Day 2
I am not sure how I got through these next 2 days, the amount of wine which was available to taste ensured you had to come up with a plan. Even though the tastings started at 9am and finished around 5pm or so I had to try to factor in breaks and hydration stops to ensure I could hit 50-60 today without my palate feeling dead. No idea how some tasters are able to hit 100+ wines in a day.
Vintage Tasting
First stop was Louis Martini for around 50 lots which would be offered that ranged in 10-20 ish years old. Most were around the 10-12 year mark. Always impressed by how Napa wines age, or don’t age as it were. Most of the wines on show were fresh and even though were opened for business was only at the 9am mark for a 9-5. Wines I appreciated included the following: Bond Matriarch 2012, Chappellet 2011, Dalla Valle* 2013, Hall 2013, Harlan The Maiden 2010, Hourglass 2008, Inglenook 2005, Shafer HSS 2012, Spottswoode 2012 and Stag’s Leap 2012.
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I did not make a note on the Chappellet 2011, however it was solid, great structure and fruit density and showed how we need to rethink the 2011 vintage.
Wine of this tasting was easily the BOND Matriarch 2012. This was just in a perfect place and nearly had me converted until I went to the next tasting where BOND would let me down…
Premiere Begins in Oakville @ Brix
Right imagine being invited to a tasting with the following lineup: Bond, Detert, Favia, Harlan, Morlet, Groth*, Opus One, Rudd, Tor, VHR, Ulysses and Mondavi. I was pretty excited about this one, and it was probably my favourite group tasting of the trip. Being able to dive into a sub-AVA it always fascinating. I left with some producers who I had not really tasted before but hugely impressed me notably: VHR and Rudd. Morlet’s worth with Cabernet Franc was pretty special, and Opus One and Mondavi To Kalon surprised me.
I did not make an official note on the Mondavi To Kalon, however I was expected to be hugely disappointed by this wine, yet for some reason it stoop up pretty well, this was a 2021 barrel sample and showed ample of dark fruit, structure and refined tannins. They have been struggling in recent year and when I asked around I heard that Andy Erickson has been helping them in the last couple of years to refocus. I am not sure how true this is, however depending on the price this is not a wine I would turn down in the future. Would like to know if anyone else has seen a change in the To Kalon wine from Mondavi in very recent years?
Wine of the tasting: VHR! What a wine, the fruit purity on both the 2019 and 2020 was crazy, so many layeres and textures. I instantly bought a bottle from the closest retailer I could find, and plan to buy the 2021 vintage directly. These are very special wines.
Runner up: Rudd Oakville Estates 2019/Morlet Coeur de Valle 2018 - Two new producers for me. Rudd really showcases the Oakville appellation well and I love the way Morlet uses Cabernet Franc.
Disappointments: Harlan and Bond - See below my full comments, but I feel these wines were not properly prepared. Harlan was completely shut down - tasted twice. Bond had all the components but it was just not showing well.
Joke of the tasting: Ulysses 2019 - Not even sure I know where to start with this wine. Will save my words 
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2019 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Tierra Roja - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/23/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): Premiere begins in Oakville PNV
This showed really well, dark black fruit, crushed gravel, crushed florals, pencil shavings, like licking a rock, spicy mid-palate, firm tannins great freshness as well, long lingering finish. (95 points)
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2019 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon VHR - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/23/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): Premiere begins in Oakville PNV
Brief tasting note, this was the wine of the tasting hands down. Blew Opus, Harlan and Eden out to lunch. Dark lush fruit, cassis, cedar, vanilla and baking spices on the nose. This was full bodied and is all about the wonderful dark black fruit which floods the palate along with an earthy undertone, cacao and bay leaf. The mid-palate is velvety and alluring finishing long a little spicy and lingering. I need a bottle of this. 98 Because I did not taste long enough to give higher, but this is easily knocking on the 99 point door
Edit: I got a bottle of this. :) (98 points)
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2019 Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary Red - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/23/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): Premiere at Oakville
Brief tasting note from memory, cassis, blackcurrant, blackberry, pencil shavings, tobacco. Palate was full bodied, black fruit, rocky, mineral mid-palate long and structured. 96, but feel this might increase a couple of points in the years to come, Rudd is one of the producers I was most impressed by at PNV. (96 points)
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2019 Harlan Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/23/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): Premiere begins in Oakville PNV
You cannot give 92 points to Harlan, well I am and guess what I am being generous. First time tasting this wine and wow not impressed at all, with around 30 wines tasted, this certainly was one of the lowest scoring wines of the lunch. Incredibly muted nose, blackcurrant, dark plus black tea, pencil lead shavings, firm tannins yet just very very closed down (my guess!) and not expressive at all. They decided to not decant the wine and even after spending 10-15 spinning the wine like a merry go round it just did not improve.
*Update: Based on feedback from the community, this wine needs A LOT of time, and so probably should not have been open to trade at this stage. (92 points)
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Final stop of the day: Favia!
