Napa Valley

• Atlas Peak
• Best of Napa
• Calistoga
• Conn Valley
• Diamond Mountain
• Howell Mountain
• Mt. Veeder
• Oak Knoll
• Oakville
• Pope Valley
• Rutherford
• Spring Mountain
• St. Helena
• Stags Leap
• Yountville

Another great Thomas Rivers Brown cabernet.  This is their basic Cabernet which has unfortunately gone up in price recently.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, with nice minerality.  Medium to firm tannins.  Nice balance.  On the palate, this is concentrated with cassis, some black cherries, spice and char.  Long finish.  This is still youthful but drinking well.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this is in a great place to take to a steak house.  

One of the best vintages yet for this wine and one of the more affordable reds in the Realm portfolio.  It is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot.  Purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, chocolate, graphite, and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cassis, blueberries, some dark cherries with spice and slight char.  Long finish.  This is young and would benefit from additional cellaring.  It should drink well for another twenty years.  Great on its own, this would be great

Cuvaison’s Small Lot program (typically wines produced under 300 cases) has been a goldmine for Cuviason and winemaker Steve Rogstad who shows his deft touch with nearly every wine in this portfolio. Using Pinot Noir heirloom clones (including Swan, a personal favorite of mine) this is clearly a step away from most Pinot Noir on the market. This drinks more Burgundian than California. The fruit is rather muted but more macerated (Steve calls it “elegant intensity”) and the support comes from the green tea leaf, light tobacco, earthy morel, dried thyme and spice notes.

Obviously young, this needs some time but will be great.  Inky purple in color, shimmering bright and opaque.  The nose has cassis, roasted herbs, graphite and slight chocolate.  Full bodied.  Very firm tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is concentrated and tight.  Cassis, char and slight chocolate.  Long finish.  This needs another three to five years and then should drink well for twenty after that.  No doubt its score will improve by a few points at least.  Better on its own at his point, but it would work with a grilled steak.  

This  may be my favorite vineyard that Rivers Marie utilizes.  A Wow wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, graphite, dark chocolate, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is young but complex and deep.  Also delicious.  Flavors of cassis, chocolate and spice with some leather and char.  Long finish.  This should continue to develop and maybe improve.  It should drink well for another twenty years.  Great on its own, this needs big food right now, but brisket or Rib Roast should work well.  

This is a blend of 67% Chenin Blanc and 33% Semillon from Napa Valley.  Very pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with a touch of red apples, orange rind and minerality.  Also a bit of wax.  Good balance.  On the palate, the minerality stands out.  Some apple notes.  Good finish.  This is a nice, lighter styled white wine that works well with lighter foods.  A nice wine with a Quiche.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

Kite Tail has always been a very expressive Chardonnay and this iteration is no exception. It deviates from traditional Chardonnay and delves into richer, more mature elements. What’s surprising then is that this iteration has less oak and less malolactic time than previous versions. Yet this still retails a wonderful acidity, character and aroma, not to mention a palate experience that brings in oak-like notes, without the cumbersome oak heaviness. All estate grown, all Chardonnay, this offers a nose of soft muted lemon, resin and butterscotch/gardenia.

There is an old saying that great wineries make great wine even in off vintages.  That is undoubtedly true and this is yet another example.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, graphite, slight leather, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is deep, complex and delicious.  Perhaps maturing a bit quicker than better vintages.  At age 13 it is nearing peak.  Loads of cassis with some tobacco and char.  Long finish.  This is great on its own and will work well with most non-seafood dishes.  It went great with a P

This is Trefethen's top wine.  Trefethen, as a winery, dates back to 1973.  The wine is middle of the road in terms of style for a Napa Cab.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, slightly woody, spice and slight roasted coffee.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Flavors of black cherries, cassis and spice.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own and very food friendly (probably not seafood).  It went well with a couple of homemade veggie pizzas.  Drink over the next ten years.

Gorgeous wine.  Tench vineyard shares a border with Screaming Eagle (a bit of name dropping).  This wine was huge on release and while still fruit forward, at age 10, it is drinking wonderfully.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is deep and complex with cassis, blueberries, sandalwood, slight soy sauce with earthiness and char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Lush texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of cassis, blueberries, black cherries, spice and char.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This will drink beautifully for another twenty years.  Great on its own, t