Ultimate California Wine Blog

Trefethen has a lot going for it. It is one of the very first wineries that tourists see when they start their drive up Highway 29 as they enter the Napa Valley. Trefethen is also very tongue-in-cheek with their Sideways back-handed Merlot comment above their sign. Thank goodness for their sign, as their winery is nestled among the vines, hidden far back off the main street.

The building complex is located in the Oak Knoll Appellation which is one of the newest appellations established in the Napa Valley. One could say it is the love child of Janet Trefethen who spearheaded it into existence. Her winery building was part of the 1886 boom year of construction of gravity fed wineries and much of its original splendor is still evident in its grace and charm.

The tasting room is cozy with two tasting bars on opposite ends of the room and a private Library Tasting Room in a separate part of the building. The Library Tasting Room is by appointment while the adjacent, public room is open standard hours. There are some of the standard retail items, but of special note in a place of honor is an original piece of artwork by the renown Gerard Puvis who creates ‘sculptures’ out of the wine foils from the necks of bottles.

2004 Dry Riesling, Oak Knoll – Dry means low in sugar; .76% RS to be exact. This produces a clean, floral nose that hints of exotic flowers and some citrus. Those same flavors appear in the mouth entry and produce an easy-drinking, balanced offering that I would easily pair with some spicy Thai food on a hot afternoon. $18.00

2003 Estate Chardonnay, Oak Knoll – With only 26% malo, I found this wine to have balanced qualities of ripe tropical melon and creamy vanilla in both aromas and flavors. Some hints of mineral on the finish don’t diminish this easy-drinking wine. $28.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Oak Knoll – Warm, blossomy raspberry and cherry just barely hide an earthy base. Hints of dried flowers show in the nose and expand in the mouth to a long finish of dried cranberry and a touch of spice. $30.00

2001 Merlot, Oak Knoll – With 12% Cabernet, there was an initial hint of green bell pepper which gave way to black cherry and black plum. A dark fruit mouth entry gave way to a dried floral and herb mid-palate. The dry finish was spicy with clove and nutmeg. $30.00

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll – Warm, opulent berry showed in the nose and in the initial taste. Some hints of tobacco provides integration and complexity. $42.00

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Oak Knoll – Dark purple in color, dark berry liqueur showed immediately but a touch of jalapeño showed through. Blackberry teased the tongue and the dry finish demonstrated eucalyptus and cedar. $75.00

2002 Late Harvest Riesling – Perfumey honeysuckle and jasmine floral notes play in the nose. A velvety entry that is bright with a touch of citrus and just a bit spicy with a long-finishing sweetness. $50.00/375ml

Trefethen Vineyards ~ 1160 Oak Knoll Avenue ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 707-255-7700

By all accounts, Gundlach Bundschu, or "Gun Bun," as it is affectionately known, should have been my very first blog entry. For I can credit Gundlach Bundschu wines for opening my eyes to the world of wine which ultimately caused me to move from Southern California to the wine country. Back around the time of my 30th birthday, at Bristol Farms (an upscale grocery store) in Manhattan Beach, there was a Zinfandel and Game dinner. It is funny to me that almost a dozen years later, I remember the menu; Wild Boar with Black Voodoo Sauce, Lamb Sausages with Spinach, Raisins and an Onion Confit, and Roast Quail with Spiced Raspberry Compote. And it was there I discovered GunBun’s Zinfandel. Of course this was an age of Merlot and, being so impressed with their Zin, I promptly walked in the store and bought the current release of Merlot. The next three-day weekend we had, Shawn and I drove up to the winery, joined the wine club and bought a t-shirt. I’m glad I still have the t-shirt as that label design was retired several years ago…

Upon our arrival in wine country, jobs were a bit difficult to come by and after several months of unemployment, I had to call and cancel our membership in the wine club due to poverty. "Heck, you know the wines! Why don’t you come and pour in the tasting room?" I was asked. I hardly needed prodding. I still moonlight in the tasting room on occasional weekends, wanting to keep my fingers in the GunBun pie. And now it is that much more enjoyable due to a newly redecorated tasting room.

