Napa Vineyards

We spent two full days in Napa, keeping our wine tasting appointments limited. And a good thing, too, because those pours are generous and they really add up. First, some general shots of Napa. Late October is harvest time and we came in on the tail end. Our days were mainly overcast and drizzly, though there was sun on the last day before we left and we drove back up the Silverado Trail to get some pictures in the sun.

I really enjoyed the order of the vines.

Josh really loved those red trees up on the mountain, It does make a nice composition.

A cleared vineyard ready for new planting.

On the first day, we hit Bouchon Bakery on the way up Highway 29. We got there in good time because it was empty when we walked in and then got crowded while we were waiting. We ordered two pressed sandwiches, a ham + cheese and a mushroom and a bibb salad with balsamic vinaigrette. The sandwiches were pretty tasty. The salad was hard to eat in the car so I was dipping the leaves into the dressing. That made it a little less exciting.

Only Thomas Keller would have dog biscuits made with foie gras.

We didn't have an appointment for the morning of the first day and decided at the last minute to go to Darioush, which we have had with friends before but did not know that much about. As far as entrances go, this one was rather elaborate, though we didn't know what to expect.

Beautiful fountains lined the entrances.

Farther along the walkway was a sunken area for some sculpture. In the spirit of Halloween, they had these pumpkins and goose-necked gourds. How awesome!

The Persian style was reflected all around Darioush.

The tasting bar here was grand and formal-looking but for our first-ever tasting, we had a very informal and enjoyable time. We ended up spending a good hour and a half here, talking with the barman and tasting wines. In the end, we tried everything on the list except the '08 chardonnay. Things we did try were the '07 Russian River Chardonnay, the '09 Viognier, the '07 merlot, the '07 cabernet franc, the '07 cabernet sauvignon, the '08 duel (cab/shiraz), the '05 cabernet sauvignon, the '06 shahpar, and the shiraz. Everything was very tasty. In the end, we joined the wine club for next year and ordered some of the wine. My particular favorites were the viognier and the shahpar.

Our first appointment and second stop was at Bremer. Bremer doesn't distribute and they don't have a wine club, so the only way to buy their wine is directly from the winery. The tasting was just us and another couple in a small room. Normally, they do tastings outside in the vineyard but couldn't because of the rain. We spent much of the time talking with the other couple and with the woman guiding the tasting.

We tried the '06 chardonnay, the '04 howell mountain cab, the '05 howell mountain claret, the '05 howell mountain merlot, and the '03 claret (a bordeaux blend). We ended up buying some of the cab and the '03 claret.

Bremer vines.

Our last stop that first day was at Caymus. We really enjoyed this tasting even though it was the most formal tasting we went to. Six couples sat around a big table tasting. It was relatively quiet except for the guy leading out tasting who had a big, really fun personality. We tried the '09 Conundrum, the '07 zinfandel, the '08 napa valley cab, and the '08 special selection cab.

Like Bremer, Caymus does not have a wine club. They also cannot sell their Belle Glos line there, for reasons I'm not clear about. After the tasting, we went back into the main room to continue talking to the guy who did the tasting and ask about buying wines. No one else from the tasting went back except us. After talking about the Belle Glos for a while, the tasting guy asked our favorite Belle Glos and went into the cellar, where we were unable to go that day because it was closed for a private visit. When he came back, the Belle Glos Clark and Telephone was autographed! How awesome! We also picked up some '07 zins and '08 napa valley cabs. I'm really excited to drink these wines.

Entrance area to Caymus.

To get to Eagles Trace, you drive through the vineyards which looks rather awesome.

Due to a snafu with scheduling through the Eagles Trace website, Phyllis and Gus Anderson themselves gave us a tasting. They are so awesome. I cannot believe I did not have the presence of mind to grab a picture with them. Here is a shot of their cave, which you can see the end of from the entrance. We sampled the '06 napa merlot, the '05 cab, the '07 pinot, and the '07 because, which is a combination of all their leftover juice. We ended up buying a case of the pinot. It is awesomeness.