Apologies in advance for the long post. I took a solo-trip to Napa for 5 days and wanted to share my experience with all the producers I visited. Just want to say thanks to all the winemakers, vineyard owners, farmers, etc., who I met during this trip. For some reason, they sat down with me one on one and made me feel like I’m someone of importance (note: I am not).
For some wineries I took detailed tasting notes, for others the setting was not right to be typing away on my phone and I took tasting notes from memory. I’ve shared my thoughts of the experience below. Here is the CT link for my individual tasting notes.
https://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=48068&searchId=E436F6FE&UISource=list
Day 1, Calistoga
Montelena
Did the estate tasting. Was quite nice and unique to do a vertical of a legendary wine, though it felt impersonal. Understandable considering the size and fame of Montelena. Visiting an “institution” winery was a must for my trip, so this was the one. Not allowed to see the caves, winery, or vineyards, just the little room where we did our tasting. Glad I did the tasting and would recommend to first-timers like myself. They did push their club quite a bit, so just a heads up.
Schramsberg
Really cool cave tour. I’ve never seen so many bottles of wine in my life. The tasting itself was in the cave with candlelight which was unique. I really liked their Blanc de Noir and their J Schram Rose bottlings. Good experience and a nice way to change things up with sparkling.
Venge
Family winery founded by Kurt (maybe Keith?) Venge, who my host says has been in the Napa scene for a long time. Tried 6 wines at the tasting room looking onto their estate vineyard in Calistoga, Bone Ash Vineyard. Lovely view. I would say they are on the more “full throttle” side of things. They make quite a few reds and I liked their Cabernets a lot.
Day 2, Howell Mountain
Dana Estates
Oh. My. God. This place is out of this world. The architecture, design, and sheer stature of this place is just incredible. I was welcomed with a glass of their 2017 Vaso Sauvignon Blanc. I took a sip and I just started laughing, much to my host’s confusion. This was easily the best white wine I’ve ever had. I’m still thinking about it as I write this.
Despite the place being an architectural masterpiece, it is a fully functioning winery and all the wines are made here. I was shown each of the 3 fermentation rooms and barrel rooms, which are kept separate for each of their 3 single vineyard wines. I was told this is to prevent cross contamination. Some of their wines are fermented in concrete, others in oak, etc.
The tasting itself was done at their famous long oak table. The tasting started with the 2018 Dana Estates Sauvignon Blanc. I thought the Vaso was the best white I’ve ever had, but this blew it out of the water. The host told me there was a tasting of ultra-premium SBs and Dana won out over Screaming Eagle’s SB. Apparently the Dana SB was so popular with their mailing list that they had to buy back wine from other investors and partners to have enough stock.
I was poured their Vaso 2017, Onda 2016, and Onda 2018. I was told the Vaso 2017 is mostly Hershey vineyard on Howell Mountain, and their Onda bottling is from their Crystal Vineyard. The Vaso bottling is quite good in its own right, but it’s unfair to place it next to Onda as this is a clear step-up. I didn’t get to try the Dana bottlings, but I was told people have the same experience when drinking Onda next to Dana. To put it all together, they make 3 tiers of red wine (Vaso, Onda, then Dana) and two Sauvignon Blancs.
To say I was impressed is an understatement. They must have had me confused with someone else because I was treated like a VIP. Unforgettable visit.
Cimarossa
This place is really hard to find! Luckily I had a driver as I definitely would have gotten lost otherwise. We hopped into an ATV and I was shown the vineyards on this incredible Howell Mountain property. Walked the vines, talked about farming management and challenges, the fires, the terroir, etc. As much as I appreciate the polished tasting experience, this type of visit is why I came to Napa. Seeing the dirt, walking the vines, gaining an understanding grape farming, etc.
After the ATV tour and walking around, the tasting was in a cabin/cottage high up on Howell Mountain. I tried 4 of their HM cabernets, each of the single vineyards and their blend of the 3. They are dramatically different from one another, which is incredible to taste after having seen the land itself. The wines are all unfiltered so there is quite a bit of sediment. I also tried one of their olive oils which was fantastic.
