May 11, 2004
“To a wine grape, it’s Eden.” That’s a trademark of the Napa Valley Vintner’s Association. For this wine guy, the Napa Valley Vintner’s Association tasting this past Thursday was heaven on earth. About eighty Napa Valley wineries showcased their best products, filling The Depot in Minneapolis.
Being that the afternoon tasting for the trade industry was only two hours long, I should have made up a better plan of attack. As it was, I only got around to about fifteen of the eighty wineries, getting delayed by great conversation as well as great wine. Many of these wineries are looking for distribution in Minnesota, so I was quite excited about introducing a few of these hot commodities to The Wine Doctor, one smaller distributor looking for some new labels.
One of my personal goals with the smaller Napa Valley producers, those yet to have distribution here in our fair city, is to introduce their wines myself to the public, through a variety of tasting events. It’s a pleasure to show people who love these wines how easy it is to pick up a cell phone and place an order directly to California. Shipping is “free” when you consider the savings on sales tax.
Anyway, back to the wine tasting, which also showcased many familiar names, such as Shafer, Duckhorn, Terra Valentine, Raymond, Burgess, Clos du Val, Freemark Abbey, Phelps, Heitz, and Schramsberg. Many great wines were offered at their tables, but I found myself giving most of my attention to names like Frias Family, Gargiulo, Long Meadow Ranch, Howell Mountain Vineyards, Von Strasser, and Atalon.
For instance, I spent some time talking with April Gargiulo, the daughter of the vineyard owner—turns out he’s the CEO of Sunkist, and the Napa vineyard is his “hobby”. Well, he may be a mere hobbyist, but the product is amazing! That was the only word I found apt to describe the cabernet, the merlot, and the “Aprile” super Tuscan blend of sangiovese & cabernet.
A whole different story is unfolding at Fife Vineyards, whose owner, Dennis Fife, had been working in the industry forever, for the likes of Inglenook, BV, and Stag’s Leap. His 1999 Reserve Cabernet “Spring Mountain” evoked a similar one-word description in my wine notes: WOW! The experience of Fife only strengthened my devotion to mountain-grown wines, especially those from Spring Mountain. (Remember that the current reigning “champion,” The Wine Spectator’s “best in the world,” is the Paloma merlot from Spring Mountain.)
My pick for best wine at the tasting has to go to the Frias Family (from Spring Mountain, naturally). Fernando Frias was generously showing his ’95, ’99, ’00, & ’01 cabernet (the only wine they make), each vintage a polished gem. Jon Sevigny of JV Wines & Spirits in Napa considers this cabernet the only one worth cellaring for a number of years; it’s very Bordeaux-styled, with great structure and great fruit. I will be showing the ’91, ’95, ’97, ’98 & ’99 at a tasting event coming soon. Stay tuned.
A few other top picks to share: Bell Wine Cellars merlot & cabernet; Freemark Abbey ’99 “Sycamore” and “Bosche” cabernets; Howell Mountain Vineyards’ ’01 “Beatty Ranch” and “Black Sears” Zinfandel; and Turnbull ’01 cabernet “Oakville.” A few others I would be raving about, but had no time to taste (though I have in the past), are Shafer’s “Hillside Select” cabernet, anything from Viader, cabs from Schweiger and Von Strasser, and Reverie’s ’99 Special Reserve.
What did some of the other local pros enjoy? Mikael Thollander of The Wine Doctor reports that his favorite winery was also Frias Family, followed by Gargiulo (do great wine minds think alike, or what?), and Peju. Mikael will be doing all he can to become the distributor for Frias Family wines. Another colleague, Tim Nordland, longtime manager of Lunds/Byerlys wine shops, concurred on the Frias and loved the Viader, though he commented that the latter wasn’t as good as past vintages. He added that the Volker Eisele wines were “killer stuff.”
This pretty well sums up the powerhouse cabernets, merlots and blends from Napa Valley. Killer stuff indeed, and to many minds, surely to my own, worth the high price tags many bottles command. Again, my recent trip to Napa Valley convinced me that this is so. “For a wine grape, it’s Eden.” To a wine lover, this region is truly paradise.
OK, back to the lovely reality that is springtime in Minnesota. What else is happening around town, as pertains to all things vino? Spring wine sales, like our gardens, abound. As a new wave of flowers replaces the last wave as it’s fading, so with wine sales. Following up on Haskell’s, Byerly’s, and Surdyk’s sales, now two fine shops, France 44 and South Lyndale are in full bloom!
Scanning the extensive list from South Lyndale’s website (www.southlyndaleliquors.com) in preparation for a tasting I am hosting for the Northwoods Humane Society in early June, a couple of great wines jump out: Murphy-Goode “Wild Card” (sale price $11.99) and Steele “Pacini” Zinfandel (also $11.99). This is a good time to consider a perfect spring wine, Bonny Dune’s Cigare Volant: big, Rhone-style, as good as a forty-dollar Chateauneuf-du-Pape—at only $22.99. For the imports, try the wider selection at France 44—check out details about their sale at www.france44.com.
Enjoy this most precious springtime ever, with food and friends, and, of course, with wine. And please email me via The Rake or via my website at www.louiethewineguy.com with your picks for the best al fresco dining and best wines-by-the-glass lists in town. I will report on these in a couple of weeks.
And please stop in and visit me at the “Art-a-Whirl” in Northeast this weekend. I will be pouring some “Two Buck Chuck” merlot and a few other esoteric offerings at Old Science, right next door to Dusty’s Dago Bar, 1317 Marshall St. NE, on both Friday and Saturday nights. If you haven’t yet been a part of this art crawl, check it out!
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