Chimney Rock Winery - A Beacon for Cab Lovers along the Silverado Trail

The Experience: You can’t (and shouldn’t) miss Chimney Rock Winery off of the Silverado Trail. The grand white Dutch Colonial architecture is striking against the dramatic Stags Leap mountains.  And this winery doesn’t just have a pretty façade – it is a producer of world class Cabernet Sauvignons, consistently earning top scores with a savvy female winemaker at the helm.  With such acclaim often comes a certain stuffiness at Napa wineries, but the energy in the tasting room and on the tour of the winery is warm, welcoming, and “upscale-casual”. What you’d experience at a local country club, especially as you relax and ensconce yourself in the manicured inner courtyard, surrounded by flowers, a trickling fountain, whitewashed colonial walls stretching towards the sun, and a nearby cozy fireplace beckoning in the tasting room.  Come here for a fun group outing or for a romantic tasting, but prepare to linger and enjoy the beautiful environment.  This winery is great for Cabernet and Bordeaux Blend lovers who like doing vertical tastings. You can taste at least 4 verticals of the Chimney Rock Cabernet which showcases each vintages unique characteristics as well as the effect of age on these beautiful wines.

The Team: Chimney Rock Winery Estate was founded in 1980 by Stella (the daughter of a South African Diamond Family) and her husband Hack Wilson, (former Pepsi CEO). They purchased the 180 acre parcel of land and decided to plant grapes and build a winery on the site that was formerly a golf course in the 60’s and 70’s.  In 2000, the Terlato family joined in partnership with the Wilsons, adding resources to enhance Chimney Rock’s reputation as one of the country’s best producers of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Tony Terlato is an icon in the wine industry, often referred to as one of the most impactful individuals to influence how and what American wine consumers drink, and rumored to have brought Pinot Grigio to the US from Santa Margarita. The Terlatos assumed full ownership in 2004, and since then have built and advanced the quality of every aspect of the estate and its wines, focusing on sustainable farming, and quality control practices.

Winemaker, Elizabeth Vianna is an adventurous female winemaker, whose love for wine bloomed while she was a consumer while living in New York City, working as a clinical toxicologist at New York Hospital. Her intense passion for wine propelled her to apply to UC Davis’ winemaking program instead of medical school. She first came to Chimney Rock as a harvest intern in 1999, was named assistant winemaker at Chimney Rock in 2002, advanced to the position of winemaker in 2005 and in 2009, was promoted to General Manager of Chimney Rock Winery, while continuing in her role as head winemaker. She has consistently produced wines that have been highly rated among critics and loved by consumers, which may be attributed to her fearless experimental style of winemaking. She’s used over 100 strains of yeast (most winemakers stick to 1), and harvests and ferments 38 blocks of Cabernet separately, using a variety different cooperages of French Oak barrels to age the wine. She uses the rare, asymmetrical trellising system called the Fletcher Lyre, which ensures fruit from both sides of the vine ripen at the same pace. The result of her careful attention to the vines is a an authentic expression of the terroir, which her winemaking practices preserve and highlight.

The Wines: Chimney Rock is best known for its luscious, ageable Cabernets from the famed Stags Leap AVA in Napa.  The winery produces 9 different Cabernets each year, however, only one of its proprietary blends is available commercially for purchase (the others are offered exclusively to club members and tasting center visitors).  The red grapes are all Estate grown; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot are all grown and harvested in separate blocks which are fermented and then blended together in unique blends each year to produce the label’s signature red wine.  This gives each vintage a distinct character, each refined, rich in color, intense, and full bodied, the tannins finely structured to that they are drinkable at release, but will also age gracefully for years. Chimney Rock also produces small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris, which, combined into their “Elevage” blend is the perfect luscious, full bodied white wine for people who “only like red”.

The Credo: Quality over Quantity is apparent as the ethos at Chimney Rock. After touring the expansive winemaking facility, I was asked about the production per year and was surprised that it varies greatly based on weather and conditions. In 2011, only 8,000 cases were produced, while in 2012, over 30,000 were produced - no grapes are ever sold or purchased so Chimney Rock only produce what the land bears each year. The Terlato’s and Elizabeth’s goal is to tell the tale of the grapes from the place they are grown, through the changing seasons and climates, producing the best expression of the renowned Stags Leap District.  The grapes are watched carefully throughout the growing season, picked by block when they are perfectly ready for harvest. The winery was renovated to give Elizabeth plenty of space to test and experiment with winemaking and aging different blocks separately, which can then be aged and blended into unique estate wines.  The quality of the wines is apparent at the first sip, and savored through the last.

