Ultimate California Wine Blog

Driving to work on the Silverado Trail, I had driven by Quintessa‘s beguiling piece of architecture every day to the point of driving me mad. I HAD to see what was going on inside. From the road, there lies this large, crescendo of a stone edifice on which sits some blackened-glass structures. It is truly one of the more unique buildings in the entire valley. After visiting it, I can attest that it is also one of the most functional in design, being entirely a gravity method wine-making facility. When you arrive (and are buzzed in), you drive a road to over to the top of the slopping, stone structure and walk to the black buildings. There, a warm and cozy reception awaits you.

But you quickly leave the warmth of the cozy fire (it WAS January, after all), back to the top of the building, which overlooks the vineyards. Being cold and rainy the day of my visit, we decided to forgo the usual tour of the vineyards. I will make a concerted effort to get back, as a perusal of the website shows them to be expansive and impressive (either 280 or 208 acres, I couldn’t quite figure it out). In any event, here we are, standing on top of the building and scattered throughout the concrete area, are access chutes through which the freshly-harvested grapes are processed. This is the beginning of their gravity system; bringing the grapes to the roof, de-stemming them there, and sending them down into the next level which we get to through an elevator.

On the top level of being INSIDE the building are some major pieces of processing equipment – both stainless steel and oak. These massive oak barrels are so large, they have to bring the staves in and construct them in situ. We wandered around the catwalk up above these massive containers before heading downstairs to the lower level.

Here is where their presses are. Now when I was at Nickel & Nickel, I was pretty impressed that they had one of these presses (considered the Porsche of presses in the wine industry). Quintessa has two, sitting lovingly side by side. They are very gentle and state-of-the-art. A quick meander into the caves proves enlightening in that the center of the cave contains a moderne fountain, both artistically stunning and functional to keep humidity up. I am in the belly of that long-admired building and the admiration only continues. The facilities are not only functional and pristinely clean, they are extremely well laid out and artistically impressive.

But how about the wine… Finally being brought back up to their tasting area (which lies just behind the fireplace in the reception room), large Reidel are already in place, waiting for us. Interestingly enough, Quintessa only produces one wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon. I am a bit shocked. With so much land, one would think that their book would be filled with varietals. Nope – the free run juice (and perhaps a bit of first press) goes into the Quintessa. The rest is bulked out to other wineries. As Quintessa is ‘operated’ by Franciscan, I imagine they a portion of it.

For the tasting, I give them a great deal of credit. Because they only really have one wine to serve, there is much ceremony in that serving. The glasses and decanter are extremely high quality and the setting is opulent and warm. Only after the initial taste are you asked if you might like a few bites of cheese to see how the taste of wine changes. I was served a slice of aged Vella Jack and Humboldt Fog which a small scoop of membrillo along with crackers. This was a very nice touch as you are left to your own accord in some manner of privacy to experience the wine without a salesman trying to make the sale or hammer a wine club down your throat. Relaxing and it definitely helped make for a superb wine-tasting experience.

I was very fortunate the day of my visit to be able to taste three years of Quintessa Cabs…

1998 Quintessa had admittedly been opened the day before. There was still huge amounts of maple on the nose but I felt the wine was a bit bretty. I am getting a lot of that from 98’s and many admit it was a difficult year. There was a full mouth feel, but it finished a bit green. This was a blend of 75% Cabernet, 20% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc and was grown in the Rutherford district.

2000 Quintessa was lush and full of blackberry on the nose. This wine was 71% Cabernet, 25% Merlot, and 4% Franc with a beautiful, lush bouquet and round, supple mouthfeel with a long finish that ended a bit woody – but a nice woody.

2001 Quintessa – This wine could certainly stand to lay down a while. It was hugely perfumey on the nose but a tad hot with alcohol. A bit too hot, I thought. There was a hint of toffee on the finish and I’d like to go back to this bottle in five or six years.

This one can be a bit confusing. Cliff Lede purchased this estate from what was S. Anderson. Apparently John Anderson , son of Dr. Stanley Anderson, instead of following in the family tradition, went the alternate route of starting a confectionery, Woodhouse Chocolates in St. Helena. (I’ve had the chocolates, they are fabulous…) When you approach the winery, there are a number of signs out front; Cliff Lede, Poetry, and S. Anderson (although the S. Anderson sign is a small stand-up, just outside the shot of my picture). 

But it is what lies inside (and in the bottle) that counts, right? Therein lies the three names. While S. Anderson produced sparkling as well as still wine, Cliff Lede, the man, retains the S. Anderson label for the sparkling wine alone. The Cliff Lede label is for most of the rest, and Poetry is the signature reserve Cabernet. One must give Mr. Lede a great amount of credit. Behind the tasting room building is a great deal of construction — in caves which never existed when it was S. Anderson as well as an inn, which will be known as Poetry Inn. I realize so many labels can get confusing, but in the long run, it is the product that counts.

Before I mention the tastings I had on my visit, I’d like to mention a bit more about the grounds. I am a sucker for artwork. I especially love wineries that promote the arts with a large variety of artwork, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional. Part of my blogging exercises will be to look at and discuss the artwork as well and I greatly applaud those wineries which combine the two. Here at Cliff Lede, there are a number of statues which bedeck the grounds. I’m just ashamed that I didn’t get the artist’s names or the titles to the two works I photographed. I really liked the Two Hearts sculpture — and it stands over six feet tall. Close up, one can see it was very well crafted. But on to the wines…

When you enter the tasting room, you are immediately served some form a sparkler. In my case, it was the S. Anderson 1998 Brut Rosé. Many rosé tend towards the sweet and fortunately, this one did not. It had delicate florals and brighter fruits like dried orange peel and ripe melon. I would not have minded drinking this wine with salmon. But I was more interested in red wines and asked to forego the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Even though the winery itself lies in the Stag’s Leap District, the 2002 Cliff Lede Pinot Noir comes from Carneros. It was a tad cloudy and I neglected to asked if it was filtered or not. There was definite lush berry on the nose and had a warm, opulent finish of cherry.

