In search of some of Napa Valley's finest Cabernet, the O'Donnell men head up to the heart of Napa Valley to discover them first hand. We found some incredible wines and some outrageous rituals but still fell in love with our new discoveries and the Valley as a whole. Our travels included visits to Peju Province, Heitz Cellars, Merryvale, Whitehall Lane and Silver Oak Cellars. Part one of many to come. I have to be honest, I've never been to Napa prior to this trip. OK, hold your gasps please. About three years ago, I toured Calistoga and wine tasted with my parents which was the pivotal experience that turned me into such a wine nut but I never returned. Everyone I spoke with told me horrifying stories on how commercial, busy, pretentious, and expensive it is to tour Napa. I loved wine tasting but it always annoyed the hell out of me when wineries wouldn't wave the tasting fee even if I purchased wine-- an act Napa was apparently known for. I never wanted to deal with crowds or outrageous tasting fees hence I always explored undiscovered or more low-key wine regions.
For Father's Day however, my brother, father and I decided to pack some water bottles (a wine tasting necessity), maps and our ready palettes and head up to the notorious Napa. I initially thought we'd just hit the wineries on the southern end and save driving time but we found ourselves driving right up Route 29 into the heart of Napa. I knew then, this was going to be quite an excursion.
I couldn't believe my eyes. Literally, winery after winery packed within a small valley each with their own extravagant chateau trying to out-market their competition. You could easily park your car at one winery and walk to the next five! It was like a Disneyland of sorts for wine snobs. Needless to say, I was in heaven.
My family are all massive fans of classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon so that became the theme of the day-- we were out to taste some of the best Napa had to offer. The first winery on the list was St. Supery but as we were driving, we completely drove right past it not realizing how close it came upon us. Understand, making a left hand turn on Route 29 is damn near impossible. Traffic is too great and timing the turn is pointless. By the time you actually could make the left turn, you could have tasted another winery. It's better to just move on. Right next to it (you could throw a rock and hit it), was Peju Province winery. My father had been interested in the hype he's been hearing so we started here.
Peju Province Winery
This is such a neat little winery. The small but distinct tower, built of stucco and stone is a sight to see. There's a moat that surrounds it and a small bridge to the massive sculpture door as you enter.
We were pleasantly greeted and welcomed to the winery and ushered to the tasting bar to enjoy a "complimentary tasting." I was shocked! We didn't have to pay a tasting fee!
The folks at Peju were welcoming as we enjoyed some very impressive wines. The gentleman behind the counter was explaining how their Cabernet has been noted as some of the best in the valley even at a fraction of the price. I was eager to try it but didn't see it anywhere in the tasting list. What the hell was up with that?!? You hyped your Cab but didn't pour it? Whatever. I did enjoy their other wines so I let it go. Their Syrah surprised me the most. It was incredibly soft and had generous flavors with a nice balance of spice that wasn't too in-you-face. I found most of their other wines very enjoyable too-- low tannins and well balanced. We picked up a few bottles from here and headed out to find some Cabernet we could taste.
Heitz Cellars
Our next stop was per my brother's request: Heitz Cellars. Tim had enjoyed a bottle of their acclaimed Martha's Vineyard Cabernet and loved it. We found they were just up the road so we stopped the car at again, a very small and quaint winery.
As we entered, there were a few people wrapping up their tasting and a small group heading out with staff for their scheduled tour. We approached the tasting bar for ANOTHER complimentary tasting. I'm beginning to think my sources that scared me of Napa were just visiting the large, commercial wineries.
After our first taste of their Chardonnay we had the place to ourselves. This is when the O'Donnell men shine. We love the one-on-one discussions and the personal attention and I think once Tim began discussing the '99 Martha's Vineyard Cab he recently enjoyed, the gentleman behind the counter realized we were not your average travelers. He pulled a bottle of their '98 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet for us to try. This was NOT on the tasting list. At $110/bottle, can you blame them?
