The markup at TFL is considerable. $495 for the 2014 MACDONALD.
Corkage is $150, I believe.
Looks like itās around $500 on their list
Thanks Tom. Agree on champagne generally pairing well across the full food spectrum. I was actually considering a bottle of bubbly as my main beverage pairing, but over such a long meal Iām thinking we will need a bit more. I like your idea of going with BTG or even a half bottle to close that gap!
Interim note
Beckstoffer replant
In my last visit to the area in March 2017, I attended a wine class on To-Kalon where Andy Beckstoffer described a new replanting plan that would take place over 20 years.
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2244794#p2244794
This is also described here:
https://www.winesandvines.com/news/article/183231/Beckstoffer-to-Redevelop-To-Kalon-Vineyard
In this visit, we could see that this was very much underway. The vines right behind Beckstofferās To-Kalon sign have been pulled. And on the first couple days of our trip, it was a brilliant field of mustard, but then the next day they were all mowed or tilled under.
We also saw a similar effort at Missouri Hopper, not just behind its sign but also along the road to VHR.
I wonder how sharing the reduction in yield is going with his clients.
Wonderful report. Great effort was put forth.
Day 6
Raymond Vineyards
And now, a change of pace. Raymond Vineyards was founded in the early 1970s by Roy Raymond, who worked as the winemaker for Beringer for many decades and married into the Beringer family, before striking out to his own operation when Beringer sold to Nestle. Raymond today is owned by the flamboyant Jean-Charles Boisset, aka JCB, and it shows. The āCrystal Cellarā where the fermentation vats are located is decorated with chandeliers, Baccarat decanter displays, and burlesque mannequins. You can buy a JCB bobblehead, among other quirky goods.
But itās all about the wines, right? Right? We had a reservation for the āRed Room Priveā experience. Normally, this would take place in the velvet-adorned āRed Roomā, but it was under renovation and we instead had it is a no-less red side room.
2008 Raymond Red Room Sparkling Rose
It was fine as an opener, and palate cleanser. Bright to begin with, with some sour-ish notes afterwards. Or, perhaps because the last sparkling I had was the Krug 165eme the night before, it had a tall bar to meet.
1986 Raymond Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($250)
From Coravin, but might otherwise have been a new bottle. This was a very interesting selection for the lineup, and reflected the connection to heritage that JCB has retained under the flash of the modern day Raymond Vineyards. The Mrs. said the smell reminded her of āgoing to Aunt Maxineās houseā when she was younger, as it always had this unmistakable āold houseā must to it. She loved getting that here. Color tending to a brownish-red, and brown/orange to the edge. We would go back to this one after some time and it continued to change, becoming more savory; herbal, slightly floral.
2013 Red Room Red ($150)
55% Cabernet Sauvignon / 45% Petit Verdot. Perfumed with red fruit, cherry. Developing towards a cherry cola, with a caramelized edge to it. Tannins, lots of structure evident.
2014 Raymond Generations Cabernet Sauvignon ($125)
Lighter, more approachable feel to this one. Cherry, baking spices / cinnamon. Tannins more fine and powdery with a little bit of grip, some acidity balance as well.
2014 Red Room Salon Prive Red ($250)
Cabernet Sauvignon blend, with Merlot, and some Petit Sirah. Full bodied and elegant. It had a more gentle nose to it. Fine texture. Softer in general, but getting grippy with time.
2014 JCB Surrealist ($350)
If you stop into a JCB Salon (there is one in Yountville), you will see this bottle prominently displayed among other flashy bottles. It dispenses with the usual paper or screened label and instead sticks a piece of jewelry on the front. I saw that the jewelry available separately as a brooch for ~$150-160, so call it a $200 wine in a $150 bottle? The bottle is intended to continue on in service as a decanter. Is it over the top? Paying for flash over substance? It certainly speaks to a certain audience (the Mrs. loves it).
