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

This is a non-vintage blend.  It was bottled in 2016.  Although it carries a Napa Valley designation, as it is mostly Mt. Veeder grapes, it has grapes from all over California.  A blend of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon,36% Cabernet Franc, and 23% Merlot.  Purple in color.  The nose has a mushroom note to it along with black cherry fruit and baking spices.  Warm.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Nice black cherry fruit.  Some depth.  Easy drinking.  This probably should be consumed in the next five to seven years.  It will work well with stews and casseroles.  

This is from the southern portion of the Hudson Vineyard in Carneros.  98% Syrah and 2% Viognier.  At age 10, this is just starting to open up and will still improve.  Inky purple in color with a thin ruby rim.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, smoke, slight bacon fat and roasted meats.  On the palate, this is medium to full bodied.  Cooler climate in profile.  Black cherries and black raspberries with underlying char and a bit of pepperyness.  Good energy once it opens.  Drinks well now but should be about five years until peak and then be good for ten to fifteen more.  It wil

Nice to revisit this wine.  It is still young but has opened up a bit (as have many 2013's).  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, spice, slight hay note and a bit of toast.  On the palate, this took about an hour or so and then was drinking well.  Cassis with underlying dry earth.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This may still improve a bit more.  It has fifteen to twenty years of great drinking.  Think grilled foods or roasts, but also drinks well on its own.  

This was interesting.  Pop and pour and there were light notes of what might have been TCA.  Very intermittent.  I decided to let the bottle sit over night (closed with a neutral cork) and check back the next day.  If the bottle was off with TCA, it would be worse the next day.  On the other hand, the next day, this bottle was clean as a whistle and drinking quite well.  Not sure what was going on, but glad I waited and gave it a chance.  Dark purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose had cassis, char, and spice.  Just a hint of pencil lead and slight earthiness.  On the palate, this has

Very solid Napa Cab that is drinking quite well.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, slight cassis, baking spice and slight cedar.  On the palate, this has light tannins.  The black cherry fruit comes thru over the oak/spice.  Nice balance.  This is very food friendly but not for the lightest of foods.  It worked great with some spicy chili.  This should continue to drink well for the next five to seven years at least.  

The 2013 Napa Cabs were released with a lot of fanfare, and justifiably so.  It seemed, however, that they shut down very quickly and hard.  Now, at age 7, they are starting to open back up and while, as a general rule they have lots left, many are drinking quite well.  I don't remember a Napa Cab vintage that shut down so hard so quickly and reopened so quickly as well.  In any event, this was opened and allowed to breath for 30 minutes and then served.  It was beautiful.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  On the nose, there is cassis, slight black cherries, roasted herbs, nice minerali

  This is a blend of 87.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1.5% Petit Verdot.  It is a big wine that seems like it will still get better with cellaring.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, dust, and an interesting citrus quality.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  Notes of cassis, some dark chocolate and orange peel (?) come thru.  It is deep with firm tannins that will need time to open.  Long finish.  This needs another five to ten years of cellaring and should be good for ten to twelve after that.  Right now, it should be given an eight h

Bob Foley is one of Napa's great winemakers.  This is from his eponymous winery.  It is a typical Bob Foley Cab which is to say, big and fruit while at the same time, ageable and having a sense of class.  It is still quite young right now.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, sandalwood and baking spice along with a touch of pencil lead.  On the palate, this has sweet cassis fruit.  Firm tannins.  It is drinking well on its own today and will take bigger food to not be overwhelmed.  However, with another ten years this should mature nicely into something that will be more flexible.  It s

Heitz Cellars is one of the more iconic wineries in Napa.  While they made their name from the single bottling of Martha's Vineyard, the regular Cabernet is very nice as well.  It also ages quite well.  At age 13, this one is drinking quite well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim; this is bright and mostly opaque.  The nose has cassis, cedar, slight sandalwood, and a bit of cherries.  On the palate, there are more black cherries but the cassis is still there too.  This is clean.  Some level of depth.  Tannins seem fully resolved but not past prime.  Good finish.  This probably should be con