Posts Tagged ‘brambleberry’

Zahtila – 187

Saturday, October 29th, 2005

Zahtila_signIn the past, I have mentioned a great admiration for women winemakers. I have now started an investigation into women-owned wineries. I am very intrigued with the trials and tribulations facing women in what is generally considered a male-dominated industry. For this visit, fate has brought me to visit Zahtila Vineyards, located just a hundred yards north of the Silverado Trail and Calistoga’s Lincoln Road juncture, to chat with Laura Zahtila personally.

Zoe_comes_to_greetDon’t drive too quickly on the main road – the entrance to Zahtila is just on the right and almost hidden by large trees and brush. It would be very easy to drive right past it and head onwards toward Hidden Valley. After parking, I was immediately and warmly greeted by Zoe, the winery dog, who does her duty well as goodwill ambassador. She will guide you up the walkway, past the rose-covered house that acts as the office and administration building, towards the back of the property where the tasting room lies.

Tasting_room_3Laura is relatively new to the wine world. Having done well during the dot-com boom, a passion for wine brought her to Napa when she purchased her first vineyard from the Traulsen family in 1999. This had been a family endeavor with her husband, but they soon realized the passion was all hers and parted ways.

Laura_best_1Laura now has complete control and the business is hers and hers alone and she is learning the business from the ground up. While not having any formal winemaking  training, she relies on a consulting winemaker for much of the technical aspects but ultimately makes all of the blending decisions. The wine has her name so while the buck stops here, she has every reason to be exceptionally proud of what she has created in such a short time! Now moving beyond her own Calistoga vineayrd, she has started contracting for additional grapes and this year released her first Chardonnay.

2004 Napa Valley Chardonnay – From Bocannon fruit, this was a decidedly good first attempt. Clean, crisp grapefruit core with bright citrus pineapple. Very bright, clean entry showing green apple and carved, distinct fruit. $18.00

2003 Zinfandel, Dry Creek – Red berry black fruit with dusty floral tones. Brambleberry dominates the rich mouth entry and shows a hefty chocolate mid-palate. Clean and round, the full flavors produce a distinctive, spicy finish $20.00

2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – From Conn Valley fruit, 30% new American oak. Rich ruby red to the edge produces earthy, erotic, smoky bouquet with hints of sage and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, the expansive crisp fruit shows heightened acidity and perfectly integrated tannins. The palate is layered with earth and dark fruit and shows touch of smoke on the finish. $33.00

2002 Beckstoffer Cabernet Sauvignon – From Rutherford fruit, this dark magenta wine produces intense, rich plum aromas with layers of spice, black currant, and a touch of vanilla. Hedonistic in the mouth, the flavors are smooth and complex, a bit sweet on the entry, but rounding out to show opulence and immense quality. Needs to cost more… $48.00

Zahtila Vineyards ~ 2250 Lake County Highway ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~94515 ~ 707-942-9251
$5.00 tasting

Emilio’s Terrace – 181

Saturday, October 15th, 2005

01_bottlesEmilio’s Terrace is a very small vineyard located in Oakville between Harlan and Staglin. Pretty nice neighborhood, huh? I had the opportunity to taste the wine at the latest Copia had another one of its lovely in-house tastings which frequently gives me access to wineries with no public facilities or tasting rooms. That is the case with Emilio’s Terrace, which is owned by Phil Schlein. The wine is made by Joe Cafaro and only 400 to 700 cases are ever made each year. The certified organic vineyard are 650 feet up above Robert Mondavi’s To-Kolan vineyard. While they grow both Cabernet and Merlot, A large portion of their Merlot is reserved and blended with some purchased grapes for a second label, by-the-glass restaurant wine. The good stuff is kept for the Emilio’s Terrace.

2002 Emilio’s Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot. Dark purple in color, this intensely complex wine shows black fruit aromas of currant and black cherry. Hints of vanilla waft near the back of the nose. The mouth entry is rich and defined, showing layers of supple spice, brambleberry, and hefty tannins. Absolutely spendid. $50.00

Emilio’s Terrace ~ P.O. Box 88 ~ Oakville ~ CA ~ 94562 ~ 707-257-6761
No tastings available.