An awesome visit and would recommend to anyone who wants to see the land that grows the vines for their wines.
Arkenstone
Visited at the winery and tasting room. Beautiful landscape and estate vineyard. It also is a fully-functional winery that is gravity dependent. 40 feet below where I met my host is their wine caves where all the fermenters and barrels are. Really cool! Walked the vines, talked about farming and their land, etc. Their property also has a breathtaking view of the valley floor.
Tasted through 3 of their 2018 CS and a 2019 SB. Also was given some of their estate Syrah which I thought was fantastic. Just a note for the future, they do have a tasting fee which is nonrefundable even with purchase of multiple bottles.
Roy Piper
An unexpected surprise! Roy was kind enough to briefly join me at dinner and dropped off a bottle of his 2018. We shared a glass, talked about his wines, wines of the valley, my itinerary, etc. His reputation speaks for itself, as does his wine (this was just singing on PnP). It was great to finally sit down with the person who makes the wine. The personal touch and one-on-one interaction was so refreshing and an overall unforgettable experience.
I do want to emphasize that prior to this meeting, I had never purchased a bottle from Roy let alone tried his wine. How many winemakers would go out of their way to meet a stranger with a bottle and share a glass, with someone who isn’t even a customer? Compared with another board-darling, who I had purchased 3 bottles from, didn’t have the time of day to reply to multiple emails over 4 months. Vote with your wallet, I suppose. I know I am.
Day 3, Diamond Mountain
Diamond Creek
What a special place. Was welcomed with a glass of their Roederer Estate California bubbly. Pretty good! Tried the wines first and then rode in an ATV to all the vineyards. I was served the 2018 of all three vineyards and the differences are certainly there. Also got to try the 2013 three vineyard blend, which I understand they only do in rare vintages. Left some in the glass and jumped in the ATV, as the wines would certainly benefit from airtime. I’m shocked how small the vineyards themselves actually are. Lake Vineyard is under 1 acre and is in a particularly cool spot due to trees and being at the base between two mountain peaks. My host said they harvest it in November due to the microclimate being so different. By comparison, volcanic hill is palpably warmer and gets a lot of direct sunlight. My host said the cellar master and vineyard manager have been with the property 30+ years each, so they really know the land. On the property, some of the vines are 50-60 years old and show some serious gnarly character. Came back and tried the wines again, which opened up significantly with air. All of them are fantastic and I would feel confident cellaring any of them, especially in a vintage like 18. Special place and worth a trip up the mountain.
Beta-Jasud Wines
This place is hard to find. My driver and I got lost at least 3 times, as I had to call Ketan twice and once on FaceTime to show him where we were. Eventually we found the place, and this property is BEAUTIFUL. It is still a work in progress (evidenced by the construction equipment) and is clearly Ketan’s baby. Him and his team are fiercely dedicated to making something that lives beyond them, and doing the land justice is part of it. Ketan took me through the vineyard and he actually showed me how to prune vines and explain what the different “branches” and “shoots” of the vine and their respective significance. Literally got on both knees to clip some vines.
Just wanted to clarify that Beta is not beta from the Greek alphabet, but rather “Beta” in Hindi, which means son. Ketan really looks after these wines and land as his own. Jasud is the name of his grandmother, which will be the wines from the Diamond Mountain property. We had an absolutely fantastic lunch and chatted about all things wine and life. I won’t divulge details of our conversations, but I can confidently say I’ll support Ketan’s mission for as long as I possibly can.
The wines are STUNNING. I cannot emphasize enough how elegant, refined, and different these wines are from 95% of Cab from any part of Napa. The color is much lighter and less opaque than most people are used to for Cabernet. In no way, shape, or form, should you mistake that for being a flimsy or light wine. I suppose you could call this “feminine” in style, but there is serious structure, power, and depth to the fruit. Ketan was kind enough to open a 2012 Montecillo and it was possibly the best wine I’ve ever had, and probably a wine-epiphany. These wines have shown me where the criticism of Napa wines being syrupy and over extracted come from. After trying his wines, I have a hard time disagreeing.