Unique Offering: Upon arrival, the first wine poured is the Sauvignon Gris, a rare varietal from the Bourdeaux region that is grown at only two other wineries in the US (Chalkhill and Rutherford Hill). This unique grape is also known as “Fie Fiet” or Sauvignon Rose, and is related to Sauvignon Blanc with more of a pinkish hue to its skin.  It has more sugar than Sauvignon Blanc, and produces a richer, fuller mouth feel, making it a great blending wine.  While unique and interesting on its own, I preferred the wine blended in the 2012 Elevage Blanc, a lovely blend of SB and SG that has a luscious mouthfeel, nice acidity, and a lingering finish that would please the palate of even the most discerning “red wine only” patrons.

Visit Details: 5350 Silverado Trail Napa, California 94558. Telephone: 707-257-2641, website: www.chimneyrock.com. Tasting Hours: 10:00-5:00.  For tours, reservations are required in advance. There is comfortable seating inside the tasting room, and outside on the courtyard terrace, or you can pop in for a tasting at the bar.  Ask for Donna Rutherford for a guide. The retired highschool teacher is very friendly and a wonderful educator!

Tasting Notes: Produced by Chimney Rock Winery

2012 Elevage Blanc: Small berries and balanced yields from the vineyard in Rutherford produced this complex blend of Sauvignon Blanc and the unique Sauvignon Gris.  Find aromas of white peach, hints of passion fruit, caramel, and vanilla custard.  The texture of this wine is striking with a delightfully long, rich finish.

2009 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon: A fairly dry spring provided the winemaking team with small and densely flavored Cabernet Sauvignon berries. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc were of equally superb quality. This blend represents a seductive tapestry of the diverse winery blocks, illustrating the power and grace of the unique Stags Leap District Terroir. Notes of Cassis, blackberry, vanilla, and toffee.

2010 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon: Possessing the bright fruit aromas and elegant tannins that hint at remarkable ageability, this wine is further proof that glory can be found in even the most challenging of weather years. Bright cherry and cola aromas are enveloped by roasted coffee, caramel and vanilla.  Soft but sassy on the palate, the tannins are supple with a bright, lengthy finish.

2011 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon: In this cool and damp weather year, the winemaking team devoted extra time and energy to the vineyards to ensure that only the best fruit was included in their wines.  The result is a wine that is the best of both worlds; a true expression of a cooler vintage, while still reflecting the grace and poise typical of Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon.   Aromas of cherry, cassis as well as whispers of sage and savory tomato leaf on the palate. The wine shows a tannin backbone that is reminiscent of Bordeaux reds.

2011 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon: More than any other, this wine celebrates the diversity of our beloved land.  Rich with ripe fruit flavors of black cherry, cassis and blackberry highlighted by hints of cocoa powder, vanilla and toffee.  On the palate, it’s richly textured and shows Chimney Rock’s classic lush mid-palate and a lengthy, rich finish.

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Ceja - an “Outlier” Mexican American Winery that will make you feel like family

In Malcolm Gladwell’s famous book, “Outliers,” he repeatedly mentions the "10,000-Hour Rule", claiming that the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. In Napa, over 40% of the population is Hispanic and virtually no wine has been untouched by Hispanic migrant workers hands at some point in the winemaking process (fact: around 68% of U.S. hired crop farm workers were born in Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture). Thus, it should come as no surprise that Mexican vintners and winery owners are on the rise, proving that all those hours spent in the vineyard really do build expertise. Among these Mexican American winery owners is the Ceja family, who are not only getting it right, but hitting it out of the ballpark with their wine production, while managing to still create a warm, familial experience for visitors.  With family in mind, we visited owners, Amelia and Pedro Ceja on a lovely Sunday in November to celebrate my father’s birthday, at their Carneros Estate and experienced first hand their wonderful food-friendly wines and top notch hospitality.