Husic Vineyards – 163

Monday, September 19th, 2005

Husic_vineyards_logoFrank Husic has had some astonishingly good luck and some astonishingly bad luck. The good luck is that he has nine acres of prime Stags Leap appellation vineyards which produces 500 cases of one of the more highly sought-after California Cabernets currently on the market.

Husic_1The bad news is that Frank owns 120 acres in the same area and he isn’t allowed to plant them to grape. It seems that those nine acres were planted before an anti-mountain growing ordinance went into affect, preventing the rest of the acreage from being developed.  Frank is pretty philosophical about it all. “It isn’t going to hold us back from planting elsewhere — in fact, we’ll be releasing our first Chardonnay next year.” It is easy to be taken in by his enthusiasm. Having winemaker Celia Welch Masyczek crafting his wine doesn’t hurt either. Masyczek came into view when she created the now much sought-after 1998 Staglin.

Husic_bottleThe bottle is immediately recognizable as different. It is easily the tallest and heaviest bottle on the market. Substantial in size, Frank revels in pointing out the archway design with the names of his family crowning the artistic representation of his hillside vineyard. The two palm trees under the logo name actually exist on the property – a rather odd occurrence in the Napa Valley and one I am glad he represented.

Husic made insider news at the 2004 Premiere Napa Valley auction (an
event where barrel samples are tasted and purchased as futures by
high-roller retailers) when five cases of an un-released, unknown wine
was sold for $13,000. Bottom line? This is a winery to keep an eye on — could it be the next Screaming Eagle?

2002 Husic Cabernet Sauvignon – A mere hint of the earthy terroir of Stags Leap that I often find overwhelming. Some dusty earthy with a core of dark cassis and currant in the nose. Black raspberry and cinnamon hit the tongue first, but a cinnamon that is intensely soft and elegant, blossoming to show layers upon layers of dark brambleberry, blackberry, and dark plum. The finish shows velvety vanilla. Sold out – usually only available and finer restaurants.

Husic ~ Vineyard; 189 Ridge Drive ~ Napa Valley ~ CA ~ 94558; Office; 80 McLaren Avenue ~ San Francisco ~ CA ~ 94121 ~ 707-812-4909

Robert Craig Wine Cellars – 160

Friday, September 16th, 2005

Rc_bldg_entranceI’ve know about Robert Craig Wine Cellars for a while, in a back-handed sort of way… When I was working up at Ladera, Robert Craig’s winemaker, Chad, would come over and visit as he and Tres are really good friends. I’ve been privy to a tasting now and then but never got to visit the actual facility up on Howell Mountain. Fortunately for me — and now for you! — they have opened a tasting room in downtown Napa, making it a lot easier for all concerned except for maybe Chad, who still drives up the mountain to make their extraordinary wine.

Rc_tasting_roomThe downside to the tasting room is that it is quite off the beat-and-track. Although technically downtown, it is located in a small building essentially surrounded with some of the more downtrodden Victorians (although there is hope as signs of renovation abound). An additional note on the tasting room; because of its slightly remote location, it is technically appointment-only, Tuesdays through Saturday. Although Rachel Miller, their manager, assures me that she tries her best to never turn anyone away.

The day of my visit was a special open house so there were some munchies and Ms. Lynn Craig there to welcome visitors. Rachel advised me that normally the table is set-up for a more informative sit-down tasting which is always complimentary (yet another rarity in Napa!). And knowing my penchant for mountain wines, how could I not be impressed…

2002 Syrah – Rich, sweet aromas of smoke and bacon with a tease of mint. Chocolate taste at first, then dark fruit streaks of blueberry, blackberry, and plum. Rachel explained this was a the blend of two vineyards; a cool Los Olivos and a warmer Paso Robles. Being younger than I normally drink Syrah, I was impressed that it already showed supple, smooth characteristics. Medium-bodied, it was not over-the-top with heat or alcohol, but already well-developed. $28.00

