Ultimate California Wine Blog

Nils Venge has quite a reputation in both the Napa valley and in the wine world in general. Besides being a consulting winemaker for Robert Keenan and Plumpjack Winery. Nils was also instrumental in the establishment Saddleback Cellars, but it was with his son, Kirk, that the family name finally ended up on a label of its own, Venge Vineyards. His renown came while working at Groth where he became the first American winemaker to receive an illusive 100 points from noted wine critic Robert Parker for his 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Venge’s namesake wine is made at what is historically known as the Rossini Ranch. Built by Swiss Italian immigrant Carlo Rossini in 1891, like many other wineries of its age, it suffered the Prohibition shut-down syndrome. It is located on the base of Howell Mountain, several miles back a long and twisty road that one may believe goes no where. Keep going…

Nils and family have completely renovated the building. The top floor is the home of the tasting room. Bright with natural light from vaulted ceilings, it has yet to see an abundance of decorations or knick-knacks. The tasting is not confined to this room, but includes a tour of the entire facilities. The first wine or two is tasted at the bar. From there, guests are led down into the belly of the building.

A table has been set up in the cellar area where most of the red wines are tasted. It is gratifying to see a working winery from the inside and be able to enjoy its bounty. While the tasting is appointment-only, I stumbled in one weekday afternoon and was still granted courteous hospitality and a tasting.

2004 Bianco Spettro – 55% Chardonnay, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Marsanne. White floral nose that is rich with a hint of sweetness. Smooth mouth entry that has a nice oily sensation. Clean feeling with yellow peach tones. $25.00

2002 Sangiovese – The
first impression faked me out a bit with a Cabernet-like blackberry
nose. A swirl opened it to warm, sweet cinnamon and cherry aromas. Sweet entry expands to display ripe red fruit. There was an underlying minerality which fills out, produces
intense balanced flavors, and culminates in a spicy finish. $30.00.

2003 Scout’s Honor – 70% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 15% Charbono. The story behind the name of this wine is a remembrance to Kirk’s beloved yellow lab, Scout. I must admit this is a hard wine to describe because there is so much going on; a core of smoke, layers of sweetness and spice, and effusive brambleberry. $35.00

2001 Merlot – Redolent with valley terroir. Rich with earthy tones, tobacco, leather, and dark berry. The flavors are rich and complex that finishes with some dusty herbal notes. $40.00

2000 Cabernet Sauvignon – Overwhelming nose of green bell pepper, jalapeño, and eucalyptus. Smooth entry that blossoms to show red cherry and a dark black anise. $95.00

Venge Vineyards ~ 424 Crystal Springs Road ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94573 ~ 707-967-1008

There is always a pang of guilt when I am introduced to a Napa-based winery that I had never heard of before. At the Copia Cognoscente tasting, I was wracked with guilt seeing a roomful of unfamiliar names. So I was extremely grateful to a few folks who stuck around during the lunch break to chat with me, first and foremost, Greg and Marilyn Nitz, proprietors of Carrefour Vineyards, along with their winemaker, Kelly De’Ianni (she’s the one on the far left).

With fifteen acres of grapes that they had previously been selling to Rombauer and still sell to Duckhorn, the 2004 their Sauvignon Blanc is now their first release. Additional grapes planted include most of the Bordeaux varietals with Pinot Noir coming from purchased grapes in Carneros. Great people and great wines — and something new worth looking out for!

2004 Oak Knoll Sauvignon Blanc – Intense green fig and floral bouquet. Grapefruit entry is balanced and vibrant without being astringent. The lemony finish shows depth and elegance. Only 340 cases produced. $16.00

2003 Carneros Pinot Noir – 1,200 cases produced of this new entry on the Pinot market. Bright spicy cherry in the nose mirrors the mouth entry. Tons going on in layers of complex fruit and integrated spice. The overall structure is medium bodied and the finish keeps going. $28.00

2003 Napa Valley Cabernet – 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petite Verdot. Dark, rich purple wine. Still unreleased, the flavors are admittedly young with depth of herb and mineral. Fruit is still tight and I would love to taste this wine in five or ten years. Not yet priced.

Carrefour ~ No address yet available ~ 707-252-9167

This is going to be a rare one for me — for change, I am going to document a winery and wine without having met its principals, visited its vineyards, or talked to anybody who even works for the winery. While at the Copia Cognoscente tasting, the folks at The Bounty Hunter had a number of wines they were representing on their table. The parchment paper color, Doré-like woodcut design, and deckled edge drew my eye. Axios.  It is a Greek word that looks like this: άξιος and means, worth.

Reading through the company website, the gist is that a Constantine ‘Gus’ Kalaris, after running a wine distribution company for twenty-plus years, decided to finally begin making his own. Kalaris did well in hiring winemaker Robert Egelhof, mythic for his association with such wines as Harlan, Pahlmeyer, and David Arthur. I can’t tell you anything else. Their website has vineyard information for the 1999 release, yet what I tasted was a pre-release which won’t be available for sale until the middle of 2006. Perhaps at that point I can re-visit this intriguing wine house and tell you more.

2003 Axios Cabernet Sauvignon – Medium red color, giving the aloof  impression of a light-bodied wine. While not have heavy as I would have preferred, the aromas of defined minerals, juicy plum, and dusty herbs don’t disappoint. The mouth entry is clean and deep, showing supple wood and rich, dark berry fruit. $130.00.

No company information available. Earlier vintages available through Bounty Hunter; link above.