But itās all about the wine, right? It is composed of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Petit Verdot. This was poured into a differently shaped glass (from Baccarat, of course) for proper enhancement. I donāt have much noted though overall my impression was that it was a very good wine. Some grip coming in towards the end. It is not a light wine, so likely it is more that it is becoming approachable. Overall my impression is that it is a very good wine. RP98 and WS92, for what itās worth. The 2015 vintage received a JD100 and WA98+, although it hasnāt been released yet.
Verdict: Donāt be fooled by the flash, there is a surprising amount of substance here.
Food notes
Lunch: Rutherford Grill
Best French Dip. Anything weāve had here has always been very good.
Verdict: It always seems to be busy - definitely secure a reservation in advance to avoid a wait.
Dinner: Ad Hoc
Ad Hoc is Thomas Kellerās family-style, more causal restaurant. A four-course menu is generated daily with a starter, main, cheese, and dessert course.
- Warm Potato Salad
- Grilled Hangar Steak
- Shelburne Farms Cheddar
- Root Beer Float
Verdict: We have yet to go wrong, or hungry, at Ad Hoc.
Thanks again for the reports and the pictures.
It appears as though my wife and I were in Napa at the same time. We went to the Charter Oak for lunch on Valentines day and had the same experience with their desert cart. We also enjoyed the Oakville grocery for lunch. Thanks for the report and pictures and for the explanation of To Kalon, I was wondering why some of it was missing when we drove by it.
While obviously a big markup over release, this may be a rare bargain as TFL goes. Macdonald routinely resells for more than this, and my WS Pro search shows only one cheaper retail or secondary offering, at $475. Where else is TFL pricing equal to current retail?!
Jonathan
Great write ups on the wines here! I equally appreciate the tidbits on the restaurants - a few I havenāt heard of, but would totally try. Thank you for sharing!
You know, this is a good point. They do have a section in their wine list titled āA Well-Traveled Wineā - these are the DRCs that were stolen and recovered. Maybe there is something there? They said that they opened some of the pilfered bottles, and those were found to be just fine.
It lists DRC Romanee Saint Vivant 2008 for $1950; Wine Searcher suggests $2000-2400 or so.
Sounds like it, and it was a perfect time to be there. Thanks for highlighting that thereās a dessert cart at Charter Oak! Iāll now know to plan accordingly the next time we go there and itās not brunch.
Day 7
Hall
We made a quick stop at Hall, where we have a club membership. Their wine club is flexible in that theyāll pick what you will receive in a shipment, but you can override that and make your own choices, so this visit would help inform us. It would also help us recheck if we wanted to continue being in their club too. Hall is particularly proud of their ratings, so youāll see them here.
2016 Walt Clos Pepe Pinot Noir ($75)
A Sta Rita Hills PN.
This was rather tempered, not especially striking in any way.
2015 Hall The North End Cabernet Sauvignon ($70)
Sourced from vineyards in the north end of Napa Valley. 96% CS, 4% Merlot.
This also felt closed and somewhat thin. Hmm.
2014 Hall Bergfeld St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon ($175)
The Bergfeld vineyard is onsite at Hallās St. Helena location. 93% CS, 7% Merlot.
It was heavier than The North End, and a little better than the first two, but still in general, not getting a lot? The Mrs. is much better in palate than I, but she was struggling to get much from it. Rated: 96 WE. But we werenāt seeing why.
2014 Hall Eighteen Seventy Three Cabernet Sauvignon ($80)
100% CS. OK, here we go. Softer, more approachable. Blue, darker red fruits. Spices present, sage perhaps.
Rated: 95 WE.
2014 Hall Jackās Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon ($135)
Sourced from Atlas Peak and Howell Mountain vineyards. Winemaker is Mike Reynolds; this is his only wine as Steve Leveque does most of the rest. A darker profile fruit, with more personality Bigger. A little grippy at this stage. This was a favorite of the tasting.
Rated: 97+ JD, 95 WA.
2014 Hall Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon ($175)
Sourced from Sacrashe and Bergfeld. 100% CS. This was as big as Jackās Masterpiece, though smoother. Very fine texture. Black fruit, some fig. Rated: 97 JD, 98 IWR, 95 WA.
