Tag: Napa

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2017 Cabernet Sauvignon by Louis Martini, Napa Valley

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) by Louis Martini, Napa Valley, California

Deep dark ruby color. Out of the bottle, ripe plums, and blackberries over a subtle backdrop of sawdust. Swirling vigorously unleashes bursts of sweet pinewood, ripe dark cherries, licorice and a faint freshness akin to mint/eucalyptus. Yummy.

Body is fairly balanced up front. A touch of acidity and fine grain dusty tannins greet the palate with mild tension. This is quickly followed by slightly ripe plum, dark cherries and red apple skins so faint you’d likely miss it. The fruit quickly dissipates as the fine grained tannins precipitate into an ever thickening coat of grit upon the palate. Hints of cola, currants and spice emerge as it transitions to finish. Lips are rendered parched shut under a thick dusty tannic grip and smoldering spice heat.

I seldom indulge in Napa wine country but when I do, I stop by Louis Martini. You’ve likely driven by this unassuming and understated Napa Winery. Its custodians have done a great job of documenting, preserving and continuing its legacy. It’s grounds and experience follow form and function, the tastings focused but casual and thoughtful. Louis Martini should provide a great benchmark for the Modern Day Napa Cab in any cellar.

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2018 19 Block Mountain Cuvée by The Hess Collection, Napa Valley

2018 19 Block Mountain Cuvée, The Hess Collection, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley

Slightly ripe plums and dark cherries over a backdrop of sawdust and subtle pinewood. Swirling vigorously intensifies these notes, adding hints of black licorice. Overall the nose is fairly restrained. As it breathes, a soft butterscotch emerges along with a subtle eucalyptus both so faint you’d likely miss them.

Body greets with a subtle tension in the form of slightly unde-ripe blackberries. This is quickly taken over by herbal freshness which is in turn overlaid with a noticeable oak (reminiscent of new oak). It’s not off balance but fairly prominent. This compensates well for its relative dryness while accentuating the fruit. Tannins are fully integrated into the body, and slowly precipitate layer by layer eventually coating the entire palate with an almost waxy dry lingering grip. A gentle of spice tingle caps the finish.

This is a medium bodied Cuvée with a desirable composition that should appeal to a broad spectrum of palate while still remaining enjoyable if not interesting to the more discerning snob. It has more of a new world modern style and execution. A well made, quality wine.

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2010 Cabernet Sauvignon by Mayacamas, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon by Mayacamas, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley, CA

Deep dark ruby color. Nose is shy. Greets with dark plum, old sawdust, and a touch of beeswax. Swirling vigorously adds a slight rocky essence, hints of licorice, shortbread and flutter of minty, herbal freshness toward the back.

Up front, thin, slightly under-ripe dark plum. This is quickly followed by restrained currant, black licorice and a noticeable old, woody leather. Acidity is fairly unobtrusive and could be easily overlooked but for the precise amount of tension it lends to this understated body. Crisp, clean and fully integrated tannins roll off the palate in short order, transitioning to black currants and subtle bitter cola towards the back. Transition to finish is seamless leaving the palate slightly parched with a gentle spice tingle. The cola and currants develop a subtle sweet dimension as the palate resets. As it opens up, a firm tannic grip develops over the entire palate as some of tannins caramelize to add a slight sweet aftertaste. This wine is very much reminiscent of a classic old world style Bordeaux. I can’t help but wonder how amazing a Meritage/Bordeaux blend from Mayacamas would be.

This is a mature, dry, old world look at Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, California and the World at large. I highly recommend it for the advanced palate. If you want to get an appreciation for the kind of wines that put Napa on the world stage decades ago, Mayacamas is a great place to start. Their program has gone largely unchanged over several generations of custodians. Their work provides a great reference point and study for the enlightened and curious palate.

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the estate for a private tasting last fall and the experience exceeded all expectations. For many years I have come assume there were little left in the Napa region in the form of true, single estate, artisan winemakers with small batch production wines. It’s an expensive proposition these days, especially for a highly sought-after region as Napa. This is why I was even more excited to realize that this small team of custodians (as they refer to themselves) are passionately preserving and continuing the legacy of this storied region with absolutely no room for compromise. This alone is reason enough to explore their wines.

No big, spicy, jammy, fruit bombs here. No overbearing manipulation, additives, or blending down [with Lodi grapes]. It’s simply wine from a vineyard in Napa, made the same way it always has been for generations, clean crisp, true… and there is a lot to said about that these days. It’s so refreshing for a WineSnob!