Their Cabs are incredible-- some of the best I've tried. We also enjoyed their '99 Trailside Vineyard Cab which dazzled our taste buds just as much for only $75/bottle. Granted these were both awesome examples of Cabernet and got us all giddy to try more but their Ink Grade Vineyard Port took my attention too. At $25/bottle, this port was so smooth and not the overly sweet and sticky port that many have been producing.
I was floored that we just tasted two Cabernets, one at $75/bottle the other at $110/bottle, and we didn't even pay a tasting fee! I was beginning to love Napa Valley. We obviously picked up a few bottles here and were off to find more Cabernets. We were like little children leaving Heitz Cellars-- we came, we drank, we conquered. They had exactly what we were looking for: classic Napa Valley Cabernet.
We opted to stop and and grab a bite to eat and found a pizzeria next to Merryvale Winery. We had a chance to reflect on the past two wineries and compare notes. Good food amongst good company always makes these events just that much more fun. Being so close, we stopped in Merryvale to see what they had to offer.
Whitehall Lane
These folks were recommended by the courteous folks at Peju so we opted to try them out. I've never heard of Whitehall but apparently they make incredible Cabernets. A brief breakdown-- Whitehall Lane is a small, family owned winery in the heart of Napa's Rutherford district. They have been acclaimed as one of the best wineries in the Valley and received many honors for producing some the best wines in the area. All that, and none of us had every heard their name before. Go figure.
When we arrived, there were only 2 other couples tasting so things were quiet for the most part. A young man behind the counter served the line of their Reserve Tasting for $20/person. They also offered their portfolio line for tasting for $10/person but we were here for the good stuff so why beat around the bush. They served three of their reserve wines, each in their own tasting glass, bringing our combined lineup to 12 glasses of some of Napa's finest right in front of us. It was quite a sight. They gave generous servings so were able to taste each then go back and start comparing them side by side. A first for me. The young man pouring then served us one off the list-- their 2001 Cabernet at a mere $40/bottle as compared to their others averaging around $65. Their '01, I found, was tasting remarkable. This one shined in my opinion. Their others were very good but this '01 was the best in the line up.
As we were all tasting and noting comments, I took another inhale of the '00 reserve Cabernet and suddenly got a rush of mint and menthol notes. I couldn't believe I missed it... I quickly made a note and stated my findings seeing if anyone else was tasting it. Both Tim and my father looked at me quizzically and then the aromas hit me again. That menthol isn't coming from the wine... The group that had just walked in was either packing loads of perfume or someone popped an Altoid. It was NOT the wine. And there goes trying to taste the rest.
Note to all that go wine tasting:
Be courteous and leave the perfume and noxious aromas in the car. It screws up everyone in the tasting room trying to analyze the wines and ruins our experience... bastards.
We laughed it off and thus, called it quits.
We had a great time though at Whitehall. They truly are making some great wine there and I'll be sure to keep my eyes out for them. We took a few photos outside where they had vines growing next to the walk way and jumped back in the car to visit the next place on the list. The much anticipated Silver Oak Cellars.
Silver Oak Cellars
This winery has quite a cult following. They make two wines and both are Cabernets: one from Alexander Valley in Sonoma, the other, the great Napa Valley. I had enjoyed a bottle of their '99 Napa Valley Cabernet while wine tasting in Santa Barbara in April. I was also enjoying this same wine with my father the previous night at a tasting event at the First Street WIne Co in Livermore. It dazzled me both times and I couldn't wait to try their Alexander Valley. Tim, on the other hand, had never tasting this wine despite recently purchasing a bottle per my raving reviews on them.
Silver Oak Cellars is about one thing: great American Cabernet. Rich, sock-you-in-the-chin oak flavors and give-your-tongue-an-orgasim cherry to knock your socks off. Being the major Cab-lovers, I knew Tim was in for treat.
The parking lot was quite full so I began to fear things would be busy. Holy shit was I ever right. We could hear the commotion before even opening the door. It was packed with young wine drinkers from the front to back. It seemed to be quite the social engagement. Happily, we saw the crowds flush out as they were all part of a tour and the tasting room began to clear out a bit. We paid our $10 fee and received an etched glass that we could take home. A nice little treat. We then headed to the small tasting bar where one man was pouring the whole room. When you only have 2 wines, I can't believe its that difficult of a job.
