Well fellow wine lovers...looks like I'll be taking about a good four week hiatus....where I will be trading wine for brew and whiskey.....over in the UK and Ireland (still trying to get invited to that Royal Event)! So have a wonderful spring....have some good wine for me....and we'll be back talking about wine (and maybe a little beer) after we travel down the beer and whisky roads.....those roads less travelled.
Cheers!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
On the Wine Road-Paso to Napa-Sonoma and back again
OK.....as I sip and savor, I'll try to keep this brief and to the point...as it will cover a week's worth of wineing (NOT whining), and fooding.....starting (of course) in Paso...with Anthony at Denner....and the new release of the 08 Mother of Exiles.....OMG! now THIS is a world class Bordeaux blend...and I'm sorry...but I had to pop the bottle in Napa...and all agreed....unbelievable (even our Napa born waiter). And before leaving Paso...dinner at Il Cortile with our friend Lynne of Per Cazo Winery....which may mean "by chance," but there is nothing about her wines that are left to chance. And Il Cortile is definitely setting the bar for Paso dining......So...onto Napa...
Day #1....some very nice wines and wineries...but the standout for today..was the always reliable and outstanding Plumpjack.....yummyummyummy '08 Cabernet......with dinner tonight at REDD...and as great as the dinner was (and it WAS!~quack quack quack....loved the duck)....all I can say is: CHOCOLATE MANGO TRUFFLES...OMG!...That....with some '07 Denner Ditch Digger (OK....another great Paso wine)....pure salivary heaven.....Life is good with great chocolate and great red wine....
So...how to (briefly) re-cap 13 wineries in 5 days...along with amazing restaurants! Most of our wine tasting was by private appointment.....and we all agreed....each and every one was special and wonderful..however....there were definitely certain standouts...stratospheric wines and tasting rooms...such as:
Chateau Montelena. How can you NOT go to Napa without going to Chateau Montelena----which put Napa not only on the California wine map...but on the World Map in 1976 when their Chardonnay stunned the world by beating the best of the best in the Paris tasting. And, their chardonnay today...certainly does NOT disappoint.
O'Shaughnessy. OH MY! Talk about unbelievable, silky, sexy, seductive Cabernets. And the architecture, caves and tasting room.....totally amazing.....which was followed by an equally amazing experience at
Lancaster Estates. Wines to tease and inspire the senses. And another incredible cave and library tasting....but just when you think it can't even be equaled.....there was
Jordan. Vertical tastings...an incredible library....complete with secret passage.
These three wineries...in addition to their world class wines....rival any Chateau in France for their elegance and beauty..........
then...at CHALK HILL, although the whites were quite memorable, there were two elegant red standouts: The Estate Red....a mouth watering, full, layered, textured Bordeaux Blend, and their 2008 Cabernet Carmenere---yeah...just had to buy some of each. Unfortunately....we were unable to meet with the winemaker...but...I think I have already.
Now I will admit, I'm NOT a big California Pinot fan...much preferring (for my palate at least), the pinots of the Willamette Valley in Oregon....That being said.....after arriving at
Merry Edwards and being treated to a wonderful side by side of 5 different Pinots..it must be said.....if I had to describe them in a word...amazing....and equally amazing....were the Pinots of
Adrian Fog and their most energetic and personable winemaker Stewart Dorman.
If you aren't a big Pinot fan....try either of the above...and you will fall in love.
After our 13 winery extravaganza.....and all winery hosts spent 1-2 hours with us....sipping, educating, laughing, tasting, talking..... and giving us all an incredible wine learning/tasting experience...it comes down to one question:
Despite the fact that the wineries briefly described above were definitely the superstars of our trip...the wines, the wine makers, the hosts.........WAS THERE A BEST? Could 5 PEOPLE... with 5 different pallets, 5 different levels of wine knowledge and experience......5 different personal likes and dislikes...agree.
It was a UNANIMOUS DECISION....that the superstar standout of this trip....the rock star....the blow my mind OMG (as the younger generation says)...was
Russel Bevan of Bevan Cellars. We weren't even able to taste a bottle sample....they were all barrel samples....and all I can say is...if you can score a bottle of their amazing Cabernet or Ontogeny or Merlot (which you will never guess is a Merlot)....do it. Close your eyes...pay the $ and get a bottle of Bevan.
Now this posting would not be complete without briefly mentioning a few standout restaurants: Auberge du Soleil...amazing food...amazing view
Cyrus: Probably the most incredible meal I have ever had...anytime...anywhere (yes..that includes France)...a waitstaff that was ever present and unobtrusive and humorous....and a 5 course tasting menu (which really turned out to be more of a 11 course menu)...that was..over the top in a nutshell....and their assortment of chocolates...for THIS chocoholic...I died and went to chocolate heaven that night.
The El Dorado Kitchen. Sitting on the patio...a light breeze blowing, 75 degrees as the sun sets. And the day boat scallops...NOT to be missed. Nirvana.
