The staff was great and wines are amazing. Vicky was very warm and welcoming. We went on a Friday evening it was busy but still attentive to our needs.One of the bigger wineries, open to the public, that gets a lot of foot traffic. But heck, the wines are great! so no complaining. Some really unique blends mixed in with the more traditional. Their at the vineyard only Gewurztraminer was heaven and the Ridiculous Red plus some good Cabs and solid Sauvignon Blanc.
Completely unique wine tasting experience. You can hang out on leather couches or sit at your own dining table. Super chill, great music, and across the board I found the wines really good. Jean was our super smart and gracious host. The nicest in Napa. Great place to stop in for a chill tasting and pick up something special for lunch or dinner.
Excellent Zinfandel and equally excellent Zinfandel Port. I believe they also make a Zin chocolate sauce for those of you with a sweet tooth. Now they're a bit off the beaten path but completely worth visiting. It's rare that you get the combination of excellent people and wine like this while also avoiding the tourist crush that is much of Napa. I highly recommend calling them up and experiencing it yourself. I know I'll be back the next time I'm headed that way.
Scarecrow Caberent Sauvignon does not have a long, fabled history like many of the most expensive California wines. In fact, they are one of the few recent cult wine phenomena to have taken off over the past few years. That says a lot about Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon and its popularity with wine lovers as the Cult wine craze has largely fallen by the way side. Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon made their debut California wine in 2003. While the winery is new, the vineyard has a long history dating all the way back to the end of World War 2. That was the year that John Daniel, Jr, (the original owner of the vineyards now used by Dominus,) convinced his friend J. Cohn, to plant 80 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. Those vines became the backbone of all the legendary vintages for Inglenook that Cohn helped produce. Scarecrow wine, Caberent Sauvignon is the brain child of Cohn’s grandson, Bret Lopez and Celia Masyczek. The best fruit comes from their oldest vines in the Rutherford vineyards. This small production wine is difficult to find and expensive. But it is a unique, tactile style of California Cabernet Sauvignon that is worth the effort to seek out. The entire production of Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon is sold through a mailing list.
Although Failla (pronounced FAY-LA) has a relatively brief history, it is marked by complexity. The first vintage release, under the name Failla-Jordan, was in 1998. That year, Failla debuted its Alban Vineyard Viognier from Edna Valley and Que Syrah Syrah from Sonoma Coast, while simultaneously planting the initial blocks at their Estate Vineyard in Cazadero. The first Estate releases would not emerge for several more years.
Ehren Jordan, the founder, has a passion for experimenting with his favorite varietals, exploring their diverse expressions across different climates—cool, cooler, and coolest—as well as varying soil types and rootstocks.
In 1998, Failla acquired a parcel adjacent to an earlier purchase and planted it with five acres of rootstock in 2002, later grafting Pinot Noir clones the following year. Ehren's viticultural training in France profoundly influences his farming and winemaking decisions. Today, Failla’s eleven acres of Estate vineyards produce Syrah, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir that embody the essence of California’s coolest regions.
After honing his skills with Pinot Noir from Keefer Ranch Vineyard in the Russian River Valley in 1999, Ehren sought out unique, cool-climate Pinot Noir sources to fuel his ongoing experimentation and passion.
The vineyards of the historic Lewelling Estate were established in 1864 near the western foothills in St. Helena by our great-great-grandfather, pioneer winegrower John Lewelling. Here, the gravelly loam soil and microclimate combine to produce exceptional Cabernets with rich cherry, currant and berry flavors that are enhanced by traditional winemaking methods and aging in French and American oak barrels. Our family is proud to present this wine that celebrates 148 years as one of the oldest continuously-owned family vineyards in the Napa Valley. Currently a waiting list for the 370 cases production of the Lewelling Vineyards Cab.
Perhaps the most helpful, most friendly of all sparkling tasting rooms we visited in the area. Rather than tether you to a bar, you're able to get service at a table. Just look at the menu selection, and someone will be with you shortly. Mumm Napa is the best place to stop by at the end of the day. The reason being is that they have outdoor seating overlooking their vineyards. It's a special winery because they have a variety of sparkling wines. Don't fret, if it's hot (just like it was yesterday at 94 degrees) they turn on their mist sprays and instantly you are cooled down. They have 3 pour flights plus the full glass. It's located on the Silvarado Trail so this gives you a chance to take a peek on what this trail has to offer.
Saddleback Cellars was founded in 1978 by the renowned winemaker Nils Venge. Widely celebrated as the "King of Cab," Venge made history as the first American winemaker to earn a 100-point score from acclaimed wine critic Robert Parker for his 1985 vintage of Reserve Cabernet. Today, Venge's Cabernets continue to receive impressive 90+ point reviews.
The winery remains much as it was at its inception, nestled off the Oakville Crossroad on quiet Money Road, a dead-end lane in the esteemed Oakville District of the Napa Valley AVA. While Cabernet Sauvignon, produced from the estate’s 14 acres of vineyards, remains the winery's flagship, Saddleback also crafts distinctive varietals from select vineyards across Wine Country. Visitors can experience a range of small-lot, handcrafted wines including Charbono, Vermentino, Tannat, Petit Verdot, and unique blends. The friendly staff ensures that guests feel like part of the family, arriving as visitors and leaving as friends.
Guests are invited to savor the vineyard views and the personalized experience of tasting Napa Valley wines at this intimate, family-owned winery off the beaten path.
We were able to do some barrel tasting and i can't wait for the 2012's to be released because they're already outstanding. Kirk, the owner, gave us an education on how they introduce new blends to existing vines through bud grafting and he told us about his neighbors and the wines they're producing. I felt like I was part of their family, just enjoying a glass or two of wine for the day.
Sloan Estate Winery is owned by Sloan Falily Winery LLC and managed by Stuart Sloan of Seattle. The winery makes approximately 300 cases of a proprietary red all from 100 percent estate grapes. The wines are sold for between $200 and $300 and all through a mailing list that is harder to get on than that for a royal wedding. Robert Parker gave the 2002 vintage a rare 100 points. Sloan Estate, an ultra-private winery and vineyard in Rutherford, has been sold by owner Stuart Sloan to Goldin Financial Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, for $40 million. According to the Sloan Estate purchase agreement and as reported in Wine Industry Insight, Goldin Financial Holdings is an investment company engaged in Japanese restaurant operations, consumer electronics, financial investments and the wine business. “There has been an explosion of red wine consumption in Asia and Hong Kong, particularly in the high-end wines,” said Jim Carroll, general counsel for Goldin subsidiary Goldin Factoring of Fremont. “Sloan is one of the best wines coming out of Napa Valley, and it was determined that would be a good place to start in providing more wine to the Asian culture,” he said.
