Day 3- Napa Valley-north

4/24/2010

Robert Keenan Winery

Saturday we headed back into Napa Valley, this time covering areas north of Rutherford. Starting on Spring Mountain at Robert Keenan, all of the stops were potential highlights. Back in the 1970's Keenan restored the winery and vineyards, which had originally been cultivated before prohibition. Now they regularly churn out acclaimed wines under the guidance of consulting winemaker Nils Venge, who in 1985 became the first American winemaker to receive a perfect score from Robert Parker for his 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Keenan is known for big, briary Cabernet and Merlot with restrained and elegant fruit.

The mountain cabin-esque winery is perched on the slopes of Spring Mountain, overlooking the vineyards and the valley farther below. The tasting bar and table overlooks the barrels, under cathedral wood ceilings. A cool setting befitting the mountain location. We were served a great assortment of cheeses along with the wines. Very nice, but casual at the same time. Overall the wines were very enjoyable, a nice way to start the day.

The Wines-
-2007 Chardonnay, Spring Mountain- 80% Barrel fermented in French & American oak, weekly lees stirring, and no malo. Butterscotch, pear, and peach with light caramel and subtle fruit. Light mineral notes- balanced and nice---very good---$29.

-2006 Merlot, Napa Valley- 97% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. A blend of Spring Mountain and Carneros fruit. Aged 18 months in 33% new French and American oak. Boysenberry and black cherry greets the nose- lean and rich black fruit with firm tannins and earthy herbal and coffee notes---very good---$36.

-2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain- 86% Spring Mountain, 14% Pope Valley fruit. 20 months in 33% new French & American oak. Fig and red berries usher in black & red fruit, light spice, and pepper notes. Lean and firm with a peppery finish---very good with excellent potential---$45.

-2006 Zinfandel, Napa Valley- 70% estate. A Napa Valley blend with aging in French and American oak. Gamey black raspberry & blueberry with spice and pepper. Lean with light creamy tannins---very good---$34.

-2006 Mernet Reserve, Spring Mountain- 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc. Black pepper, violet, and black fruit with spice and creamy tannins. Long with earth and spice notes---excellent---$96.

-2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain- 100% estate, no aging info given. Dense extraction. Earthy and pungent black raspberry notes- elegant on the palate with dried herbs and allspice along with dark fruits and creme de menthe laced tannins that linger---excellent with stellar potential---$96.

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Storybook Mountain Vineyards


Storybook Mountain north of Calistoga is the Zin-haven of Jerry Seps- the pioneer of ultra-premium Zinfandel in Northern Napa Valley over the last 30 years. Our tour started in the redwoods around the winery and lead up into the vineyards, where we saw Mr. Seps working the organic vineyards. The expanse of east-facing hillside vineyards like an offering for Mt. St. Helena in the distance . We tasted the wines deep in the aging caves. Along with another group we ran across, the tasting turned out to be more like a cocktail party. All was good though, we met Fritz Stuhlmuller from Stuhlmuller Vineyards- a great dude who set us up on some good stuff for the following day. The visit to Storybook was a lot of fun- great surroundings, cool caves, and fantastic wine.


The Wines-

-2009 Estate Zin Gris, Napa Valley- Barrel fermented, Zinfandel rosé. Cherry blossom and strawberry- fresh and crisp---very good---$19.

-2007 Mayacamus Range Estate Zinfandel, Napa Valley- Vanilla, nutmeg, and blackberries along with mint, spice rack, and cigar box notes. Supple tannins with lingering spice- elegant---excellent---$34.

-2006 Anteaus Estate, Napa Valley- Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Merlot. Non-inoculated fermentation, French oak aged. Black currant, fig, tobacco with cigar box, cassis, and spice. Long with silky tannins---very good to excellent---$40.

-2006 Seps Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- Smoky pipe tobacco, herbs, figs, and currants. Rich & bold fruit, fine balance, light and silky tannins with a white peppery finish---excellent---$65. -2006 Estate Reserve Zinfandel, Napa Valley- Gamey, black cherry, blackberry, coffee, black tea, a gamut of spices and more fruit. Silky and wrapped in clove-laced tannins with layers of flavors throughout---excellent to stellar---$55.

