of wine caves in the hillside, hand dug during the 1870s and 1880s by Chinese immigrant workers.  Part of these wine caves may be seen during their tour.

Beringer Old Winery

If you are serious about wine, you must taste at the Rhine House where they offer reserve and low production wines of the highest quality.  If you are fortunate, you might have Eddie as your host.  Of the many hundreds of winery hosts we have had over the past forty years, Eddie has been one of our very favorites.  Courteous, informative, knowledgeable, and friendly, he is the epitome of the ideal wine host and has been at Beringer for about twenty years. We tip our hat and offer our special thanks to Eddie. We were fortunate enough to have him again as our host this time.

Beringer fountain

Our tasting began with the Beringer 2012 Private Reserve Chardonnay at $44.  This Chardonnay from Napa Valley grapes underwent 100% malolactic conversion and was aged in French oak with 80% of it being new French oak.  24,000 cases were produced.  It began with a very good nose of citrus with toasted vanilla and hints of honeysuckle and some mineral notes.  On the palate it was very ripe and lush with a round, rich sumptuous presentation of citrus, buttered toast and vanilla.  I often do not like a buttery Chardonnay that has this much malolactic conversion and oak on it, but this one has intense enough fruit and great acid along with minerality to perfectly balance the creamy richness.  A very nice Chard.  It was rated 92 by Wine Enthusiast.

Beringer stained glass door in Rhine House

Our second pour was the Beringer 2007 Steinhauer Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon at $100.  This is a single vineyard Cab from up on Howell Mountain near Angwin where the elevation is about 1800 feet.  This was a classic year for Napa Valley Cabs, and this 2007 Steinhauer Ranch does not disappoint.  After a very good nose of black cherry and black currant, I got an extremely smooth entry of black currant, black cherry, and very good, well integrated tannins followed by a very nice medium plus length finish.  It was beautifully balanced and very drinkable now but should continue to age well.  Both of us really liked it and had to purchase some.


Beringer tasting bar in Rhine House

The third pour was the Beringer 2009 Chabot Cabernet Sauvignon also at $100.  This had a good blackberry nose with cherry and black currant on the palate.  It was full bodied, well structured with herbal, chocolate, spice and oak notes followed by a medium length finish.  Although quite drinkable now, it should continue to improve with age.  I thought it would be a great Cab to cellar for a few years.  An excellent Cab.


Beringer stained glass window in Rhine House

Our final pour was the Beringer 2009 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at $160. Their private reserve is Beringer's finest Cabernet and is a blend of their  best Cab grapes. I got ripe black cherry and blackberry on the nose along with some oak, vanilla, cedar and cigarbox.  On the palate I got mostly dark, ripe black cherry with mocha, oak, and tobacco in a well structured, full bodied presentation.  Finish was medium plus length and very pleasant.  As much as we both liked this 2009 Reserve, we thought the 2007 Steinhauer was also outstanding and perhaps represented a better value at $60 less.  The 2009 Private Reserve is an excellent Cab, however, as is every release of Beringer's Private Reserve Cab.  During our last review, we tasted the Beringer 2007 Private Reserve Cab in a flight tasting of their reserves, and it was simply awesome!  But then I usually love 2005 and 2007 Napa Valley Cabs, two outstanding years.

Beringer inside Rhine House


In addition to a very nice Chard and world class Cabs, Beringer produces many varietals well worth trying.  On previous visits I have been pleased with their Sauvignon Blancs, Cabernet Francs and Merlots.  Their port style Cabs in the past have been wonderful, but I did not see any available this time.  They continue to offer a very good Sauterne style sweet white wine called Nightingale. Many other varietals are available at a wide range of prices starting at only $15 a bottle. Beringer also has an incredible wine library of old and rare releases, possibly the most extensive in all of Napa Valley.  It all adds up to a Napa Valley winery you simply must visit!

Beringer patio outside Rhine House

2000 Main St
St Helena, CA 94574
(707) 967-4412
Date of current visit and review: May 14, 2014
Date of previous review: May 7, 2011 Beringer Winery Previous Review

Beringer is open to the public without an appointment, although tours and special tastings need to be scheduled.  They receive many visitors on weekends and during summer months, especially in the afternoon. We usually visit weekdays or mornings. When you do visit, be sure to go to their "Welcome Center" when you first arrive; they will help you to determine which tasting option(s) meets your interests. At the time of our visit, tastings at the Old Winery were $20 and tastings at the Rhine House were $25. Food pairings are also available, and Beringer is in the Napa Neighbor Program. For current information regarding tastings and tours please see: Tasting and tours