Brandon Bartfalvi, Senior Wine Manager at our Lawrenceville store, recently visited California wine country on just such a trip with other Joe Canal's team members. Here's Part 3 of his report:
DAY 3 – NAPA, NAPA, NAPA
A quick breakfast and it was time to leave Sonoma and head to Napa via the Trinity Road. If you have never taken this little trip then you are truly missing out on an experience (make sure you feel well before this journey).
THE WINERY (CAKEBREAD):
(courtesy of www.kobrandwineandspirits.com)
Cakebread Cellars began in 1973 with the vineyard lands on the original 22-acre property in Rutherford. Over the years, the family has acquired additional vineyards throughout Napa Valley and the North Coast. Today, the winery owns 15 sites totaling 560 vineyard acres in Carneros, Rutherford, Howell Mountain and Anderson Valley, as well as other prime locations in Napa.
Rutherford is known for exemplary Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is to this vine that about 70% of the AVA is planted. The appellation consists of about six square miles of valley floor vineyards and benchland vineyards situated in the rolling foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. The valley vineyards are fertile, with volcanic soil, and the benchlands are well drained and less fertile, with gravelly sand and alluvial soils. Summers are warm during the day, with morning fog possible in the valley.
In Carneros, which lies to the south and borders San Pablo Bay, the climate is much cooler and windy, suited to the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that predominate there. Cakebread Cellars owns four vineyards in the region: Milton Road (42.5 acres), Tinsley Ranch (27 acres), Foster Road (31.5 acres), and Cuttings Wharf Road (56 acres).
Anderson Valley is located in Mendocino County on the hilly western slope of the coastal mountain range. It is a cool, often foggy region where Cakebread grows Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on 46 acres.
Cakebread Cellars is a certified Napa Green Winery since 2008 and farms 191 acres certified Napa Green Land. The Napa Green Winery program promotes reducing energy, total waste and water use and encourages recycling in all aspects of winery operations. In 2010 Cakebread Cellars’ team reduced total waste by 12% and recycled 81% of its total waste. The winery has been awarded several PGE grants to reduce energy use by installing energy efficient refrigeration pumps, controllers and lighting.
In the vineyards, Cakebread Cellars is active in certifying all its vineyards in the Napa Green Land program, which promotes sustainable farming practices, restores fish and wildlife habitat and improves water quality in the local streams. As of 2011, 191 acres (out of a total 460 acres) is Napa Green Land certified, and Cakebread plans to have all properties certified by 2014. In 2010, Cakebread’s Suscol Springs Vineyard was the first vineyard presented with a sustainability award by the Napa County Resource Conservation District and received recognition as a model hillside vineyard development.
OUR VISIT:
After the long, winding road trip, we pulled into our destination: Cakebread Cellars! I enjoy the wines from this estate and I was excited to visit the winery. We were on a tight schedule so we did an abbreviated tour but it was interesting and educational and gave me a little more insight into the winery.
We started the tour by having a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc inside the Visitors Center. Not a bad way to start the day, huh?! A crisp morning, a cool crisp white and a fantasic winery! We enjoyed our Sauvignon Blanc and talked with the staff for a little bit before meeting our guide.
After our introductions we dove into the tour. Our guide gave us a little background on the winery and the family and then led us through the grounds. We went into the winery and had a little behind-the-scenes look at the machinery and operations, then we made our way out to the courtyard where there was a tasting table set up for us (surprise, surprise lol!). We sampled the new vintage of Cakebread Napa Chardonnay and I really enjoyed it. I haven't had it recently so it was great to re-acquaint myself with this bottling. It sells quickly based on reputation but I do get quite a few questions regarding the taste profile and I only have previous experiences to relate. After tasting this wine I can confidently recommend this well-balanced offering that offers stone fruits backed by clean acidity and a dose of oak that in not overpowering (just balanced). BUT we got to taste the Reserve Chardonnay and that really was nice! It definitely is a step above the regular bottling in terms of complexity and really impressed me.
