Ultimate California Wine Blog

I have known of Rombauer’s reputation for a while. They are one of the stalwart well-loved Chardonnays that has become so popular, it makes up over 60% of their 60,000-case production. That is quite substantial for any winery and if you are going to stake your reputation on one wine, it had best be good. My friend, Lisa, was driving and she was the one who told me about their Chardonnay, but it was the salesman at the counter who confirmed its popularity with the statistics.

The buildings at Rombauer are incredibly well-hidden amongst the trees, atop a small hill which lies just west off the Silverado Trail. In fact, their road-side sign is a bit small and it is quite easy to whiz right past them on the trail. As you drive up the uphill, windy road, a patriotic cow is visible — seemingly exiting from the heavy brush on its way to the tasting room.

Greg Graham has been the winemaker at Rombauer for over twenty years – longevity of this sort is almost unheard of in the Napa Valley. The tasting room is small a bedecked with a wide variety of aeronautic paraphernalia and family remembrances. One other note – this is one of those rare, north of St. Helena wineries with picnic tables for guests who want to stay and relax for a while.

I had not put two-and-two together before my visit, but it was Lisa who told me that the Rombauer name was indeed the Rombauer who wrote The Joy of Cooking. Koerner and John started the winery and great-aunt Irma wrote the cookbook. I guess the foodie in me was a bit surprised that despite a handful of the books for sale in the hospitality room, this framed picture was the extent of their affiliation with the classic tome.

2002 Merlot – Cherry and dark current with a layer of vanilla spice shows in the nose. Slightly hot entry smooths out to display a lingering vanilla finish. $28.75

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon – 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Core of blueberry with a whisper of green olive and dried herbs. Dry entry bursts with fruit and finishes with supple spice. $36.75

2002 Napa Zinfandel – Decidedly fruity red in aroma and initial taste. The fruit bomb explodes into spice showing cinnamon and pepper. Sweet mid-palate with a long, lingering fruity finish. $25.00

2004 Chardonnay – Another winery that pours Chardonnay at the end. I wonder if it is a tactical plan to make the palate heightened with the tannins but then introduce a wine which will of course taste more distinct? At a 100% malo, the bouquet showed both dark tropical fruit as well as white stonefruit. The mouth entry was sweet (no surprise!) with a tangy mid-section and a touch of cream on the finish. I was fascinated by the customer or two who walked in to buy a Chardonnay and never realized that Rombauer made other wines… $29.75

Rombauer Vineyards ~ 3522 Silverado Trail ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 707-963-5170

There is something terribly special about being in on the ground floor of something. I certainly feel this way about Calix. With no formal tasting room, I was honored to be invited to a special release party of their 2003 vintage. While 2002 was their first vintage, this is a small winery relying on custom crush facility that I predict will start getting more and more notice. What is documented here in this blog entry was that release party held on a very hot Sunday afternoon by a cool, luxurious pool…

Ron Goldin (and his un-photographed partner, Mark Young) own ten acres of land at what is considered the south end of Calistoga, bordering on the north of Napa on the Silverado Trail. When they purchased this acreage ten years ago, the land housed horses. As local restaurateurs it did not take Ron and Mark long to realize that their property would be better suited to wine grapes than to horses. The property, affectionately named Masked Man, is mostly planted with Syrah but some Cabernet Sauvignon is beginning to appear on the Calix label.

BTW, I have to mention that I love the Calix name — it is the Latin name for cup but imbues far more meaning in that it is more of a sacred chalice, used for celebrations. Pictured here is Rudy Zuidema and wife, Amy. While Ron and Mark provide the grapes and support for Calix, it is winemaker Rudy who crafts the wine and Amy who does all the sales, distribution, etc…

This event was more than a celebration of new wine. It was a revelry of friends and family. A band, placed safely under large white umbrellas, played rhumba music while dogs romped and teased children swimming in the adjacent pool. It was fabulous to meet with new friends as well as see friendly faces, all trying to stay cool under the beating rays of the sun. I envied the children their swimtrunks and inhibitions.

One new friend whose acquaintance I am making is Joel Ehrlich. Joel is the Executive Chef at several of Mark and Ron’s restaurants including Brannan’s and Flat Iron Grill. I was fortunate to dine at both for some recent reviews and couldn’t have been more thrilled at my evening at Brannan’s. Joel catered the Calix release party and was working hard in the kitchen when I snuck in to take this photo. My only regret for the day was the heat. I got to taste one of the Calix offerings over dinner but did not take notes. The notes below do not do the wine justice as it was just plain too hot to fully appreciate what I know to be quality wines. I look forward to tasting them again in the future.