We first tasted their Alexander Valley Cab and found it amazing. We snuck off to the back corner where we could talk and drool over our generous serving. When we were ready and headed back over for Tim's much anticipated Napa Cab, another tasting group of woman, obviously a little drunk, stormed in front of us saying that they should be next since they hadn't had any yet and our glasses clearly showed that we already had some.
Note to novice wine tasters: to truly piss off those pouring the wine, show how intoxicated you really are and demand wine.
The man pouring stated to the woman "well, aren't you rude..." and she replied "yup"
... niiiiice ...
He looked at us and apologized. We shrugged it off as we felt more sorry for him. He probably endures it much more than we do. So what if we have to wait another 5 seconds to try their wine. As he poured us their Napa Cab he say "I'm very sorry. Thanks for you patience. I'll take care of you." ... and begins to pour us damn near half a glass! Can't argue with that. We headed back to small corner and melted to our knees. Tim was so very happy as he knew he had a bottle waiting at home.
With things coming to and end, we grabbed our things and headed back to the car. We debated on hitting another winery and figured ah, what the hell- let's find one more. We knew we had to start thinking about heading home for dinner reservations but we were in Napa damnit and we wanted to find more great Cabernets! We headed down the Silverado Trail and found Stag's Leap Winery.
Stag's Leap Winery
As we were pulling in, we waited a few minutes just to let all the cars pulling in and out. This place was jammed packed! We knew they had good wine so we trudged on. We entered the tasting room to another crowded joint filled with folks ready for their tour. Once they scattered (thank god) we were able to SEE the tasting bar. One side was for their portfolio tasting at $10/person and the other side was their reserve wines at $30/person. That's right $30 PER PERSON. And I thought $15 was bad...
Realizing our palettes were probably a bit shot and $30 was damn good bottle of wine, we passed and left disappointed. We may return but at $30/person, I doubt it will be any time soon.
The Journey Comes to an End
We had an awesome time that afternoon. For one thing, the O'Donnell men had not done a "guys event" in quite a long time and for once, we all agreed to partake in the same event. The drive took a little under a hour and half and realizing this on the way home made us plot our next adventure back up. We had only tasted 5 of probably a few hundred wineries. There's still much to discover!
Merryvale Winery
These folks are also noted for their Cabernets and blends so after lunch we stopped in.
Enter the stereotype of wine tasting in Napa Valley.
Holy crap was this ever a change from the last two visits. Their tasting room was massive-- reason being was probably to accommodate the hoards of people in there! It was oh so crowded...The tasting fee? $10 for their 'red-only' line up and an additional $15 if you wanted to taste their 'Prestige' line. That's PER PERSON! You could easily go broke paying fees like that all day! They do have an incredible room for dinners and events called the Cask Room. It features a magical ambience with century-old 2,000 gallon casks lining the stone walls of this private and elegant room. Dimly lit, it offers an amazing time I'm sure for whatever the occasion. But we weren't here for the ambiance. It was time to taste some wine.
We started with the "red-only" lineup which included a Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, and a Syrah. I'm hoping that the acids from our pizza was still lingering and tainted our palette to a major degree because none of them really dazzled us. They were all bearing sharp tannins that needed years to soften.
Once we were finished and tried everything to clean our palette, we decided to give them another chance to dazzle us with their 'Prestige' line so we continued on... and now we're talking good wines! These were all blends and started at $75/bottle and went up but they were more along the lines that we were looking for. Rich flavors, good tannin structure but very enjoyable now rather than waiting years before drinking. The woman serving us threw a zinger in the line up. She snagged a sample for us to try but wouldn't tell us what it was. She wanted us to try it without price, name, or anything to sway us. Cool-- a blind tasting! I picked up a lot of green pepper and herbaceous notes intertwined amongst cherry and oak. It was ok in my opinion... nothing I would buy. It was their '00 Clone 6 Cabernet at $90/bottle.
Overall, I have to say, I wasn't too impressed. Their Prestige line was nice but a little rich for my blood. We we picked up our notes and headed to the next winery on the list.
