California trip

The California trip yielded a lot of loot. Several bottles have been polished off. Many others will be ready to drink this fall/winter. As we drink our way through the bottles from the trip, my thoughts naturally turn to restocking with another California trip. So I'm putting a question out there - any recommendations on new CA wineries for next time?

Wilson

By far one of the best wineries on our trip! Wilson is known for their Zinfandels, ranging in style from soft and easygoing to spicy and bold. I love all the iterations of this grape at Wilson. The Tori Vineyard is my personal favorite simply because I've never encountered another Zinfandel that packs in so many spicy flavors balanced by a jammy backbone. The Carl and Sawyer are great as well, but definitely softer than Tori.

The Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County is a great place to start exploring Zinfandel. There are many wineries to visit here, but Wilson is a must. (The wines are affordable, especially if you can get wine club pricing.) Our wine guide was very personable, knowledgeable and helped me understand that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me when I smelled pencil shavings.

I have only one photo of Wilson for you. It is of either the Ellie or Sawyer vineyard. It seems we were too busy sampling the wine and enjoying the picnic overlooking the vineyards to mess with cameras.

Wilson Roger's Fault 2003
Dry Creek Valley, California - $28
Red Bordeaux blend. Very interesting wine because of pencil shavings aroma (due to inclusion of Cabernet Sauvignon). Light body, good for food. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, & Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Wilson Diane's Reserve Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $48
Very jammy nose. A bonus pour.

Wilson Reserve Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $40
Aromas of leather, red berry, musty. Flavors of all over black & white pepper, spice. Some cedar after wine opened up. Medium body, soft tannins, long finish with some spice. Simple, unusual and pleasant. 4.5/5 for balance and style, but prefer more complexity and spice in a Dry Creek Zinfandel.

Wilson Ellie's Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $32
Currant & blackberry nose; light and low tannins. Transforms as you drink it. 14% petite syrah, remainder is Zinfandel. Harvested from grapes grown at an elevation of 500 feet.

Wilson Sawyer Vineyard Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $32
Not exciting enough when compared to the other Zinfandels. Same elevation as Ellie grapes. (The valley floor vines created rich, jammy wine.) White pepper on the back of the tongue. A very consistent wine sip to sip, year to year. Classic easy entry Zinfandel. Fruit forward nose.

Wilson Carl's Vineyard Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $32
Jammy nose, spicy. Like more than Sawyer, stronger than Ellie, but just as smooth. Same vines are Sawyer but higher elevation of 2,200 ft.

Wilson Tori Vineyard Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $32
Aka "Spicy Tori", grown at 2,440' elevation on coastal fog line. Stressing the vines creates a spicy nose. All sorts of spice everywhere. Black & white pepper, green bell pepper; more tannic than others. Cellar until 2009.

More at Wilson Winery.com

Bella

Bella is a little winery tucked into the hills of Dry Creek Valley. It is a winding car ride through the dusty back roads of the valley. The defining feature of Bella is their wine cave and tasting room.



Bella Hillside Cuvee 2005
Sonoma County, California - $28
Love. Not as sweet as it could be because of it is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Smooth, could cellar. Graceful wine with lots of ripe fruit and soft tannins. From the winemaker: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Syrah and 10% Petite Verdot blend from Alexander Valley old vines. Ripe & juicy with excellent structure and finish. Opened bottle in July 2009 and it was just as juicy as I remembered.



Bella Estate Late Harvest Zinfandel 2006
Sonoma County, California - $24
Smooooth. Dessert wine. Higher alcohol content. Great nose, citrus peel, inky black color. Sweet, but not cloyingly obnoxious nor port-like. From the winemaker: 94% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Syrah. Left on the vine two weeks longer than their regular bottling. Only 250 cases produced.



More at Bella Winery.com

Elyse

The last winery of the day is never easy. Especially when the tasting covers 10-12 wines and the tasting room host keeps pulling out bottles from under the bar. Most of these wines were so heavy with tannins, my tongue had shriveled up for want of water or food. Luckily, we had a stash of crackers in the car which were put to good use mid-way through. By the end of the hour plus tasting, we had sampled some two dozen wines - almost all red and powerful. If you're looking for an intimate tasting experience and are a fan of bold Napa Cabernets, give Elyse a try.

Elyse Wild Horse Valley Chardonnay 2005
Napa Valley, California - $37
Butter, lemon cream.

