Our Annual "Best of Napa Valley Wineries"; 2006
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Well, another pilgrimage to Napa under our belts. We were able to visit several of our old favorites, several new favorites, and have scoured the valley to find relatively undiscovered wineries that readers may be interested in. Below you will find the winners of the VinoCritic "Best of Napa 2006" Awards.
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Best Boutique Winery (2,000 cases annually or less)
St. Helena Winery
St. Helena Winery produces four excellent wines, all cabernet based. The owners of this estate winery, Peter and Paulette Story, are passionate about their wines and are painstaking in their approach to grape growing and wine making. Unlike so many "boutique" wineries, St. Helena is a true estate winery, meaning that the grapes are grown, crushed, fermented, barreled and aged at the Estate. I was fortunate enough to try the 2003 vintages of two of these wines (Sympa and Sauvage) earlier this year, and last weekend had the opportunity to sample the recently bottled 2004 vintages of all four of their wines. The 2003 wines are drinking beautifully, and full reviews of these outstanding wines can be seen elsewhere on this web-site. The 2004's have just been bottled, and are not meant to be consumed by the general public for several more months. March is scheduled as the official release date. Although the 4 wines from the 2004 vintage show tremendous potential, we will wait until Spring to assign scores, when the wines show their full potential. The entire portfolio of wines from this estate are candidates for 4 stars or better. These wines are made in miniscule quantity, and interested readers are advised to order soon, as last year's wines sold out early.
Sympa is the "reserve" level wine of the group and retails for $100.00. The wine is 99.5% cabernet sauvignon, and 0.5% petite verdot, aged for 20 months in 100% new French oak barrels. It is a mammoth wine, and is the most age-worthy wine of the line-up. I think the 2003 wine will be ready to drink fairly soon, but the 2004 probably needs at least a year in the bottle from the time of this writing. This is potentially an exceptional wine. The 2003 Sympa scored 4.75 stars, and I eagerly await the maturity of the 2004, which is likely to score north of 4 points.
The second wine in the line-up is Scandale, a blend of 98% cabernet sauvignon, 1% petite syrah, and 1% petite verdot, aged in 85% new French oak, and 15% once-used oak. Of the four wines from this winery from the 2004 vintage, I found the Scandale to be the most accessible while very young. Nevertheless, I would not recommend drinking it now. This wine will probably be ready to drink by year's end, or perhaps early next year. If drinking it within the next 6 months, I believe the wine should probably be decanted for about an hour, maybe two. Decanting may not be necessary for those who plan to drink it 6-12 months from now. It appears to be a well structured wine that will reward cellaring for a few years, and looks to be an excellent wine when mature. It retails for $50. It is likely to push the 4 point mark when the wine is ready for scoring in the spring.
The third wine from St. Helena is Sauvage, which won our "Wine of the Month" earlier this year with their 2003 vintage. It is produced by Peter and Paulette's son, Kristian, a former San Diego resident. The blend for 2004 has changed to 91% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot, 2% petite syrah, and 1% petite verdot. Sauvage was aged in 65% new French oak, and 35% once used oak. This wine will probably turn out to be the most voluptuous of the foursome, but even with the merlot blended in, the wine (like the others) will not be ready to drink until the early part of next year. The wine has less oakiness than the prevously mentioned wines due to the increased proportion of used barrels. I believe with bottle time, this will turn out to be an excellent wine. I look forward to sampling it side by side with the 2003, perhaps around Spring time of next year when this wine should be hitting it's stride. This wine will also reward patience in the cellar. Sauvage retails for about $47. The 2003 vintage scored 4.5 stars. That will be hard to beat, but the wine may very well break the 4 star rating for the 2nd year in a row
The newest wine in the line-up is Risque, a blend of 87% cabernet sauvignon wine with 12% petite syrah and 1% petite verdot. It is produced by Peter Story's daughter and son-in-law Kimberly and Kevin Ruybal. The wine is a little spicier than the rest of the St. Helena winery due to the petite syrah. Like the other wines from St. Helena, the Risque is made from vines with over 50% of the fruit intentionally dropped from the vines to allow for maximum development of the remaining grapes. It was aged in 65% new French oak, and 35% once used French oak. It will be interesting to watch the development of this wine, and I believe it is shaping up to be an excellent wine. It too will probably not be ready to drink until early next year. It looks to be an excellent addition to the St. Helena portfolio. I believe pricing for Risque is about $40 to $45. I look for a score most likely in the 3.5 to 4.25 range when the wine is nearer to maturity.
