Vineyard 29 at 2929 Highway 29: Unforgettable!
The sign says simply 2929. You would pass right by the entrance to this beautiful winery on Highway 29 north of St. Helena. There is no advertisement of what lies up the hill. Vineyard 29 has a quiet, stately elegance from your first approach to the massive double doors that open to a remarkably modern and techno savvy operation. This is a “By Appointment Only” winery where you need to book well in advance to enjoy the tour and tasting, yet it’s well worth the planning.
On your visit, you are welcomed into the winery through massive double doors. Up the stairs to the right is the office and a balcony where you begin your exploration of the impressive operation. From the balcony, you take in views of the valley floor with vineyards all around. Austin Gallion is in charge of hospitality, and he will lead you on a tour of the winery, talking about its beginnings and bringing you up to today’s operation — sipping great wine all the time, of course.
Outpost Wines: A Real Gem
There are many wineries that stand out for their wine, and Outpost is one of them. This winery crafts wonderful wine from high atop Howell Mountain. Outpost sits 2200 feet above the Napa Valley floor. The vineyards surround the property, and you can readily see many of them from one of the tasting rooms during your visit.
What’s relevant about the altitude? There are many who say that mountain fruit produces deep and concentrated flavors in a wine. There are attributes associated with altitude that contribute to this, such as heat during the day, cooling at night, exposure to more direct sunlight, and access to water. One thing that all will agree on is temperature. The higher you go, the cooler it gets. That translates to potentially longer hang time for the grapes on the vine, which benefits ripeness and flavor. The mountains also tend to have soils that drain more rapidly, and that contributes to the vines having to struggle to get water. This puts stress on the vine. What that means is that the vines put a lot of energy into the grapes, resulting in mountain fruit having thicker skin, smaller berries, and, many believe, a greater concentration of flavors.
Dunn: A Napa Valley Classic
One of the most iconic cabernets out of Napa Valley is the Dunn Cabernet from Dunn Vineyards. Randy Dunn, the primary principal of this winery, started his career with Caymus back in the 1970’s. He began his own winery in the latter part of that decade. Randy has been known and respected throughout the valley for crafting and creating big, muscular wines that age and age.
Mike Dunn (Randy’s son) is the cellar master and assistant wine maker and has assumed many more of the day-to-day responsibilities of the winery over the past seven years. Mike also started his own label — crafting his own style of wine called Retro, which is a Petite Syrah. He has two wines that are big, bold, and age-able, yet approachable young — at a killer price. His Retro label sells for under $35 and will age gracefully.
A Visit to Howell Mountain: O’Shaughnessy Winery
With Christmas day, lovingly celebrated with family, in the rear view mirror, it was time for a quick visit to Napa Valley. This is a time of the year that is relatively quiet in the valley with many wineries closed for a break until after the New Year. I needed to pick up some wine at O’Shaughnessy Winery, so we headed up Howell Mountain. O’Shaughnessy is one of my favorite wineries on Howell Mountain, and Howell Mountain itself is a specific appellation and one of the AVAs of the valley.
More about O’Shaughnessy in a minute, but let’s talk about the terms “AVA” and “appellation.” AVA stands for an American Viticultural Area. Specifically, an AVA is an officially recognized appellation; and an appellation is defined as a “geographically based growing region that shows unique characteristics of soil, climate, historical relevance and more.” Throughout Napa Valley, there are several AVAs, and Howell Mountain is one. An AVA’s distinctions influence the grapes and, ultimately, the wine. What distinguishes Howell Mountain is a climate that is slightly warmer and drier overall due to strong afternoon sun influence. The elevation ranges from 600 feet to 2600 feet, and the principal varieties grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc. It’s a short 20-minute drive up Deer Park Road (from Silverado Trail) to Howell Mountain.