Next we made our way out into the vineyards immediately surrounding the winery, where we had a chance to taste the reds (Cab and Merlot, I believe... I must admit, I cannot remember the exact tasting order... sorry) but we did end this stage with a sampling of the Zinfandel. I remember the Cabernet sauvignon showing really well despite its youth. Full-bodied, ripe and oozing with dark fruits framed by savory spice and cedar notes. The Cabernet sauvignon stood out (for now) with the Zinfandel not far behind. I am used to big, alcohol-laden Zinfandels, but this one was a little more restrained and friendly . The wine had the body you would expect from a Zinfandel but it leaned toward a more restrained, spice-laden style rather than a full-throttle fruit bomb. It was a nice change of pace!
We discussed the different properites used by the winery and the characteristics they impart to the wine produced from them. Our guide took us out to the corner of the property and pointed out the approximate locations of each vineyard so we could get a general idea of how close the vineyards are to each other but how each is very distinct.
On our way back to the Visitors Center, our guide showed us the Culinary building. Here, classes and events are held which emphasize the relationship between food and wine. Dolores Cakebread started this facility (and there is a ¾ acre garden on site for ingredients) to help promote the healthy eating movement. Once a year there is a four-day festival where top American chefs interact with the winemaker, local food producers and media to discuss wine, food and a healthy lifestyle.
Once we reached the main building again we were greeted with a glass of the 2010 Cakebread Dancing Bear blend which showed remarkably well. It was still youthful and restrained, but it did offer more than I expected at this point in its development. Put this bottle away for a few years and you will be rewarded handsomely! This completed our visit and we made our way to the next winery, Sequoia Grove, which is literally next door (we could have walked).
WINES TASTED:
Cakebread Chardonnay
Cakebread Chardonnay Reserve
Cakebread Merlot
Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon
Cakebread Zinfandel
Cakebread Dancing Bear Ranch
THE WINERY (SEQUOIA GROVE WINERY):
(courtesy of www.kobrandwineandspirits.com)
Sequoia Grove, founded in 1979, is a family-owned winery located on Route 29 in the heart of Rutherford, Napa Valley’s most prestigious Cabernet Sauvignon appellation. For more than 30 years, Sequoia Grove has been recognized for its commitment to crafting award-winning wines that emphasize finesse and balance from its Estate vineyards as well as through decades-long relationships with top Napa Valley growers.
Sequoia Grove’s tasting room is nestled into one of the last remaining groves of the majestic Sequoia sempervirens in Napa Valley, inside a barn with more than a century of history in Rutherford. Outside, the Sequoia Grove Estate Vineyard, with its 18 acres of vines, surrounds the property. When the winery outgrew the barn, a separate winemaking building was constructed, along with Napa Valley’s first completely subterranean cellar, a notable achievement given the Napa Valley’s notoriously high water table. The cellar maintains a year-round temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sequoia Grove’s Estate Vineyard lies in the Napa Valley’s most revered red wine growing region, midway between Rutherford and Oakville on the famous Rutherford bench, an area that extends east from the highway to the base of the Mayacamas mountains and is defined mainly by the distinct flavor characteristics it imparts in the Cabernet Sauvignon grown there. The Sequoia Grove Estate Vineyard’s 18 planted acres are dedicated primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), with the remainder to Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Each variety and clonal selection has been matched with the soil type to which it is best suited, with Cabernet Sauvignon in gravelly loam and other varieties in the deeper, richer soils.
OUR VISIT:
We took the "long" drive from Cakebread to Sequoia Grove (we should have just walked) and it is a beautiful estate and you cannot miss the sequoias looming above you. We strolled into the tasting room and were greeted by our guide and immediately we all fell in love with the winery. Our guide was outgoing and fun and made us feel right at home.
After our tasting we started our tour of the grounds and the weather was amazing. We went out to see the bins of grapes that were just delivered and ready to be processed and to snap a few photos. Our guide described the vineyards and the delivery process and then she walked us to the rear of the winery to see the action.
We left the basement and made our way back to the tasting room but first we had to get some pics of the sequoias then it was back to tasting. On the way back we did stop in the small dining area where special events are held (pairing the wines with different dishes, meetings, etc.). Ahhh, back to the tasting area and I was excited to try the reds. I have had the Cab and the Cab Reserve in the past but that felt like ages ago so this was new and fresh (and exciting). We started with the regular Napa Cab and it was delicioussssss!!! Ripe, round and offering dark fruit flavors with a soft, velvety finish. This Cab has backbone but it is silky and smooth (alert: keep an eye out for this one; we may bring it back soon). There was no Reserve to speak of but we tried three single vineyard Cabs that were all very distinct and very well-made (did I mention age-worthy?). The three single vineyards are Lamoreaux Vineyard, Stagecoach Vineyard and Morisoli Vineyard. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I give my nod to the Morisoli Vineyard (but all three were really good and unique comparitively).
