Ultimate California Wine Blog

Diamond Oaks is a relative new-comer to the Napa Valley wine scene. Located on the edge of a mountain up the Oakville Grade, the building facilities was once better known as Vichon (a Mondavi project) – and, for a short while, La Famiglia (another Mondavi project).

Indian-born Dinesh Maniar is the current proprietor. Having already acquired numerous Napa and Sonoma vineyards, the acquisition of this property from the Mondavis was a jewel in his wine-bedecked crown. By all accounts from those who work with him, Maniar is an introspective, unassuming gentleman who has made some very impressive improvements to the property.

The tasting room, when it was La Famiglia, was known for the hand-painted wall-sized mural. That was the only aspect of the original hospitality area that Maniar retained. The building was slightly retrofitted to accommodate much-needed windows for light, new marble floors, and elegant lighting fixtures (selected by Dinesh himself).

Of special note is the picturesque picture area. Undoubtedly one of the most stunning views of the valley, for a mere $30.00, the winery will reserve a table, provide a bottle of wine and glasses, and place a checkered tablecloth to await your culinary delight. Corkpulls are strategically dangled from the trees, just in case you forget…

2001 Chalk Hill Chardonnay – Maniar owns 95 acres of Chalk Hill vineyards. This 100% malo chard is fruit forward, with intense lemon and tropical fruit aromas. Initial flavors are fruit forward with lemon and a hint of cream. The finish shows nuts, oak, and a touch of butter. $29.00

2001 Reserve Carneros Chardonnay - Another 100% malo, but this one has seen 100% French oak. Rich, full, layered offering with a tropical bouquet surrounding a core of butterscotch. Flavors dance between lemon meringue and clean pear. $39.00

2003 Carneros Pinot Noir – Simple aromas of cherry, licorice, and earth in the nose. Bigger fruit flavors explodes in the mouth, counter to the thinner bouquet. Tight and young, earth and licorice dominate. $19.00

2002 Silver Carneros Merlot – Deep tones of green olive, rich earth, and some cherry. Richer fruit flavors of solid dark fruit, a mid-palate of toast, finishes with a tease of eucalyptus. $17.00

2002 Hira Ranch Merlot, Carneros – 70% French oak, 20% of that is new – the other 30% is American oak. Dark chocolate and tobacco qualities in the nose. Initially soft and supple upon entry, dark berry and earthy qualities become rich and complex on the finish. $29.00

2003 Cabernet, Alexander Valley – (Wine Club only). A pre-release tasting is still a bit green with tons of rustic herbs and cherry. Gobs of chocolate mint on the nice, lingering finish. No price.

Diamond Oaks ~ 1595 Oakville Grade ~ Oakville ~ CA ~ 94562 ~ 707-948-3000

I was very surprised when I drove up to Clos Pegase. I was surprised that I had not made a more concerted effort to seek it out, considering the astonishing artwork and beauty of facilities.

Jan and Mitsuko Shrem’s story of their relative humble beginnings is very impressive – and what they subsequently built here in the Napa valley is even more impressive. Jan traveled to Japan in the mid-1950s on vacation. Falling in love with the country and a woman, Mitsuko, he stayed and began a modest publishing in Japan. That modest publishing house grew into a small fortune, enabling Jan to travel to Bordeaux in 1980 to study winemaking.

Within three years, he had purchased fifty acres of prime Calistoga real estate and an invocation of a Bacchic spirit. The facilities were built in the mid-1980s with the intent of housing the impressive art collection that the Shrems had amassed. With a reverent  bow to the Greek temples, the edifice hearkens to the bleached white ancient temples but with a minimal cornice, negative space insets alluding to columns a single pillar in front which invites the visitor to a courtyard of additional pillars, and a color scheme slightly resembling orange and strawberry sherbet.

The grounds are filled with the Shrem’s collection of art. As you enter the facilities, a number of large sculptures greet the visit — from the whimsical giant thumb, set alongside working vineyards, to kinetic and a more classically Greek-oriented Herm. Also available within the grounds are picnic tables. While cheese and other picnic items are available within the tasting room for purchase, it is nice to know there is a spot amongst some engaging artwork where visitors can bring their own picnics.