Historically, Gundlach Bundschu is the oldest family-owned winery in North America. Jacob Gundlach arrived in America from Bavaria after a year-long boat journey around Cape Horn (there was a ship-wreck en route and he almost stayed in Africa!).  Jacob hired Charles Bundschu as his accountant and with Charles marrying Jacob’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Francisca, the Gundlach Bundschu name was born. It was the Bundschu line that continued and there are still four generations of Bundschus living on the property. With a little over 350 farmed acres and five different micro-climates, the winery excels in growing over a dozen varietals. The estate, known as "Rhinefarm," makes up the bulk of winery’s production, however there is a modicum of grapes that are purchased. This year, for example, there are three Zinfandels; a Rhinefarm (estate grown), a Sonoma Valley, and a Morse Zin (Bob Morse being a local history professor who just happens to live on ten acres of zinfandel property).

The business was started with a German varietal, Riesling, and while it saddens me that those vines were recently pulled out due to disease, the family has maintained their German roots with the continual production of a very lovely Gewürtztraminer, made in the Alsatian style with low residual sugar.

2004 Gewürtztraminer, Rhinefarm Vineyard – Bright, effusive grapefruit and citrus aromas. Clean citrus entry with a hint of spice on the finish. $22.00

2003 Tempranillo Rosé, Rhinefarm Vineyard – A pale red with pink tints on the edges, luscious red fruit with hints of strawberry balanced with cherry tones. Easy and best served well-chilled. $18.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Rhinefarm Vineyard – Dusty, dried floral aromas subside to show wild strawberry and earthy, musky qualities. Deep, complex layers show dark red fruit and dried heather. $32.00

2002 Pinot Noir, Russian River – Cranberry and dark spice start but are soon coupled with dark strawberry and vanilla. A clear, pronounced entry shows hints of earth and oak with a structured, herbal finish. $28.00

2002 Tempranillo, Rhinefarm Vineyard – Tobacco and spice and brambleberry play together in this balanced, even wine. Some coffee in the mid-palate and dark, mineral qualities on the finish. $28.00

2002 Mountain Cuvée, Rhinefarm Vinyeard – An interesting blend of 75% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% each Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Dark cherry in the nose gives way to hints of dark herbs. Still young, an easy-drinking wine that will mellow to accompany any food. $20.00

2002 Merlot, Rhinefarm Vineyard – Dried herbs and dried cherry predominate the nose. Still a bit young, dark cherry with hints of dark chocolate and coffee promise a smooth, easy drinker in a year or two. $32.00

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhinefarm Vineyard – Cassis and black boysenberry aromas anticipate the dark fruit entry. A hint of dusty cocoa shows in the mid-palate and the easy finish predicts another dozen years of lovely drinking. $32.00

2003 Zinfandel, Morse – Chocolate-covered blackberry easily makes this a wine to accompany dark, bittersweet chocolate with dessert. Mineral and herbal tannins in the mid-palate shows a supple, smooth quality. $24.00

2002 Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley – Black licorice and minerals just barely hide dark, black cherry. Heightened acids are a tad astringent but I wouldn’t hesitate to try this again in two or three years (only because I know how well these age). $18.00

2003 Zinfandel, Rhinefarm Vineyard – A massive, jammy fruit bomb knocks your socks off with lots of dark bramble fruit, spice, and a mocha finish. My favorite of the three. $32.00

Gundlach Bundschu ~ 2000 Denmark Street ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 707-938-5277

It is no surprise that many are entranced with the wine country for its inherent, illusive magical qualities. Is it the mere beverage being produced? The landscape? The architecture? What is it about the wine industry (for it IS an industry!) that promotes an aura of mystique? I suppose it is why I moved here — as a sort of spiritual quest, like Gawain searching for the Grail. I doubt a single piece of the puzzle will be found within the entirety of my blog, as I travel from winery to winery, but in visiting Hanzell, part of what I have been searching for has been found.

Locating Hanzell takes some work. After a side road is taken just outside of downtown Sonoma, a small, one-lane, unpaved road is driven until such time as you are convinced you have gone the wrong way. Then, after a gentle curve and the return of a modicum of pavement, an A-frame building makes itself known; majestic and regal, surrounded by vineyards.

