Ultimate California Wine Blog

Piña has been listed in two appellations, Rutherford and Howell Mountain. This is because their physical location, right on the Silverado Trail, is located within the Rutherford appellation. However, the only wine that is currently produced is from Howell Mountain vineyards. But I should backtrack a bit…

Here in the Napa Valley, everybody knows the Piña name. Technically, there are four Piñas — all brothers: Davie, Ranndy, Larry, and John. Their great-grandfather, Blueford Stice, came from Missouri to the Napa Valley as the lead in a wagon train in 1856. Blueford’s son, Lafayette, farming and learning the local industry, became winemaker at the now historically famous Inglenook. Lafayette’s daughter Mabel, along with her husband Charles Glos, homesteaded a Howell Mountain ranch. The Piña name comes from paternal grandparents who, after emigrating from Spain via Hawaii, ultimately settled on the Rutherford property where you will now find their progeny.

With the legacy inherited, one would think the brothers would immediately set out in the wine business as producers. But that was not the case for in 1979, they started as vineyard managers, establishing a well-earned reputation for sustainable farming. It was only in 1996 that they finally purchased the "Buckeye" ranch on Howell Mountain, literally in view of the their grandparents’ original farmstead. 2000 was the first year a Howell Mountain Piña Cabernet Sauvignon was produced. Already looking to the future, vineyards in Oakville have already been planted and a section of the property in Rutherford is already in the planning stages for planting.

Piña is an appointment-only winery, but if you time it right, you might be able to stop by during one of their famous open-house paella parties. There I was able to meet all the brothers and winemaker, Ted Osborne. Davie poured from the latest release, the 2001, and Ted pulled some barrel samples from the 2002 offerings. Keep an eye on this winery — it is exceedingly rare to find a Howell Mountain Cabernet so inexpensively priced. This is indeed a bargain and I project will soon be known:

2001 Piña Howell Mountain Cabernet – Classic Howell Mountain characteristics of a soft, velvety entry. Dark, elegant spices of nutmeg and clove tease the nose and complex, concentrated roasted rig and dark berry fill the mouth. Mild acidicty smooths out for a tantalizing finish. $48.00

2002 Piña Howell Mountain Cabernet – From the barrel, already accessible with warm, bright fruit presenting on the nose. More of the dark, opulent berries and spice with an elegant, heavenly, heady finish. Not yet priced.

Piña ~ 8060 Silverado Trail ~ Rutherford ~ CA ~ 94305 ~ 707-944-2229

Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery is one of the old stalwarts of Sonoma, having been in business for just a hundred years. Their vineyards are even older. In 1904, Samuele Sebastiani purchased vineyards that had been planted by the Franciscans back in 1825. Samuele’s son, August, took over the winery in 1944 and increased the production exponentially, introducing America to "Nouveau" Gamay Beaujolais, and gaining a reputation as a skilled winemaker.

The current facilities lie just a few walking blocks away from picturesque downtown Sonoma Square. It is a lovely walk, by the way, as you past many historic buildings. The building facilities are large and daunting and the entrance to the tasting room is awe-inspiring with its tremendous bounty of booty to be purchased.

I will frequently bemoan the wine-related tschotchkes that are peddled in most commercial tasting centers, but I have to admit that the sheer volume AND quality of plates, decorative items, jewelry, housewares, and clothing at Sebastiani has yet to be surpassed. The other surprising factor (for me, at any rate), was the quality of the wine. Being a baby-boomer, there is a certain reputation that certain wines have by virtue of having been served "by the carafe" to my parents when I was growing up.

2004 Pinot Noir Blanc (Eye of the Swan) – A Pinot that sees skin contact for 24 hours. Rather nice balance of acid and a touch of sweetness. Bright entry blossoms in the mouth for a full, creamy finish that suggests banana. $13.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast – Massive fruit bomb. Somewhat harsh coffee, strawberry entry levels out to a smoother finish of vanilla. $15.00

2002 Pinot Noir, Carneros – Oaky aromas slowly hint at a jammy cherry bouquet and a hint of petrol. Acidic mid-palate and a rather strident finish. $24.00

2001 Zinfandel, Sonoma County – Enticing smoky raspberry and lavender notes anticipates the mouth feel quite nicely. A fruit forward finish with a touch of spice. $15.00

2002 Domenici Zinfandel – Fruit bomb aromas of jammy raspberry which fade to produce a little candy shop spice. Velvety entry produces a balanced, even taste with a slight spiced punctuated finish. My pick of the tasting! $25.00

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County – Green bell pepper scents subsides to produce overtly blackberry tones. Herby mid-palate finishes in spicy qualities. $17.00