-The 2008 Seps Estate Zinfandel was really nice as well***

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Joseph Phelps Vineyards


After all that Zin, we needed to refuel with some killer beef tri-tip at Buster's Southern Barbecue in Calistoga. With the mission accomplished, it was off to Joseph Phelps for a quick terrace tasting. The plan here was to taste Insignia, completing a trifecta with Hillside Select, Monte Bello of classic California Cabernet tasted on the trip. Instead of their formal tastings, we tasted outside on the terrace patio- a great setup. You can taste and relax at your own pace- overlooking the vineyards and soaking up the scenery. Overall the wines leading up to Insignia were good quality, albeit a little overpriced and non-distinctive. The 2006 Insignia was excellent as expected.

The Wines-

-2006 Freestone "Ovation" Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast- 15 months in French oak, 60% new. Buttered popcorn on the nose with pear, candied apple, and butterscotch. Balanced with good acid. Not overly buttery. Finishes with the oaky vanilla---very good---$45.

-2007 Viognier, Napa Valley- Stainless steel fermented with 10 months in French oak. Partial malo. Meyer lemon, yellow apple, and floral notes with tart lime on the palate. Tart with good balance---very good---$50.

-2006 Freestone Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast- 100% estate grown with 15 month in 65% new French oak. Black and red cherries, red curry, and tea. Silky notes of cherry and spice on the palate. Nice, but a little loose in structure---good---$55.

-2006 Merlot, Napa Valley- Aged 18 months in 40% new French oak. Smoked black fruit on the nose turns fleshy and tart on the palate. Spicy tannins and fine structure---very good---$40.

-2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot, and 2% Malbec. Aged 19 months in 50% new French and American oak. Tight cherry, basil, and mint notes- silky red fruit with spice rack. Steady tannins finishing with mint and leather---very good---$54.

-2006 Insignia, Napa Valley- 24 months in 100% new French oak. Fully extracted. Dusty spices, leather, cigar box, and berries with currants, anise, and herbs. Firm and finishing long with herbs & spice and red fruit---excellent---$200.

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Seavey Vineyard


We wound our way down Conn Valley Road- a short little departure from the valley floor that really feels far off the beaten path- finally arriving at Seavey. Seavey is essentially an old dairy farm in Conn Valley, restored into a winery and vineyards in 1981 by William Seavey. The winery is an old stone building overlooking what remains of the dairy farm. The vineyards are off in the distance on gentle low mountain slopes and across the pasture toward Lake Hennessey and Pritchard Hill. The vineyards are sustainable farmed and the winery is solar powered. All wines are 100% estate grown. The winemaking is overseen by consulting winemaking superstar Philippe Melka.

Oddly enough, we ran across the same group we saw at Storybook Mountain and had the pleasure to ride their coattails and taste some 1997 Cab. It was a lot of fun, and the wine was unbelievable... the best of the trip.


The Wines-

-2007 Merlot, Napa Valley- 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. Tobacco, black fruit, and tea with black pepper, coffee, black raspberry, and currants. Firm and gripping lingering mocha notes---excellent---$45.

-2007 Caravina Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with 19 months in 40% new French oak. Coffee, raspberry, and tea with oak and cedar notes. Waves of vanilla, mocha, black fruits, leather, and cigar box. Firm and gripping with a long deep finish---excellent---$55.

-2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Verdot. 19 months in 50% new French oak. Extracted. Vanilla, tobacco, and peppery black fruit aromas. Silky on the palate with vanilla, cracked pepper laced black fruit, and nutmeg. Clove wrapped tannins that are firm but supple. Very lengthy finish with fruit, spice, and pepper---stellar with classic potential---$105.

-1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petite Verdot. 18 months in 40% new French oak. Extracted. On the nose I got barnyard, meaty, gamey, coffee, currant, fig, and cassis notes-profound. On the palate it was creamy notes of vanilla, nutmeg, and cloves with loads of baking spice and cracked pepper. The tannins are lush with fruit and spice- very long. This could make you cry tears of joy!---classic---$205.

-2008 Chardonnay, Napa Valley- Whole cluster pressed and fermented using indigenous and inoculated yeast, barrel fermented in 33% new French oak. Green apple, blue cheese, and yeast with more rich cheese notes, red apple, and citrus. Interesting, excellent balance. Mineral notes and good acidity finishing long---excellent---$40.

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We had planned to taste at Cade on Howell Mountain, but didn't make it before they closed. We did get some cool pictures though. Dinner was at Girl And The Fig in Sonoma- steak tartar appetizer with a grilled salmon- it totally lived up the hype. Day 3 was an amazing day! Click the link for day 3 pictures.