I generally do not assign scores to wines until wines are close to maturity, so I will refrain from real scores until I revisit these wines in the Spring-time. However, I was impressed enough with the portfolio that I did buy a mixed case of three bottles of each of the four wines.
St. Helena winery does not have a formal tasting room, but they do offer tours and tastings by appointment. Contact Peter Story at 877-245-6006 to tour the estate winery. Additonal information about St. Helena winery and it's wines can be found on their website. Sauvage has it's own web-site and can be viewed by clicking here. Risque also features it's own website that can be viewed by clicking here.
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 Best New Napa Valley Winery
Bennett Lane Winery
Bennett Lane Winery, in the northern Napa Valley town of Calistoga, is quietly assembling a phenomenal portfolio of wines. The winery released it's first vintage in 2001, and has been on an upswing ever since. The winery is a true estate winery, which is becoming a rarity for new winery projects in Napa. Estate wineries grow their own grapes, crush them, ferment them, and barrel age them in their own facilities. On my recent trip to Bennett Lane, I sampled several wonderful wines, and enjoyed the relaxed and unpretentous hospitality of Myla and Jim, who happened to be celebrating his birthday on the day we visited. They both took a few minutes out of their busy day to give us a run down of what's happening at Bennett Lane. While there, I sampled the following wines:
2005 Bennett Lane White Maximus: Although I am usually not a fan of white wines, I really enjoyed the 2005 White Maximus, which is a brand new offering from Bennett Lane. It is a blend of 88% sauvignon blanc, 10% chardonnay, and 2% muscat. The wine has the refreshing crispness of a sauv blanc, but the chardonnay and muscat bring on some interesting flavors such as honeydo, peaches, and mango. I can not think of a better American wine to enjoy on a hot summer afternoon. Crisp on the palate, with lively acidity without being tangy. A beautiful first vintage for White Maximus. 3.75 stars. (retail price $28)
2004 Bennett Lane Chardonnay Primus (Reserve): Another beautiful white wine. Primus represents the reserve level wines from Bennett Lane. This wine will appeal to those who enjoy chardonnay with abundant toasty oak. The usual chardonnay flavors are all present here, with a little extra toast, and a hint of caramel/butterscotch. Not for those who like "ultra-clean un-oaked chard", but a must buy for those who like full bodied, oaky, buttery chardonnay. It would be unfair for me to score this wine since I am not an afficionado of chardonnay. Having said that, I think true lovers of oaky chardonnays will score this well above 4 stars for themselves. (retail price $45).
2004 Benentt Lane Maximus Red: This wine was showing beautifullly for a 2004 red. It is 51% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, and 20% syrah. The cab and merlot are from estate vineyards, and the syrah is sourced from an outside vineyard in Yountville. I can not think of a better red wine to serve at a restaurant where one has to choose a red wine to pair with multiple different entrees. If I'm ordering steak, my wife is having lamb chops, and another guest is having cioppino, what on earth can we order? The Maximus would be ideal. Since the wine is immediately drinkable on release, it also serves well the needs of restaurants that want to serve nice red wines but do not have the ability to age wines for several years. This wine was immensely enjoyable immediately upon release. It is the most widely available of Bennett Lane's wines (about 4,000 cases), and can be found at several Beverage and More Superstores, as well as smaller wine shops. The syrah brings zesty peppery notes to the bouquet which blend nicely with the black currant from the cabernet. The merlot softens the approach on the palate, giving the wine it's immediate drinkability. Blackberry, stewed plums, and baked cherries fill out the midpalate, and the tannins are pushed well into the background of this velvety wine. 3.75 stars (retail price $28).
Bennett Lane 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon: Only 2000 cases of this cabenet were produced, up from about 1000 cases of the 2002. It is composed of estate fruit and sourced fruit. It may be difficult to find outside the winery. This wine, which is ready to drink now, boasts a saturated dark purple color. A bouquet of blackberry, cedar, and licorice is followed by a layered palate of multiple black fruits and exotic spice. Full bodied yet soft on the midpalate, the wine finishes with a smooth lingering finish. 4 stars. (retail price $45).