I have long been a fan of everything that Andy has done, yet I had never spent time tasting through the wines. We were met at their home by John (DTC), who told us the story of Favia and how they had just partnered with the Huneeus family and had purchased a plot down in Oakville, where they will also be moving their tasting room. Favia is a small production with around 400 cases of each wine produced. Each of the wines are truly unique and the Favia Coombsville 2019 is probably my highest scoring wine of the trip, I believe VHR 2019 will one day close that gap but for now these were my impressions. We also had the chance to taste a 2011 Cerro Sur and a dinner the night prior, and wow I need more 2011 in my cellar. Favia work mainly in Coombsville and Oakville Ranch (just next to Dalla Valle). These are refined, old school with elegant refined fruit long and layered. I did not have a least favourite of the 4, however the Coombsville and Cerro Sur (with a high % of Cab Franc) were probably my favourites very closely followed by the Oakville Ranch.
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2019 Favia Cerro Sur - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/23/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): There was one winery I wanted to taste during my trip and that was Favia, I have long been a follow of Andy Erickson but have yet to sit down and taste through the 4 wines. Here was my chance, and wow was I not disappointed. The grapes from all 4 wines tasted are of an east/North exposure, ensuring slow ripening and not hot afternoon sun. All 4 wines showed wonderfully with my favourites the Coombsville and Cerro Sur coming up top. If you have a chance you should not hesitate to try a Favia wine.
Cerro Sur("South Hill") 2019 - 73% Cabernet Franc(Rancho Chimiles - Wooden Valley - 1500 ft) and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon shows a wonderful aromatic profile of dark violets, crushed roses, dark red cherries, blackcurrant, black tea, liquorice, bay leaves and spice. The palate is medium+ bodied and is refined and elegant, nearly silky in texture with bright red fruit, maraschino cherries, anise and fresh herbs initially hit the palate, the tannins are silky with a slightly crushed rocky texture on the mid-palate, with a velvety persistent mouth feel which leads to a long lingering finish. 97-98 (97 points)
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2019 Favia La Magdalena - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/23/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): There was one winery I wanted to taste during my trip and that was Favia, I have long been a follow of Andy Erickson but have yet to sit down and taste through the 4 wines. Here was my chance, and wow was I not disappointed. The grapes from all 4 wines tasted are of an east/North exposure, ensuring slow ripening and not hot afternoon sun. All 4 wines showed wonderfully with my favourites the Coombsville and Cerro Sur coming up top. If you have a chance you should not hesitate to try a Favia wine.
La Magdalena is a blend of 62% Cabernet Franc and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville Ranch. This shows dark blackcurrant, blackberry and cassis along with dark crushed aromatics of violets, anise and all spice finishing with a black tea note. The palate is more muscular and energetic versus the Cerro Sur, with dark brooding fruit, liquorice and Indian spices filling the mid-palate, there is real energy and persistence throughout, layered and deep with crushed gravel sensation on the mid-palate, this leads to a long slightly rich finish. 97++ (97 points)
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2019 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (2/23/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): There was one winery I wanted to taste during my trip and that was Favia, I have long been a follow of Andy Erickson but have yet to sit down and taste through the 4 wines. Here was my chance, and wow was I not disappointed. The grapes from all 4 wines tasted are of an east/North exposure, ensuring slow ripening and not hot afternoon sun. All 4 wines showed wonderfully with my favourites the Coombsville and Cerro Sur coming up top. If you have a chance you should not hesitate to try a Favia wine.
One of the wines of the trip which included tasting 200 or so Napa Cabernets. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville. Aromas are very aromatic and included multiple layers of crushed florals, dark berries, cassis, sandalwood, graphite, unsmoked tobacco and dark chocolate. The plate was full bodied, intense yet wonderfully elegant and focused, displaying refined tannins along with dark berries channeling through the palate along with a mineral and earthy undertone mid-palate following waves of bitter chocolate, orange peel and sage along and a long savoury finish. With only a small taste it was difficult to capture the pure elegance and class of this wine. I have a couple of bottles in the cellar, and will purchase more in the coming weeks. I hope to save a couple of bottles for 20 years time, this is old school Napa! (99 points)
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2019 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (2/23/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): There was one winery I wanted to taste during my trip and that was Favia, I have long been a follow of Andy Erickson but have yet to sit down and taste through the 4 wines. Here was my chance, and wow was I not disappointed. The grapes from all 4 wines tasted are of an east/North exposure, ensuring slow ripening and not hot afternoon sun. All 4 wines showed wonderfully with my favourites the Coombsville and Cerro Sur coming up top. If you have a chance you should not hesitate to try a Favia wine.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville Ranch, located just above Dalla Valle. Blackberries, crushed violets, cassis, blackcurrants, dark chocolate and savoury spices waft from the nose. The palate is full bodied yet with a mineral brightness along with a succulent core of dark red fruit, dried herbs, polished tannins along with a juicy mid-palate, layered and spicy, this finishes long and savoury. (97 points)
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2011 Favia Cerro Sur - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/22/2023)
Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California): This was really a special wine, and pouring next to the Hillside Select 2012 showed just how amazing the 2011 vintage is and will continue to improve in the coming years.
The Cerro Sur was 72% Cabernet Franc and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, showed notes of cassis, developing dark fruit, fig, violets, pencil shavings, unsmoked tobacco and crushed stones. The palate was medium+ bodied with developing dark red fruit, mocha and crushed florals that showed both power and grace leading to a silky mid-palate of firm yet fine tannins, finishing long. A real success of the vintage and one of my highlights on this Californian trip! (96 points)
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Right now on to Day 3.
