Was able to visit Napa this past weekend and thought I’d share some of the highlights as we had several wonderful stops:
Larkmead
Probably the highlight of the trip. The estate is gorgeous and Daniel was a phenomenal host. Extremely knowledge and poured us a wide range of the current vintages. That estate cabernet was terrific but the Dr. Olmo and Solari were each truly something special. And the white wines (which are always hard to find in Napa) were excellent, especially the Tocai Friulano. Have not ever had older vintages of Larkmead so can’t speak to how they compare to past style (or the price increases) but there are some of the best wines of the entire weekend. As you can tell from our other stops below we like a wide range of styles and don’t fully fall into the fruit forward/AFWE camps and these are the perfect match. They’re well balanced but still have classic Napa fruit (without even coming close to being a fruit bomb). Have definitely been roped in.
Realm
We had previously visited Realm when they were at Château Boswell but this was the first time getting to see their newly purchased estates. Ashley was wondering in describing the future of the winery and where Realm is headed. The property is stunning and I can’t wait to see the finished winery (they are clearly investing a TON on money here). No secret how great these wines are and were able to pick up a few more of our favorites (just wish the To Kalon Cab Franc magnum wasn’t $1k!). We were able to compare the 2014 & 2015 Bard which I think I’d give the slight advantage to the 2014 but it was closer than I expected. Also tried the 2017 Fidelio which excellent and maintained its position as one of our favorite white wines.
Dakota Shy
First time visiting and we were lucky to taste with Todd. Can’t help but get behind his story. His enthusiasm and dedication are remarkable and it shows in the wine. What he and Tom are accomplishing here shows what folks who are knowledgeable about wine, have paid their dues in the industry and have an unrelenting drive can do. Todd insisted multiple times during our visit he was just lucky to be where he is but you couldn’t help realize that he was only “lucky” because he worked so hard to put himself in a position to succeed. Definitely recommend anyone pay them a visit if you’re in Napa as our visit was an absolutely treat. For those who like this style definitely be on the lookout for the Zen Master when its released. Out of barrel it was already incredible and I can’t wait to see how that evolves in bottle and after a few years laying it down. I also loved the 2016 T-E-N and 2016 Custodian (although the wife found these too fruit forward… more for me!). Definitely adding Dakota Shy to our allocations to buy going forward.
Mending Wall
Amy was our host and was a blast. Probably laughed more at this tasting than all the others combined! Best of the tasting were the cabs. Its amazing how different the 2014 and 2015 cabs are and everyone in our group fell into one camp or the other depending on your palate. I leaned toward the 2014 with its mountain fruit as opposed to the 2015 and its Yountville/St. Helena fruit. For some reason I think the mountain fruit just came together better although some in our group did like the 2015 more. All the Berserkers who recommended this one were on to something, it’s a great visit with great people and great wine.
Pride Mountain
Holds a soft spot for us as we got engaged here but the wines always deliver. We did the Summit Experience with Travis and it really is the way to experience Pride (and just slightly more than the normal tasting and tour). Able to taste through their current lineup as well as the reserve level wines which are always a treat. Also did a few blind tastings out of the barrels to test our tasting/guessing skills. These are all big delicious wines but the 2015 Reserve Cabernet knocked it out of the park. Can’t wait to put this down and try in a few years.
Schramsberg
This is one of the most unique tours and tastings in the valley and is on our must stop list. The wife loves bubbles and starting off the morning with Schramsberg is always a great way to kick off a full day of visits on the right foot. Didn’t take a ton of notes on the wines but the Blanc de Blanc is always a favorite no matter the vintage. I preferred the 2009 J Schram over the 2008 Reserve but I think it really comes down to preference of Pinot vs Chardonnay as both were excellent.
Corison
Last time we visited we joined the club here because we had such a great experience and loved Cathy’s cabernets. The Kronos in particular is always one of my favorites and the current vintage is as good as its ever been. I have to say the visit this time was a bit disappointing though. We sat outside on the members patio which was nice and had a great view over the vineyard but we got absolutely no information about the wines. Just pour and walk away. We even saw our host go home wtihout any sort of goodbye or checking on us before he left! Maybe most club folks who visit want to be left alone just to taste but I thought we would have been better off with the normal inside tasting, at least then we might have gotten some info about the wines. To cap it all off they charged our two non-member guests the tasting fee which seemed a little tacky (didn’t happen at any other winery where we are members). While we’ll continue to enjoy the wines I’m not sure I’d keep this on my list of visits in the future.
A few other thoughts:
The new Compline wine bar in downtown Napa is superb. Its such a cool space and the range of different and unique wines is a treat. We did the Sunday night blind tasting (even though we are in no way professionals) and it was fun to experience even though we all were woefully wrong on almost all of the wines!
Finally, and I hesitated to include this because I hate to give away my best kept secret but out of respect to all the Berserkers will share our secret accommodation spot. We have for the past few years stayed at the Inn on Randolph in downtown Napa and will never even think about going somewhere else. It is an absolutely perfect B&B. The service is better than any hotel we’ve been to and the free breakfast each day (gf but for picky gluten loving eaters like me you’d never even know) was easily right up there with the rest of the five star meals during our trip. Bonus - its within walking distance to downtown so no need to drive to dinner. The rooms are modern and comfy but it’s the staff that truly makes it feel like a home away from home. They have though of ever detail, do yourself a favor and check it out.
- I fully agree, what a beautiful idyllic space and one of our highlights as well. Yes the wines were pricey but I found them full of character, especially the Olmo and Solari.