Bennett Lane 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Primus (Reserve): My only regret upon leaving this winery is that the Primus Reserve cabernet is not availalbe for tasting at the winery. Although this is unfortunate, it is understandable, as only 350 cases are produced. Given the high quality of the other wines I tasted at Bennett, I took Jim and Myla's words at face value when the told me "if you liked the regular cab, you'll love the Primus Reserve cab". They had not let me down yet, so I purchased a bottle at the winery and drank it with dinner that night. This is a spectacular wine. It is certainly enjoyable now, but I would recommend letting it age for a year or more if possible. This is an explosive wine with plenty of black currant, plum, and tobacco leaf on the nose, and layer upon layer of black fruits on the palate. The tannins are well integrated, but certainly noticeable. Those who like their tannins a little chewy should drink the wine now, and those who like them softer should let the bottle sit until mid 2007. The wine has the stuffing to last a decade, perhaps more, in my opinion. 4.25 stars (score may go up with bottle age). Retail price $85.00.
Interesed readers may learn more about this winery and order wines from their web site on line, or visit them at their tasting room in Calistoga.
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 Best Small "Estate" Winery (2,000 to 10,000 cases)
Larkmead Vineyards
The Larkmead name has been associated with Napa Valley wines for a long time, but Larkmead in it's current form has been around for less than a decade. The property currently called Larkmead started out as a 1,000 acre parcel of land between St. Helena and Calistoga in Napa Valley. The land was originally purchased by Charles and Martha Hitchcock in the 1870's. Some time later, they gave several hundred acres to their daughter "Firebelle Lillie" Hitchcock-Coit (the Coit tower in San Francisco takes it's name from the Coit family). When Lillie came to live at the Napa property, she named it Larkmead, and the name has stuck ever since. The vineyards were originally planted over 100 years ago, and have changed ownership several times since. The vineyards continued to sell raw grapes through the prohibition, and also produced sacramental wine for Catholic Communions during that time. Larkmead Vineyards re-emerged after prohibition as one of Napa Valley's most respected properties, and wines from the vineyard were bottled under the Larkmead brand. The wine industry fell on hard times during WWII, and ultimately, this led to the sale of the property in 1948 to Larry and Polly Solari. The estate has now passed on to the next generation of the Solari family (Kate Solari-Baker, and her husband Cam Baker). For quite some time after the Solari family bought the property, the grapes were sold to a number of other winemakers, or else they were produced under various labels owned by the Solaris. The Larkmead brand languished for some time during this period. The origninal winery on the property had long since burned down, and there was no true wine-making facility on the estate. In the 1990's the Solari family resurrected the Larkmead brand to it's original glory, and have been making very high quality wine since the vintages of the late 1990's. Larkmead has recently finished construction of a brand new state of the art winery on the estate just in time for the 2005 crush, and are currently putting the finishing touches on a very comfortable tasting room adjacent to the winery, surrounded by the vineyards. The current winemaker is Andy Smith, and the vineyard manager of Larkmead's 120 acres of is Manuel Rios. The manager of the winery and tasting room is the affable Colin MacPhail, who graciously showed us around the property and gave us samplings of the following 100% estate grown wines:
2005 Larkmead Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc: This wine represents the first vintage of the first white wine produced by Larkmead. I can say that it is an absolute success. An enticing bouquet of freshly peeled Granny Smith apples, limes, and citrus followed by a crisp lively citrus laden minerally tickle on the palate, and a refreshingly crisp finish. This is not a "grassy" sauvignon blanc. The wine will pair well with shellfish, lighter poultry dishes or the type of lighter fare one might want to indulge in while lunching alfresco on a hot day. A perfect summer wine if ever there was one. Only 280 cases produced. 3.75 stars ($26).
2003 Larkmead Vineyards Firebelle: This red wine is reminiscent of a right-bank Bordeaux with a more powerful punch and a big touch of California fruit forward accessability. The Firebelle is a blend of 54% merlot, 31% cabernet sauvignon, and 15% malbec. A strong bouquet of black fruit, leather, and spice compete on the nose, with fruit, spice and anise carrying onto the palate. The fruit here is ripe, the tannin well integrated, and the wine is drinking well right now. The sample I had was opened an hour or so before tasting, and this seems to be the recommendation of the winery staff for those who wish to drink it now. Roughly 1,000 cases produced. 3.75 stars ($45).
