Ultimate California Wine Blog

From their website, "founded by the partners of Far Niente in 1997, produced its first wines that same year, and opened the winery in July 2003," Nickel & Nickel is a treat on Highway 29 which has to be sought-out due to its appointment-only status. This is unusual for wineries on the 29, which tend to be more tourist-oriented, full of tschotschkies and t-shirts. Unassuming from the entrance as all you see are a collection of charming buildings dating back to the turn of the last century and a fully restored Model T truck parked under the white-picket fence of a sign.

Upon entering the reception hall, I was immediately escorted to a charming room, decorated with various country French antiques, an engaging fireplace, and stunning dried wildflower displays and framed woodcuts of wine-making apparatus. While relaxing and waiting for the other guests, I was given a 1999 Chardonnay which was (guess what?) oaky and buttery…

The tour commences with a walk around the grounds. There are several old, fully restored buildings. Within the Gleason Barn are the administrative offices, wine laboratory, and yet another antique horse-drawn carriage. I’m sure this is due to Gil Nickel’s love of antique vehicles which are well known at Far Niente.  We walked from the barn area to the wine-making facilities which are extremely impressive.

After the jaunt, we returned to the Sullenger House for tasting. Even though their book of wine is expansive enough to include Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Cabernet, I was pleased that the tasting before me was just Cabernet. I am unsure if they every include those other varietals in the tastings or not. As the key of Nickel & Nickel wines are entirely vineyard-specific offerings, it can provide extremely enlightening to be able to taste what a single grape can do depending on where it is grown.

2001 Tench – Oakville; Chocolatey and downright merlot-like with a deep, plummy nose. Round and full in the mouth with nary a hint of minerality.

2001 Dragonfly – St. Helena; I might have thought this a Stag’s Leap district wine with its earthy aroma. Overwhelming scent of Band-Aid and medicinal qualities which made for a mineral taste in the mouth.

2001 Carpenter – Napa/Coombsville; Bigger tannins than the Dragonfly and a tad minerally and thin. I could sense the rocky soil as the finish provided significant mint.

2001 Rock Cairn – Oakville; While the Tench was merlot-like, the Rock Cairn was zin-like with a burn of alcohol which gave way to medicinal eucalyptus which eventually betrayed the blackberry in the mouth.

2001 Vogt – Howell Mountain; I was given the Howell Mountain as an extra taste as they knew I was from a Howell Mountain winery myself. Classic notes with deep, purply fruit and elegant spice.

Nickel & Nickel ~ 8164 St. Helena Highway ~ Oakville ~ CA ~ 94562 ~ 707-967-9600

Spottswoode is one of those small, lovely wineries where limited, quality production is the key to success. Back in the 1970’s Mary Novak and her husband Jack purchased the estate and began a herculean effort to replant the vineyards. After the sudden death of her husband, Mary made an important decision — to continue through adversity in the rebuilding of the winery. Many widows in her place might have simply decided to give up a dream like that, but she perservered and ultimately made Spottswoode a highly sought-after wine.

On the day of my visit, I greatly admired the old building that awaits you at the entrance. It is these old, stone edifices that are sprinkled throughout the Napa valley which intrigue me the most. Organic farming is the other aspect about Spottswoode which I am curious about and hope to explore more fully. Shanyn MacDaera met us upon our arrival and immediately served us the 2003 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc. This is not an estate-grown wine, but comes from both the Carneros and Calistoga regions, being 18% Semillion and 82% Sauvignon Blanc. On the nose, I detected that desirable cat-piss aroma along with freshly-cut green grass. There was also a hint of marshamllow. In the mouth, the floral characters opened up and the thick fruit on the nose gave way to an oppulent mouth feel which surprised me for a SauvBlanc. Shanyn advised us that these vineyards are ‘dry farmed’ which means they are not regularly irrigated.

After walking through the production facilities, we ended up in that historical building where their barrels are kept. It was in here that we tasted the 2001 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Only 4,000 cases were made and because of the quality of the wine and the reputation, it was already sold out. There is a huge amount brambleberry on the nose and a hint of herbal and floral qualities. In the mouth, a full roundness of blueberry gives off to those floral qualities. It is huge and warm and goes on forever. All I could do was ask to be put on the mailing list, in hopes of acquiring a bottle or two in the future.

Spottswoode ~ 1902 Madrona Avenue ~ St. Helena, CA 94574 ~ 707-963-0134