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, "Cherryblock" – Very fruit-forward, jammy aromas of dark fruit and a touch of oak. Opulent-style apparent on entry with a hot mid-palate that will subside with aging. A balanced, mineral finish didn’t disappoint. $75.00

2004 Sylvia Sebastiani’s Symphony – Symphony is a hybrid grape developed by Dr. Harold Olmo of UC Davis comprised of Alexandria Muscat and Grenache. This wine is grown in the Clarksburg Appellation in Yolo County. The wine is a light straw color and being over 3% residual sugar, is a tad sweet. Aromas and flavors of grapefruit and more subtle tropical fruits. $15.00

I was delighted to hear German-born Walter Schug speak at the tenth annual Taste of Sonoma celebration held at Copia a few months back. He was part of a six-person panel comprised of other local winery owners, growers, and winemakers. Having started out as a grape grower for Gallo, Schug has seen more than fifty harvests in California. In helping Joseph Phelps establish the Phelps winery in 1973, Schug made his first Pinot Noir.  Those years at Phelps were breakthrough years as it enabled Schug to spearhead the establishment of what is now known as the Carneros Appellation.

Tapping into his German heritage, he explained that there is often a joke that Germans have one long leg and one short leg for working the mountain vineyards in Germany.  In Carneros, the workers have no necks as there are almost constant strong winds. These strong winds force the grapes to grow thicker skins for protection. And while it is perfect Pinot country,  he lamented that it would also be the perfect appellation for Riesling and Gewurztraminer grapes… if there were a market for such grapes.

Finding the winery to taste Schug’s wine takes a little perseverance.  At the pseudo-three-way intersection of Highways 116 and 121 sits a small, innocuous delicatessen, Carneros Deli. Immediately to the side of the deli is an access road which, if you drive along long enough, leads you to the front gate of Schug, up and around a small hill, and ultimately to a small German-heritage styled building which houses the winemaking facilities and tasting room.

The tasting room is small but the reception and warmth which lies within is large. During my last visit, the bloke who poured for me was the very one who was there during my last visit, well over five years ago. They are friendly and informative and the wines themselves are extremely impressive in an age of over-priced, bombastic fruit bombs.

2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County – Having seen just a tad bit of oak, this classic offering of Sauvignon Blanc presented warm and soft tropical notes on the nose. The mouth entry was a surprise with crisp, bright grapefruit which immediately softened to a clean, spicy melon finish. $15.00

2003 Chardonnay, Carneros – Inoculated in new barrels, I was surprised at how pale in color this Chardonnay was. Light, apple and tropical notes just barely tantalized before displaying deeper pear tones. Elegantly balanced with even acidity providing a very clean, tangy finish. $20.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast – Jammy plum aromas are somewhat the antitheses to the bright raspberry and cherry mouth entry. Acidic mid-palate provides a nice balance to the somewhat dry finish. $16.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Carneros – Oak aromas present themselves upfront which pair nicely with the warm, soft entry of cherry and dark berry. There is a brightness in the mid-palate which is punctuated at the end with a spicy finish. $20.00

2002 Pinot Noir, Carneros, "Heritage Reserve" – Barrel aged 16 months, this incredibly dark, spicy wine showed immense amounts of dark berry along with cinnamon and clove aromas. The velvety entry was supple and hinted at some of the toasty oak underneath. A dry, spicy finish highlighted the mouthfeel of this exceptional offering. $30.00

2001 Merlot, Sonoma Valley – Huge jammy dark fruit subsides to hint at just a whisper of bell pepper on the nose. A tight entry blossoms to dark, full-bodied fruit with a dry, spicy finish. $20.00

Schug ~ 602 Bonneau Road ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~ 800-966-9365

Hall Vineyards has been receiving a lot of press lately. Katheryn and Craig Hall only acquired the historical facilities in 2003 and, wanting to erect a new building, caused quite a controversy in town with the announcement that noted architect Frank Gehry was to be the designer. Seems the local gentry were concerned that a Gehry building would bring too much traffic to an already-congested area. I personally hope they prevail, as I have been a huge fan of Gehry’s work for some time.

I hope that even if a new edifice is erected that the current visitor’s center which greets new guests remains. Grey and looking ever so frazzled from wear and history, accents of red punctuate the building; an awning, the name, and a sculpture which sits out front contrast with the dull, worn wood of the building. It makes it all so elegant. Also scattered throughout the grounds are pieces from an astonishing art collection which I thought was worth the visit even before tasting their wines.

I have categorized this winery as both in the St. Helena appellation, where their buildings lie, as well as the Sonoma, Alexander Valley appellation, where a number of their vineyards which produce much of their wine exist. I think if I were to get very technical, the Halls have five different vineyard holdings including the Hall Estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Sacrashe Vineyards above Rutherford, the T Bar T Vineyards in Alexander Valley, the Napa River Ranch Vineyards just off the Silverado Trail still considered the Napa Valley Appellation, and the Hardester Ranch Vineyards in Pope Valley.

