I just recently got back from an amazing trip in the Napa Valley where we tasted through wonderful wines and ate some delectable food. I’m going to share with you some of the places that we visited and also talk about one of my favorites from the trip. Hope you enjoy!
We arrived to the Napa Valley on a beautiful Wednesday morning with the sun shining, blue skies and the Mayacamas Mountain range as the backdrop. Our driver met us at our hotel at 10:00 AM and just like that, we were off for the day. We kicked off our first day in Napa at Robert Sinskey Vyds., and it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. They have a kitchen at the winery and a chef on staff, so you get to drink their amazing wines paired with house made peach preserves, salami and an assortment of cheeses. All of this gets served to you out on their patio to make a truly memorable experience. It’s a must stop if you like Pinot Noirs. Next stop for the day was Larkmead and what a treat it was! They have some sublime cabs, and the grounds are beautiful. Our last visit for the day was Antica, which is owned by the famous Antinori family from Italy. It sits on top of a hill, and they serve you wine paired with food in their kitchen like you’re a part of the family. Their Chardonnay and Sangiovese are definitely worth picking up. We finished the day with some Champagne at Domaine Carneros on their patio. It happened to be on the way to our hotel and was definitely worth the impromptu pop in.
Next day’s line up was the one I was REALLY looking forward to. We started first thing in the morning at Pride Mountain, which produces some of the best Cabernets in Napa. Most of their wines are allocated to either restaurants, or to people on their mailing lists, so they can be hard to obtain. They led us on an amazing tour and all of the tastings were done inside the caves, which was a very unique experience. They also served us out of one of the barrels which was a highlight of the trip. Next stop was one of the iconic vineyards in the Napa valley - Opus One. We pulled up, and the grounds were breathtaking. Every last detail was thought out by Robert Mondavi and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, and their wine is on the next level. Probably one of the best, if not the best Cab being produced in the valley.
Our last stop for the day was Vineyard 29. After they buzz you through the gate, you get a glimpse at one of the more high-tech wineries in Napa. Upon entering, you see a very streamlined operation and after learning about the owner Chuck McMinn, you get an idea of where it all came from. Chuck spent over 25 years developing, managing and advising startup high technology companies so you see a lot of his influence in how they make their wine. Like for example, they have a specially designed freight elevator used to fill, lift and empty tanks as an alternative to the common oxygen-driven pumping of wines around a facility. Racking is also done without a pump, this time using inert gas to pressurize the barrel and move wine gently out to the next waiting barrel. These are just a couple of their new world methods that they use in trying to find “perfection” in their wines. This was definitely one of my favorites from the trip and even more so after we tasted through their wines. They make a Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cab Franc and Cabernet. Although they’re probably best known for their Cabernets, everything we tried was excellent.
One in particular that stood out for the price point and sheer quality was their 2010 Cru Cabernet. Antonio Galloni even agrees, saying the 2010 vintage is “One of the very best values in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon...” It’s priced at only 49.95 and has a 93-point score. In my opinion, it is on par with their estate Cabernet which releases for over $200/btl in most vintages. It combines both power and finesse and has everything that I look for in a Cali Cab. I highly recommend trying it, and preferably sooner rather than later since we only have a couple of cases remaining, and they’re sold-out at the winery.
This was a great trip, and I can’t wait to plan my next visit. If you’re a wine lover and have yet to visit the Napa Valley, then I highly suggest you make it a priority.