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

There are a few reviews of this wine posted on this site but this wine, or at least this bottle, seemed much tighter than prior bottles.  It was spectacular but tight with no decant.  It was opened while visiting friends in Napa, so it could be that due to the bottle having flown 2,500 miles earlier in the day.  Travel shock with wines is controversial but I know I was tired, so why wouldn't the wine?  After all, it is a living breathing thing too.  Anyway, this bottle was opened as we were visiting the property the following day, and it gave a nice reference point to one of the great wines

Golden in color, with slight green tinges to it.  The nose has slight vanilla and slight fresh oak along with some lemons.  Overall though, it is still quite tight.  On the palate, this has a nice mouth feel.  Vanilla, lemons and oak.  It opens with some air but is still very young.  It is very good but should continue to improve over the next few years.  It makes some sense to hold these if you have good storage.  It drinks well on its own and will go with heavier sea food dishes or even salads or lighter fowl dishes.  

This is an intriguing Viognier.  Much of California Viognier comes off as alcoholic or hot and certainly lacks the floral lightness of many of the Rhone counterparts.  This bottle strikes a middle round which is quite nice.  Light golden in color.  The nose has lots of grapefruit with a bit of a floral quality (white flowers?).  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has a grapefruit juice quality but a bit livelier that say a Sauvignon Blanc.  Not really showing any age at the moment, still, I would drink this sooner than later to enjoy the freshness.  It will go well with all but the heavies

This is an intense and concentrated wine.  While it is drinking well today, proper cellaring will be rewarded.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, coffee and iron.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Deep but tight.  Lots of cassis fruit with underlying spice.  Long finish.  It needs about seven to ten years until peak and should be good for fifteen after that.  It drinks well today on its own and will work with bigger foods.  

I am a huge fan of Rivers Marie Cabernets.  They make a bunch of single vineyard ones, but this "base" one is always great.  And for Napa, it is a good value.  The release price was $65.  This took some time to open but after an hour or so, it was singing.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cedar, and some coffee.  On the palate, this has firm tannins.  Cassis over coffee grounds.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This will likely last as long as the single vineyard wines, another decade easily, probably two.  It is delicious on its own right now but should gain in complexity as it mature

Wow.  This is a wine that is rarely reviewed but just excellent.  Right up there with anything Napa produces.  Opened for my birthday dinner because it also goes great with food.  Deep purple in color.  Opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, spice, slight cedar and plums.  With air, a bit of iodine.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Deep and complex.  Young with firm tannins.  Lots of cassis fruit with underlying spice and slight char.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This will no doubt continue to evolve over the next decade and closer to two.  It reminds me of St.

 Wow.  Great showing for this wine.  It is a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot.  A candidate for Wine of the Year.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is deep and complex with cassis, blueberries, gravel, slight cedar and spice.  On the palate, this is seamless.  Full bodied with supple tannins.  Wonderful balance.  Cassis, over a slight dry earth and charred wood.  Long finish.  This went great with a seared Tofu dish but would be great with steak or a roast.  It is still young and will develop but won't get better - just different.  

This is a very nice Cabernet using mountain fruit which tends to be more concentrated than valley floor fruit.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with cassis, slight minerals, spice and a bit of floral notes.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  Concentrated cassis fruit with mineral undertones.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well right now but it should last easily for another five to seven years.  It drinks well on its own and should go well with roasted meats or fowl.  

This would be another wine that might be polarizing.  It is far on the end of the big, fruit laden wine spectrum.  That's a great thing about wine; something for everyone.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, plums and cedar.  On the palate, this has light tannins.  Bold cassis fruit, blueberries and some plums.  Very ripe.  Somewhat sweet.  Like drinking a piece of mixed berry pie.  A little goes a long way but a glass was delicious.  And enough for me.  This will be a tough food match but would drink well with dessert of fruits and/or chocolate.  

So this is apparently produced for the Flora Springs wine club.  They make 330 cases of it.  It has a really fun label and I guess the idea is to serve it for Halloween parties.  Seems like a pretty specific target audience, but I salute them for having fun with it.  They actually have a whole series of Halloween wines.  The wine itself is outstanding and I am not sure if it gets some short shrift due to the fun label.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries and spice.  On the palate, black cherry fruit.  Slight tannins.  Some depth.  Drinking well now.  I suppose the obvious food