As I spent 2009 combing the Napa Valley for great wines (the one definite perk of living here and being in the wine business), I decided to pay special attention to the Cabernets that were priced at $50 or less, hoping to one day compile a list of favorites. In order to confirm their merit, I plan to eventually put all of these wines into blind tastings alongside a few of their $100 counterparts, just to see how they fare against the big boys (I suspect that many of these lesser-priced wines will easily rise to the top). But [... read more ...]
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I began taking blogging a little more seriously about a year ago, when I finally upgraded the Thirsty Reader from a static HTML page to a more fully functional website. Since then, I’ve attempted to keep pace with my own taste for the good life by sharing as many positive experiences as possible, whether it’s wine, restaurants, recipes, or books. The tricky thing about covering wine, in particular, is that new vintages can roll around in no time, and thus, there is an inherent pressure to not only discover new labels, but to also keep up with the old [... read more ...] I realize that Memorial Day is all about remembering those who served our country, but since I also had the day to go wine tasting, I decided it would be somewhat appropriate to visit a few of the pioneering wineries here in the Napa Valley, in order to sample the current releases from such stalwarts as Grgich Hills, Heitz Cellars and Duckhorn Wine Company (I had Chateau Montelena on my itinerary as well, but they were closed for the holiday). Since I have lived here in the Napa Valley, I have visited each of these three wineries countless times [... read more ...] A week or two ago, I mentioned that the folks over at Long Meadow Ranch had struck a deal to build a new restaurant. One of my readers alerted me to the press release over at the Long Meadow Ranch website, which hashes out most of the details. I probably should have found this information on my own, considering it’s online, but I’m just one person, and I’ve been busy with lots of other things these last couple weeks. Anyhow, it’s good to see that an organic nursery will be part of the new project. Here are the first [... read more ...] A recent bottle of 2004 Whitehall Lane Merlot prompted a visit to their St. Helena winery today. I had purchased this Merlot almost two years ago, and so my recollections were a little hazy. Much to my surprise, however, it was excellent, and I was intrigued that I hadn’t remembered this wine more clearly. When I investigated its retail price, I was even more pleased to discover that it was only $28. Although I was sure that the 2004 Merlot was already sold out (which it was), I was interested in catching up with Whitehall Lane’s current releases.
Having visited Chappellet a handful of times over the last few years, I have long considered the winery to be one of the greatest destinations in the Napa Valley. Perched atop 640 acres on Pritchard Hill, Chappellet offers stunning views of the surrounding Vaca Mountains, while offering its guests an amazingly consistent portfolio of Bordeuax-style reds. In addition to these sensory delights, Chappellet also holds a unique position within Napa’s history, being just the second winery built after Prohibition, in 1967. I visited Chappellet again last week, and tasted a flight of the winery’s current [... read more ...] Despite its spike in popularity over the last five years, Pinot Noir remains rather uncommon here in the Napa Valley. With the exception of Carneros — the coolest and southern-most region in Napa — this fickle Burgundian varietal is simply ill-suited for the valley’s warm summer climates. Besides, Cabernet Sauvignon has long been crowned the king here in Napa. To be sure, this valley will never be synonymous with Pinot Noir, and driving up Highway 29 in search of this varietal is a fool’s errand. That is, unless you’re headed to Failla Wines in St. Helena.
I had a fantastic tasting at Realm Cellars today, which included an impressive flight of the winery’s three current releases. Realm, which produces its wines on the Chateau Boswell property along the northern end of the Silverado Trail, has only been a label since 2002, but the winery has quickly built a reputation for crafting quality wines from some of Napa’s most renowned vineyards. My favorite wine of the day was the 2005 Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which displayed a seemingly effortless intensity. Realm’s portion of the Dr. Crane Vineyard is an austere [... read more ...] I went on a bit of a Cabernet bender today, my first in a while. Typically, I get a pretty decent dose of Cabernet Sauvignon just by working at a Napa Valley winery. Cabernet is the currency here, and the juice is ubiquitous. Since this varietal dominates my nine-to-five schedule, I’m usually motivated to seek out other types of wine on my days off. I go to the Dry Creek Valley on Zinfandel missions, hit up the Russian River for Pinot Noir, or simply head up-valley to Calistoga for Petite Sirahs. But today, Cabernet was the focus, [... read more ...] |
 
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© 2012 The Accidental Wino |
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