In the never ending quest of attempting to find spectacular Cabernet without breaking my bank account, it was time to journey back into the heart of wine country and try a few more wineries. Our findings left us both astonished and disappointed at the same time. This time around, we stopped at St. Supery, Franciscan, Silver Oak and Rudd Estate. Excitement filled the car on the drive up. This time around, despite being planned at the last minute, I was able to do a little research and scope out what people have been raving and those wineries that are just over-hyped.
I picked one winery (Rudd Estates) and chose others in the area that would be worth a visit. Since Rudd is located just off the Silverado Trail and Route 29, I knew it wouldn't be a problem finding other places. St. Supery was recommended by a friend, both for their wines and their winery. Franciscan was also mentioned by a friend, but I've been enjoying their value priced wines for quite some time so I've been itching to see how their Reserve stuff is tasting. We visited Silver Oak again partly because Jen had never been there and partly because we needed to. Rudd Estate was the Mecca. On the way up, we called to schedule an appointment and, by the grace of God, were able to sneak in with another group for a tour and tasting.
And there you have it. The excitement was building the entire way... we were bound to find something good and come back with smiles on our face.
St. Supery
Upon first glance, the winery itself looks very corporate and nothing of a winery. No reference to wine, barrels, or anything out front. This struck us as a bit odd but a nice change to be honest. As we entered, we were promptly greeted by a host who welcomed us and began to explain that they offered a self-guided tour if we chose to go to our left, or the tasting room if we chose to go right. We took the red pill and fell down the rabbit hole to the left for a tour through their Wine Discovery Center that even though short, provided great information and a look into the massive operation of winemaking.
St. Supery has long been a hot stop for visitors. They educate visitors through guided and self-guided tours, along with art galleries and history museums. Mediterranean rooted, president Robert Skalli brings his European influence into the intertwined marriage of winemaking and grape growing. They own 1,500 acres of vines at Dollarhide Ranch in Napa Valley which grow the classic Bordeaux varietals and have been crafting them into exceptional wine since 1988. On the estate is the Atkinson House which was built in 1882 and stands as a museum now showcasing the California and Napa history within.
Being able to freely walk around was a refreshing change for this tour. In one room, we walked along the cat walks suspended high above several enormous stainless steel fermentation tanks. We then made our way into the hall where plaques and stands were filled with details of their winery and day to day operations. The climax, and hands down most educational aspect of any tour I've embarked on, was their "Smell-O-Vision." This was so cool. They had two stands, one for red wine, one for white wine. On each side was a lever that, as you pushed forward, expelled various aromas through a tube for you to enjoy. The idea is that these flavors are common characteristics of their showcased wines: the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas like grass, cedar, cracked pepper, olives and more prepared your senses for the tasting bar we were on our way to enjoy.
The bar was quiet. Only one other couple standing around tasting. Charlo greeted us pleasantly and explained their two lines of tasting: their every day wines for $10, or their reserve wines for $15. We opted to go with the Reserve list since we were on the hunt for great Cabernet and that was list that offered the most of what we were looking for. What made me a bit bitter was that the nonrefundable-even-with-purchase $15 fee was for four wines. Seems a bit steep, but sadly this is quite the norm in the Valley.
I was VERY impressed with the wines made at St. Supery. We tasted their '99 Red Meritage, the '02 Syrah, the '00 Rutherford Cabernet, the '99 Dollarhide Ranch Cabernet and the '01 Cabernet Franc -- none of which received less than 3 stars, and their Cabernet reaching almost levels of perfection! I would and probably will be recommending St. Supery to friends. Their Limited Edition wines are incredible and their portfolio line up offers exceptional quality for a good value. We loved our visit too. The self-guided tour is a must for you folks that want to venture out and learn a little more about wine but at your own pace. Mark your map and be sure to check out St. Supery on your next visit. It's worth the tasting fee -- a rarity around these parts for the amount you typically shell out.
Franciscan Oakville Estate
I've been enjoying Franciscan's Merlot and Cabernet for quite some time now. I was turned on to them by the The Wine Steward in Pleasanton who spoke very highly of their Oakville wines.
The Oakville Estate Visitor Center, which resides in the heart of Oakville, is very impressive. They serve wines from all their sister companies as well, so the biggest problem you'll have is trying to decide which wines to sample.
Franciscan had some trouble in the past. They only recently began producing quality wines beginning in the '98 vintage when they stopped selling their high-end crops to other wineries and started using them for their Estate. Winemaker, Larry "let 'em hang" Levin, has been making wine for decades receiving awards everywhere he goes. President, Agustin Huneeus, believes in terrior (that grapes from one geographic region produce different grapes than from another) and was pivotal in bringing Franciscan wines up to the same quality as their neighbors such as Opus One, Beringer, Silver Oak and Groth.
We opted to taste their Reserve wines which included 2 Franciscan wines and 2 Mt. Vedeer wines for a $10 fee. You can also taste Franciscan Estate only wines for a $5 fee. Their '00 Cuvee Sauvage is a wild yeast Chardonnay, meaning they add nothing to fermentation -- only the wild yeasts on the grapes are used, so it's a kind of "cross your fingers and pray" approach to winemaking. Their '00 Magnificat is a Bordeaux style meritage wine which, though nice, offered little aromas to excite my palette. Both Mt. Vedeer Cabernets we tasted were also nice but lacked that WOW factor. Overall, we were surprisingly disappointed. Now granted, we only tasted 2 Franciscan wines, one of which was very interesting and unique but just didn't agree with my personal palette, and the other seemed to lack structure from what I attributed to a poor vintage year. The Magnificat had potential and I'm anxious to see how their '01 vintage turned out. I'm not going to hold the Mt. Vedeer Cabs against them. Plain and simple: I just didn't think they offered any value.