2000 Affinity – Their name for the Bordeaux blends that are made, which are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. In this case 76% Cabernet, 22% Merlot, and 2% Petite Verdot. The wine displayed some dark, twiggy, rustic brambleberry aromas with a whisper of chocolate. Initially sweet on the entry, an earthy core was balanced with dark blueberry and a rich, long, silky finish. Sold Out

2001 Affinity - 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 2% Pertite Verdot. Intensely rich dark core of blackberry and smoke with a hint of sweetness on the back of the nose. Tight entry blossoms to show bright, engaging fruit with some oak and a currant finish. $Available only as part of a vertical

2002 Affinity – Over-the-top black fruit with tones of black licorice. Bright, sweet entry is concentrated with layers of herbs. Darker finish with a touch of cocoa. $40.00

2002 Mt. Veeder Cabernet – 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Classic Veeder with tons of dark cherry, leather, and tobacco. A touch of hot twig and herbs showing the wine’s youth. Mouth entry has tons of up-front fruit with flavors of dark cherry and cranberry. $50.00

2002 Howell Mountain Cabernet – Purple in color, spice dominates the intense dark fruit aromas. Silky smooth entry is velvety and rich with developed structure and perfectly balanced tannins. Supple. Wine club members only.

Robert Craig Wine Cellars ~ 880 Vallejo Street ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94559 ~ 707-252-2250

Chateau St. Jean – 152

Thursday, September 1st, 2005

Csj_signChâteau St. Jean ranks among the highest for quality Chardonnay. Just ask anyone who likes Chardonnay… Okay, I’m not a huge Chardonnay fan but I found many things to like at Château St. Jean. Perhaps it was the atmosphere or the congeniality. Perhaps it was because there is a sense of history or because I was weak and actually bought something from the gift shop. Whatever it was, I have a fine memory of my time at Château St. Jean.

Csj_gardensWine aside, the estate property is absolutely stunning. There are gardens that you have to walk through to get to the visitor’s center which offer many exceptional vantage points for photography or for simply relaxing by one of the several ponds. The “Château” itself was built by the Goff family in the 1920s and has been lovingly restored and is where some of the offices exist as well as the Reserve Room tasting area.

Csj_viewApparently if you are part of the Reserve Club, you can have access to a private terraced seating area for individual, table-side service. This picture was taken through a window of the Château, as though I was a Peeping Tom, peering at two lucky recipients of a private tasting. I’ll be they also got to taste the wines I would have preferred to taste; Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Malbec, Viogner, and other Reserves…

Csj_tasting_roomThe actual public tasting room is tremendously large and amply filled with a variety of products, much of the usual from clothing to wine-related gadgets. But I have to admit a confession. In my hundred-and-fifty-odd winery visits, this was the first time I actually bought something in a gift shop. In a corner, away from most of the expensive bounty, was a line of tin-and-enamelware kitchen gadgets. I purchased what looked like a pots de crème set, complete with rack (I say it looked like a pots de crème set, except that it wasn’t porcelain). It was $10.50 for the set and while not politically correct for real pots de crème, it will suit me just fine. Oh yeah, and I enjoyed the wine too.

2002 Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay – Classic lemon and buttery aromas. Oily mouthfeel upon entry showing dark papaya and mango. Rich, with a hint of lemon peel on the finish. $35.00

2003 Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir – Dusty, exotic aromas of incense – akin to sandalwood with a core of red fruit. Red fruit dominates the mouth entry and brightens with acidity on the mid-palate. Smoky finish. $19.00

2002 California Merlot – Black plum and brambleberry display in the initial whiff but subside to demonstrate eucalyptus on the end. Chewy, tight mouth entry that is full bodied and thick. Tad harsh on finish.  $15.00

Château St. Jean ~ 8555 Sonoma Highway (Highway 12) ~ Kenwood ~ 95452 ~ 707-833-4134