2003 Sauvignon Blanc, T Bar T Vineyard, Alexander Valley – As this wine sees a bit of oak, there is not the usual astringency of a hundred-percent stainless-produced SauvBlanc. This produced an immediate warm, creamy sensation on the nose which didn’t anticipate the citrus, grass entry into the mouth. This bright initial taste fills out to a tropical mid-palate and is highlighted at the end with a hint of orange peel on the finish. $22.00

2002 Hall Merlot, Napa Valley – Very rich, heady, jammy bouquet which is punctuated with spice at the end. The jammy fruit enters the mouth and slowly reveals a spicy, slightly green finish with an underlying dark fruit underneath. $28.00

2002 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – 6% Merlot in a wine that has seen 22 months of French oak. Initial aroma of green bell pepper and jalapeno anticipates the pepper entry which quickly gives way to dark, blackberry fruit. Rich entry with a dry mid-palate produces a decent finish. $35.00

2002 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, T Bar T Vineyard, Alexander Valley – 20% Merlot. Surprising candied berry nose just barely hides a hint of mint underneath. Plum, cherry, and brambleberry couple with a little smoke and tantalizes with a candy-like finish. Mild and balanced on initial taste produces a lovely spiked spicy finish. $38.00

2002 Katheryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Sacrashe Vineyards, Rutherford - 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Intensely fruit-forward, spicy cassis, blackberry do not disappoint a full, blossomy mouthfeel which expands voluptuously. Eucalyptus finish demonstrates great acidity. $65.00

Hall ~ 401 St. Helena Highway South ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 866-667-HALL (4255)

One of the very last wineries I hit while perusing the Russian River Wine Road was Suncé. What I am beginning to learn is that there are a TON of wineries out there that I have never heard of, Suncé included. Just because I’ve never heard of it doesn’t mean anything, because obviously a LOT of folks have — they were packed and the party was going strong!

It is owned and operated by Frane and Janae Franicevic are Croatian in heritage as Suncé means "sun" and Dr. Frane Franicevic comes from a family that has a centuries-old winemaking heritage. And what a bright and shiny place this is, too!  Their tasting room is a small building nestled behind another set of buildings which I assume to be either their home or the winemaking facilities (or both!). The Franicevics have only owned the winery since 1998 (when it was known as One World Winery).

On the day of my visit, eight different barrels were set up for tasting outside under a tent (where there was also a huge bounty of edibles also being offered). The tasting room was jammed packed and behind the tasting building, a small ‘blind’ tasting was being offered to see if guests could guess the varietal! I tasted as much as I could from both barrels and bottles, but couldn’t nearly get through all that was offered! Seeing how much there was to drink, I tried to stick to the more unusual offerings and would like to go back as the winery makes four different Pinots as well as Italian, Rhone, and Bordeaux varietals.

FROM THE BARRELS

2004 Zora’s Estate Pinot Noir – Elegant spice that included cinnamon and nutmeg. Cherry entry that was tight upon initial taste and slightly acidic finish. Estimated price on release: $44

2004 Barbera – Fruit forward and ripe. Effervescent entry with a concentrated cherry and berry flavor. Estimated price on release: $25.

2004 North Coast Malbec – Extremely elegant clove and cinnamon spicy aromas. Hugh fruit entry gives way to dry, long-lasting finish. Estimated price on release: $34

2004 Russian River Hedin Vineyard Merlot – Young cherry and berry and a tad too bright to anticipate where this wine might be going. Estimated price on release: $35

FROM THE BOTTLES

2003 North Coast Barbera, St. Olof Vineyard – Bright, young cherry bouquer. Dry entry and a tight finish. $35

2003 Zemja’s Blend Nebbiolo/Barbera – 50/50 blend. Odd aromas of medicinal-like hospital space. Tight and rather acidic.

2003 Field of Dreams Syrah – Huge, dark fruit bouquet. Elegant and spicy which turned candy-like. Great, opulent nose didn’t deny the dark, opulent mouthfeel. $26

2002 Russian River Valley Les Trois Amis – A Super-Tuscan blend of 55% Sangiovese, 35% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet. A hint of green bell pepper gave way to balanced, exceptional layers of brambleberry. Great acids and structured finish. $65

2002 Sweet Zora, Syrah Port – Inky color. Sweet, sweet spice but not much depth. $20

Suncé Winery – 1839 Olivet Road ~ Santa Rosa ~ CA ~ 95401 ~ 707-526-9463