Pride

Pride was one of the best wineries we visited during our weeklong stay in Napa an Sonoma. Their Cabernets and Merlot were well-crafted expressions of the beautiful mountaintop location. The tasting room experience made an impression... not only because Scott Stooker, the man pouring our wine, knew his stuff and loves the wines, but because he is a former Delawarean. After playing the "Who do you know?" game, we discovered he worked at the same small company and had several mutual friends in common. You always find people from Delaware wherever you travel!

It's best to save this winding drive for after lunch! An even better reason to wait for lunch is the incredible views from the picnic area atop Spring Mountain. The winery straddles the Napa and Sonoma County line and, on a clear day, you can see the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada range.

Pride Napa Chardonnay 2006
Napa Valley, California - $37
Crisp. Toasty nut flavors thanks to a cool fermentation in French oak barrels.

Pride Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Spring Mountain, California - $66
Cellar til 2018. Very dark color. Slight pepper, very tannic & powerful. Grown on volcanic soils at elevation of 2,000+ feet. Another 90+ wine.

Pride Merlot 2005
Spring Mountain, California - $56
Merlot with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dry, bolder style. Long finish, cellar until 2016. Everyone really liked this one. (The 2001 vintage received rave reviews and scored 90+ points in several industry publications.)



Pride Vintner Select Merlot 2005
Spring Mountain, California - $75
Lush, hedonistic. Single vineyard bottling. Production: 490 cases (sold out). This vintage was rated 93 points by Tanzer and 91 points from WS.

Pride Sangiovese 2005
Spring Mountain, California - $55
Very vanilla. Currently only sold at the winery. Rated 88 in Wine Advocate.

Pride Cabernet Franc 2005
Spring Mountain, California - $60
Really good. Nice tannins; juicy, fruity, soft. Very good example of Cabernet Franc. The best expression of this varietal on the entire trip. Rated 89 in WS and 91 in Wine Advocate.


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