Chimney Rock Vertical Showcases Elegant, Long-lasting Napa Wines

When we think of what makes a winery noteworthy, we often consider a sense of continuous quality that somehow transcends the vintage challenges. Such wineries produce good wine in even the tough years – and magnificent wine when nature is more forgiving. The best way to determine whether a winery has done this over the course of time is to sit down at a vertical tasing. I was lucky enough to do so with Elizabeth Vianna, lead winemaker of  Chimney Rock Winery, at a media tasting in New York City.

But, first, we were provided with some context. Chimney Rock Winery was founded in 1980 on a former golf course, and the winery was designed with distinctive Cape Dutch architecture. In 2000, the Terlato family became involved with the estate, and they assumed full ownership in 2003. From the beginning, their vision was to create top quality wines from Bordeaux varieties in the premier Stags Leap District.

Elizabeth spoke about the Stag’s Leap Palisades where bedrock traps heat and low hills pull cool air across the vineyard. The climatic factors along with volcanic soil produce fruit “that’s intense but graceful.” She added that as a winemaker she doesn’t want to “futz” with the fruit a lot, but rather let the wine express a sense of time and place.

Our vertical included Chimney Rock Winery SLD Cabernet Sauvignon from 1984, 1985, 1992, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2012, and 2019. Elizabeth choose both vintages that were critically acclaimed and others that were not, but which she felt offered something special.

Here are some of the Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon SLD vintages that impressed me most:

1984 – The color was ruby with brick-toned rim. The nose was complex with caramel and pot pourri. On the palate, dried fruits and a hint of white pepper. The acid was still present, remarkably, and there was still plenty of length.

1992 – The nose still offered the promise of raspberry, which was delivered on the palate, where black and red fruit were still present. There were fine tannins and good acidity, truly a wonderful wine over 30 years old.

1998 – I got a lot of tart cranberry on the nose, and the palate was lush with red and black berries. The tannins were silky. This was an elegant wine with true finesse.

2006 – This was a lush, big wine with gorgeous cherry compote on the palate – a crowd-pleasing, Napa wine.

2012 – A generous wine with jammy blackberry fruit. Persistent finish with fine tannins.

2019 – Cassis on the nose, fruit-forward on the palate, lively acidity, and very long length. 

During the course of the afternoon, Elizabeth told us that she and her staff are in the vineyards all year long. The winery also considers sustainability a priority, and they use biological controls such as cover crops to ensure vineyard health. Solar power and pollinator gardens add to the sustainability focus.

This exceptional opportunity to taste over 30 years of one winery’s vintages was truly illuminating. I left with the strong impression that Chimney Rock is consistently making high quality wines that offer wonderful fruit when young and beautiful complexity with age.  

Yountville's Reinvigorated Goosecross Winery Creates Vineyard-Driven Wines

Dave and Christi Ficeli met while working at the historic California winery, E. & J. Gallo. In 2021, they fufilled their dream of owning their own piece of Napa Valley wine history by acquiring Goosecross winery, which they had been managing since 2013. Since the beginning of their involvement with the winery, the couple was determined to create a special destination that offers memorable, terroir-driven wines. 

Essential to this vision is Goosecross winemaker Bill Nancarrow, a New Zealand native whose illustrious wine career has taken him all over the world. His most recent position prior to Goosecross was being executive winemaker of Duckhorn Wine Company's Napa Valley properties. After rising to the executive ranks, Bill said he wanted to get his hands dirty, drive a tractor, and make wine again. Goosecross gave him that chance. Bill is passionate about selecting vineyard sites, as Yountville has diverse soil profiles in every direction. With the Ficeli's vision and Bill's winemaking skill, Goosecross has blossomed. 

I met Dave and Bill at a recent media dinner in Manhattan at Marta, where I was able to hear about how Goosecross has been transformed into a destination winery focused on sustainable viticulture and complex, balanced wines. They poured a number of wines that we paired with the restaurant's crispy pizzas with a variety of fun toppings - from fresh corn to black truffles. Here are some highlights from the wines we sampled: 

Goosecross 2019 State Lane Vineyard Merlot - State Lane is the vineyard on the Goosecross property which features diverse alluvial soils and temperatures moderated by the San Francisco Bay. This Merlot combines fruit from two distinct blocks, producing a wine with ripe cherry aroma and flavor, bright acid, fine-grained tannins, and a whiff of caramel on the finish. 

2019 Goosecross Holly's Block Cabernet Sauvignon - The vineyard block is named after Christi's grandmother, Holly, and it's a winery favorite. 2019 was a generous year weather-wise, and this is reflected in the rich blackberry jam flavors, silky tannins, and persistent finish. I was delighted by this elegant, plush wine. 

2019 Goosecross State Lane Aeros - The best of the best from the State Lane Vineyard, this wine is blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. This is a structured wine with great ageing potential that was still drinking well at its young age. I found plum and blackberry on the nose and palate and enjoyed its rich mouthfeel. The wine is limited to 145 cases.  