2003 Calix Masked Man Syrah – Chocolate, blueberry, and blackberry aromas. Soft entry that explodes to show balanced tannins and a supple, concentrated finish. $33.00

2003 Calix Parmalee-Hill Vineyard Syrah – Deep, dark purple with explosive smokey bacon bouquet. Rich dark fruit flavors with impressive spice characteristics. $33.00

BARREL SAMPLES

2004 Calix Masked Man Syrah – Flavors of soy sauce, bacon, and blackberry. Dry entry that exhibits dark core of fruit. Still a bit hot. Not yet priced

2004 Calix Masked Man Cabernet Sauvignon – A limited production of 75 cases, when bottled. Blackberry and some greeness. Flavors of chocolate and dark cassis. Not yet priced.

Calix ~
        3433 Scenic Drive ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 707-363-5574

I find it interesting that many visitors to the Napa Valley fail to travel much beyond the "boundary" of St. Helena. I am often contacted by first-time visitors who are looking for wineries who are "off-the-beat-and-path, have good wine, and with tasting rooms that aren’t packed like sardines." I often suggest those wineries, not only on the Silverado Trail, but also those on the trail which are north of Deer Park Road. August Briggs is such an establishment, far north on the Trail, with a Calistoga address but not quite so far up as to where the town begins.

Located on the west side of the road, the building is easily visible from the street, unassuming and considered simple, in this land of ostentatious chateaux and palaces. August Briggs’ story is a relatively simple one – local talented winemaker starts his own label. But it is a bit more than that.

There are a lot of winemakers who start their own label. Not every winemaker who starts their own label goes to the extent of acquiring the land to build a tasting room and wine-making facilities. Joe Briggs is considered a negociant winemaker – which means that he purchases grapes from various vineyards of well-repute who sell their grapes. Becoming a winery owner AND vineyard owner is a whole new level. Personally, I think there are vineyard owners who are not making very good wine – and there are winery owners buying their grapes to make fabulous wine. Joe Briggs seems to be on the path of already knowing how to make exceptional wine. Perhaps at some point he will start buying vineyards as well, but for the time being, he’s doing just fine.

2003 Napa Valley Pinot Meunier – Unusual to see this blending grape (usually used in sparkling wine), as a hundred-percent varietal. Upfront raspberry and strawberry components with a darker core of blueberry. Bright and medium-bodied, the mouthfeel was clean and upfront. Very easy to drink. $32.00

2003 Napa Valley Dijon Clones Pinot Noir – Classic aromas of dark berry and red cherry with hints of vanilla. Lighter cranberry on the mouth entry which is well-integrated, smooth, and easy. A bit of a bright tang on the end with some mineral qualities. $35.00

2003 Napa Valley Zinfandel – From 100-year old vines, the bouquet played between a dark cherry core and whiffs of smoke. Mostly spicy dark fruit in the mouth, reasonably tannins with a touch of heft and a peppery finish. $32.00

2002 Napa Valley Syrah – Surprisingly greenness on the nose — not that the fruit was unripe, but more an underpinning of green bell pepper and green olive. Inky dark purple in color, the initial taste was smooth and concentrated with an erotic earthiness that was quite erotic and pleasing. $32.00

2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — From a Spring Mountain vineyard, this dark, rich offering shows dark cocoa and integrated dusty herbs in the nose. Big bold flavors, mostly of hefty fruit and rich chocolate with a bit of sage on the finish. $48.00

August Briggs ~333 Silverado Trail ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 707-942-4912

I spend a bit more time on wine chat lists than I probably should. Every other week or so, someone comes to the Napa valley for the first time and asks where they should go. The pundits on those sites always have their favorites and it is not unusual to see the same posters making the same recommendations over and over. But then someone will mention Dutch Henry as a little-known surprise and a chorus of  "Oh yeah, I always forget about that place — its great!" is heard.

My visit to Dutch Henry was similarly enlightening. As I meandered up the Silverado Trail and saw the sign, that light bulb went off as I recalled the accolades. Immediately after parking alongside the building complex, I admired two other customers who were wiling away their Sunday afternoon on Dutch Henry’s adjacent bocce ball court.

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Sitting in front of the tasting rooms, waiting for the next customer to arrive, was this nice chap, showing off a recent crop of squash from a nearby garden which lies on the grounds. Proud of his bounty, I was honored to have been offered what looked like an albino pumpkin. He assured me is an edible squash and not just decorative, which would best be enjoyed sliced thick and grilled. Later on that evening, I found out he was correct.

Dutch Henry’s tasting room is relatively small and feels almost cramped amongst the stacked barrels of the air-conditioned warehouse. The atmosphere is one of being part of the working facilities as only minimal displays of the merchandise exist in this part of the building. In a nearby corner, lies a sample or two of olive oil that is also made by the company. A bit north on the Trail than many tourists tend to go, but undoubtedly worth the effort.

