Ultimate California Wine Blog

Quietly nestled on Highway 29, amongst the stalwarts of tourist haven wineries, lies Ballentine Vineyards, an unassuming gem. For those unfamiliar with Napa, Highway 29 is "the main drag" which houses those wineries which get the bulk of the business from first-time visitors. They attract newbies with ornate, inviting buildings, perfectly manicured landscaping, perhaps an occasional sculpture or fountain. Ballentine cannot boast any of these things, but it can boast an impressive family heritage with longevity in the valley, refreshingly warm and inviting owners, and most importantly, quality wines which are remarkably affordable.

Ballentine could very easily be missed, so keep an eye out. Their tasting room, adjacent to the wine-making facilities hidden by tall brush and trees, is nothing more than a small room, barely able to hold eight or ten people. Hardly ostentatious, to their credit, there is a modicum of decoration and nary a tschotschke in sight. Just a few pieces of artwork on the wall which hearken back to the history — and an amazing history it is. Briefly, back in 1884, Betty Ballentine’s grandfather, Libero Pocai, came to California from Italy and by 1907, had planted vineyards and established the 115th winery bond in the state named L. Pocai and Sons (in 2005, bonded wineries number well over 5,600).

Libero had two sons and it was son Frank who produced two daughters, Betty and Marie. Betty Pocai grew up going to Calistoga High School and working for Charles Krug Winery. As a child of a winery owner, during a piano recital she met another Winery Kid, Van Ballentine. Van’s father, John, immigrated from Ireland in 1910 to San Francisco, but during Prohibition, was able to acquire some choice property in the Napa Valley. That property contained a winery which had been built in 1891, the original Sutter Home estate. Although it had fallen to disuse because of Prohibition, John was patient and it seemed a good place to raise a family. He named the estate after his old home in Ireland, Deer Park. After Prohibition was repealed, John was one of the very first to apply for a winery bond which, at that point, was up to #3595. To this day, all the grapes are estate grown.

Betty and Van have been married over fifty years now and Van has worked more than sixty vintages. Winemaker Bruce Devlin is building a fabulous program of interesting and enticing wines and is passionate about discussing the wines he’s making as well as proud of the recent accolades Ballentine wines has been receiving. Much of what impressed me about Ballentine, besides Betty and Van themselves, was the remarkable quality of the wine considering its price range. The first comment I made upon exiting the tasting room to my friend was, "they should raise their prices." Across the board, consistently great wine at astonishingly affordable prices:

2004 Chenin Blanc, Pocai Vineyards – From older vines. Green grass and green apple aromas.  Pear and citrus blossoms in the mouth and a silky, vanilla finish which was perfectly crisp and acidic. A tad minerally, but not cloyingly so. $14.00

2001 Merlot – 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Huge raspbery and red currant bouquet. Supple upon entry, a tentative mid-palate of black cherry culminated in a long, luxurious toasty caramel. $22.00

2002 Cabernet Franc – 100% Cabernet Franc. 25% new oak and only 326 cases made. Extremely soft, velvety black cherry mouth which surprised me. Nice caramel feel and a peppery finish. $24.00

2000 Zinfandel –  92.7% Zinfandel, 5.7% Petit Syrah, and 1.6% Syrah. 25% new oak. concentrated flavors of black cherry and raspberry. Quite fruity, warm, and engaging. High acids do not diminish the spicy, long, clingy finish. $18.00

2000 Zinfandel, Block 9 – 45% new oak. HUGE oak nose which was refreshingly clean and bright, not thick. It gave way to some slightly medicinal aromas. Classic bramble berry and rich cherry compote flavors with secondary caramel tones and a luscious vanilla finish. $27.00

2003 Zinfandel, Block 11 – No new oak on this one. First time this wine was produced. Dark, amethyst purple color and intense plum jam bouquet with a follow-up of subtle vanilla notes. Specific cardamom and toasted pecans on the finish. A second swirl after tasting produced more floral aromas and a tad of white pepper. $25.00