Wines may be ordered directly online, but the best way to experience the wines is by visiting them at the welcoming tasting room or on the patio in Napa Valley. Goosecross offers wine tastings, wine and food pairings, and special events. Find out more on the winery's website.  

   

 

Delicious with a Dash of Do-Good - ONEHOPE Wines from Napa Valley

California winemaking has gone through many phases since the earliest pioneers who shone in the tasting of Paris in 1976. From hugely powerful wines heavily impacted by new oak aging, and the waxing popularity of Pinot Noir and waning appeal of Merlot (thanks, Sideways) to the ABC (anything but Chardonnay) advocates. Today there is a move towards letting the grapes shine, managing alcohol levels, and always looking for the best parcels from which to source grapes.

The new hunt for freshness in the resulting wines is a decided boon for wine lovers who are looking for varietal expression, more acidity, while still wishing for complexity and richness. Mari Wells Coyle is vice president of winemaking and estate operations at ONEHOPE Winery in Napa Valley, and, under her stewardship, the wines are delivering lovely quality of fruit, more balance, and delicious, complex flavors.

But ONEHOPE is more than just a top notch wine producer – the Rutherford winery was founded 15 years ago with the mission to give back. For each purchase, the winery donates 10% of the price to customers’ chosen nonprofits. Today the winery has donated over $8 million.  It’s an outstanding achievement that makes drinking well and doing good easy.

Mari was in NYC for a media lunch at Marta, where she walked us through a number of current releases.

Estate 8 Fume Blanc Rutherford 2020 – Rutherford fruit that sees a mix of new and used oak barrel aging produces a luxurious white with floral and herbal aromas, white plum flesh and toffee on the palate, a round mouthfeel and long finish. A very special wine.

Reserve Collection Chardonnay Napa Valley 2020 – Although the vintage was growing during some times of fire, the fruit was clean and so wine could be produced. This had a fresh nose of orange blossom and the citrus continued on the palate along with honeyed toffee notes on the backend. The balance of acidity and richness makes this wine a delight.

Reserve Collection Pinot Noir Russian River 2020 – Lush strawberry jam and dried roses on the nose with dark cherry flavor and well-integrated tannins. A more delicate Pinot Noir that still had satisfying flavors and length.

Reserve Collection Zinfandel Amador 2020 – I was pleased to see that this Zin avoided the heaviness that is often seen from the grape in California.  There was an appealing blackberry nose and rich black fruit with a touch of spice on the palate with a full body.

Naturally, the Cabernet Sauvignons were a highly anticipated part of the tasting and they did not disappoint:  

Iconic Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2017 – Redolent of blackberries on the nose and palate with hints of baking spice and a long finish.

Iconic Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2018 – A cooler growing season resulted in a wine with slightly more herbal and rose tones on the nose. The wine delivers black and red fruit on the palate and tight tannins.  

Iconic Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak 2019 – This wine from Edcora Vineyard in Atlas Peak is drinking beautifully right now. A longer growing season contributed to delicious ripeness in the fruit – reflected in the ripe black fruit flavors and aromas. The wine is big, rich, but balanced – a terrific reflection of the best of Napa.

ONEHOPE wines are available online here.

Veteran California winemaker George Bursick takes Maxville in delicious direction

If you’re starting a new winery project in Napa Valley, it helps to have a winemaker experienced in the region take the reins.  That’s what happened at Maxville Winery, and the results so far are delicious.

When it comes to California winemaking, George Bursick has an impressive resume. After receiving a master’s in Enology from UC Davis, he spent nine years in Mendocino at McDowell Valley.  There, he oversaw the first commercial release of California Syrah.  That auspicious start was followed by being Director of Winemaking at Ferrari-Carano, where his 1985 Chardonnay was named “wine of the year” by Wine Spectator.  His success there was followed by work with Judy Jordan’s J Vineyards and then consulting work. 

Now George is Executive Winemaker at Maxville.  In this role, George has been charged with taking the winery in a new direction, including replanting some of the vineyards.  I met George at a media dinner at Avra Estiatorio in New York where he shared his current releases.  I was surprised they included a Cabernet Franc – a grape I think of more for cooler climates.  When some people suggested scrapping the grape, George said “Let’s just give it a little love, and a little nitrogen.” 

One of the unique aspects of these wines is where they’re grown. The Maxville Winery estate lies in Chiles Valley, 900 feet higher than the Napa Valley floor.  Elevation is part of the “secret sauce” to Maxville wines. The cooler weather retains grapes’ acidity, and the longer growing season gives grapes time to develop complexity.  In addition, their careful viticulture practices include dry farming to stress the vines to limit vine productivity and increase quality.

-       -   Maxville 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley – Crisp and fresh wine with aromatic citrus nose and citron on palate with good acidity.

