Just back from Napa and not only am I satisfied after a great vacation but I have truly gained a new respect for Napa. Being a lover of Italian wine, you read and hear things that are less than complimentary of Napa valley and I’m sure there are producers that fall into the stereotype but I certainly didn’t meet any on this trip.

So this is my official report back to all my fellow forum members that were gracious enough to give me their opinions on what were the “must visit” Napa Valley wineries. I left out a few visits out of lack of material or “strange circumstances” but I will say that I didn’t have a single bad experience or tasting that turned out to show poor quality wines.

Joseph Phelps
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At Phelps I choose to participate in “Tasting Terroir”, which is a tasting based around the different locations that Phelps pulls its grapes from to make Insignia. We also tasted four wines from their new “Freestone” winery. This was hosted by one of their wine educators named, Michael Cawelti who was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. I remember a member of our forum who mentioned that it was difficult to taste at Phelps due to how young the wines are that they present you. But honestly, at $30 per person, we tasted 9 - 10 wines that ranged from Sonoma Syrah, Chardonnay, to the blending constitutes of Insignia. This was all topped off at the end with the latest Insignia release. Even at their young states these wines were all worth tasting and some just plain gorgeous in their youth.

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The new Freestone wines were fantastic. We tasted the 2007 Ovation, Chardonnay and the Estate bottling - The estate bottle was easily a step above the Ovation. Both gave great pleasure, balance and pure fruit but the estate bottle provided a greater amount of focus, a more noticeable amount of oak yet kept a clean refreshing finish.

Next up was the 2007 Fog Dog, Pinot Noir followed by the Estate bottle. Fogdog was a fun Pinot with just the right amount of earthy funk and dark red fruit to please a pinot drinker. The estate bottle was more elegant and managed to walk a tight rope between the rich, ripe pinots of Sonoma and the lighter, earthy pinots I’ve loved from Oregon. I just don’t know if the quality justifies the cost with all the great Pinot out there.

The two Cabernet blending wines we tasted were from St. Helena and Stags leap. Both beautiful wines that could have easily been released on their own and you can certainly see how these two lend their personalities to the finished Insignia. The Stag’s leap was softer, sweeter and with a full voluptuous body while the St. Helena was a menagerie of aromas that could keep you sniffing for 15 minutes before you even take a sip. This alone made it a great tasting for the Insignia lover.

The last thing we tasted was the 2005 Insignia, which was in beautiful form this day. It was obviously young but still showing so many layers of rich red fruit, spice and dusty velvety dark notes on the palate. What a way to end the tasting.

I would highly recommend visiting Joseph Phelps to anyone visiting Napa.


Larkmead Vineyards
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Larkmead came highly recommended by the members of this and other forums and now I can see why. Driving up to this unassuming winery and tasting room, you’d never know just how amazing your visit would be. The staff in the tasting room was great but on top of that we were lucky enough to have Assistant Wine Maker, Dan Petroski to guide us through the winery and a tasting of two vintages of LMV Salon. One of those tastings were right from tank as the winery was bottling the 2007 vintage on that day.

In a word… Wow. I don’t know how I spent so many years as a wine lover without ever coming across these magnificent wines and it’s not just the Cabernet that rang my bell.

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We started with a 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, which was a fresh as a spring day in a field of wild flowers. Mouth filling with honeydew and lime on the palate yet with refreshing acidity. Staying finish full of mineral and pineapple. It was a beautiful expression of this varietal.

Next we were served a 2008 Tocai Friulano. It was hard to keep myself from asking for a refill. Talk about a delicate balance. The nose was rich with almond and lemon cookies. On the palate it was mouth coating with a medium body and showed pear, honeydew and white flowers. All of this was showcased with a level of acidity that kept all of its rich, full flavored components in check. It was a great example of what a skilled wine maker can do with this grape in Napa valley. From memory, I believe this came from very old vines. It was simply a great glass of wine.

Following this was the 2006 Firebelle Blend, a blend that’s primarily Merlot 55%, Cabernet 35% along with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. My first mistake was thinking of this as a Californian Merlot blend because it’s so much more than that. The nose was intense with red licorice, forest floor and cedar box. It had a gorgeous structure that will carry it for years to come. Filled to the brim with intense cherry fruit and spice. I wish I had more time with this wine but Napa’s appointment only system caused me to feel rushed. In the end, this is something I want in my cellar.

This brought us to the Cabs, which were among the best that we tasted on our visit. Unfortunately my notes are spares on these bottles because we had really got to talking about the wine and as we did that the pen was put down. Here’s what I can say, the 2006 Napa Cabernet was classic in every way. One of the best I tasted in and over it’s price point. It was satisfying and full yet structured. If you are looking for the next $50 - $60 Cabernet that tastes like it costs much more, look no further. I couldn’t believe this was their entry level Cab that is until Dan pulled out the LMV Salon.

The 2006 LMV Salon takes all the greatness of their regular Cabernet but then adds layers of fine details in both the nose and the palate. The nose was full of black currant, coca dust, spice and potpourri. The palate was sensuous and full with a fine structure of tannin. Vibrant black cherry fruit that turns sweet on the mid-palate and a gorgeous long finish.

The 2007 LMV Salon was tasted standing next to the tank it was being bottled from. I may not have written any notes but I can tell you that it struck me as vibrant, rich and layered. It had all the detail of the 2006 but with a livelier personality.

All of the Larkmead wines were fantastic. So fantastic that I signed up for the Firebelle club before leaving. Quite simply, this was a great lineup.

In the next few days I'll be posting my experiences from EMH, Pride, Trespass and Alpha Omega.