2002 Napa Valley Syrah, Betty’s Vineyard – Crisp, mint nose and chocolate explodes immediately upon entering the mouth, giving way to a fresher, jammier undertone of roasted fruit. Brighter and more supple finish that I anticipated. $22.00

2000 Napa Valley Syrah – 40-year old head-trained vineyards produced a surprising aroma of baby powder. Old world, earthy flavors dominated this elegant offering that finished is vanilla and spice. $25.00

2002 Petite Syrah, Nichelini Vineyard – Only 200 cases produced. Layered bouquet of anise, fresh figs, and white pepper while true character of dried cherry and ripe blueberry complemented the toasty mid-palate. A bit chewy, but in a pleasant, exciting way. $24.00

Ballentine Vineyards ~ 2820 St. Helena Highway North ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 707-963-7919

Phelps lies just off the Silverado Trail, up a small, hidden road, and around a few winding, ascending roads. Upon approach, one is greeted with a large welcoming gate through which meanders an inviting road. Technically, it is considered  "Spring Valley" which is not a formal appellation, but lies near enough to St. Helena that I have categorized it there. Established in 1972, Joseph Phelps had Walter Schug at his side and it was in 1973 that Phelps created his first Pinot Noir. (Of note, Schug would later go on to be instrumental in the development of the Carneros appellation and establish his own Pinot-based winery at a later date). 

There are a number of impressive buildings which greet you from the walk way. You can hear the bottling line in the distance and it is obvious this is a working winery on a large scale. The impressions of grandeur and magnitude are greatly emphasized upon entering the tasting room. It is elegant but also very functional as one spies working wine books, flip charts, and a projection television for instruction as part of the complicated set of tastings they offer.

When you call Phelps for a tasting, they offer a variety of levels; from a simple sit-down tasting to a more complicated, blend-your-own varietal tasting. Having little need to blend my own, I opted for a simple sit-down, wanting to cut to the chase on what Phelps has to offer. However, before I offer my notes, it is fabulous to know that the staff is extremely accomodating in showing you around the facilities. From their location on the ledge of a valley, outside seats offer a stunning view. There is an adjacent meeting room (also for informal tastings if the rain is falling) which is completely surrounded by a ledge near the ceiling with thousands of bottles from all over the world, most dating back several decades. One can only glance at a single bottle and immediately be drawn back to what may it have contained at some point in its life.

Because of the history of this winery, there is a heritage of "firsts" that cannot be denied. From their website: "The 1974 Insignia — released in the spring of 1978 — was the first
Bordeaux-style blend produced in California under a proprietary label.
The release of the 1974 Syrah in 1977 sparked industry-wide interest in
a remarkable French varietal whose plantings in California had
disappeared and been virtually forgotten for over half a century. And
in 1990, after years of research, a whole new family of Rhone-style
wines was introduced under the Vin du Mistral label and included Syrah,
Viognier, Grenache Rosé, and a delicious red wine blend called Le
Mistral."

As you can see, a multitude of varietals to consider. In whites, a Viogner, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and a white Pastiche. The reds include Syrahs, Rhones, blends, a red Pastiche, Merlot, and (of course), Cabernets. Being in that Cabernet mood, I limited my tastings as such:

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon – Rich, opulent nose with dark berry and plum aromas. Initially a bit thin on the tongue but warms and fills a bit. Very dark purple color and tight, compressed tannins that I can only imagine will blossom over time.

2001 Insignia Cabernet – Earth on the nose (Stag’s Leap District!). Very opulent, purple jeweled tones. After a swirl, more vegetal aromas develop. Rich and full on the tongue with a long, smooth finish and even tannins. Full, consistent plummy extraction.

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon; Backus Vineyards (Oakville) – This bottle was opened in front of me and was obviously very, very tight. Extensive swirling produced some initial herbal aromas which gave way to a bit of spice. In the mouth, the tannins were already smooth and accessible as the finish gave way to brambles. I enjoyed all these wines immensely.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards ~
200 Taplin Road ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 707-963-2745

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