-      -    Maxville 2015 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley -  This was a Cabernet Franc that made me re-think what a Cab Franc could be.  There was such plushness to the wine, it made me think of the Merlots of St. Emilion.  In addition to the velvety mouthfeel, there was mouth-filling fruit, including red currents and ripe raspberries plus a sprinkle of cloves.  This is a round wine which delivers richer flavor than most Cab Francs.

-      -     Maxville 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – So much going on with this wine: blackberries and chocolate, great ripeness, fine grained tannins, full-mouthfeel, and good acidity.  This is a wine to drink or keep, and it was delicious with orzo with seafood in tomato sauce.

-     -     Maxville 2015 Petite Sirah Napa Valley – Blueberry jam nose, blueberry/blackberry pie palate, inky purple color, rich, dense, gorgeous fruit.  George told us that the “tannins are resolved in the vineyard” suggesting that the normally big tannins of this grape are modulated by the cooler microclimate.

While Maxville Winery is a relative newcomer in Napa, the Chiles Valley has been growing grapes since the mid 19^th century.  All in all, this is strong portfolio of wines from a slightly offbeat – and elevated – Napa Valley location.  Any lover of elegant wines with bold fruit character should seek out Maxville.

The Woes of the Wineless Luggage

Easy come, easy go, so they say. On the other hand, parting is such sweet sorrow.

When I arrived at the Professional Wine Writers Symposium at Napa Valley’s lovely Meadowood Resort, I was pleased to find that each registrant was given a bottle of wine courtesy of the Napa Valley Vintners. My friend Jennifer and I drank her bottle the first night, glad that we weren’t tempted to open the mini-bar’s bottle of Matriarch at about $300.

But my bottle of Ackerman Cabernet Sauvignon was still intact on the date of my checkout. As was a bottle of Stony Hill Chardonnay, another gift from the NVV bestowed on writers who attended the premier party for their short promotional film “Napa Rocks.”

Curious about my loot, I researched the prices - $75 for the Cab, $42 for the Chardonnay. While traveling writers can’t always take back all the wine they acquire on trips, I figured these were worth schlepping back to New Jersey. Thanks to post-9/11 liquid restrictions, I’d need to check my bag – a $25 fee. Yet, purely on an economic level, I’d still come out $92 ahead. Besides, I looked forward to aging these wines, especially the Cabernet, to wait for them to show more character.

On my last day in San Francisco, I met my friend for lunch and we enjoyed sparkling rosé and a delicious plate of salumi and Cowgirl creamery cheese. We laughed and talked. And talked. A little too long.

By the time I returned to the hotel and loaded my rental car, I was a little behind my already tight schedule. Zooming down highway 101 past the exit for the airport stole another precious ten minutes.

Finally at the rental car drop off, I checked the extra charges – a $20 fee just to ride the airport shuttle to the car rental area? Fuming slightly at this unexpected charge, I settled up and rushed to the over-priced shuttle. As we chugged, chugged, chugged slowly past six other stops, I nervously checked my watch.

I leapt out at Terminal 3 and rushed to the United self service luggage check. It was 3:16 and my flight left at 3.50. “It is less than 45 before your flight. You cannot check your bag” a message on the screen read. I spoke to a check-in attendant who echoed what the machine said. She told me to talk to the curbside checkin. I raced outside. “You can’t check your bag, it’s less than 45 before you flight departs.” “Then why did the other person tell me to come out here?” She repeated, “You can’t check your bag, it’s less than 45 before you flight departs.” I said, “I know, but..” She told me to talk to another United check-in person.

I advanced to a new line and told another blue-uniformed matron of the air, “I am trying to check my bag.” “Oh, well, you can’t check it, it’s less than 45 minutes before your flight takes off.”

I tried to maintain my calm and a modicum of my natural charm, “Yes, I know that. Do you think I can speak to a manager?” An authoritative man with light brown skin and skeptical eyes strode over. “I know it’s less than 45 minutes before my flight, but I’d really like to check this bag. There’s not shampoo in here, it’s more than $100 worth of wine.” This is northern California, I thought, surely he’d understand. “I mean, if you can check your bags at the gate right before the plane leaves, why would it take 45 minutes before the flight takes off to check a bag?”

“We need to give TSA that time so they can check the bags.”

Oh.

I surrendered to circumstances and pulled my bag away. I kneeled on the dirty terminal carpet and dug out my bottles, which I had carefully wrapped in jeans, sweaters, and skirts. I looked up and saw a mild-mannered man of about 40 with his wife, “Do you like wine?” I asked. “Well…” he stammered, probably thinking I was about to scam him somehow. “Look,” I hurriedly unwrapped the treasures. “Here are two very good bottles of Napa Valley wine – this one is worth $75,” I ran my hand along side of it ala Vanna White, “and this one is worth $42.” He stared, still a little confused. “I can’t bring them with me, they’re yours if you want them.” “Well,” he said, “if you’re sure.” “I’m sure – you do like wine?” “Yes,” he smiled.

As he bent down to get his booty, I wheeled my wineless luggage away, knowing that the Napa Valley Vintners Association had just made one couple very happy indeed.