I plan on returning to Franciscan to try their Oakville wines only. Its only fair. Why I didn't try them when I was there is beyond me. I think the shock of disappointment from the Mt. Vedeer wines threw me off.
I stand by my taste though. Their Merlot and Cabernet are exceptional and I have to believe the other wines in their portfolio follow the same suit. I'm going to withhold any criticism on Franciscan until I try their other wines. In the mean time, I'll say the Mt. Vedeer Cabernets, both the Napa Valley and Reserve, failed to show any potential or value. We had a good laugh that the "Reserve $80/bottle" Napa Cabernet was our least favorite out of our entire trip, once again proving that just because it has an expensive price tag doesn't mean the wine is actually any good.
Silver Oak Cellars
Due to our disappointment in finding any gems at Franciscan, we needed good Cabernet and FAST! Since Silver Oak was just down the road and Jen had never been there before, we opted to stop since we knew good Cabernet was merely at our fingertips.
It was slow in the tasting room but began to pick up after our first taste of the Alexander Valley Cabernet. Every one felt better once we were drinking the Napa Valley Cabernet. We're certainly taking a liking to Silver Oak. They make 2 wines and both are incredible.
We tried to drag as much time out of Silver Oak as possible because it was a good half hour until our visit to Rudd which was just down the road.
We opted to stop off at the Oakville Grocery Store which, if you want to see snobs act like little children with ill manners, is the place to go. Understand, this little store is about the only thing around besides high class restaurants, so if you forget to bring snacks, like we did, and don't wish to drop more dollars on a lavish meal, the Oakville Grocery is about it. They have everything from artisan breads, to cheeses, to deli sandwiches, and of course wine. It was so comical to see all the wine snobs coming out of the limo and whining about how they're hungry and fighting their way around the crowded store. This shop is great but its also very busy. It sufficed to supply us with what we needed and killed the time until our tour at Rudd.
Rudd Estate
Holy Uber-rific Experience, Batman!
Disclaimer: this stop was hands down one of the best, visually stimulating experiences in my history of wine tasting.
As I've been building this website, I typically stumble upon links to wineries that I've never heard of before which peak my interest. Rudd is one of those examples. I was reading about them on their website and they came across as a place I need to visit.
Rudd employs some of the top names around that are passionate about wine and were pivotal in the renaissance of California winemaking. Owner Leslie Rudd purchased the 55-acre lot in Oakville in 1996 and turned his dream of owning and operating a Napa Valley Winery into reality. Rudd is on top of things, too. They're using new and innovative ideas for winemaking and some of latest technology along with time-proven traditions to produce wine of artisan quality.
We had no idea what was in store for us when we arrived. I was under the assumption we were just going to taste some wine then leave. My, how I was completely wrong.
Our small group of 8 people was lead by John who began the tour outside next to the vines with grapes going into verasion (when pigment of the grapes turns from green to red/purple). We then traveled over to the building that held the press and fermentation tanks. These unique tanks are square-shaped as opposed to cylindrical. They are the latest tanks to make Cabernet as there is more surface area exposed. They are also using concrete fermentation tanks which is relatively new to California but a very old method in the European perspective. Concrete is much more porous allowing more exposure to air during fermentation and makes temperature control much easier.
Afterwards, we made our way back outside then downstairs and underground. We were heading into the 22,000 square foot cavernous cellar. OH. MY. GOD. This was soooo cool. I felt like a kid in the candy store. Around every corner, French barrels lined the sides of the insulated tunnels.
We made our way to the center where two enormously large hand crafted oak tables sat dimly lit by hanging lights, illuminating 8 place settings for tasting. At this point, Tim, Jen and I had smiles ear to ear. What a way to taste wine! It was remarkable. Each wine in its own glass; tasting in the underground cellar; the rich smell of quietly aging wine in sleeping barrels. I wish I could have bottled the experience.
We tasted three wines: their '02 Sauvignon Blanc, their '00 Oakville Estate Bordeaux blend, and their Edge Hill Zinfandel. Each wine blew me away. Their Sauvignon Blanc was hands down the best example I had ever tried. Their Bordeaux blend short of a blessing, and their Zinfandel from the Monte Rosso vineyards was orgasmic!
We took our final samples and strolled out of the back of the cellar into the gardens where there's an working replica (smaller in size of course) of the water fountains at the Belagio Hotel in Las Vegas -- complete with synchronized music. Spared no expense.
What did this new level of enjoyment and experience cost us? It wasn't cheap at $25/person. Expensive if you think about only tasting three wines, but cheap if you consider the entire experience. I would do it again in a heart beat! It raised the bar in terms of tasting experiences and wine. And when you can do both in a single trip, it is quite an adventure to be shared!
Overall, Rudd was amazing! Their wines show incredible attention to detail, exude passion and caring, and are shining examples of the soils their grapes were grown in. They truly are makers of fine crafted, artisan-quality wines... and it shows.
