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

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

One of the historic names from Napa, it's always a pleasure to see a bottle end up at the table.  This is true to form.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose is classic with cassis, slight bell pepper, a touch of chocolate and some fresh cut lumber.  On the palate, still young with firm tannins.  Plenty of cassis fruit and some oak.  Needs another few years to develop and mature.  That said, it is drinking fine today as well.  Good drinking for 15 years at least.  This will work well with roasted or grilled meats and/or fowl.  These days it's a pretty good value in Napa Cabs.  

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot.  This was a new winery for me.  So many choices which is great!  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, some black cherries, cedar, baking spices and dust.  On the palate, this seems to be drinking well.  Just slight tannins.  Cassis fruit.  Some depth.  Solid finish.  This probably won't get better but should continue to drink well for another five to seven years.  It will go well with grilled burgers or steaks and most medium to heavier foods.  

From Magnum.  This is the home vineyard for Heidi Barrett, former winemaker for Screaming Eagle.  I think sometimes, her wines get short shrift as they are not Screaming Eagle.  At age 15, however, this one was outstanding.  Purple in color.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and some roasted meats.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Energy, it dances across the palate.  Flavors of black raspberries, slight chocolate over gravel and char.  Nice finish.  Tasted again on day 3, it was just as strong (out of magnum).  Nice finish.  This will go

Another gorgeous California Cabernet.  They are blessed in Napa.  This one is drinking very well right now.  Cassis, pencil lead and cedar on the nose.  With air a slight cigar box emerges.  On the palate, this is ripe but not over ripe.  A classic example of Napa without being too far to the extreme.  Cassis with some tobacco and fresh turned earth.  Nice balance.  The layers unwind in the glass; cassis, tobacco and cedar.  Medium tannins still.  This will certainly mature more over the next five years.  Not sure it gets better.  No hurry though, this has a decade left and likely more.  It