The tasting room itself is also bedecked with a variety of modern and historical works. Behind the tasting bar is a tremendous scene of a Sybaritic bacchanal but several lighting units are decidedly modern with loops of folded glass cascading down from the ceiling. The room is large and inviting and also contains a two-story glass entryway, adequately showing off the impressive barrels in which wine is aging.

2004 Mitsuko’s Vineyard Chardonnay- Golden yellow in color, dark pineapple dominates the nose. Rich fig and floral qualities coat the mouth in a creamy offering. The finish shows some mineral qualities but the ending is long and luscious. $21.00

2003 Mitsuko’s Vineyard Pegase Circle Reserve Chardonnay – From Carneros, this lighter, lemony colored wine immediately displays lemon meringue qualities in the nose, subsiding to some depth of kiwi and faint pineapple. Soft entry blossoms with yellow floral tones and bright fruit. $24.50

2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, the rest being a proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec. Mostly green nose of bell pepper and chili pepper. Tight, chewy entry was a tad hot. Needs time. $32.50

2002 Pegaso – 44% Petite Sirah, 44% Zinfandel, and 12% Syrah. Opulent bouquet of blueberry, bacon, and dark spiced berry. Tight, hot mouth entry slightly disappoints considering the amazing nose. Perhaps it just needs more time as well. Unknown price.

2000 Graveyard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon – From Carneros. Erratic aromas of spice, green bell pepper, and minerals. Very bright, tight entry showing youth and green chili peppers. Apparently it is considered a good selling point as the pourer was encouraging in his description of the inclusion of pepper flavors. Very, very odd. $60.00

To their credit, I have heard very good things about their wine. I believe the weather may have been far too hot on the day of my visit to give the wine its justice and plan on going back when the ambient temperature is more comfortable.

Clos Pegase ~ 1060 Dunaweal Lane ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 800-366-8583

Cuvaison is a well-known name around the Napa valley but I didn’t realize the winery had such longevity; Thomas Cotrell and Thomas Parkhill purchased 27 acres  on the Silverado Trail, about half way between St. Helena and Calistoga. The past 35 years have seen a number of different captains the Cuvaison ship, with additional property acquired on Mt. Veeder and a substantial hunk of land in Carneros.

Now, with substantial business growth, one of Cuvaison’s major claims to fame is that 20% of their 60,000 cases is sold internationally. This makes them often more well known outside the United States than within it. Also, of these 60,000 some-odd cases, over 65% of that is purely Chardonnay. Occasionally there are arguments that too much Cabernet Sauvignon is being made, but I believe many forget that it is really Chardonnay that leads the pack in grape growth.

The Cuvaison guest center is surprisingly small considering the volume production of the winery. It is small, yet charming. The interior of the building houses the tasting room and sales area. The staff working the room are pleasant and helpful. Another advantage of note is that this is one of the many wineries north of Deer Park Road on the Trail that has a picnic area. I continue to be astonished at the number of wineries that allow this located in this vicinity.

2004 Sauvignon Blanc – Green grass and lemon peel on the nose. Classically tangy entry with a full mouth of grapefruit. Spicy finish. $19.00

2003 Chardonnay, Carneros – 75% malo – Luscious stone fruit with well-integrated oak. Creamy sense of meringue on the entry, deepening to flavors of nutmeg. Tangy, lime finish. $35.00

2004 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir – Very, very pale pink color. Surprisingly creamy nose with a tease of berry. Tangy entry but no discernible flavors. $16.00

2003 Estate Pinot – Dripping wet with cherry, raspberry, and strawberry up front surrounding a core of vanilla oak. Dense and chewy with a harsh entry despite the great nose. Mineral finish thins and surprises from the big start. $48.00

2002 Syrah – Some moldy funk behind dark berry and black fruit. White pepper whispers in the back of the nostrils. Hot, tight entry softens a bit, showing surprisingly red, bright fruit. $28.00

2003 Espiritu Port – An odd combination of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, fortified with brandy. Petrol nose – behind the alcohol, mostly green olive aromas. Biting entry burns a bit. $35.00/375 ml

Cuvaison ~ 4550 Silverado Trail ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 707-942-6266

Château 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.

Wine 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.

Apparently 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…

The 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