2002 Los Carneros Chardonnay – Distinct aroma of toasted popcorn. Not the butter on popcorn, but the actual fluffy white part. Rather odd. A non-ML chard, the flavors were crisp and clean, displaying green apple and light citrus notes. $26.00

2002 Napa Valley Argos – A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 25% Merlot. Including a bit of fruit from Howell Mountain, this wine has a rich, perfumey aroma of cocoa and black licorice behind a core of dark fruit. Spice shows itself first in the mouth and then cranberry in the middle. Smooth and easy, this is a balanced wine with an engaging mouth feel. $40.00

2002 Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Another Howell Mountain offering, this was a tad more green than I expected from an ’02 Howell Mountain wine. Needing more time in the bottle, the aroma is high-pitched with red plum and fresh cherry. Hints of clove and cinnamon exist and it is obvious the wine is well-made with potential, but simply needs some aging to show its true merits. $42.00

1999 Reserve Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – This vineyard is also a hillside vineyard, just south of St. Helena on Howell Mountain, but technically not within the appellation. Having spent 32 months in French oak, there are dark herbs along with the intense fruit in the nose and a decidedly cranberry mouth entry. Dry in the mid-palate, the finish has a sage tone. $68.00

2004 Napa Valley Pinot Noir – Yes, I thought it odd that they would pour a Pinot at the end, after the Cabernets. Fruit forward nose is soft and earthy showing cherry and bright raspberry. Slightly sweet on the first taste, the bright red fruit flavors exist and expand into ripe, rich mushrooms and developed, complex spice. $42.00

Dutch Henry ~ 4310 Silverado Trail ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 888-224-5879

I’ve had a lot of friends asking me to head to Frank Family Vineyards for some time. One reason is that I am especially drawn to historical locations. In this case, while the Frank family themselves have only been in the wine industry since the early 1990s, the location and some of the remaining buildings date back to the early 1880s.

It is the front building that has been ‘plaqued’ as an historic landmark, having once been the Larkmead Winery (which now has me on an investigative journey to go and visit the new home of Larkmead as it seems the patriarch sold this estate in the 1950s).

During my visit, the historical building in the front was closed down. I was there on a weekend so I can only assume the building is used for winemaking in some fashion, but I did not get to peer inside and who knows – maybe it is just there for storage these days… There is a smaller, house-like structure behind the stone edifice which now acts as the hospitality suite and tasting room.

The entrance to the tasting is somewhat of an anteroom that acts as the location of the cash register as well as where some bubbly is tasted first. After a bit of sparkling, you wander through a hallway of some several thousand photographs of friends and family. The second tasting room lies in the back of the house and not only contains memorabilia of Rich Frank’s former life as chairman of Walt Disney’s musical division (this means there are gold records on the wall). The grounds are lovely to walk around and some picnic tables sitting behind the back building seem inviting as they were already half full.

2000 Champagne Reserve – Yep, they call it Champagne and not "sparkling wine." Four months on French oak and five years on yeast, finished with Remi cognac (that would actually be Carneros-based RMS Alembic that went out of business several years ago and sold off barrels of their product). Very smooth and nice with flavors of apple and hazelnut. Decent combination of sweetness and yeast. $55.00

NV Rouge – 100% Pinot Noir. Light almondine garnet colored. Slightly fishy aroma with bright cranberry flavors and a metallic finish. $27.75

2004 Chardonnay – They call it liquid creme brulee in a glass. At a 100% malo having spent two months in French oak, this wine has pretty thick banana aromas with some caramel and toffee. Viscous and vanilla-flavored, the wine was still tight and possibly suffering from bottle shock. $32.50

2003 Zinfandel – From Browns Valley. They call this the Velvet Hammer. (Seems they name all their wine). At 16% alcohol, this is a pretty heady wine showing strong black plum and blackberry aromas with a back-nose of chocolate. The mouth entry was relatively soft but explodes with black licorice. Spice and chocolate present themselves before the dark plummy finish. $34.95

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon – An initial tease of green bell pepper subsided with a swirl and produced more pronounced mushroom and dark fruit. Distinct cedar taste on first taste which evolved to produce dusty cocoa and a hint of eucalyptus. The tannins were balanced and even and the core finish was meaty blackberry. $39.75

2000 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – From Rutherford. Dark, inky purple wine that seemed mostly comprised of chocolate. Huge, brawny tannins brightened to chewy cranberry flavors. Needs time. $65.00

Frank Family Vineyards ~ 1091 Larkmead Lane ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 800-574-9463