Much of what makes Hanzell so magical is its phoenix-like history. The stunning building that invokes so much mystery was the cause for much trouble and consternation several years ago. Built in 1956 by the original owner, James D. Zellerbach, in 2003 the drains in the production area showed elevated levels of the
chemical TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole). You can see the drains in both the upper and lower section of this picture. In a move that shocked the industry, CEO and President, Jean Arnold, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars researching the problem, limited release on wines that had to potential for taint, and rebuilt the entire production area. What could have been the death knoll to the less stalwart, Arnold refused to give up and in moving forward, has brought Hanzell back with a vengeance.

A visit to Hanzell starts with a vineyard tour with Ben Sessions. He drove me around and showed me what made their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes unique, much having to do with their locale and the cool air flow up from San Pablo bay. Being situated at 850 elevation, their neighbors immediately to the east and to the north are blocked from that cool air flow. Following in Zellerbach’s Burgundian tradition, there is a still a belief in the sense of terroir.

After driving through the vineyards, we walked through the newly constructed caves, where a most astonishing light fixture illuminates the great room. An iron-wrapped barrel with alternate staves removed and hung upside-down, provides shadows and a continuation to the magical sense pervading the property.

An appointment-only winery, the tastings are held in the building that is now only used for storage of new and library wines, next to doors that open up upon an amazing view of the vista below and in plain site of those very drains that caused the winery’s rebirth.

2002 Hanzell Chardonnay – Initial sweet aromas of clean melon, pear, and apple with hints of minerality and warm kiwi. These are coupled in the flavors that excite and expand to show layered lemon zest and a graceful, enticing mouthfeel that teases to a clean, balanced finish. $55.00

2001 Hanzel Pinot Noir – Astounding ‘wow’ factor with dark, elegant berry playing alongside dusty, smooth mineral qualities. Dark, musky wild strawberries couples with textured, elegant leather and subtle spice in the mid-palate. One of the most Burgundian of California Pinots I have tasted, an earthy depth proves exceptional quality and ageability. $85.00

Hanzell Vineyards ~ 18596 Lomita Avenue ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~ 707-996-3860

Parry Cellars have branded themselves the smallest single vineyard in the Napa Valley. I’m not sure of the actual size of this Cabernet vineyard, located on the Silverado Trail, just north of St. Helena, but the three tons of grapes they harvested only produced 190 cases of much sought-after wine.

There is another aspect of Parry wine that is rather special; their winemaker is Andy Schweiger who owns and operates Schweiger Vineyards. Now three vintages into their lineage, one can only hope that there will be growth in the future as the stage is set for yet another exceptional Cabernet producer. No tasting room or facilities available for visiting, but a click through on their website shows a reasonably priced, accessible cab worth investigating.

2001 Parry Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon – Some initial green bell pepper which blows off to show lush, dark blackberry and cassis. A sweet entry displays balance and evolves into a chewier tobacco mid-palate. An easy dark cherry finish completes the overall velvety quality of the wine. $46.00

Parry Cellars ~ 3424 Silverado Trail North ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 707-967-8160

Continuing in the theme of learning about small production wineries who are members of the St. Helena Viticultural Socity, it is with great pleasure that I met the proprietors of Anomaly Vineyards. I have to admit to cheating a bit on their pictures as the ones I took of them personally were too blurry and, sadly, their facilities are not open to the public. But this is a wine worth looking for and I was especially charmed to meet Linda, who is also a women wine blogger.

I did not determine WHY they have named their winery Anomoly and intend on further investigation. At this time, this a wine that is only available through some of the finer restaurants (like French Laundry) and to those on the Anomaly mailing list. At a mere 500 cases produced, this is a wine that doesn’t last very long.

2002 Anomaly Cabernet Sauvignon – Herb and green bell pepper notes up front in the nose with a bright cherry entry that teases with its petulance. Depth in its longevity, showing cedar and cinnamon on the finish. No price as none are available for sale.

Anomaly Vineyards ~ P.O. Box 741 ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 707-967-8448