2015 Hall Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($185)
Intended to be heavy but approachable. Lots of descriptors came to mind here. Blueberry jam, dark spices. A fresh tilled dark earth. Some fresh mowed grass. Some new leather in the nose. Another favorite. Rated: 96+ WA.
2014 Hall Ellieās Cabernet Sauvignon ($80)
95% CS, 5% Merlot. Made in a self-described āfeminine styleā.
Softer, but not weak, and still solid. Earthy, blue berry fruits. Cinnamon, fig. Hint of vanilla. Rated: 95 WE, 94 IWR
So, we got what we came for. The Mrs. was thinking that Hall could be one we trim in our ongoing quest/struggle to contain our club/mailing list memberships, but it will remain, and we know are better informed as to what to order.
Hestan
Hestan is predominantly a kitchen equipment company, being the supplier of choice for the recent French Laundry kitchen remodel, and sporting Thomas Keller as company spokesman. They have also recently outfitted the Culinary Institute of America with new equipment, and built a kitchen for the Bocuse dāOr Team USA to practice in, helping them to earn their historic Gold medal in last yearās event (http://www.hestan.com/team-usa-trains-hestan-barn-historic-bocuse-dor-win/).
And they also have a winery, Hestan Vineyards, which gained a bit of visibility recently with their 2014 Meyer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon placing #8 in Wine Spectatorās top 100.
In our original October travel plan, we were going to take advantage of an onsite experience at their estate, separate from their tasting room in Yountville. This was to go and taste at the Estate, and also have a private session with their in-house chef, a Thomas Keller alum, for learning how to cook/grill a multi-course meal. Since October, however, their in-house chef left for other endeavors, and the estate experiences were no longer offered. The wine club director, Grant, was willing to put together something similar for us.
We drove out to the Hestan Estate, which is not in Napa Valley as we would think of it, but due east of Napa, over the hills, and in Gordon Valley. They are fairly secluded, a picture perhaps of what Napa used to look like when it was much less developed.
At the Estate is where the āHestan Barnā is located, which is where Hestan does research for a number of their new products, and where the Bocuse dāOr team trains. We may or may have not seen them there doing their thing. We got a tour first of walking the vineyard grounds. As we did, a golf cart rolled up, with Stanley Cheng, founder of Hestan, and Angel the vineyard manager in it (Hestan is a portmanteau of "Stan"ley and his wife "He"len). We had a nice chat, and Stanley invited us to take another golf cart to get up to the upper parts of the estate for a nice view, which we did.
We then went to the Barn where Grant had lined up one of the chefs working for Hestan, another Thomas Keller alum, to show us grilling techniques. Iāll spare the details, since this is not that type of forum, but I do enjoy learning about culinary skills and this filled that in spades.
2016 Hestan Sauvignon Blanc
This went with a Grilled Chicken Panzanella Salad. My notes were focused on absorbing food cooking knowledge, but this was a very good pairing.
Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown
2011 Hestan Chardonnay
2015 Hestan Grenache
Paired with Grilled Salmon w/Seasonal Vegetables. Grant poured these side by side, to show the versatility of the Grenache in particular to go with a dish like salmon.
The chardonnay was rich and worked as an obvious pairing.
The Grenache was leaner and lighter than a typical CdP or Rhone, more bright. The finish was lively as like white pepper, overall working very well as a pairing.
Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown
2015 Vincent Christopher Pinot Noir
Paired with Grilled Fruit Skewers over ice cream. I was a little surprised at pairing a pinot with dessert, but somehow it worked very well, going with the high acidity of the fruit. Sourced from the Walala vineyard.
Winemaker: Jeff Gaffner
Afterwards, Grant offered to pour us a 2004 Meyer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. This was from the earlier days of Hestan Vineyards. From 375ml, since no more 750ml bottles are in the library.
This one was very, very impressive. It opened with forest mushrooms. Stewed red fruits, caramel, toasted notes. It was still lively, acidity still present and giving a nice slight tang to the palate. Grant estimated that as a 375ml it was as if it had aged from 1998 relative to a 750ml.