Every meal was amazing. Every maitre d', server, busboy....perfection On a scale of 100...this trip..wines, wineries, restaurants, food, fun, wines, and the food....was incomparable and rated a 100+ But...the best thing was the company----that just made it all the better.
After all....what can be better than when you are visiting world class wineries, tasting world class wines, dining at world class restaurants serving creative, succulent, mouth watering foods.....and being able to do that with the best of friends and family. Now....THAT...is PRICELESS.
Paso...
On the wine road....we are blessed to be in California.....
Cheers
Day #1....some very nice wines and wineries...but the standout for today..was the always reliable and outstanding Plumpjack.....yummyummyummy '08 Cabernet......with dinner tonight at REDD...and as great as the dinner was (and it WAS!~quack quack quack....loved the duck)....all I can say is: CHOCOLATE MANGO TRUFFLES...OMG!...That....with some '07 Denner Ditch Digger (OK....another great Paso wine)....pure salivary heaven.....Life is good with great chocolate and great red wine....
So...how to (briefly) re-cap 13 wineries in 5 days...along with amazing restaurants! Most of our wine tasting was by private appointment.....and we all agreed....each and every one was special and wonderful..however....there were definitely certain standouts...stratospheric wines and tasting rooms...such as:
Chateau Montelena. How can you NOT go to Napa without going to Chateau Montelena----which put Napa not only on the California wine map...but on the World Map in 1976 when their Chardonnay stunned the world by beating the best of the best in the Paris tasting. And, their chardonnay today...certainly does NOT disappoint.
O'Shaughnessy. OH MY! Talk about unbelievable, silky, sexy, seductive Cabernets. And the architecture, caves and tasting room.....totally amazing.....which was followed by an equally amazing experience at
Lancaster Estates. Wines to tease and inspire the senses. And another incredible cave and library tasting....but just when you think it can't even be equaled.....there was
Jordan. Vertical tastings...an incredible library....complete with secret passage.
These three wineries...in addition to their world class wines....rival any Chateau in France for their elegance and beauty..........
then...at CHALK HILL, although the whites were quite memorable, there were two elegant red standouts: The Estate Red....a mouth watering, full, layered, textured Bordeaux Blend, and their 2008 Cabernet Carmenere---yeah...just had to buy some of each. Unfortunately....we were unable to meet with the winemaker...but...I think I have already.
Now I will admit, I'm NOT a big California Pinot fan...much preferring (for my palate at least), the pinots of the Willamette Valley in Oregon....That being said.....after arriving at
Merry Edwards and being treated to a wonderful side by side of 5 different Pinots..it must be said.....if I had to describe them in a word...amazing....and equally amazing....were the Pinots of
Adrian Fog and their most energetic and personable winemaker Stewart Dorman.
If you aren't a big Pinot fan....try either of the above...and you will fall in love.
After our 13 winery extravaganza.....and all winery hosts spent 1-2 hours with us....sipping, educating, laughing, tasting, talking..... and giving us all an incredible wine learning/tasting experience...it comes down to one question:
Despite the fact that the wineries briefly described above were definitely the superstars of our trip...the wines, the wine makers, the hosts.........WAS THERE A BEST? Could 5 PEOPLE... with 5 different pallets, 5 different levels of wine knowledge and experience......5 different personal likes and dislikes...agree.
It was a UNANIMOUS DECISION....that the superstar standout of this trip....the rock star....the blow my mind OMG (as the younger generation says)...was
Russel Bevan of Bevan Cellars. We weren't even able to taste a bottle sample....they were all barrel samples....and all I can say is...if you can score a bottle of their amazing Cabernet or Ontogeny or Merlot (which you will never guess is a Merlot)....do it. Close your eyes...pay the $ and get a bottle of Bevan.
Now this posting would not be complete without briefly mentioning a few standout restaurants: Auberge du Soleil...amazing food...amazing view
Cyrus: Probably the most incredible meal I have ever had...anytime...anywhere (yes..that includes France)...a waitstaff that was ever present and unobtrusive and humorous....and a 5 course tasting menu (which really turned out to be more of a 11 course menu)...that was..over the top in a nutshell....and their assortment of chocolates...for THIS chocoholic...I died and went to chocolate heaven that night.
The El Dorado Kitchen. Sitting on the patio...a light breeze blowing, 75 degrees as the sun sets. And the day boat scallops...NOT to be missed. Nirvana.
Every meal was amazing. Every maitre d', server, busboy....perfection On a scale of 100...this trip..wines, wineries, restaurants, food, fun, wines, and the food....was incomparable and rated a 100+ But...the best thing was the company----that just made it all the better.
After all....what can be better than when you are visiting world class wineries, tasting world class wines, dining at world class restaurants serving creative, succulent, mouth watering foods.....and being able to do that with the best of friends and family. Now....THAT...is PRICELESS.
Paso...
On the wine road....we are blessed to be in California.....
Cheers
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