Ultimate California Wine Blog

I find it interesting that many visitors to the Napa Valley fail to travel much beyond the "boundary" of St. Helena. I am often contacted by first-time visitors who are looking for wineries who are "off-the-beat-and-path, have good wine, and with tasting rooms that aren’t packed like sardines." I often suggest those wineries, not only on the Silverado Trail, but also those on the trail which are north of Deer Park Road. August Briggs is such an establishment, far north on the Trail, with a Calistoga address but not quite so far up as to where the town begins.

Located on the west side of the road, the building is easily visible from the street, unassuming and considered simple, in this land of ostentatious chateaux and palaces. August Briggs’ story is a relatively simple one – local talented winemaker starts his own label. But it is a bit more than that.

There are a lot of winemakers who start their own label. Not every winemaker who starts their own label goes to the extent of acquiring the land to build a tasting room and wine-making facilities. Joe Briggs is considered a negociant winemaker – which means that he purchases grapes from various vineyards of well-repute who sell their grapes. Becoming a winery owner AND vineyard owner is a whole new level. Personally, I think there are vineyard owners who are not making very good wine – and there are winery owners buying their grapes to make fabulous wine. Joe Briggs seems to be on the path of already knowing how to make exceptional wine. Perhaps at some point he will start buying vineyards as well, but for the time being, he’s doing just fine.

2003 Napa Valley Pinot Meunier – Unusual to see this blending grape (usually used in sparkling wine), as a hundred-percent varietal. Upfront raspberry and strawberry components with a darker core of blueberry. Bright and medium-bodied, the mouthfeel was clean and upfront. Very easy to drink. $32.00

2003 Napa Valley Dijon Clones Pinot Noir – Classic aromas of dark berry and red cherry with hints of vanilla. Lighter cranberry on the mouth entry which is well-integrated, smooth, and easy. A bit of a bright tang on the end with some mineral qualities. $35.00

2003 Napa Valley Zinfandel – From 100-year old vines, the bouquet played between a dark cherry core and whiffs of smoke. Mostly spicy dark fruit in the mouth, reasonably tannins with a touch of heft and a peppery finish. $32.00

2002 Napa Valley Syrah – Surprisingly greenness on the nose — not that the fruit was unripe, but more an underpinning of green bell pepper and green olive. Inky dark purple in color, the initial taste was smooth and concentrated with an erotic earthiness that was quite erotic and pleasing. $32.00

2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — From a Spring Mountain vineyard, this dark, rich offering shows dark cocoa and integrated dusty herbs in the nose. Big bold flavors, mostly of hefty fruit and rich chocolate with a bit of sage on the finish. $48.00

August Briggs ~333 Silverado Trail ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 707-942-4912

I spend a bit more time on wine chat lists than I probably should. Every other week or so, someone comes to the Napa valley for the first time and asks where they should go. The pundits on those sites always have their favorites and it is not unusual to see the same posters making the same recommendations over and over. But then someone will mention Dutch Henry as a little-known surprise and a chorus of  "Oh yeah, I always forget about that place — its great!" is heard.

My visit to Dutch Henry was similarly enlightening. As I meandered up the Silverado Trail and saw the sign, that light bulb went off as I recalled the accolades. Immediately after parking alongside the building complex, I admired two other customers who were wiling away their Sunday afternoon on Dutch Henry’s adjacent bocce ball court.

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Sitting in front of the tasting rooms, waiting for the next customer to arrive, was this nice chap, showing off a recent crop of squash from a nearby garden which lies on the grounds. Proud of his bounty, I was honored to have been offered what looked like an albino pumpkin. He assured me is an edible squash and not just decorative, which would best be enjoyed sliced thick and grilled. Later on that evening, I found out he was correct.

Dutch Henry’s tasting room is relatively small and feels almost cramped amongst the stacked barrels of the air-conditioned warehouse. The atmosphere is one of being part of the working facilities as only minimal displays of the merchandise exist in this part of the building. In a nearby corner, lies a sample or two of olive oil that is also made by the company. A bit north on the Trail than many tourists tend to go, but undoubtedly worth the effort.

