After spending two days enjoying the hell out of Sonoma, we jumped over to Napa. I knew that Napa was likely to be more expensive, more snotty, and probably less fun. But it is the mecca of domestic wine, so I had to go. We based our list off of accumulated recommendations from friends.
Monday (Rutherford)
Road Music: Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
Frog's Leap ($20 tour, wines $18-$75)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '09 Chardonnay, '08 Merlot, '07 'Rutherford' Cabernet Sauvignon, '08 Petite Sirah, '08 Zinfandel.
Visiting Frog's Leap is like visiting a friend's large vacation rental. It is a welcoming and peaceful environment. The tour started in the vineyard, stopped off in the orchard, the crush pad, the barrel warehouse, and ended in the processing barn. Sean was a tremendous guide and host. At each stop we were poured a different glass of wine. All of the wine was very good. The Rutherford Cab was incredible. After the tour was over we were encouraged to relax anywhere on the grounds or even continue to explore. Frog's Leap is known for being non-traditional and quirky, as well they are extremely friendly and open - which in my limited experience in Napa strays from the norm. An additional plus - Frog's Leap works hard at utilizing environmental sustainable techniques such as dry-irrigation.
Experience: A+ / Wines: A-
Cakebread Cellars ($15 tour, wines $24-$61)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '08 Chardonnay, '08 Chardonnay Reserve, '09 Zinfandel, '06 Cabernet Sauvignon, '08 Syrah.
Several of my friends are big fans of Cakebread wines, so I made sure to put it on the must visit list. We were confused about what we had signed up for when we arrived. The woman at the main desk checked our reservation, then poured us our first glass of wine. She then simply directed us to sit outside on benches in the parking lot, among the cars and heavy equipment. For about ten minutes I thought this was going to be where we were going to have our tasting. Eventually our tour guide gathered us up, and began our tour. The tour started in the gardens, made a few stops in the vineyard, and then back into the garden. Our tour guide was nice enough, but seemed to be speaking from a well-rehearsed monologue, and the content of the tour was pretty superficial. The wines were pretty darn good, but the overall experience at the winery left a lot to be desired.
Experience: C- / Wines: B+
Rutherford Hill Winery ($25 tour)
'06 Merlot, '07 Cabernet Franc, '06 Cabernet Sauvignon, '07 Malbec, Luke Donald '06 Claret, '06 'Devil's Peak', '04 Zinfandel Port.
Going on a third tour in one day was a bad choice. Not only was taking another tour on a hot day a bad choice, the tour itself was bad. The tour guide was a crotchety guy who would only take questions at very specific instances. He seemed to be speaking from a script and was passionless about the delivery of that script. The tour started outside at the hilly overlook, headed into the large caves where the barrels are stored (which was our main interest in the tour), and then into the production area. The caves are a pretty awesome thing to see, but the guide managed to make them underwhelming with his soulless tour. The wines that we tried were all okay, but nothing at all impressive. Rutherford Hill does have a nice view of Napa Valley from the eastern slope, so if you decide to go there, make sure to bring a picnic.
Experience: D / Wines: C+
Tuesday (Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford)
Road Music: Massive Balloon - Massive Balloon
Clos Pegase ($20 tasting?, wines $28.50-$48)
'07 'Hommage' Chardonnay, '08 Pinot Noir, '07 Cabernet Franc, '07 Syrah, '07 Cabernet Sauvignon.
We went to Clos Pegase due to their reputation for having awesome art and architecture. We had also heard good things about their wine. On both fronts we were pleased. We arrived slightly before the winery opened, so we checked out the outdoor sculptures while we waited. The buildings seem slightly run down - paint was chipping, and the place felt a bit dour - though since we were the first there it was quite empty, which could have added to the starkness. Maybe once more people arrive that feeling may change. We were attended to by Harry, who was extremely intelligent and happy to share information. I dug the wines. The Chardonnay was excellent, and the Cab Franc and the Cab Sauv were really enjoyable.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
Long Meadow Ranch Winery ($20 Signature Flight tasting, wines $19-$85)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '04 Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 E.J. Church Cabernet Sauvignon, '08 Ranch House Red.
A good friend directed us to Long Meadow Ranch. The tasting room has a stylish modern western vibe to it. They also raise beef and produce, so there is a focus on the intersection of food and wine. It was quiet in the tasting room, and the staff were nice though distant. It was a bit of a sterile place - there was nothing special about the experience. The Cabs and the Ranch House Red were very tasty.
Experience: B- / Wines: B+
St. Supéry Vineyards & Winery ($15 tasting)
'09 Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc, '06 Estate Edu (Cab Blend), '06 Estate Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 Estate Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 Merlot, '06 Petit Verdot, '06 Malbec.
This is a behemoth of a complex. The space has a very corporate feel. Inside is not much different. The tasting room is quite large, though since it was an off-day, there were only a few other visitors there. Quickly the corporate feeling eroded, as our pourer - Joe - began to chat with us. He was a fun guy, and had lots to talk with us about. He definitely put me at ease. Toward the end of our tasting Joe encouraged us to go upstairs to check out the art and exhibits. The wine-themed exhibits were not that great, but there was an awesome Wayne Thiebaud exhibit up there. We enjoyed the wine quite a bit. Each one had refined characteristics but expressed individuality.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
Heading into Napa I was warned that the region was largely snotty and corporate. In general that seemed to be true. Napa is one of the most important wine growing regions in the world - so of course big money is going to being prevalent. But in instances the wine tasting experience is well delivered so the corporatism doesn't mar the experience. Frog's Leap seems to completely side-step (or hop) the issue by having a different model. Clos Pegase and St. Supéry are very corporate, but they hire smart tasting room folks and serve great wine, so it works out. My experiences at Cakebread and Rutherford Hill were negatively affected by the corporate atmosphere though. The number of wineries in Napa is huge, so I'm sure that there are lots more hyper-corporate places, corporate-but-good paces, and completely original places for me to visit in the future.
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