A great tasting was followed by a great picnic lunch out in the grove under the cover of the giant sequoias. We weren't expecting a lunch but the winery really took care of us and it was greatly appreciated. We had some great Cabernet with lunch and everything was right in the world for that moment. Out of nowhere we were greeted by a friendly black dog and it promptly ran back to its owner. A little while later the dog returned and we met the owner, Mike Trujillo. Yes, the head winemaker and president of the winery. What a great guy! He apologized because he thought he missed our visit but then he spent a lot of time just talking to us about the winery and I asked him about other projects (ask me in person and I can tell you more). After a wonderful conversation and lunch we made our way to town..... and a nice, cold beer!
WINES TASTED:
Sequoia Grove Chardonnay
Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Morisoli Vyd
Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vyd
Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Lamoreaux Vyd
This is our small break during the day! We took a little side trip to St. Helena to walk around and grab a beer at Ana's Cantina (a long-standing trip tradition). I just wanted a nice cold beer and to watch Rachel try to stick a dollar to the ceiling (oh yeah, just ask and we will tell you). Our next stop was Mumm Napa and here it goes....
THE WINERY (MUMM NAPA):
(courtesy of www.mummnapa.com)
In 1979, the legendary French Champagne house of G.H. Mumm began its quest to find the ideal winegrowing area in the U.S. The sensitive project was awarded to Guy Devaux who had more than 40 years experience creating fine still and sparkling wines in France, South America and the U.S.
For four years, Devaux quietly crossed America, surreptitiously buying grapes and small lots of wine he considered prime. His only rule was to find a terroir where he could create wine from the traditional Champagne grapes and use only the highest quality production process, méthode champenoise.
Ultimately, Guy Devaux found his prize in the Napa Valley. The area could provide consistently good fruit in an optimum grape-growing climate. The long, hot days and cool nights could foster the perfect ripeness and balanced acidity.
The winery he established, Mumm Cuvée Napa, was completed in 1986, embracing all the classic techniques and theories that were invented in Champagne three centuries ago.
While Monsieur Devaux passed away in 1995, the winery remains fully dedicated to his pioneering spirit.
Today, Champagne-born master winemaker Ludovic Dervin leads the way, using his international experience to craft balanced, distinctive wines in the acclaimed méthode traditionelle.
Continuing the long tradition of handcrafted wine, each cluster of grapes is carefully selected and transported in small baskets. The harvest is then gently pressed using only the first, most pure, pressing to go into our sparkling wines. To ensure character in the style of méthode champenoise, every bottle is fermented separately. And, equally important, our grapes are still sourced entirely from Napa Valley.
OUR VISIT:
This is my second visit to Mumm Napa and the tour was very similar to the one I had taken a few years ago. This is a very educational tour that walks you through the winery (with sparkling wine in hand) and behind-the-scenes. Our guide took us from room to room and explained the history and the specifics of the winery then we would take a short break and watch a video at each stop.
It was great to see the excitement on the faces of the group. This is their first time to this winery (and a sparkling wine producer at that) so all of this was a truly educational experience for them. Even I learned some new things and I pay attention on the tours. I knew questions would be raised and the guide had the answers for each one. This was a very relaxed tour and it was nice to take our time and explore.
We did experience one thing that I didn't remember (again, my memory is spotty sometimes) and that was the art gallery at the end of the tour with amazing photos by Jeffrey Davis (I believe). There was no rush and we took our time viewing each photo and I must admit that each one was breathtaking. The tour did not stop there though....
WINES TASTED:
Mumm Napa Brut Prestige
Mumm Napa Santana Supernatural Brut
Mumm Napa Blanc de Blanc
Mumm Napa DVX 2007
Mumm Napa DVX 2001
Mumm Napa Cuvee M Red
Mumm Napa Brut Rose
Mumm Napa Pinot Noir
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