Monday 22 March 2010

Napa Valley Rocks tasting

Attended a Napa Valley tasting at Calistoga in Rose Street Lane North last week. Michael Honig from Honig Vineyard & Winery, Daniel Bailey from The Jones Family Winery, Molly Kenward from Tor Kenward Family Wines and Peter Franus from Peter Franus Wine Company presented to a small group of what seemed was mostly wine educators, although some restauranteurs and retailers were also there, along with Tom Cannavan from wine-pages.com.
Some VERY good Cabernets: the 2006 Jones Family "The Sisters" Cab Sauv was impressively rich with ripe blackcurrant and a slight waxy note to the smoky oak; chocolate features in the flavour along with elegant oak, with spice & pepper on the finish; The 2006 Jones Family Estate Cab Sauv was also big-bodied and solid with good levels of tannin and acidity supporting dark fruits and a tail which is very long, impressive and elegant.
Other than these two, we tasted Cakebrook Cellars' 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Cuvaison's 2007 Carneros Chardonnay, Honig's 2008 Sauv Blanc, Honig's 2006 Cab Sauv, Tor Kenward's Mast Vineyard 2003 Yountville Cab Sauv, Cimarossa's 2003 Mount Howell Cabernet, Franus's 2006 Brandlin Vineyard Mt. Veeder Zinfandel and Franus's 2005 Brandlin Vineyard Mt Veeder Mourvedre.
Of these, the whites, in particular, were lowish in acidity, I could be kind and say that they had soft acidity, but I suspect that the grapes were left on the vine to achieve ripeness and complexity at the expense of the acidity and Sauvignon Blanc needs acidity, it needs bite.
The Mt Veeder Zin was a bit closed on the nose, though had rich and ripe dark fruits, with elegant vanilla and solid tannins on the palate with a bitter note on the tail.
The Mt Veeder Mourvedre was a bit of a revelation though:deep, ripe, soft redcurrants and some liquorice on the nose, the palate was big, ripe, rich and plummy exhibiting good acidity and tannins, with a long, impressive, floral, perfumed tail. Really quite yummy.

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