Next poured was a 2002 Cliff Lede Claret which was comprised of 70% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc. On the nose, I immediately was hit with mint and tobacco and that quintessential Stag’s Leap earthiness. Funny, I used to like valley floor fruit a lot better but am getting jaded towards mountain vineyards.

I am just getting into Syrah and asked for a small taste of the 2002 Cliff Lede Syrah. There is some meat to this syrah, but not quite enough for me. I perceived some wonderful spice on the nose but the finish was a bit too metallic and thin.

Unfortunately, both the Cliff Lede and Poetry cabernets were sold out upon my visit. I guess this is a winery I will have to return to as I think a full tasting of their sparkling would be great fun and I’m dying to try the Cabernet.

From their website, "founded by the partners of Far Niente in 1997, produced its first wines that same year, and opened the winery in July 2003," Nickel & Nickel is a treat on Highway 29 which has to be sought-out due to its appointment-only status. This is unusual for wineries on the 29, which tend to be more tourist-oriented, full of tschotschkies and t-shirts. Unassuming from the entrance as all you see are a collection of charming buildings dating back to the turn of the last century and a fully restored Model T truck parked under the white-picket fence of a sign.

Upon entering the reception hall, I was immediately escorted to a charming room, decorated with various country French antiques, an engaging fireplace, and stunning dried wildflower displays and framed woodcuts of wine-making apparatus. While relaxing and waiting for the other guests, I was given a 1999 Chardonnay which was (guess what?) oaky and buttery…

The tour commences with a walk around the grounds. There are several old, fully restored buildings. Within the Gleason Barn are the administrative offices, wine laboratory, and yet another antique horse-drawn carriage. I’m sure this is due to Gil Nickel’s love of antique vehicles which are well known at Far Niente.  We walked from the barn area to the wine-making facilities which are extremely impressive.

After the jaunt, we returned to the Sullenger House for tasting. Even though their book of wine is expansive enough to include Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Cabernet, I was pleased that the tasting before me was just Cabernet. I am unsure if they every include those other varietals in the tastings or not. As the key of Nickel & Nickel wines are entirely vineyard-specific offerings, it can provide extremely enlightening to be able to taste what a single grape can do depending on where it is grown.

2001 Tench – Oakville; Chocolatey and downright merlot-like with a deep, plummy nose. Round and full in the mouth with nary a hint of minerality.

2001 Dragonfly – St. Helena; I might have thought this a Stag’s Leap district wine with its earthy aroma. Overwhelming scent of Band-Aid and medicinal qualities which made for a mineral taste in the mouth.

2001 Carpenter – Napa/Coombsville; Bigger tannins than the Dragonfly and a tad minerally and thin. I could sense the rocky soil as the finish provided significant mint.

2001 Rock Cairn – Oakville; While the Tench was merlot-like, the Rock Cairn was zin-like with a burn of alcohol which gave way to medicinal eucalyptus which eventually betrayed the blackberry in the mouth.

2001 Vogt – Howell Mountain; I was given the Howell Mountain as an extra taste as they knew I was from a Howell Mountain winery myself. Classic notes with deep, purply fruit and elegant spice.

Nickel & Nickel ~ 8164 St. Helena Highway ~ Oakville ~ CA ~ 94562 ~ 707-967-9600

Spottswoode is one of those small, lovely wineries where limited, quality production is the key to success. Back in the 1970’s Mary Novak and her husband Jack purchased the estate and began a herculean effort to replant the vineyards. After the sudden death of her husband, Mary made an important decision — to continue through adversity in the rebuilding of the winery. Many widows in her place might have simply decided to give up a dream like that, but she perservered and ultimately made Spottswoode a highly sought-after wine.

On the day of my visit, I greatly admired the old building that awaits you at the entrance. It is these old, stone edifices that are sprinkled throughout the Napa valley which intrigue me the most. Organic farming is the other aspect about Spottswoode which I am curious about and hope to explore more fully. Shanyn MacDaera met us upon our arrival and immediately served us the 2003 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc. This is not an estate-grown wine, but comes from both the Carneros and Calistoga regions, being 18% Semillion and 82% Sauvignon Blanc. On the nose, I detected that desirable cat-piss aroma along with freshly-cut green grass. There was also a hint of marshamllow. In the mouth, the floral characters opened up and the thick fruit on the nose gave way to an oppulent mouth feel which surprised me for a SauvBlanc. Shanyn advised us that these vineyards are ‘dry farmed’ which means they are not regularly irrigated.

After walking through the production facilities, we ended up in that historical building where their barrels are kept. It was in here that we tasted the 2001 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Only 4,000 cases were made and because of the quality of the wine and the reputation, it was already sold out. There is a huge amount brambleberry on the nose and a hint of herbal and floral qualities. In the mouth, a full roundness of blueberry gives off to those floral qualities. It is huge and warm and goes on forever. All I could do was ask to be put on the mailing list, in hopes of acquiring a bottle or two in the future.

Spottswoode ~ 1902 Madrona Avenue ~ St. Helena, CA 94574 ~ 707-963-0134