2002 Los Carneros Chardonnay – Distinct aroma of toasted popcorn. Not the butter on popcorn, but the actual fluffy white part. Rather odd. A non-ML chard, the flavors were crisp and clean, displaying green apple and light citrus notes. $26.00

2002 Napa Valley Argos – A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 25% Merlot. Including a bit of fruit from Howell Mountain, this wine has a rich, perfumey aroma of cocoa and black licorice behind a core of dark fruit. Spice shows itself first in the mouth and then cranberry in the middle. Smooth and easy, this is a balanced wine with an engaging mouth feel. $40.00

2002 Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Another Howell Mountain offering, this was a tad more green than I expected from an ’02 Howell Mountain wine. Needing more time in the bottle, the aroma is high-pitched with red plum and fresh cherry. Hints of clove and cinnamon exist and it is obvious the wine is well-made with potential, but simply needs some aging to show its true merits. $42.00

1999 Reserve Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – This vineyard is also a hillside vineyard, just south of St. Helena on Howell Mountain, but technically not within the appellation. Having spent 32 months in French oak, there are dark herbs along with the intense fruit in the nose and a decidedly cranberry mouth entry. Dry in the mid-palate, the finish has a sage tone. $68.00

2004 Napa Valley Pinot Noir – Yes, I thought it odd that they would pour a Pinot at the end, after the Cabernets. Fruit forward nose is soft and earthy showing cherry and bright raspberry. Slightly sweet on the first taste, the bright red fruit flavors exist and expand into ripe, rich mushrooms and developed, complex spice. $42.00

Dutch Henry ~ 4310 Silverado Trail ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 888-224-5879

I’ve had a lot of friends asking me to head to Frank Family Vineyards for some time. One reason is that I am especially drawn to historical locations. In this case, while the Frank family themselves have only been in the wine industry since the early 1990s, the location and some of the remaining buildings date back to the early 1880s.

It is the front building that has been ‘plaqued’ as an historic landmark, having once been the Larkmead Winery (which now has me on an investigative journey to go and visit the new home of Larkmead as it seems the patriarch sold this estate in the 1950s).

During my visit, the historical building in the front was closed down. I was there on a weekend so I can only assume the building is used for winemaking in some fashion, but I did not get to peer inside and who knows – maybe it is just there for storage these days… There is a smaller, house-like structure behind the stone edifice which now acts as the hospitality suite and tasting room.

The entrance to the tasting is somewhat of an anteroom that acts as the location of the cash register as well as where some bubbly is tasted first. After a bit of sparkling, you wander through a hallway of some several thousand photographs of friends and family. The second tasting room lies in the back of the house and not only contains memorabilia of Rich Frank’s former life as chairman of Walt Disney’s musical division (this means there are gold records on the wall). The grounds are lovely to walk around and some picnic tables sitting behind the back building seem inviting as they were already half full.

2000 Champagne Reserve – Yep, they call it Champagne and not "sparkling wine." Four months on French oak and five years on yeast, finished with Remi cognac (that would actually be Carneros-based RMS Alembic that went out of business several years ago and sold off barrels of their product). Very smooth and nice with flavors of apple and hazelnut. Decent combination of sweetness and yeast. $55.00

NV Rouge – 100% Pinot Noir. Light almondine garnet colored. Slightly fishy aroma with bright cranberry flavors and a metallic finish. $27.75

2004 Chardonnay – They call it liquid creme brulee in a glass. At a 100% malo having spent two months in French oak, this wine has pretty thick banana aromas with some caramel and toffee. Viscous and vanilla-flavored, the wine was still tight and possibly suffering from bottle shock. $32.50

2003 Zinfandel – From Browns Valley. They call this the Velvet Hammer. (Seems they name all their wine). At 16% alcohol, this is a pretty heady wine showing strong black plum and blackberry aromas with a back-nose of chocolate. The mouth entry was relatively soft but explodes with black licorice. Spice and chocolate present themselves before the dark plummy finish. $34.95

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon – An initial tease of green bell pepper subsided with a swirl and produced more pronounced mushroom and dark fruit. Distinct cedar taste on first taste which evolved to produce dusty cocoa and a hint of eucalyptus. The tannins were balanced and even and the core finish was meaty blackberry. $39.75

2000 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – From Rutherford. Dark, inky purple wine that seemed mostly comprised of chocolate. Huge, brawny tannins brightened to chewy cranberry flavors. Needs time. $65.00

Frank Family Vineyards ~ 1091 Larkmead Lane ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 800-574-9463

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle-ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area we call the ‘Twilight Zone.’ Those were the words that Rod Serling used to open what could arguably be called the most influential television show of the 1950s. It is also the feeling that one experiences when spending time at Rancho de las Flores (no website link available) owned by Ralph Wermuth.