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2015 Pinot Noir (Bel Sogno) by Dawn’s Dream Winery, Carmel Valley

Tonight’s Occasion: 2015 Pinot Noir (Bel Sogno) by Dawn’s Dream Winery, Carmel Valley, CA

Deep ruby red color. Beautiful aromatic nose out of the bottle with notes of fresh raspberries, strawberries, and red cherries. A wet, rocky, earthy leather permeates a background punctuated by pops of red vines licorice. Swirl vigorously to reset the entire stage all over again. I love it! As it breathes, a dusty expression emerges, so faint you’d likely miss it.

Body is silky, creamy, smooth with a touch of viscosity. A touch of acidity greets the palate and remains present, adding gentle tension throughout the experience. Moderate tannins provide unobtrusive structure while refined caramel reminiscent of neutral French oak immediately tames this expression. The body is quickly dissipates leaving crisp caramel, wet rocky leather and thin, so what dusty/chalky tannins. A slightly mineral finish lingers. A gentle warm spice heat lingers through the entire experience.

This Pinot all on its own. It eschews most convention, especially for this region. Sharing only subtlety and nuance typical of this region, it has its own identity. It is dry, structured, somewhat bold for a Pinot and will likely be perceived as abstract by the average palate. It is however a well crafted, terroir driven if not fascinating wine that will keep the advanced palate perfect company, especially for New Year’s Eve. Now, if you’ll excuse me…

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2012 Napa Cab (Atlas Peak) by Gustavo Wine

Tonight’s Occasion: 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon (Atlas Peak) by Gustavo Wine (@gustavowine), Napa Valley, CA

Dark semi opaque color. Out of the bottle, intense dry plums. As it breathes, it develops a fine, dusty, sandy leather essence, almost granite in nature. Hints of berries pop in and out of the back, eventually turning to dark, slightly sweet cherries. Notes of herbs and eucalyptus emerge. It’s a bit rustic. I feel like the nose will continue to evolve for hours if left alone. Very nice.

Oh wow. Okay! So the body is unexpectedly smooth. Balanced, front to back. There is little to no attack. Fairly light for a Napa Cab. It leans more on the delicate side. It is dry. Plums carry over with a measured amount of tannins quickly arriving at a harmonious compromise. A soft old wood, leathery mushroom essence tempers the stage, adds a little weight as the body slowly develops. Plums ripen slightly and tannins develop a dusty, fine grained texture. This marks the transition to finish as the palate slowly begins to dry, leaving behind gentle but firm tannic grip, leather and a touch of warmth.

I love the story behind this winemaker and even more that he continues to make wine. His generation were the ones who’s craft put Napa on world stage. These are the kind of winemakers I seek out, off the beaten path.

Bien hecho Gustavo! I had a blast visiting the tasting room!

I’m reminiscing about my last visit to their tasting room downtown Napa at the beginning of last year with my friend (2020, right before the pandemic hit). We had a blast tasting and handing out with Gustavo’s wife at their understated tasting room. I highly recommend a visit whenever you’re in Napa.

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2018 Napa Valley Sangiovese (Eliza Jane) by Dawn’s Dream Winery

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Napa Valley Sangiovese (Eliza Jane), by  Dawn’s Dream Winery, Carmel Valley, CA.

Rich ruby color. Thick, warm nose with lots of dry berries, red cherries, and a wet woody sandy leather. As it breathes, bursts of dried, dusty mushroom and red vines emerge. Swirling vigorously only intensifies these leathery terroir notes. Wow! This is right up my alley!

Body shows good balance off the bat. Greeting with just a touch of bright acidity in a citrus expression. This is quickly balanced out getting gentle tannins in the form of dry, dark, tart plums, blackberries and currants. The wet wood and slightly mineral expression emerges and conspires with a faint crisp (neutral) oak to create a soft, silky, palate-wetting overlayment. Transition to finish begins with a fade to subtle bitter as its dry dusty tannic foundations are laid to bear once again, only this time with a gentle spice tingle.

I absolutely love Dawn’s wines. The Pinot Noirs capture so much of the spotlight that is easy to miss this gem. I wasn’t expecting this but not the least surprised. Dawn’s wines tend to catch the focused palate off guard and prompt reflection. What a lovely take on the humble Sangiovese.

Nicely done Dawn and the crew!

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2007 Cabernet Sauvignon by Chateau Montelena

Tonight’s occasion: 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon by Chateau Montelena, Napa, California.

Dark opaque color. Intense, warm nose out of the bottle with notes of tart plum and slight wet wood. Swirl to intensify the plum, dark cherries leather, release, a slightly creamy butterscotch caramel and subtle red vines licorice. Terroir is fairly neutral. Expression overall is clean, somewhat modest, a mature classic Cabernet Sauvignon. I like it.

