Van Der Heyden – 49
Sunday, March 20th, 2005
The idea of a "hidden treasure" in the Napa Valley is hard to justify, especially those on either the main drag of the 29 or on the Silverado Trail. There are too many vanity wineries with well-trained sales staff, stunningly decorated tasting rooms, and retail displays designed to part tasters with their cash. I have no compunction whatsoever in stating that Van Der Heyden STILL qualifies as a hidden treasure, for while it does lie on the Silverado Trail, the buildings and presentation of and by Andre Van Der Heyden is quite a treat.
A small cluster of buildings lies hidden from view behind the vineyards and sign on the street’s edge. The cluster is exactly that — signs direct guests underneath a temporary canopy to the tasting room which is little more than a trailer, barely able to hold more than eight or ten people. No frills and no glitz, on any given day all you will find is the diminutive personage of the larger-than-life Andre Van Der Heyden.
Andre came to California from Holland in 1963. After taking a home winemaking class in 1973, in 1977 he found a small piece of vineyard property just south of the Stags Leap District (before it was known as the Oak Knoll appellation) and opened his own winery. Still family owned and operated almost thirty years later, the character of its owner is more than worth a visit (but be prepared to listen closely — after telling his story so many times, he tends to speak very, very quickly!)
2001 Van Der Heyden Napa Valley Estate Chardonnay – 100% malo with 100 French oak for ten months. Sweet, mango aromas which enter the mouth with dark and buttery tones which gives way a tangy mid-palate and finishes with bright, mineral tones. $22.00
2001 Van Der Heyden Merlot – Deep, dark, and elegant Moroccan spices on the nose which anticipates the dark Cabernet Sauvignon-like entry into the mouth. Stunning with a long, heightened finish. $35.00
2000 Van Der Heyden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Aged 43 months in French oak! Intensely rich, dark nose of blackberry and chocolate-covered cherry aromas. Soft entry into the mouth with an extended, toasty vanilla finish. $50.00
2001 Van Der Heyden Estate Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon – "The only winery in the world producing a Late Harvest Cab! Harvested in 2001, to be bottled in 2005, 34 months in French oak." I was very fortunate to stumble into Van Der Heyden just as this amazing wine was bottled. There is a misnomer that all late-harvest wines are overtly sweet and while this wine has 5% residual sugar, I did not anticipate the dark, layered complexity of this wine. There was the meatiness of a Cabernet and the hint of sweetness from the late-harvest qualities gave the wine a characteristic of BBQ meat. I drove away simply thinking, "it was grilled BBQ in a glass." Truly astonishing. $50.00/375ml
NV White Table Wine – Only the fourth time having been made, this wine is a blend of Late Harvest Semillon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of green apple and citrus almost contradict the rich, creamy entry. While slightly syrupy in consistency, it is not sickly sweet with a crisp, dry finish. $18.00
Van Der Heyden Vineyards ~ 4057 Silverado Trail ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 800-948-WINE