Elyse
Had a blast visiting the estate. My experience with the tasting was very casual. We stood at the bar, tried a bunch of wines, and probably drank too much. I ended up shooting the shit with one of the owners (Josh), several staff members, and petting the dogs for much longer than I anticipated. Felt like a bunch of friends got together, opened some wines, and drank them. Very relaxed atmosphere, not your super-fancy, prim and proper tasting.
Day 4, Coombsville
Caldwell
Really cool cave and property. My host was quite generous and I think I tried about 10 different wines. Was shown the winery and got to drive around in a golf cart to see the Caldwell Estate Vineyard, which is massive. The proprietor, John Caldwell, is a legend in his own right. I would recommend this experience is you’re interested in Coombsville wines and want to visit a landmark estate.
Black Cat Vineyard
This is such a beautiful property, and Tracey was an incredibly gracious host. We sat and talked all things wine, life, medicine, her children, the valley, farming, etc. While she is no longer a one-woman show, she once was and it clearly shows. She knows her land, viticulture, and winemaking. I had a question about vines and farming, so we walked through her vineyard and she explained to me why one vine “branch” looks different than then next, what head-trained vines are, etc. In my other visits when I asked about the differences in vines, one person said to me “that’s just a stylistic thing we do” when they clearly didn’t know. So refreshing and exciting to sit across from someone that knows the process from the ground up.
The wines are graceful, elegant, and pure. This is evident in the color of the wines too. They are true to Napa in character, but they are not your typical dense, sappy, extracted, jammy, messy, etc. These are fine and balanced with plenty of stuffing to lay down.
Probably a highlight of the trip.
Favia
The property is actually the home of Andy Erickson and his wife Anne Favia. There is no estate vineyard, thus they buy their fruit. My host said based on the duration of the contracts they have with those vineyards, they are actually allowed to call them “estate” but they have elected not to. We walked through the cellar which was pristine. Beautiful barrels that are elegantly manicured, speaking to the attention to detail in all aspects of these wines. My host said Favia is unique in that after about 1 year, they blend remove the wines from barrel, make the blend, and then put them back.
My tasting was of 5 wines, 1 white and 4 reds. These are serious wines that are meant to age. The reds I tasted were opened at 830AM for a member who was there before me, and I didn’t taste until 3pm or so. These wines have serious structure and serious tannin. I had the 2018s and I wouldn’t touch them for at least 5, if not 10 years. The quality is clearly there and evident in the glass, but these need time, no doubt about it.
Day 5, Oakville
Opus One
They rolled out the red carpet for me. I was in the “partners room” and was served champagne, 3 of their wines (18, 16, 08), and was given a small food pairing as well. Was shown the vines, winery, barrel room, etc. This is the first time that a staff member who wasn’t a winemaker or farmer was actually able to speak in an informed manner about vines and farming practices. It turns out, everyone that works at Opus is given a few vines from To Kalon that are their own, and each of them have to make their own wine. That employee onboarding is designed to teach people about the winemaking process, and that clearly shows with the level of knowledge here. Absolutely outstanding visit.
Gargiulo
Beautiful vineyard on the eastern side of Oakville that happens to border a vineyard called Screaming Eagle Vineyard. I walked through the vineyards, got my hands dirty in the beautiful red volcanic soil. Maybe this is confirmation bias, but once you smell the soil, you can really pick up those same aromas in the wines. The wines are good, but this place is really about the terroir and vineyard.
Detert
Last minute switcharoo and we had to meet at Dakota Shy winery instead! Tom got wrapped up in real work so wasn’t able to get to the Detert vineyard. Got to see how the sausage is made, try some wines, and talk shop with Tom. Always great to sit down and talk to someone who knows the business from the ground up. He was kind enough to open 3 wines for me. 2017 East Block, 2016 Franc, and 2008 Franc. The 2008 is still young and primary, barely any signs of aging here. These are wines for the long haul. Clearly coming from superior soil with great integrity and character in the winemaking process. Hats off is an understatement.
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Anyone can line up wines and pour them, but not everyone can show you why things are done the way they are done. That was my “goal” of the trip–to learn and figure out how and why they do things, because there must be some reason.