2003 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine also seemed to straddle the fence between Bordeux like complexity and California ripeness. It is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. One can not help but notice that the nose on this wine has more in common with Bordeaux than Calistoga. Blackberry, raspberry, earthy truffles, and smoke on the nose, ripe black fruit on the palate, and a velvety finish. Very well done. 4 stars ($50). 3,500 cases produced. (Readers should note that I saw several bottles of the similarly excellent 2002 vintage at the Harvest Ranch Market in Del Mar on 15th St (as of Sept 2006), for $40. I have tried it and it too is excellent, and benefits from the extra year of bottle age.)
2003 Larkmead Vineyards LMV Salon: Another wine borrowing from the best of Bordeaux and California. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet franc, 6% malbec, 5% petit verdot, and 4% merlot. This was a very special wine, but sadly, only 400 cases were produced, and are reserved for Larkmead's wine club members. The high proportion of cab franc, malbec, and petit verdot really get the aromatics flying on this wine. Every whiff brings new notes out of the glass. The expected black fruits are all there, but also coffee, tobacco leaf, and fresh cut leather. The wine is full bodied, with saturated ripe fruit, plenty of chewy tannin, and a well orchestrated finish. I think this wine will benefit from a year or more of bottle age. Those who like robust tannin will enjoy it immediately. 4 stars ($60).
2003 Larkmead Vineyards Solari Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: This is a full bodied blockbuster of a wine. This wine is 100% cabernet sauvignon. The wine has a deep purple saturated color, and a big nose of blackberry, raspberry, anise and Provincal spice cabinet. Plenty of approachable fruit on the palate, with flavors that change the longer the wine sits on the palate. Dark chocolate is present here as well. Substantial tannin is present here, but there is enough fruit that it is well camouflaged. This wine will clearly reward those with the ability to cellar the wine for a few years. Some may enjoy the wine now, but I plan to hold off for at least a year. 4.25 stars ($70). Sadly, this wine is also produced in miniscule quantities (300 cases), and is reserved for wine club members. I was impressed enough with the Salon wine and the Solari Reserve that I personally signed up for Larkmead's wine club to insure my ability to purchase these very fine wines. I would highly recommend the wine club for those whose palates are similar to mine.
Larkmead Vineyards has a lovely tasting room, but tastings are available by appointment only by calling (707) 942-0167. On-line wine sales, and additional information about the winery can be found at Larkmead's website.
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 Best Medium Sized Winery (10,000 to 100,000 cases annually)
WhiteHall Lane
Whitehall Lane Winery was established in 1979, and currently owns 110 acres of quality vineyards in Rutherford and St. Helena. The winery and vineyards were sold in 1993 to the Leonardini family, who are the current owners. This family-owned winery produces a full portfolio of red and white varietals, and quality is universally good. The non-reserve bottlings are widely available, and represent excellent quality and excellent value in most cases. The reserve bottlings can compete with the best of the micro-boutique cult wines. It amuses me when wine snobs pass up mid-size wineries under the misconception that only tiny wineries with impossible to locate wines are worth pursuing. Perhaps these same snobs should recognize that French producers of the first growth Bordeaux wines that are coveted so much (Latour, Lafitte, Mouton, etc.) produce 30,000-40,000 cases of wine annually. A good winery can easily control quality in the 10,000 to 100,000 case range. As noted in several tasting notes below, I believe Whitehall Lane should be commended for branching out into non-cork alternative closures to minimize problems related to faulty or contaminated corks. The winery is owned by Tom Leonardini, and the chief winemaker is Dean Sylvester. The winery has a friendly and spacious tasting room. During our recent trip to Whitehall Lane, Chris in the tasting room provided us the opportunity to sample the following wines:
2005 Sauvignon Blanc: This wine, bottled with a Stelvin-like screw top, is pale in color, and has a fresh bouquet of limes and green apples. It is vibrantly crisp on the palate, and has no "grassy" flavors. The wine is light bodied, and would be an excellent apertif, an excellent picnic wine, or an excellent wine to pair with salads and other light dishes. 3.25 stars.