The Ceja Estate at at 1016 Las Amigas Road was cozy and welcoming; as the sun was setting over the vineyard at our arrival, the experience was akin to arriving at a family home for Sunday supper.  Amelia Ceja had offered to host us at the alternative new tasting salon at 22989 Burndale Road, Sonoma, as there was construction starting for a new larger winery at the Carneros Estate. I had, however, heard great things about Amelia’s famed organic garden (fact: she’s a certified Master Gardener) and thought that for my father’s birthday visit, the intimate location and “international Ceja headquarters” would be more representative of the family-style Ceja experience. Amelia is a petite woman, but her personality is larger than life and as the first Hispanic female president of a winery, she undoubtedly has helped the brand to thrive and expand.  Amelia Ceja’s passion for her garden and love of cooking was even featured in Sunset Magazine in October 2013. This culinary focus directly influence the types of wines the Cejas produce, driven by great acidity and balance that make them so food-friendly.  The new winery being erected will naturally feature a Master Kitchen while the current Estate Winery will be converted into a bed & breakfast, furthering the tradition of food as an integral part in the family’s growing wine and hospitality business.  Amelia is the quintessential hostess and she welcomed us warmly as we sidled up to a tasting bar, not far from the famous dining room table that has hosted many a wine-focused dinner.  

Amelia Moran Ceja came from a town of 250 people near Jalisco at the age of 12, speaking not a word of English.  When not attending school, she worked in the vineyards, alongside her family where she met her future husband, Pedro Ceja.  Education was important to both Amelia and Pedro’s familes, and Amelia Ceja double-majored in history and literature at the University of California, San Diego before marrying Pedro, who became an engineer in Silicon Valley. Armando Ceja, Pedro’s brother, studied winemaking at the University of California, Davis and in 1983, Armando, Amelia and Pedo purchased 15 acres of Carneros vineyards which ignited Ceja winemaking.  The Cejas now own 113 acres of vineyard, and both Amelia and Pedro have been able to dedicate their careers to the winery.

Amelia is not only a talented chef and gardener, but a skilled marketer; she’d successfully woven a beautiful story of her family’s history and their ongoing pursuit of creating beautiful food-friendly wines that pair beautiful with all cuisines, including Mexican flavors. This emphasis on building a great marriage between tradition and innovation has helped Ceja win the honor of “Best Boutique Winery in Napa & Sonoma” by Best of Napa and Sonoma Valleys Magazine, based on its 2008 and 2009.  Amelia was named Business Woman of the Year by the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2008, was recently featured on The Today Show, and has posted over 140 videos on YouTube to date. When I asked what she commonly features in her posts, subjects range from her famous cooking to unique food and wine pairings. Ironically though, the most popular posts feature the family cat, Dulce Beso, (which translates to “sweet kiss”), a friendly feline that we met at the tasting bar that evening.  

This same name is given to the late harvest SauvignonBlanc/Semillon wine that is comparable to a Sauternes.  Amelia tells me she made all three of her children sign up for Twitter accounts, which may have influenced her daughter, Dahlia’s path to working for the family winery as their Sales and Marketing Director. According to Dahlia, “technology and social media have been a great way to expand our presence,” referring to the tweeting and blogging she does regularly. Dalia’s growing role in the culinary world is reflected in the expanding presence of food on the winery’s website, www.cejavineyards.com, and on YouTube, where she has started publishing cooking demonstration videos - proving that food and wine pairing remain the focus of the Ceja’s ventures.

The Cejas are savvy when it comes to managing the financial health of their business and they subsidize their Ceja Wine label by selling about 85 - 90% of their grapes to other wineries. They produce approximately 9,000 cases of wine each year of which they primarily distribute direct to the consumer, though they have been know to also distribute to some top tier customers as well, including Morimoto and The President of the United States.  If the Cejas used all of the grapes they produce, they could easily make 75,000 cases, but they prefer to stay a boutique winery and have the ability to dedicate time and care into every bottle.  Many minority wineries are developing their own style and for the Cejas, the focus centers around family and taking wine to a new level which involves promoting awareness of authentic Mexican cuisine and its fresh flavors; the perfect companion for pairings that yield an ideal wine experience.

We tasted through a full line up of Ceja wines which included a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Red Vino De Casa and Cabernet.  Before we could depart, Pedro walked in from outdoors where he’d been surveying the progress of the new winery construction, initiating another round of tasting!  Amelia brought out an assortment of nuts and fresh persimmons from her garden to pair with the famous “Dulce Beso” late harvest dessert wine, and a red dessert wine similar to a port. A Cabernet infused chocolate sauce was a special treat that paired sinfully with the Ceja Cabernet.  Reminiscing and bantering like family, a story came up from my own wedding in which I’d asked my father to saber champagne at the reception. At that, Amelia declared we’d need to open a bottle of the Cejas very own late disgorged sparkling wine! It was the perfect festive finish to my father’s birthday tasting - a gem of a winery not to be missed and an experience not to be rushed.

