2007 Chappellet Mt. Cuvee (Napa) 21.99

Wassabig deal with the French? You want a big vintage from a world class appellation, try Napa 2007. Prices are lower than on the Bordelaise quays and you can hold the bottles in your hand.

B -21 has a killer lineup of top Napa names — Chappellet, Caymus, Cade, Conn Valley, Dominus and Plumpjack and rare stars like Lewis, Robert Craig, Robert Foley.

Chapellet continues to be a favorite of mine and they did the vintage well high and low. Pritchard Hill was great again: “Sleek, rich and intense,” according to a 97 point review from the Wine Spectator. Yet for a lot less money, the Mountain cuvee delivers a full-Bordeaux-five meritage around. A lush cab/merlot blend, smooth, ready to drink with intriguing nuances; “a glass of pure pleasure” that won 92 pts from both Spectator and B-21’s Shawn Reynolds.

Click here to view all 2007 Napa Cabs.

2006 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) $29.99

“I first tasted Sequoia Grove’s 2004 Reserve Cabernet at Mark Stitt’s going away party; a staff favorite that night, it was quick to disappear. Recently I ventured into the winery’s entry level 2006 Cabernet and discovered a subtle yet complex, incredibly smooth and finely-tuned wine. Near-perfect tannins carry intense plum and blackberry, cracked peppercorns and a dash of cinnamon, drifting off into a soft, elegant finish. This well-built Cab slowly unwound over an hour or so, respiring gracefully without becoming at all jammy or syrupy. Sequoia Grove crushes berries from its Rutherford Bench estate vineyards as well as those of highly-regarded Napa growers from St. Helena to Atlas Peak Hills. This union of hand-selected grapes from the reaches of Napa Valley lavishes us with one of the best $30 California Cabs on the market.”

92+ Points, Shawn Reynolds
Staff Selection, April 2010

2007 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape $199.00

All manner of fresh herbs and fruit garnishes are expertly employed to create tasty and lovingly crafted drinks. This is a must stop for fans of the ideal cocktail.

Later we were invited to dinner at one of San Francisco’s finest restaurants, Boulevard. One of the pricier too. Yikes. Food was excellent especially if you are a meat lover. Bob and I both felt the lamb t-bone was the best lamb we had ever tasted. BTG Tablas Creek Cote de Tablas was tasty as was Chave CDR but the wine of the night was the young but clearly outstanding 2007 Clos du Pape CDP. Its the finest young CDP I’ve tasted and I think RP’s score is right on. It is fully ripe but somehow not overripe and the flavors are expansive and the finish endless.

Gnarly Head Zin $6.99

We were blessed with cool sunny weather today for the ZAP tasting. It is indoors but in two large warehouses right on San Francisco Bay so we were exposed to the elements when traversing between them. Despite reports of frost I found several 2008 Zins with much to like.  Some great ones actually. Some nice 2007s are still in the market too but they are becoming harder to find. The best overall group of zins had to be Seghesios. 2008s and 2007s are tasting good there. We found a few new leads too which I’ll report on once secured.

BTW Gnarly Head was the best value for the 5th year in a row! It is very impressive for the price.

The Estate Vineyard at Turnbull taken from my trusty blackberry!

9:41 am

Its 39 degrees and foggy as we make our way through the wine disneyland known as Napa Valley.  Our destination is in the town of Oakville but the view from the road is a “Who’s Who” of wineries and vineyards.  Even through fog, the sites of wineries such as St. Clement, Beringer and Freemark Abbey elicit “oohs” and “ahs” in this idyllic setting.  Check back often as I will be journaling my trip to Napa and ZAP convention (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers).  I’ll be taking pictures along the way.  Here is a shot of the estate vineyard at Turnbull I just took from the road.  

- Steve  

1:12 pm

Here's a snapshot I got of Winemaker Peter Heitz with B-21's Proprietor Bob Sprentall

The day has warmed up a bit and the sun is shining. We tasted with winemaker Peter Heitz at Turnbull Cellars. He is doing good things here with natural yeast fermentation and I’m also impressed with the vineyard management. Best of all the wines are delicious from Sauvignon Blanc on up. This is a winery to watch. I wonder how many people know they are just north of Opus One and across hwy 29 from Robert Mondavi winery.  

We also had a quick visit at Louis Martini which is one of the oldest wineries in Napa valley having been established in 1933. Its interesting that their Sonoma Cabernet is our best selling Cab.  

Back on the road…  

5:28 pm

Robert Foley, Winemaker

This afternoon we drove way up Howell Mtn. Rd. into Angwin and then kept going further into the boonies.

Our goal was to see Bob Foley and we accomplished that. Felt pretty honored too, as we later learned not many get that invite.Bob’s a passionate guy about wine and music, and co-runs an amazing winery with his wife. Besides Robert Foley and Switchback Ridge he also handles winemaking for a couple of other tiny-production wines.

Iconic gryphon atop a barrel at the entrance to Robert Foley's aging cave on Howell Mountain

This was a nice continuation to our time with Peter Heitz at Turnbull as both Bob and Peter, I would say make wine more by taste than by numbers. And you know it when you taste their wines. These may or may not be your favorite wines but then you won’t ever think they taste just like someone else’s wine. Both Peter and Bob are experts at coaxing flavor that reflects the terroir of the grapes with little winemaking signature. I think that increases the chances of creating something great. Actually it may be the only way.

#47 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2009: 2007 Orin Swift the Prisoner ($34.99)

Winemaker Dave Phinney has a knack for sourcing great fruit from great vineyards and combining them in a way that offers something unexpected and unique. The 2007 Prisoner from Napa Valley ($34.99) combines five grape varietals and is the third vintage of this wine to achieve Top 100 status (2003 and 2005 were the previous two). The core of this wine is Tofanelli Vineyard Zinfandel and Charbono. Tofanelli’s vineyards are organically farmed and of significant age and provide exceptional concentrated fruit. Quantities are quite limited of 2007 so this may be a bit of a last call. 

Wine Spectator scored the Prisoner 92 Points.  Have you tried it?  Tell us what you think.