Koves-Newlan 88
Thursday, June 2nd, 2005
Koves-Newlan Vineyards and Winery proved to be another one of those delightful surprises that happen now and then when exploring the Napa Valley. It is so easy to get swept up glitz and glamor of the Big Names in Napa and a delightful exploration to chance upon a winery that has been around for 40-some-odd years that may have a tremendous following, but was otherwise unfamiliar to yours truly.
Located on the west side of Highway 29, there is a small frontage road called Solano Avenue. Tourists driving the 29 might even miss the wineries on that side because they lie off the main thoroughfare and actually take some maneuvering to get to. In the case of Koves-Newlan, there is a sign that is relatively visible amongst the vineyards, but even the buildings themselves are nestled amongst some elderly trees, providing shade and protection.
The tasting room is down a small flight of wooden stairs and is more a collection of displays and a small service table, all surrounded by massive layerings of filled barrels. This is a working winery and the tasting room is also the barrel storage area adjacent to the winemaker’s facilities.
On the day of my visit, one of the cellarworkers and aspiring winemaker, Tim Callahan, was manning the guest area. With lively blues as his background, he was informative on the wines and delightful in his presentation. I especially loved the story of the Late Harvest Riesling, but I’m getting ahead of myself… Briefly, the Newlan Vineyards began in 1967 as many in the industry do; selling grapes to those who turned the agricultural product into world-class wine. Seeing how good their grapes really were, Newlan Winery began making their own wine in 1981. They changed names to Koves-Newlan in 1999 with the addition of the Sato family who owned Koves vineyard (not sure why they didn’t call the winery Sato-Newlan!). Now they are producing their own exceptional wine with their own high-quality grapes.
2002 Chardonnay, Napa Valley – Lean, clean lemon zest. Sweet with ease of taste versus actual sugar. A creamy finish is satisfying. $25.00
2002 Estate Pinot Noir, Napa Valley – Sexy and alluring. This was a wine I was contentedly happy to sit and smell. Dried rose petals and eucalyptus up front blossoms to show the complexity and depth of an expensive Japanese soy sauce and sweet & sour pickles (the kind given at a really good omakase meal). An enticing mineral finish. Adorable, enticing wine! $26.00
2002 Estate Merlot, Napa Valley – Dark cherry and hints of green bell pepper show on first whiff. Soft tannins and easy fruit with a dry mid-palate. $26.00
2001 Zinfandel, Napa Valley – Jammy black plum and blackberry explode in the initial aroma. Taste include integrated spicy dark fruit that teases on the finish with toasted coconut. $25.00
2002 Cabernet Franc – Compressed dried twigs and dried eucalyptus leaves anticipate the dry entry. High tannins punctuate dark fruit in the mid-palate which brightens to show dried floral notes on the finish. $30.00
2002 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – Approximately 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Concentrated purple in color with extracted dried leaves and flowers compressed behind dark blackberry. $35.00
2000 Late Harvest White Riesling – I am told there is a secret to this wine. The winemaker who produced it passed away and there are no notes on its production. At 13.8% residual sugar, it is not nearly as syrupy as others I have tasted. Hints of honey dance with orange blossoms in a bright bouquet. Balanced with even acidity, there is a touch of stone fruit and spice on the finish that adds layers of complexity. Very, very enticing wine. $30.00/375ml
NV Pandora’s Port – An extremely unusual port made via the Solera system (a process normally used in the production of fine aged sherries, whereby a modicum of young wine is added to older wine for consistent bottlings). There is a "little bit of everything" in the production of this port and some of the older wines date back to 1985. The name Pandora alludes to the mythical box which was opened and let lose the miseries of the world — except that in the myth, what remained for mankind was Hope. In the case of this wine, it is a lovely tawny color with sensual teases of brown sugar and depth with spice and complexity. Completely engaging and rapturous. $40.00/375ml
Koves-Newlan Vineyards & Winery ~ 5225 Solano Avenue ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 800-500-WINE