Located just off the Silverado Trail, this is a winery that could very easily be driven past if you are not paying very close attention. The small house and the building that acts as the tasting room lie behind such overgrown shrubbery that the Twilight Zone analogy is not far from the truth. One wonders if there is anything behind the massive foliage. The building is extremely non-descript and a bit worn. As we approached, a gentleman followed behind us and we had the pleasure of meeting proprietor, Ralph Wermuth.

The Twilight Zone feeling continued as Ralph is definitely a character. Indicating I was in the industry, he started asking if we had as much problem with the "other countries’ trade barriers" as he did. He is obviously concerned about those "other countries." I implied that we did not really export to Europe yet but were just beginning to work on that. "No, not Europe," he emphasized. "The other countries like Massachusetts and those damn trade barriers!" Distinctly odd… The tasting room? Well, the cobwebs were evident, the glasses were dirty, and the wine was, well… interesting, to say the least. But spending a few minutes with Ralph is worth a visit.

White Wine – I’m serious. That is what his label reads. A viscous, dark yellow, it is mostly Colombard grapes with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of a biting apple cider with harsh minerals. The entry is sweet with a tang in the middle. Mostly grassy flavors and a harsh finish. $12.00

Amigo Viejo – 100% Gamay. Biting sweet nose. Chewy blackberry that showed oxidization. Strident to the point of painful with a biting, metallic finish. $15.00

Rancho de las Flores Cellars ~ 3942 Silverado Trail ~ Calistoga ~ CA ~ 94515 ~ 707-942-5924

So I’m driving around the Kenwood area and stumble on Kaz Winery which, oddly enough, has Landmark Winery as their landmark. Okay, that was pretty lame, I know… Landmark actually has quite a reputation and is one of those select few wineries who specialize making FIVE different Chardonnays, three different Pinot Noir, and — oh yes — a Syrah.

The entrance toward the Spanish-style mission building structure is elegant and rather perfectly manicured. It lies right on the main thoroughfare between the town of Sonoma and the city of Santa Rosa. Known as the community of Kenwood, it is home to a handful of some of the most prestigious Chardonnay producers in wine country.

The Landmark estate has some stunning landscaping features. The entrance itself is an archway of amethyst morning glories. Leading to the tasting room, a few steps beyond that brings visitors to a tiled outdoor fountain, hidden walkways, and a small, private picnic area.

The tasting room is itself a work of art – or at least the wall behind the tasting bar is a work of art. The Chardonnay grapevine mural truly takes one’s breath away.

2002 "Courtyard" Chardonnay – 100% malo usually tells me to prepare for butter bombs. Instead, this medium-bodied, pale straw colored wine showed light tropical aromas. The mouth feel showed bright acidity and a bit of mineral on the mid-palate. $15.00

2003 Overlook Chardonnay – Their flagship white, also 100% malo, this one a bit darker in its golden hue and heftier in the nose. Butter lemon and clean aromas provided balanced, well-integrated fruit with a touch of cream. $25.00

2002 Damaris Reserve Chardonnay – Almost cloyingly rich bouquet of marshmallow and toffee. Not over oaked or buttery displaying distinct layers of mineral and defined fruit. $34.00

2002 Lorenzo Chardonnay – The richest and most full-bodied of the lot. Spicy white peach and honey framed minerals and toasted nuts. $45.00

2001 Grand Detour Pinot Noir – Warm, rich cherry aromas anticipate the complex cherry mouth entrance. Spice appears in the middle and the finish is a touch sweet. $70.00/1.5L

2002 Grand Detour Pinot Noir – Rather classic medium-bodied offering, giving well-developed red fruit flavors seamlessly integrated with earthiness that ends a bit dry. $30.00

2001 Kastania Pinot Noir – Mushroom predominates plummy fruit. The entry was a tad thin but expands into darker spice characteristics and more bright red fruit on the finish. $100.00/1.5L

2003 Steel Plow Syrah – Floral, blossomy aromas expand into spicy black liqueur. Fabulously rich, sweet nose, even though it was a bit tight. A swirl or two brought out some spice. Dark, heady mouth feel giving a hint of sweet black licorice on the back-palate with heightened acidity. Complex and caressing. $24.00

Landmark Winery ~ 101 Adobe Canyon Road ~ Kenwood ~ CA ~ 95452 ~ 707-833-0053