Tasting Notes (from Ceja):

2012 Sonoma Coast Sauvignon Blanc: $22 per bottle

Aromas of lemon-lime and citrus give way to grapefruit. The palate showcases bright mineral flavors layered with vanilla.

2012 Napa Carneros Chardonnay: $36 per bottle

Aromas of lively citrus, green apple, plump pear and honeysuckle. The palate is fresh, crisp and tangy. Extended sur lie aging provides rich and creamy qualities.

2010 Carneros Pinot Noir: $42 per bottle

The aromas are fresh and floral with red plum, black cherry blossoms and hibiscus scents. The palate showcases a savory medley of Jamaica tea, dried berry, herb and spice flavors. This is a bright, crisp and balanced Pinot Noir with soft tannins and layers of textures.

2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: $50 per bottle

Aromas of wild berry, pretty plum, cola and earthy raspberry. The palate is smooth and richly flavored with a mix of savory dark berry, blackberry, mineral and sage flavors.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon: $50 per bottle

Aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, wild berry, plum and spicy anise. This is a classic Napa Valley Cabernet showcasing depth and well-structured tannins.

20010 Sonoma Carneros Merlot: $38 per bottle

Aromas of raspberries, chocolate spice, red currant and black fruit. The soft and supple tannins complement the long extended flavors.

1999 Dulce Amor Red Dessert Wine: $75 per bottle

A powerful yet silky wine, full of dark tannins, ripe fruit and rich texture. The palate showcases dried fruit characteristics of fig and raisin plus caramel and toffee.

2008 Napa Valley Dulce Beso: $40 per bottle

This wine has richness with an opulent concentration of white peach, vanilla, tropical essences and citrus accents.

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Sodaro Estate Wines: beautiful boutique Cabernet blends from Napa’s newest Coombsville Appellation

Take note everyone: the newest Napa Valley appellation, Coombsville, is quickly becoming famous for turning out rich, beautiful Bordeaux blends, and Sodaro Estate Winery is on the list of Coombsville wineries to keep your eye on! In pursuit of creating a wine that goes beyond the bounds of its making to become an experience of perfect harmony, Sodaro is on it’s way to realizing the winemaking ideal, and critics are taking note.  

We visited Sodaro the same weekend we were heading to Yountville for dinner at The French Laundry and were already in a festive mood in anticipation.  We selected Sodaro as the winery to visit before a rarefied dinner as it had been recommended to me as a highly personalized wine-tasting experience for serious wine enthusiasts in a beautiful setting.  As we drove east of downtown Napa towards Sodaro, then entered the long driveway, leading past horse corrals on the right, oak trees providing shade overhead and beautifully manicured gardens flanking the driveway up to a beautiful villa, we could easily have been in Tuscany.  Our guide, Andrew McUsic, greeted us warmly and lead us to a breathtaking vista overlooking the property. Surrounded by terra cotta urns and overlooking rolling hills of terraced estate vineyards, we were briefly transported to Italy’s wine regions.

Sodaro grows all of its grapes on it’s beautiful estate, consisting of roughly 9.5 acres planted with slightly more than 13,000 vines of the Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  The topography is varied with north, south and west facing hillsides; vineyard rows are oriented to take advantage of the sun with the ultimate goal in each vintage is to maximize even ripening of the fruit. The perfectly ripened grapes are just one of the ways they ensure only the highest quality fruit is produced for their wines and they only use this fruit - no grapes are purchased or sold in the winemaking process.  

Let’s talk about Coombsville. Generally, Coombsville soil is very acidic and low in organic materials. Before the Sodaro’s planted their vineyards, soil tests revealed where and what amendments would be necessary. Ongoing applications of compost, beneficial microbes and a cover-crop regimen are designed to improve the quality of the soil and keep it healthy and productive. The viticultural philosophy is that of sustainable farming practices that emphasize soil health over chemicals.  Don and Deedee Sodaro searched widely for the perfect location to build a vineyard and create a wine of extraordinary merit. They consulted with experts on every aspect of soil, exposure, rootstock and clone, and selected the Sodaro site which formerly held only a run-down house and a defunct chardonnay vineyard. The Sodaros envisioned the place it is today, erecting a beautiful Italian Villa-style home, planting and replanting vineyards and building the underground winery cave to accommodate barrel aging and a tasting room.

