Realm Cellars: “This blessed plot, this earth, this realm…”
After purchasing the wine produced by Realm Cellars for over 15 years, it was a pleasure to taste at their newest property in Calistoga, CA. It is the home of one of their wines, the Bard. The Bard is a Cabernet blend that is rich and well structured. After many iterations of Realm Cellars, it has expanded to include three locations: The Stags Leap district, Pritchard Hill, and now Calistoga. Success does breed success.
Arkenstone: A Gem on Howell Mountain
The predominate varietal from this lovely winery is Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a wonderful winery to visit to grasp the svelteness of tannins and complexity of their wine. The winery sits at 1400 feet in elevation; and the views are impressive, matching the quality of the wine.
Myriad Cellars: A Winner on Many Levels
I have been buying the wine produced by Mike Smith, winemaker and co-proprietor of Myriad Cellars, since 2008. In most cases, that should be, by itself, a ringing endorsement of his wine.
He honed his craft with one of the finest winemakers in the Napa Valley, Thomas Rivers Brown. Initially, Mike worked with Thomas for free for several crushes (seven to be exact), and ultimately Thomas offered Mike a job. It was in 2006 that Mike was able to purchase grapes and establish his own label with his wife Leah as “copilot.” My first tasting with him was at Carter Cellars where he was established as the winemaker. I was sold on his expertise by then.
Relic Wine Cellars: Worthy of Your Time
This past week, I had the pleasure to visit Relic Wine Cellars. The winery is located in Napa, CA, up Soda Canyon Road. It is well worth the drive. While it is only 20 minutes off the Silverado Trail, it narrows and winds up the mountain side. Once you arrive, the scenery is truly beautiful. Quite frankly, one could just sit and look out at the valley and feel the relaxing mood settle in. I loved the views.
What we came for, though, was the wine. That was truly the value of the trip.
La Pelle Wines: Quality Being Made and Expressed
What I believe is most important to the wine aficionado is the quality in the bottle. Does what is in my glass represent the varietal, and is it well-crafted to enjoy slowly with thoughtfulness and great pleasure? The label is La Pelle; and the winemaker is Maayan Koschitsky; and the answer is “yes” on all counts.
Harvest in the Napa Valley!
Harvest is a special time in the valley. It is the culmination of diligence and oversight of the vines and the evolution of the fruit. This year we were in the vineyard with our friend as his grapes were picked and hauled away to the waiting winery. It was especially sweet since last year his entire crop was lost to smoke taint from the Tubbs Fire. For the vineyard owner, it was a truly remarkable harvest experience.
The process of picking customarily takes place in the cool of the evening. The reason for this is so the process of fermentation does not begin. The cool evening hours provide a measure of assurance that the process does not start without the oversight of the winemaker. There is much to be done before the fermentation begins to bring that lovely bottle of Cabernet to your table.
Amici Cellars: A New Find!
A few friends who loved Napa Valley wine decided to make their own — and started Amici Cellars in 1991. With that quiet beginning, they named the winery Amici, which means “friend” in Italian. The winery itself is located in Calistoga just a couple of miles past the center of town on Old Lalley/Toll Road. It is a rural setting with gorgeous views of the Palisades Mountain Range and sitting directly under Mount St. Helena. Easy to get to, it’s only a five minute drive from town and a delightful wine experience.
The tasting we experienced was set up outside in front of the guesthouse on a pleasantly warm Sunday afternoon. With the mountains in the background, our host Shawn took us through seven wines.
The Price of a Cab — Cabernet Sauvignon, That Is…
Have you ever stood in the aisle of the Cabernet Sauvignon section at the store and wondered, “Why is this one $8 and this one $80?” I suspect you assumed the difference was quality. That’s a fair assumption, yet have you wondered what contributes to the cost of that quality? What is it about the winemaking process that leads to those differences?
First, let me stake out that there are no hard and fast rules, yet there are approaches and techniques in winemaking that make a quantitative difference in production costs. Here are some of the aspects that feed into the cost of your bottle of Cabernet, whatever you choose for whatever occasion.
Cabernet and Chocolate: A Match Made in Heaven?
Just this past weekend, I had the pleasure to attend a luncheon and tasting at a winery. The dessert that was served was brownies, and a friend said all he wanted at the moment was some more Cabernet to go with his brownie. He said it was a great pairing. Let me say, maybe not.
Below are Karen MacNeil’s comments (she is the author of The Wine Bible) on the pairing of Cabernet and Chocolate:
Good Cabernet for $15??
Most people say that it is easy to buy a good bottle of cabernet for $50. The real challenge is finding the good bottle for much less. Well, given the challenge, I had to post this for your palate and pocket experience. This comes from Wine Spectator Advance; and, after reading about it, I had to share it with you.
Columbia Crest
Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills H3 2012
92 points | $15 | 162,000 cases made | Red
“Dark and spicy, billowing with plum, currant and white chocolate flavors, picking up pear and white tea notes as the finish lingers with refinement. The tannins are submerged. Drink now through 2018.” —H.S.