Alanté Vineyard is a family-owned vineyard and winery located in the heart of Napa Valley. Alanté's vineyard enjoys a premium locale just South of Lodi Lane in St. Helena. After fifteen years of reserving their harvest exclusively for friends and family, Alanté is proud to share with you our exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon, a true single vineyard wine.
One of the very best wineries in the Napa Valley for visitors; conveniently off of highway 29, the Hall team produces superior wines- Cabernet Sauvignons from their Napa Valley bottling to the Kathryn Hall Reserve, the wines stand as some of the best in USA. Don't miss their Sauvignon Blanc as well, it is racy and bright and very varietal with its beautiful ripe melon and dry citrus flavors.
All of the wines are delicious. They off certain wines to try with chocolates
and crackers for your pleasure. They educate you on what you tasting and
give you time to make up your mind if your satisfied or not.
They recommended other wineries we should try, as well as great nearby foods places.
The "Napa Valley AmerItal Red Wine" (750ml) Goosecross Wines is truly one of my favorites.
1. First of all, Make a reservation! Make a RESERVATION! or else!
The place is hidden, small, and worth visiting but dropping by isn't going to work.
2. The place is family run, which makes it personal and incredible.
Definitely worth the foresight it takes to reserve your tasting time. The guy there Jeff is very personable, not at all like so many of the other wineries where you can tell they are either sort of annoyed that you're there or just trying to get you to buy as much as possible. He remembers us from visit to visit, we have nice chats, he has a talent for getting the group (never more than 12 at a time) to open up as everyone sits around a small coffee table in their living room/tasting room. Most of what they produce is Pinot Noir, and it's all excellent. Doesn't taste like most pinots out there, very unique flavors, well attenuated and dry but not harsh. They have a complex fruit character without being overpowering in the bouquet. Overall, spectacular wines that really stand out.
Allora Vineyards was established in 1999. The proprietors of Allora Vineyards are Terry and Nancy Klein. They manage their winemaking business along with their children, Kelly, Cortney, and Christopher Klein. Presently, 10 acres of grapevines are planted on the Klein's estate. Eight acres are Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and the remaining two acres consist of Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. Additionally, the vineyard employs a unique planting style in which vines are grown closely together, forcing each plant to produce only a small amount of fruit of the highest quality possible. Allora had its first harvest in the fall of 2002 and has been producing exceptional wine with each new vintage. You can visit Allora but remember that tastings are by appointment only and during the summer you will likely have to book a couple of months in advance.
We tasted:
2008 Dry Creek Zin - Old vine zinfandel, fruity with oak notes. I tasted pomegranate with some spice. Very enjoyable (too bad there isn't much left!)
2008 Oak Hill Estate Zin - I liked this zin. The grapes are grown on property. Hints of vanilla & caramel with the fruit upon first whif. Then a very silky mouth feel with plum and spice. We all agreed this would pair well with eggplant or other roasted/grilled veggies.
2008 Calistoga Cab Sauvignon - The bottle we tasted had been opened late the day before which helped soften the tannins. Hints of cherry on the palate.
2006 Napa Valley Cab - I liked this more than the 2008 from Calistoga. It was balanced acidity/fruit.
2010 Michael's Muse - Delicious tawny port style wine that they had just bottled! Complex fruit, not too over-poweringly sweet. I think it had zin & petite syrah grapes (I wasn't paying as much attention). Very good!
More than 30 years of winemaking experience, decisions based on intuition and feelings, a great respect for tradition, and access to some of the best grape sources in Napa Valley.
Distinctive wines come from outstanding grapes that are limited to certain unique sites and microclimates. Grapes from these sources do not require a lot of manipulation and have the greatest potential to produce exciting and memorable wines. Peter Franus has the good fortune to work with some of the best growers anywhere whose goal is to provide him with the highest quality fruit possible. Doug Hill’s and Jim Fore’s Stewart Vineyard in Carneros is my source for Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. Truchard Vineyards, also in Carneros, provides me with Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel from Rancho Chimiles, and Brandlin Vineyard on Mount Veeder is a single vineyard for old-vine Zinfandel.
A very small operation, and nearly all of their artisan wines have a case level production of fewer than 1000 cases.
Peacock Family Vineyard is a 6.2 acre hillside Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley just west of the town of St. Helena. This is a dramatically sited mountain vineyard at an elevation of 1,000 feet. The terraced vineyard rows are configured south by southeast at slopes of up to 10%. The vineyard was planted in 1989 on Freedom rootstalk with Clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon at a density of 950 vines per acre. The vines are cane pruned and trellised with three wires in the vertical shoot. The crop is limited to less than 5.5 pounds per plant, with the vineyard averaging 15 tons per year.
This is a Famly business run by four Brothers, all native residents of Napa, and all grew up making wine in their garage as kids.... Needless to say they produce some outstanding wine! The brothers take turns conducting private tours at a cave winery in the southeastern hills of the Napa Valley. It's a great tour and a REAL Napa Winemaking experience.
Don and Deedee Sodaro moved to southern California in 1966 from Chicago, Illinois, the city Giuseppe Sodaro had adopted as his home in America over 70 years earlier. Though the Sodaro passion for wine ran deep, it would be another thirty years before they would be able to realize their dream of starting a winery to carry on the family namesake in the New World. In 1996, their opportunity finally arrived, and so began their search for the perfect terroir. After an extensive nine month search through the central and north coasts, Don and Deedee came upon a magnificent property set among the hillsides and alluvial terraces of the south-east Napa Valley, and immediately they knew they’d found someplace special.
Gorgeous estate located in the Coombsville District, so its a close jaunt to downtown Napa. Fabulous views, and some of the best reds I have had the pleasure of tasting! A reservation is required, but definitely worth the planning to experience this romantic vineyard.