A vision for transformation and growth is characteristic of the Sodaros. Don Sodaro created Sixpence Inns of America hotel chain in 1969, which expanded to six states and was eventually sold to its rival, Motel 6. Sodaro then joined the corporation’s board of directors and until 1991 when he founded Hanford Hotels, where he still currently serves as CEO.  Don also had wine in his family’s heritage; his great grandfather, Giuseppe Sodaro, was a barrel maker in Sicily until a terrible drought in Italy destroyed his crops spurring his move to the US.  The villa that the Sodaro’s built on the Estate is their personal home and pays homage to this family heritage.

Winemakers Dawnine and Bill Dyer were enlisted early in the planning process and helped design the construction of the winery so it would be perfectly suited to the needs of the winegrowing estate. They built a breathtaking dual-chamber winery cave built into the hillside above the vineyards where small tanks allow very small lots to ferment separately to preserve the individual wine qualities during blending. There are two tunnels - one used during the fermentation process, the other used for barrel aging with a small area set aside for wine tasting, which is where Andrew took us for a tasting. The table in the cave was beautifully set, wines decanted and ready for us to taste.  We tasted the Estate wine blends one after the other and each was fantastic.  All wines we tasted (with the exception of a Petit Verdot) were a Bordeaux Blend. We tasted through different vintages and through their two labels; the Felicity line, named for Don’s wife, and their higher end Sodaro reserve wines which source from the best vineyard blocks.  Each bottle was unique flavor and profile and each promises to become more beautiful with another decade of age.

The Sodaro bottle is sleek black with gold name emblazoned across the front in a sexy font, and the wines match this polish.  For Napa wines of their caliber, what surprised me more was that they were actually offered at reasonable prices (you can purchase the Felicity brand for $60 per bottle). For a limited production, boutique wine, their quality to price ratio is among the best values you can hope to find in Napa Valley.  The Sodaro’s focus completely on the quality of their wines, from selecting the perfect estate to finding the best staff and winemakers, to using only the most perfect fruit.  They have no plans to expand production, only to continue to perfect their wines so they become more and more sought after as the quality is further enhanced. They have no need to make vast amounts of profit on their winery and have a very limited distribution. Most of the wine goes to their wine club and it is distributed to only a few restaurants (such as Cole’s, Press and Auberge in Napa, and some LA venues).  What’s next for Sodaro? Stay tuned for their big release of the 2013 Estate Cab which will be offered in 2016 and likely celebrated with a special event at the property.  Until then, call ahead to schedule a private tasting at the Estate. It’s a rarefied experience that will make you feel welcome.  

Tasting Notes below:

2010 Sodaro Estate Blend:

This deep opulent wine is full of rich texture offering dark, supple notes of ripe blackberry and black currant with hints of violets, clove and sweet tobacco. The Estate Blend is crafted each year from Sodaro estate vineyard’s finest lots, blended to perfection and aged 22 months in French Oak.

2009 - Sodaro Estate Blend:

This Bordeaux-style blend shows the promise of the Coombsville area. It’s rich in chocolate, blackberry jam and toasty oak, wrapped into layers of insanely smooth, refined tannins. Really shows off the modern style of Napa Cabernet in a decadent way. Should develop well in the bottle for at least a decade.

2008 - Sodaro Estate Blend:

From black currants and briar to loamy earth and new leather, there is plenty of Cabernet sweep and complexity to this deep and fully stuffed opus. There is also more than a delicate touch of sweet oak, and the wine joins with those that make no disavowals of ripeness. It is withal a big, fairly plush and very showy Cabernet, and it has the depth, definition and balance to age famously for a decade or more.

2010 Felicity Sodaro:

This wine beautifully expresses the complexity and character of the estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon.  It has characteristics of dark, ripe fruit offering bright cherry and blackberry qualities with hints of cedar and sandalwood with a complex structure and flawless balance.  Crafted from Sodaro estate-grown fruit and aged 22 months in French Oak.