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: This wine is a blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon and 6% petit verdot. Although the 2000 vintage was difficult in Napa, this wine was very good. A fruit forward bouquet, a lttle earthiness, and soft luscous layered fruit on the palate, with rounded fleshy tannin and a soft lingering finish. An excellent wine in any year, but phenomenal considering the weather. 4 stars. (about 3,000 cases produced). ($65)
2001 Cabernet sauvignon Reserve: Most critics feel that 2001 was an excellent year, and the Whitehall Lane Reserve cab from 2001 gives credence to what everyone is talking about. This wine has more complexity and depth than the 2000. It is 95% cabernet sauvignon, and 5% petiet verdot. The wine has a beautiful saturated purple color, a bouquet of mixed black fruit, anise, and exotic spice cabinet. Plenty of pure black fruit on the palate, and well integrated robust tannin indicate that this is a wine that can hold up to long term storage. 4.25 stars (4,000 cases produced) ($70).
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: 96% cabernet sauvignon and 4% malbec. This wine differed from the prior vintages by the introduction of malbec. The wine had more leathery notes in the bouquet, and more anise/licorice on the palate. The finish was a little more tannic than the prior vintages, but still an excellent wine. This wine will be well liked by those who prefer a more rustic styled cabernet as opposed to the more fruit forward styles. 3.75 stars. ($75).
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: The winemakers went to 100% cabernet sauvignon for the 2003 vintage. The wine was sealed with an innovative glass stopper, as the winemaking team is trying to get away from cork closures due to their inconsistencies. The glass stopper was easy to take off and put back in, and seemed quite secure. Time will tell how the glass closure impacts ageability, but I applaud Whitehall for including this closure on it's top of the line wines. The glass stopper is concealed beneath a tradtional foil cover, and the combination offers a more elegant alternative to the screw top. The wine itself was hard to score as it was far from maturity. The wine had a fruit laden bouquet with red and black fruits, and a subtle candy-apple note. Plenty of fruit on the palate, but it needs more time. I was impressed enough with the wine that I bought some for personal consumption, but I doubt I will drink it for at least a year, maybe two. I will give a formal score when the wine is closer to maturity, but it will probably fetch in the four star range. ($75).
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Leonardini Vineyard: This is potentially the best wine of the line-up. It is far from maturity, but shows explosive power, supreme depth of fruit, and much complexity on the nose and palate. Again, hard to score so far from maturity, but anticipate scoring in the 4-4.5 star range. This wine is also sealed with the innovative glass stopper closure. ($100). Rougly 500 cases produced, I believe.
Whitehall Lane also produces an excellent non-reserve cabernet sauvignon for $40 that can often times be found in the mid 30 dollar range at discount wine shops. I have had the regualr can from numerous vintages and it never disappoints. They also make a fine Carneros chardonnay, a lush merlot, and an interesting desert wine. These were not sampled during our recent visit.
Whitehall Lane Winery is located in St. Helena, and the tasting room is open to the public daily from 10AM to 5:45 PM. On-line oredering and additional information can be found on the company's website.
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Best Large Winery (over 100,000 cases annually)
Beringer Vineyards
This is probably the most heterogeneous category in our "Best of Napa" awards. This category covers wineries from 100,000 cases per year to over a million cases per year. Names like Kendall-Jackson, Robert Mondavi, and Beringer are often times associated with value wines, but many wine consumers do not realize that many of these companies also make superb premium level wines, which serve as the "jewels in the crowns" of these big producers. Anyone who thinks that all of Beringer's wines are "mid-shelf supermarket" quality wines simply does not recognize that there is a whole different side to Beringer. In fact, I can state without exaggeration that the Private Reserve line from Beringer is as good as the wines from any other wine producer in the world. If you don't believe me, just read on.
Beringer was founded in 1876 by the Beringer Brothers, immigrants from Mainz, Germany, and area famous for fine German wine. They started the Beringer Brothers Winery, and they have been in production ever since. They are the oldest continuously running winery in Napa Valley. They survived the prohibition era by making sacramental wine for the Catholic church. Currently, Beringer makes wines at all price points, and makes wines from virtually every varietal.