Winemaker: Mark Herold
Verdict: A great pairing of the culinary world and the world of wine.
Food notes:
Lunch: was at the Hestan Estate, of course.
Dinner: Bistro Jeanty
A classically and dependably French bistro. It is one of our favorite places in Napa. The Mrs. had Coq au Vin, while I had Sole Meuniere. Donāt skip getting a reservation, as it is the favorite of a lot of other people, too.
Day 8
Ridge Lytton Springs
The final stop on our itinerary was to drive north and stop by Ridgeās Lytton Springs location, which is not in Napa Valley at all but over in Healdsburg.
The vineyard is striking for its truly old vines, with many plantings over 80-90 years old. We did the estate tour and tasting, which was fairly standard as far as winery tours go.
Here we also saw bud break taking place.
The wines had been in the glass for about 4 hours.
2015 Ridge Blasi Zinfandel ($35)
Young red fruit, trending to blackberry over time. Baking spices. A tone reminiscent of tea?
2015 Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel ($35)
Lively, with cola notes to it. This was probably my favorite of the three zins.
2015 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel ($40)
Slightly more tannic. The more purple of the three zins. Thyme is distinct.
2014 Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($60)
Weāve had this before and enjoyed it greatly.
2014 Ridge Monte Bello ($200)
We had not had any vintage of the Monte Bello before. This tasting was rather curious as it did not make a huge impression, nothing to suggest that this should stand out in particular, per its reputation. It was balanced, with red fruit, velvet texture, sage, although nothing really stood out. Without knowing its solid record, we would not have thought this to be worth including on our list. But, based on its reputation, weāll give it a pass and try it again at some point later.
Verdict: The zins were fine, and the Ridge Estate cab continues to deliver. The Monte Bello did not do much for us on this day, but weāll give it a pass.
In Closingā¦
So thatās it for our 8-day visit to the region, the longest we have done so far, yet it seemed like we had a full agenda. There certainly is no shortage of interesting places to check out, food or wine related.
A few additional overall observations:
- Visitor traffic was low during the week, but very busy on the weekend. Hopefully that is a good sign of people returning to the area, which would help the local economy recover. One winery did mention that their February visits were well below average, though.
- The sense is that the 2016 vintage is shaping up very, very nicely. And that the 2017 vintage will be a tale of who harvested before the fires vs those who harvested after. Those who harvested before were essentially business as usual for the most part.
- Everyone concerned about the very dry winter. Many concerned about bud break and the growing season being earlier than average. All hoping for some rain, before flowering of course.
Thanks to everyone who commented, I appreciate all the kind words. Hopefully there was a little bit of everything in hereā¦ recommendations for the Napa area, reviews of different wines, looking at how some Napa cabs have aged, and a look at some 2016 cabs.
Love, love, love the pictures of Lytton Springs. Just great! Fabulous write up and pics. Thanks for the in depth coverage of your trip, the wines and the restaurants.
Aloha!
TomC, Iām trying to get my brain around the Hestan/Meyer/Stephanie relationship. Does everything come from Estate fruit off the ranch in East Napa County (Meyer Vineyard?)? Or are certain bottlings sourced?
Hereās my best understanding:
There are several labels under the Hestan Vineyards umbrella.
- Hestan (sourced from the estate, made by TRB)
- Meyer (sourced from the estate, made by TRB)
- Stephanie (sourced from the estate, made by Jeff Gaffner)
- Vincent Christopher (bought-in grapes, made by Jeff Gaffner)
Stephanie, Vincent, and Christopher are names of his kids.
Meyer is the name of the cookware giant that he founded.
Interestingā¦ I found the site of the ranch, and it sure looks close to Suisun Valley to me. Is this technically Napa Valley AVA?
Not knocking it, quite the opposite - I think itās great to see high quality cabernet coming from āalternativeā areas.
Yes indeed; theyāre about as close to edge as you can get. It isnāt marked on this map, but they are still in the green if you know where to look. And theyāre listed as part of the Napa Valley Vintners list (also had a lot in PNV last week):
Amazing report with great photos and writing. Thank you.