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A Sense of Place

A sense of place. This phrase was echoed  throughout my recent visit to Cuvaison and truly embodies the philosophy behind the winery.  On my first visit, I found myself there at 6:45 am on a Sunday morning in July surrounded by nearly 3,000 other people. A layer of fog kept the temperature cool but the air still, and all of us in racing gear, arms and legs exposed to the cool morning air, were stirring about to stay warm. The grapes, however, were undisturbed. What on earth was I doing at a winery so early in the morning? I was lining up for the best half marathon I have ever experienced, the Napa to Sonoma 13.1 mile race, whose starting line happened to be at Cuvaison.  Cuvaison’s location in Carneros, just a short detour off of Highway 121 had made it a winery on my “must visit” list for a while. So as the gun went off and my fellow racers  and I  ran through beautiful vineyards from Carneros to a finish line in the Sonoma Square, I knew I would return to Cuvaison for a proper tour of the winery, vineyards and taste the impressive portfolio of wines.  A “carrot” always helps with motivation and speed, and racing towards a finish line that promises an impressive line up of wine even helped me to PR!

After enjoying a glass of sparkling wine at the finish line, and the festivities on the square, my husband and I were too exhausted to visit a winery and opted to soak up some the gorgeous Napa sun, poolside. However, I couldn’t keep Cuvaison out of my mind, and we wasted no time, returning the following  weekend for a proper tasting.  The team at Cuvaison, from the winemaker to the hospitality director, to tasting room staff, go above and beyond to create an environment for people to come, relax and enjoy  wines in the same environment that bears the grapes.  Which is certainly striking - rolling vineyard-covered hills, cooled by fog from San Pablo Bay in the Carneros Region of Sonoma. The tasting room is clean, modern, with floor to ceiling glass windows and a viewing deck intended for guests to relax and taste while looking out over a nearby lake and the vineyards; which produce the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes that have made Cuvaison famous.

Dedicated to an ethos of producing vineyard-driven wines, Cuvaison employs block-by-block farming methods and a vineyard-to-bottle winemaking approach. The resulting wines are balanced yet complex, allowing the distinctive characteristics of the estate shine.  For a winery established in 1969, Cuvaison is remarkably ahead of the times with both a modern aesthetic and approach to sustainable winemaking practices. The name, Cuvaison, means that perfect moment when the grapes and yeast  blend together to ferment and produce this perfect liquid, wine.  Winemaker, Steve Rosgard, produces wines that are balanced, nuanced and complex and has established a winemaking technique that involves a very hand-crafted and sustainable approach.  Rogstad harvests grapes block by block ferments them separately to the extent that he even has separate storage rooms set at different temperatures and humidity that are perfectly suited to showcase each particular grape’s terroir and ripeness level in the resulting wine.  Some of the blocks are bottled as single-block Estate wines, but most are blended into beautiful complex yet approachable wines.  Rogstad also employs natural winemaking practices such as using gravity flow, and cement egg fermentation tanks which allow some oxygen to help get into the fermenting wine and create balance.  What you won’t find in any of the Cuvaison wines are overly ripe powerful wines - at Cuvaison, the wines are made to be more austere, embodying Burgundian style elegance.

Not to be overlooked is the profound influence the Schmidheiny family of Switzerland who purchased the winery in 1979. When Thomas Schmidheiny's mother visited the Carneros region in the late 1970's, she was so taken with the land and its potential for winegrowing that she brought a small bag of soil home in her suitcase. A year later, Thomas purchased the Carneros estate where Cuvaison now makes its home. In the years since, the family has thoughtfully re-invested all profits in the vineyard and winery, consistently providing the support needed to produce the highest quality grapes and wines.  Winemaker, Rogstad, joined Cuvaison in 2002, and oversaw the construction of the new winery, ensuring it was "purpose built" to optimally handle the fruit from Cuvaison's estate vineyard.  We toured the winery and barrel room and observed first hand the care that is taken to separate each wine by block and allow it to ferment in perfect conditions. Each vineyard block has a home in a vessel specifically meant for that wine (from French Oak to cement egg to stainless steel), and are designed so they can actually be moved into different environments within the winery as needed to ensure the wine develops perfectly.  The result is high quality wine that is integrated and complex.