In my opinion, the penultimate wine from Beringer is thier Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is generally out of my price range, costing about $100 or more per bottle, but it can easily compete with the most coveted small production cult cabs that cost 3 and 4 times that amount. The wine is a model of consistency, and has scored at least 90 points 8 of the last 10 years on Wine Spectator's scale, and 7 of the last 10 year's on Robert Parker's Wine Advocate scale. The last 2 years, Mr. Parker has awarded the wine 94 and 96 points. When considering Beringer, one should also recognize that their Chardonnay was the first white wine ever to win the "Wine of the Year" award from Wine Spectator (1994). Beringer's Cabernet Sauvignon also won the Wine Spectator "Wine of the Year" a few years earlier (1990). This makes Beringer the only winery in the world to have won this coveted award for both a red and a white wine. Most years Beringer also makes a fabulous string of seven different "single vineyard" cabernets that are generally only available at the winery and to Wine Club members. These single vineyard cabs generally pull in scores of 90+ from the world's major critics. So the real question is "what's not to like about Beringer?". Much of the credit at Beringer over the last several years has to go to Ed Sbraggia, head winemaker at Beringer since 1984.
It is simply not possible for me to review all of Beringer's offerings. Wine Spectator has the most comprehensive set of reviews available for anyone interested (subscription required). Instead, I will focus on serveral outstanding gems available at the winery's Rhine Room (Reserve tasting room). Several of these wines are also available at local retailers or through the Beringer web site. I owe a debt of gratitude to Carlos, the wine club coordinator, for a fine educational lesson and tasting session during our visit to Beringer. Of the wines I tasted at Beringer, the following were the most noteworthy:
2004 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonny: As an admitted "red wine only" guy, I usually stay away from most white wines. To shun this wine, however, would be a serious mistake. A beautiful wine, golden color, toasty oak and plenty of fruit. This wine will appeal most to those who like big bouquet, flamboyant California chardonnay. 3.75 stars ($35). Fans of oaky Chardonnay will probably score this wine well over 4 stars.
2004 Beringer Sbragia "Limited Release" Napa Valley Chardonnay: This wine is an interesting contrast to the Private Reserve Chardonnay. A little lighter on the nose, but with more body. Not overly oaky, with green apple, mineral, citrus, and tropical fruit on the palate. Spicier than the Private Reserve. I liked it better. 4 stars (one of my highest scores for a California Chardonnay). ($40)
2001 Beringer Bancroft Ranch Howell Mountain Merlot: This Merlot would trick a lot of people into thinking it was a cabernet. Although Beringer does not own the Bancroft Ranch vineyard, they have had a very long-standing contract with Bancroft to buy 100% of their merlot grapes. Those who like the Paloma Merlot which won Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator a few years back will like this one, and it's a lot easier to find than the Paloma. The wine has good color, a complex bouquet, and a very big mouthfeel for a Merlot. The wine has a good deal of tannic backbone, and will age gracefully for several years. 3.75 stars ($75).
Beringer 2001 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: An absolutely beautiful wine which is showing nicely right now. The wine is a blend of cabernet from Beringer's seven premier vineyard sites. The wine shows how elegant a well articulated blend can be. The wine as a whole certainly accomplishes more than the so-called "sum of it's parts", as good as they may be in their own right. The wine has deep coloring, and a huge bouquet that changes with every swirl of the glass. Blackberry, blueberry, currant jelly, anise, and a hint of chocolate. The wine explodes onto the palate with saturated fruit and abundant tannin, well tamed. The finish is one of the longes experienced with California cabs. The most amazing thin about this wine is that it will get even better over the next few years. 4.75 stars.
Beringer 2002 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine has a lot in common with the 2001. Slighly more fruit forward, and slighlty less multi-dimensional are the primary differences. Right now, the 2001 is also benefitting from the extra bottle year. The 2002, although excellent, is overshadowed by the 2001 when tasted together. How much of this is due to qualitative differences in the wine and hou much is due to the extra year in the bottle for the 2001 is hard for me to answer at this time. I suspect this wine will evolve elegantly over the next year. 4.25 stars ($115).
Beringer Montagia 2001: An interesting blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The unique name of this wine is a tribute to winemaker Ed Sbragia, and former NFL football player Joe Montana, who "helped" with the final blending selection. Another excellent wine, but for the money, I would consider spending a little more and purchasing the Private Reserve. Mostly fruit and tannin here, without as much complexity as the other cabs from Beringer. The cab franc does bring in some interesting black olive and spice aromatic nuances, however. 3.5 stars ($80).
