Luna Vineyards – 16
Sunday, February 13th, 2005
As one begins the drive up the Silverado Trail out of Napa, the very first winery that can be visited is Luna Vineyards. The facilities and reception area are lovely — a large, free-standing bar is the focal point for the tasting area with retail options scattered around. While there, make a point of asking about the tower. While tasting on a bright, sunny afternoon, we were invited to take our classes and ascend up to the viewing tower which provides a fabulous view of the neighboring vineyards.
The emphasis at Luna is on Italian varietals and their winemaker, Mike Drash (formerly of Far Niente) has helped Luna produce a very respectable collection of wines. It was a quiet day and I was able to taste through their entire book, much of which I greatly admired:
2003 Estate Pinot Grigio – Light, bright honeysuckle nose. While there was an immediate crispness on the entry, a rich, creamy mid-palate of peach gave way to a delightfully long finish.
2003 Tocai Friulano – A grape which I am unfamiliar with, but hope to taste more of. Apparently this is farmed from the Vista Verde Vineyard near Monterey. A rich, guava-like scent anticipated the tropical fruit mouthfeel.
2002 Reserve White Wine – 52% Pinot Grigio, 29% Tokay, and 19% Sauvignon Blanc. Well-balanced acidity in with aromas of roasted nuts.
2002 Sangiovese – Actually a blend of 84% Sangiovese with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 3% Syrah. Very nice earthy aroma with spicy overtones. Full, jammy mid-palate with a leathery finish.
1999 Sangiovese Riserva – This is a fabulous wine – very nice, ruby color. Roasted berry aromas with a hint of anise. Very even tannic structure and rich, full finish.
2002 Sangiovese Riserva – This wine is 100% vineyard-designate. Considerably younger than it’s 1999 cousin, I suspect it will age gracefully. A bit more earthiness on the nose and much bigger tannins.
2001 Merlot – Remarkably young with green bell pepper aromas. Dark earthy mouthfeel that is more chewy than I would have liked.
2002 Bordeaux Blend – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 7% Sangiovese. Shockingly young-tasting wine. Elegant spicy nose with hints of clove. Thin entry in the mouth and acidic finish. Needs more time.
2000 Canto – This wine was a complex blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah (although I failed to get the exact proportions). I was immediately struck by the sweet nose of anise. The mid-palate was a tad green and young, but finished with very round, full minerally fruit. Quite lovely.
2001 Mille Baci; Late Harvest Pinot Grigio – Rich, complex dried stonefruit filled my mouth. This wine is not fortified, but picked at 37 brix and finished out at 16.5 residual sugar. Would love to try a glass with Roquefort cheese.
Luna Vineyards ~ 2921 Silverado Trail ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 707-255-2474