Sylvan Lake Vineyards Wine: Luscious Quality to Discover
Howell Mountain is more than a beautiful area in Napa Valley, California. It is also an American Viticultural Area (AVA) characterized by high elevation boundaries and delivering intense, structured wine profiles. Sylvan Lakes Vineyard is a newer addition to this AVA; and, while the owner/vintner has been in the area for a long time, the vineyards are relatively new. The vines were planted in 2014 and produced lovely fruit for vintages starting in 2021.
Discover Coombsville Grand Tasting Event
The Coombsville Grand Tasting was a wonderful tasting with over 30 wineries pouring. The first question though might be where is Coombsville? It is an AVA located in the southern hills of Napa Valley on the east side of the valley floor. The next question might be what is an AVA?
Peter Michael Winery: A Remarkable Expression of the Vine
Peter Michael Winery is located in the northeast corner of Sonoma County (California) in Knights Valley AVA. This is the main winery, and several of the vineyards are at this location. A tasting at this property includes a stunning view of the vineyards from 1000 feet up, on the hillside of Mount Saint Helena. Upon arrival, you are welcomed into a tasting room that has the comfort of a friend’s living room and truly feels like a home. This is a warm and open space. The real journey though is by truck. You are driven slowly to the top of the hillside to enjoy the view. Here, they have built a guest space that allows for the magnificent view of vineyards and the valley below. It is a gorgeous expanse of hillsides and vines. The winery is a remarkable commitment to nature.
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.