I’ve know about Robert Craig Wine Cellars for a while, in a back-handed sort of way… When I was working up at Ladera, Robert Craig’s winemaker, Chad, would come over and visit as he and Tres are really good friends. I’ve been privy to a tasting now and then but never got to visit the actual facility up on Howell Mountain. Fortunately for me — and now for you! — they have opened a tasting room in downtown Napa, making it a lot easier for all concerned except for maybe Chad, who still drives up the mountain to make their extraordinary wine.

The downside to the tasting room is that it is quite off the beat-and-track. Although technically downtown, it is located in a small building essentially surrounded with some of the more downtrodden Victorians (although there is hope as signs of renovation abound). An additional note on the tasting room; because of its slightly remote location, it is technically appointment-only, Tuesdays through Saturday. Although Rachel Miller, their manager, assures me that she tries her best to never turn anyone away.

The day of my visit was a special open house so there were some munchies and Ms. Lynn Craig there to welcome visitors. Rachel advised me that normally the table is set-up for a more informative sit-down tasting which is always complimentary (yet another rarity in Napa!). And knowing my penchant for mountain wines, how could I not be impressed…

2002 Syrah – Rich, sweet aromas of smoke and bacon with a tease of mint. Chocolate taste at first, then dark fruit streaks of blueberry, blackberry, and plum. Rachel explained this was a the blend of two vineyards; a cool Los Olivos and a warmer Paso Robles. Being younger than I normally drink Syrah, I was impressed that it already showed supple, smooth characteristics. Medium-bodied, it was not over-the-top with heat or alcohol, but already well-developed. $28.00

2000 Affinity – Their name for the Bordeaux blends that are made, which are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. In this case 76% Cabernet, 22% Merlot, and 2% Petite Verdot. The wine displayed some dark, twiggy, rustic brambleberry aromas with a whisper of chocolate. Initially sweet on the entry, an earthy core was balanced with dark blueberry and a rich, long, silky finish. Sold Out

2001 Affinity - 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 2% Pertite Verdot. Intensely rich dark core of blackberry and smoke with a hint of sweetness on the back of the nose. Tight entry blossoms to show bright, engaging fruit with some oak and a currant finish. $Available only as part of a vertical

2002 Affinity – Over-the-top black fruit with tones of black licorice. Bright, sweet entry is concentrated with layers of herbs. Darker finish with a touch of cocoa. $40.00

2002 Mt. Veeder Cabernet – 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Classic Veeder with tons of dark cherry, leather, and tobacco. A touch of hot twig and herbs showing the wine’s youth. Mouth entry has tons of up-front fruit with flavors of dark cherry and cranberry. $50.00

2002 Howell Mountain Cabernet – Purple in color, spice dominates the intense dark fruit aromas. Silky smooth entry is velvety and rich with developed structure and perfectly balanced tannins. Supple. Wine club members only.

Robert Craig Wine Cellars ~ 880 Vallejo Street ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94559 ~ 707-252-2250

As one travels up the Silverado Trail, northbound from Napa to Calistoga, there is a single large turn off towards Lake Berryessa.  After rows and rows of vineyards, the intersection suddenly stands out as a span of open field is punctuated by a large collection of old, stately trees. The trees are the shading and elegant setting of Rutherford Ranch.

The estate has a a small creek running through it as well as a pond. A series of small buildings, which I believe are guest houses, are nestled amongst the trees. I did not get an opportunity to walk around and hope that the proprietors have made this idyllic space available to visitors and not simply relegated the enclave to office space. The day of my visit was just after a family wedding and any crew who could have answered questions was too inundated with other visitors.

The tasting room itself is contained within a stately, sprawling building. I was able to talk with one chap in the tasting room about the two separate labels. Many business decisions are made when second labels are created and I was curious about the differences between the Rutherford Ranch and Round Hill labels. Apparently the gist of the Round Hill entirely for a bulk retail market and not really poured in the tasting room. Although the day of my visit, the Round Hill Chardonnay was being poured as it had won a series of awards.

What is most impressive about the winery’s operation is that in producing over 100,000 cases, the presentation of two labels and a public facility is not that which impacts consumers most. It is a private label business which includes the likes of Auberge du Soleil and a number of other prestigious restaurants. You may never know the next time you are dining in our favorite restaurant and are offered their own wine — it very well could be a Rutherford Ranch wine!  A note on prices; their website does not currently list selling prices and I have misplaced the price sheet I took from the winery, but suffice to say that the average price is in the $10 to $20 range.

2004 Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford Ranch – Tart grapefruit dominates. Crisp, acidic mouth entry shows pungent lemon grass with a chewy lemon peel finish.

2004 Round Hill Chardonnay – A hint of malo displays a bit defined cream and butter upon entry but finishes a bit crisp with textured lemon flavors.

2003 Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay – Rich lemon bouquet with thick buttery mouth entry.

2002 Rutherford Ranch Merlot – Mostly warm berry tones in the nose with a hint of metal funk. Smooth entry is a bit hot with a twiggy, earthy mid-palate and a sharp chocolate finish.

2002 Rutherford Ranch Zinfandel – 97% Zinfandel, 1.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1.5% ‘Proprietary Blend’ – Medium bodied offering with tons of black cherry and licorice aromas. Simple, easy mouth entry with a crisp, mocha finish.

2002 Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon – Tight, blackberry bouquet coupled with earth and oak. Blueberry flavors are somewhat flaccid.

2004 Rutherford Ranch Moscato – Clear straw color. Sweet orange blossom and yellow flowers in the nose. Clean flavors of ripe pear and apricot. Not syrupy or overly sweet but bright and engaging.

Rutherford Ranch/Round Hill Vineyards ~ 1680 Silverado Trail ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 800-778-0424