Elyse Hudson Vineyard 2004
Napa Valley, California - $42
Red blend: 90% grenache, 10% syrah. Sweet strawberry flavors, no residual sugar.

Elyse Tietjen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Napa Valley, California - $80
Very cherry, berry. Very smooth. My favorite of the two Cabernets.

Elyse Morisoli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Napa Valley, California - $80
More of a bite than Tietjen. More tannic harshness. Would need time to mellow.



Elyse Korte Ranch Zinfandel 2006
Napa Valley, California - $35
Made from 25-65% old vines, this is a good, but very tannic wine from the St. Helena AVA.

Elyse Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel 2005
Napa Valley, California - $37
I liked this one. Jammier, notes of strawberry and young fruit. Interesting that I prefer the Zinfandel from this vineyard but not the Cabernet.

Elyse St. Helena Petite Syrah 2005
St. Helena, California - $37
Rosemary, eucalyptus, huckleberry and spice.

More at Elyse Winery.com


And visit Woodhouse Chocolate if you're ever in the area. It's worth the stop in downtown St. Helena. I highly recommend the quatre epices, thai ginger, toasted coconut & honey truffles. (And since I'm such a packaging/design nut, I couldn't bear to toss the box. It stills smells like chocolate.)

Baldacci

Baldacci sits at the top of the Stags Leap district - home to my favorite expression of Cabernet Sauvignon: deep & intense wine with silky, velvety tannins and powerful fruit. The texture of this wine is key and won't be found elsewhere in Napa or Sonoma Valleys. The Stags Leap district is only 1 mile wide by 3 miles long, but the wineries in this area are well-known for their high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon.

At Baldacci, we enjoyed an outdoor tasting with views of the vineyards followed by a private tour of the wine cave and facilities. Our guide was very knowledgeable and encouraged questions. I would definitely recommend a visit to this winery or another comparable Stags Leap district winery.

Baldacci Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Stags Leap, California - $55
Rich with deep red hues. Big bold aromas with ripe fruit, vanilla bean, fig & clean dirt. Full, great body; overflows with intense mouth-watering ripe black fruit, dark chocolate mocha, & dried currants. Lingering finish with refined tannins & balanced acid. Rated 95 points in WS.

Baldacci IV Sons Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Stags Leap, California - $35
Lots of flavors; drying (Cab Franc). Good weekend Cab, more tannic than the Estate Cab. From the winemaker: 97% cab, 3% cab franc. Aromas of dried black fruit, cherries, figs, supple & full bodied. Velvet & lingering tannins. Hints of mocha & dusting of oak. Can be aged 2013-2015.

Baldacci Elizabeth Pinot Noir 2005
Carneros, California - $35
Very soft wine. Earthy, mineral and "stinky Pinot" barnyard aromas. From the winemaker: Notes of pomegranate, strawberries, raspberries balance earthy aromas. Rich, velvety structure with complex mineral. Dusting of oak & tannins, lingering finish & robust personality.



More at Baldacci Vineyards.com
More about Stags Leap

Caymus

Caymus is another renowned winery with a strong presence in Napa Valley. The name Caymus comes from an Indian tribe and Rancho Caymus, an 1836 land grant which encompasses the town of Rutherford and beyond. They specialize in Cabernet Sauvignon and kickstarted our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon day.

The private tasting appointment was the earliest of all our appointments - around 10am. It was unusual to drink wine so early but my palate was especially sharp at this hour. This day was our last full day of tastings and so it began with a more serious, reverent tone than the previous days' tastings.

Caymus Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2003
Napa Valley, California
Love it. Grapefruit and lemon on nose and finish. Green apple flavors at first. Lemon verbena, cream finish. Cannot buy back home.

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Napa Valley, California - $56
Cigar (tobacco) nose. Soft tannins and smooth, lingering flavor. Lovely nose, better value than other Cabs, dark purple-red color. Drink 2008-2011. Can get at home.



Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Napa Valley, California - $160
Do not like nose - lots of smokiness. Opens up well but don’t prefer the style. Inky black-red color. Better when cellared 5-10 years, not one of the better Napa values. Can get at home.

Caymus Napa Valley Zinfandel 2005
Napa Valley, California
Like the style, lighter tannins. Soft fruit, smooth finish. Could lose something if cellared too long. Cannot get at home.



More at Caymus.com