Body is smooth. Nicely balanced right down the middle, front to back. Slightly ripe plums accompanied by restrained tannins deliver a harmonious structure and integrated mouth feel with more softer than delineated transitions. Oak is almost undetectable if not for its effect of creating slightly silky mouth feel and enhancing notes of berries in this otherwise fairly dry wine. Pepper spice permeates most of the stage, eventually falling back as it opens. Body forms the bulk of the experience with a seamless transition to a restrained finish characterized by hints of cherry cola, crisp, dry, fine tannic grip and a touch of bold spice that lingers midway down the chest.

This wine has had plenty of time to integrate very nicely. After 14 years it still stands tall. I feel like this is how it was meant to be enjoyed. It’s a classic example of a Napa Cab, well built, and will like be showing like this over the next 5 or so years easily. If you have any in your cellar, now would be the time to start enjoying it.

Nicely done Chateau Montelena!

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2008 Napa Cab (Cloud’s Nest, Mt. Veeder) by Trinchero

Tonight’s occasion: 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Cloud’s Nest, Mt. Veeder) by Trinchero Family Wines, Napa Valley, California

Dark opaque color. Nose is very shy out of the bottle. Once it breathes a little, you can recognize ripe plums. Sweet dark cherry caramel comes second. Out of the bottle, hints of red licorice and amber wood dot the background. These quickly dissipate as it opens up. Terroir is fairly neutral and if anything, is expressed as a faint woody leather.

Body is perfectly balanced from attack to finish. Ripe, plums, dark cherries and blueberries play nicely on the palate. This conspires with a touch of wood/oak to create a slightly silky, weighted, wet mouth feel. Dusty, fine grained tannins provide an ever present substructure. Eventually the body gives way to expose this dusty tannic underlayment. This marks the transition to finish as dry spicy tannic dust storm engulfs the palate. Black currants, caramel make sporadic appearances as spice and a dry tannic grip wrestle for control. This duel continues with no end in sight for a very long protracted finish.

This wine may not be so old after all. It has had time to integrate. As it opens up, it comes even more alive as opposed to mellowing out. At 13 years old, I feel like this is how it was meant to be enjoyed. Here’s a little secret: if you visit Trinchero, ask for the list of library wines. Explore your favorite wine and how it progresses.

Nicely done Trinchero!

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2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County) by Louis Martini

Tonight’s occasion: 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County) by Louis Martini, Napa, California.

Not all wines have to be an intense, even sometimes laborious exercise for the senses. There are times when one just needs an honest wine. Not every bottle has to be an occasion. Sometimes I just want to contemplate other matters and not necessarily have to focus so intently on the wine. These are the moments that I resort to the unsung heroes of my cellar – The Pleaser. A wine that doesn’t overwhelm your senses or demand your attention. A wine that hits a few key notes and maybe offers an interesting suggestion or two. A clean, well made, honest wine, most importantly, for a great price. These wines I stock by the case.

This Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon is just that. A winner. It embodies the value proposition. A hint of that Sonoma dirt, good fruit, dry plum and blackberry, a touch of cedarwood, balanced body, a finish characterized by a moderately dry tannic grip and a touch of spice. It is always available and for a good price that makes a case an approachable proposition for most.

This is the wine that draws you in and draws your interest towards their signature wines such as their Napa Cab and Monte Rosso Cab Franc, both of which are noteworthy and in my reserve.

I love a winery that not only puts out great signature wines, but also makes a good flagship wine I can enjoy on any given day.

Nice work!

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2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) by Martin Ray

Tonight’s occasion: 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) by Martin Ray.

Dark inky color. Out of the bottle, big warm plum nose permeates the surrounding area. Closer inspection reveals notes of licorice, dark cherry and a touch of marshmallows. Swirl vigorously to unlock hints of cedar as licorice turns black.

Body shows precise balance and crisp structure from attack to finish. Other than the dark plum, little other fruit carries over. It is dry overall. Plums quickly morph into crisp dry tannins, providing good mouth feel through a slightly creamy transition. Finish is swift, clean, ending in a interesting play between buttery and dry tannic grip. A moderate but firm spicy heat takes over the finish, warming the chest.

This is my first wine from Martin Ray and I must say I am impressed. It comes across as precise, measured, clean, with a strict adherence to core principles. It sparks a curiosity to explore more of their signature wines. Amongst its peers, it presents good value. Nicely done Martin Ray!

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