Rogstad manages the certified sustainable vineyards at both Cuvaison and Brandlin, Cuvaison’s sister winery, with vineyards on Mt. Veeder, that produces bolder wines like Cabernet and Malbec that require the warmer climate in Napa.  At Cuvaison, you feel a shared pride about the sense of place, as well as a concern about the environment and genuine will to reduce Cuvaison's impact on our environment. A few of the initiatives practiced at Cuvaison include solar power, water conservation and energy efficiency; the winery is also certified Napa Green.  It’s hard to imagine that a winery this dedicated to maintaining the environment also produces

some of the best wines Carneros has to offer and maintains friendly staff to make the experience personal and relaxing.  If you’re looking for the perfect winery to stop at on the way back from Napa, this gem off Duhig Road (neighbor to the stately Domaine Carneros) is ideal.  This isn’t a normal tasting experience with guests overcrowding a tasting bar. It’s recommended to call ahead and schedule an appointment as the tasting room and patio are petite and the experience is tailored to be able to accommodate guests at their own private tables, each with a sweeping view of the picturesque landscape.  You’ll get a tasting of both Cuvaison Pinot and Chardonnay and the wines in the Brandlin portfolio, including an impressive  Zinfandel and Cabernet.

My favorite wines are listed below with tasting notes provided by the winery:

2012 Estate Chardonnay - $25 per bottle

From a truly classic vintage, the 2012 Estate Chardonnay displays lovely aromatics of honeysuckle, lily, acacia blossom and clove spice. Upon tasting this wine, it demonstrates a charming mix of white peach, apricot, nectarine and lime zest all tied to a bright, long, refreshing finish

2012 ATS Chardonnay - $56 per bottle

An opulently styled wine, the 2012 ATS Chardonnay is richly perfumed with notes of honeysuckle, jasmine and orange blossom. The fruit is focused around a lovely core of melon, peach and lemon chiffon with a hint of vanilla and toasted almonds. It’s this interplay between the bright, floral components and the dense fruit with a long crisp finish that sets the ATS apart and pays homage to the art of blending.

2012 Spire Pinot Noir - $48 per bottle

A classic vintage, 2012 enjoyed near perfect weather and ideal conditions at harvest. The Spire Pinot was harvested over a 15 day period, rigorously selecting the best fruit with each pass. The result is a multi-layered wine with opulent fruit, intriguing spice, lush tannins and brilliant acidity. Cherry, plum and wild strawberry notes with rose petal, violet, clove and ginger spice on the nose. Round and full-bodied for Pinot Noir the Spire showcases the plush tannins and rich mouthfeel typical of this site. Aged for 16 months in French oak puncheons, this is a rare wine from a singular place.

2011 Diablo Syrah - $40 per bottle

Named after the formidable Diablo soils from whence this wine springs, this wine is a lover and a fighter, with gorgeous black cherry, boysenberry, sandalwood and cardamom spice notes backed by some bare knuckle tannins. Forged in a cool and challenging vintage on unforgiving soils, this wine demonstrates that the best things are born of struggle. Both powerful and graceful, this wine should reward you with intriguing spice, ample dark fruit and a long, persistent finish.

2012 Brandlin Estate Zinfandel - $38 per bottle

The 2012 Brandlin Zinfandel captures the essence of Old Vine Zin, where delicate floral tones (rose petals) mingle with crushed red berries and dark, jammy plums. The wine also has a nice spice element, star anise and a hint of bay leaf. On the palate the flavors of raspberry, blackcherry and boysenberry jam come to the fore, while texturally the wine is quite lush with medium-bodied tannins and a silky, long, bright finish.

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Continuum...The New Spectacular Mondavi Family Legacy

“Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living.” - Robert Mondavi

The quote above, by Robert Mondavi, resonates deeply with my personal credo about the role of wine and culture.  It commanded a place on the homepage of Decantress Wine Diary at it’s inception and seems a fitting primer to the recent visit I had to a new magnificent Mondavi winery venture, Continuum Estate. Tim and Marcia Mondavi, along with their children, started this project to maintain a “continuum” of excellence, innovation and tradition of four generations of Mondavi family winemaking at their new estate, high on Pritchard Hill.  Their mission: “One purpose, one estate, one family” epitomizes the Mondavi family’s ongoing passion for excellence in winegrowing by creating a singular wine that they hope will one day be recognized among the finest in the world. Continuum currently produces just this one red “Bordeaux style blend” red wine. The winemaking team is focused on the art of “balancing the vine to the site, the fruit to the vine, the winemaking to the fruit and ultimately the wine to the table; all for the purpose of enhancing a great meal to be shared with family and friends”.  