Beringer Nightingale Desert Wine: This is Beringer's version of a Sauternes desert wine, and a fine version at that, at a fraction of the price compared with the French versions. It is a blend of botrytised Semillon, blended with Sauvignon Blanc. The wine can challenge many fine Sauternes at their own game. I have not had enough experience with Sauternes-like wines to give this wine a meaningful score, but I enjoyed it enough that I bought a bottle for myself. ($40).
Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1987: This wine was really the highlight of my trip to Napa valley earlier this month. When Carlos in the tasting room poured this wine for me in a blinded fashion, he asked what I thought it was. I thought he was tricking me with what tasted like a first rate Bordeaux from 1989 or 1990. The wine had a wonderfully complex nose of saddle leather, earth, and cigar box while still maintaining abundant fruit in the bouquet. The wine showed considerable power on the palate, with plenty of plummy fresh fruit showing through the truffles and hard to place spices. The finish on this wine was one of the finest I have had the pleasure to experience. The tannins are silky smooth. This wine is approaching it's 20th birthday, and although it is drinking magnificently, I see no reason to hold it longer. It truly is in its "magic window". Drink up and enjoy. The wine is available, at least to Beringer's Reserve Wine Club members, in the Rhine (Reserve) tasting room at the Beringer Winery. 5 stars.
Beringer Vineyards tasting room is open to the public daily from 10AM to 6PM. They have two different tasting rooms. The regular tasting room covers their mid-range wines for a tasting fee of $5.00, and no appointments are necessary. The reserve wines can be tasted in the historic Reserve Rhine Room ( a separate builing in the Winery complex). The cost is $25.00, and reservations may be required. Please call ahead and verify availablity if you want to taste in the reserve room. The Beringer Reserve Wine Club is an excellent way to obtain access to all the single vineyard cabs, and other interesting small batch wines that are never released to retail outlets. These seven single vineyard cabs are generally excellent, and I would highly recommend them if you come across them. I will try to post reviews of them in the archives in the not-too-distant future. More information about Beringer, their wine clubs, and on-line ordering information can be obtained from their website.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miscellaneous Awards
Best Wine for those on a Corporate Expense Account
Araujo Eisle Vineyard 2001
Araujo sells virtually all of their wine through a mailing list. Unfortunately, you can not get on the mailing list, since it has been closed for some time. There's not even a way to get on the waiting list for the mailing list. The wines, especially the Eisle Vineyard cabs are top-flight, but sell for close to $200 if you are lucky enough to be "on the list". If you see it at a wine shop or restaurant, get ready to have your wallet squeezed for all it's worth. I was given the opportunity to sample the 2001 Araujo Eisle Vineyard during this trip. It is truly an explosive wine, but it needed about an hour and a half to breathe before hitting it's stride. I think decanting this wine would be in order if anyone out there actually drinks it. 4.5 stars.
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Best Wines I Never Heard of Until Now
(tie) Fleury Estate Winery and Ahnfeldt Winery
I had the pleasure of trying two cabernet based wines that I had never heard of while at the Rutherford Grill Restaurant. The first was a 2001 cabernet from the "Fleury Estate Winery" in Rutherford. If they make more than one cabernet based wine, I do not recall which one I had. It was a beautiful wine, but I can not seem to find it anywhere. It may be unfair to score the wine, as I was suffering from "palate fatigue" by the time I had this wine with dinner due to a busy day of wine tasting. Nevertheless, the wine appeared to be pushing the 4 star range. I would like to find out more about this winery, and will post more when I do so. They do have a website, but it is not particularly informative at this time.
The second wine I had never heard of which was also terrific was the Ahnfeldt 2002 Napa Cabernet. 2002 was the first vintage for Ahnfeldt, a tiny estate winery making wines from their own grapes. This wine was also sampled at a dinner at the Rutherford Grill. This was a very fruit forward and easily accessible wine. Beautiful purity of fruit, with soft tannins and a hint of earthy spice. A wonderful effort for the first vintage. Once again, palate fatigue makes a true score unfair, but I suspect this wine will score near the 4 point range. I plan to buy more of this winery's products. Currently they are selling the 2003 vintage from the winery. 500 cases made, retail price $45. More information as well as on-line sales can be found on their website. |
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