I selected Continuum winery for a special visit with my father for its familial focus, it’s breathtaking ambiance, and it’s beautifully ageable wines.  It was my father who first inspired me to learn more about wine after watching him farm his own small vineyard and produce his wine, Rex, at our home in Los Gatos and celebrate the harvest with bottling parties complemented by wood-fired pizzas in our outdoor kitchen.  After pausing in Yountville for a wonderful Italian meal at Bottega, we embarked on our visit to meet the Mondavi children, Carisa, Carlo, and Chiara, (and Carissa’s beautiful winery dog, Bayla) tour the vineyards, and taste their proprietary wine. 

Great wines begin with a great site, and Continuum sits on one of Napa’s prime locations, Pritchard Hill.  While not yet officially its own appellation, Pritchard Hill has been likened by Wine Enthusiast as the “Best grape-growing region in Napa Valley” and by Wine Spectator as the Beverly Hills 90210 of Napa.  Continuum may as well also be named for the long, winding road that leads you to an elevation of 1600 feet - but when you reach it, it’s a destination worthy of losing GPS and perhaps getting a bit disoriented on the way up the windy road. Most winemakers on Pritchard Hill cite soil and elevation as keys to their wines’ quality. The dirt is red, volcanic clay loam, and littered with huge boulders. Pritchard Hill sits above the fog line - so the wineries wake up to bright sunshine, while the valley below is blanketed in white. That extra sunshine “allows us to have a photosynthetic capacity that’s enviable,” quoted Tim Mondavi.  The result is the best of both worlds: Oakville complexity and sophistication with the extra intensity of hillside fruit. The result? Wine with great structure, focus and agebility.

The ideal growing conditions and their fruit are rivaled only by the unparalleled sweeping views of Oakville and Lake Hennessey. We toured the vineyards in a Polaris 4-wheeler, rambling over hillsides so steep I had butterflies in my stomach like a roller coaster ride.  Huge, dramatic red boulders bordered the mountain vineyards, (41 acres in production with new vineyard development under way bringing the total to 60 acres). Current vineyards are made up of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 11% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot.

Our scenic jaunt through the vineyards overlooking sweeping views of the valley, alighted at the new winery and cave, specially designed by architect Howard Backen to function in harmony with this magnificent site. Our wonderful tour guide, Kaitlin, explained how the winery’s design is tailored to protect the integrity of the fruit coming in from the vineyard, sorting each individual lot, to further enhance the purity of the fruit and showcase each block’s unique character.  All fruit is selectively hand-harvested, sorted, then gravity fed into a combination of specially designed small French oak and cement tanks, with a small amount going to French oak barrels for fermentation. Post-fermentation, all lots are drained, and transferred to 85% new small French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. The lees are kept in barrel with the new wine for an extended period of stirring, to “enrich the body, nourish the wine and polish the tannins”. Continuum’s team also seeks to be stewards of the land and farms with organic vineyard practices designed the winery to maximize their resource management capabilities. They’ve incorporated water conservation protocols that allow the winery to be 100% self sufficient on its water needs, can self-heat through the use of solar thermal panels, and evacuate carbon dioxide produced during fermentation from the winery to allow more efficient heating and cooling.

After tasting the 2011 Novicium in the beautiful winery, we strolled through Robert’s Grove, a grove where 100 year old olive trees are planted in honor of Robert Mondavi on the way back to the main tasting room, where a bottle of the 2011 vintage has been decanting all day. A rustic chic table has been set for us with a three-cheese pairing, and as we enjoy sipping and savoring the Continuum, Carissa returns and jovially sits down to join us and chat about travels, wine, and life.  The wine is wonderful. My father notes it’s ageability and I am in love with the silky mouthfeel and integrated complexity of the flavors.  If this isn’t family and friends enjoying the essence of civilization and the art of living...

Tasting notes below:

Continuum 2011 - The 2011 has a primary aromas of black cherry, mulberry, rose petal and Ethiopian coffee develop greater nuance as the wine breathes, revealing red cherry, chocolate, fig and cardamom. On the palate, ripe damson plum, savory aged beef and allspice infuse the wine’s silky tannins and rich velvety texture. The 2011 is full yet supple, with a long and complex finish and a vibrant core of minerality. Decant the 2011 and enjoy today or hold and cellar it for an additional 10 to 15 years.

Composition:75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot

Novicium 2011 - This wine was dry and full bodied with the perfect acidity. The tannins are soft on the mid palate, and there are hints of minerality. The wine is flavorful and tasted rich with notes of dark chocolate, cocoa and a hint of cherry and blueberry. A long, smooth finish.

Composition: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc.

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