White Rock Napa Claret 2002

White Rock Vineyards Napa Valley Claret 2002

With Linda's meatloaf dinner I pulled from the cellar a Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend Claret from White Rock Vineyards for a perfect pairing. Claret is the term adopted from the British that refers to a blend of red Bordeaux varietals.

White Rock Vineyards was established in 1870 in the southern foothills of the Stag’s Leap range. Today it is operated by proprietors, the Vandendriessche family who carry on the tradition of the historic estate. The original winery still stands as the home of the Vandendriessche family, carved from white rock quarried from the property in the 1870’s.

The property sits in the Vaca mountain range in the Stag's Leap district on Loma Vista Road off Soda Canyon Road up in the hills above the Darioush and Signorella estates that sit along the Silverado Trail in southeast Napa Valley. 

A family affair, Henri Vandendriessche oversees the operations and business with sons Christopher and Michael serving as winemaker and vineyard managers today.  

Henri Vandendriessche was born and raised in Northern France. He came to America to study Economics at UC Berkeley in 1960. In 1967 he met Claire who was raised in Napa Valley. In 1977 they purchased the 64 acre 1870’s winery estate north of Napa and set out to revive the historic property.  

Henri and Claire settled their family and raised their three children in the converted old winery and made the farm their home. They replanted much of the vineyard and dug a cave into the solid rock. Henri oversaw the vineyard and winery operations while Claire marketed and sold the wines.

Son, Christopher Vandendriessche grew up living the family wine business. He studied physics at UCSC but after graduating in 1992, he moved to France and enrolled in the University of Bordeaux, graduating with an Enology degree. He went on to work at Chateau Pape Clement in Bordeaux and worked harvests in Burgundy, Spain (Remelluri in Rioja), and Argentina (Catena in Mendoza). 

Christopher returned to Napa and learned winemaking as Assistant Winemaker working under John Kongsgaard at Luna where they made wine for a legendary winemakers including David Ramey, Dan Baron, Bill Knuttel, and Marco Capelli. 

In 1999, Christopher returned to White Rock as Winemaker. Today, Christopher and his brother Michael have taken over the business to produce wines that showcase the unique terroir of White Rock Vineyards with its higher elevation cooler climate and rocky white volcanic ash soils. The 35-acre naturally farmed vineyard, boasting its unique terroir is nestled in a small valley at the base of the Stag’s Leap Range.

Michael Vandendriessche grew up on the property he now manages. After high school, he studied viticulture at Napa Valley College before heading off to study for two years in France. He learned viticulture and terroir working the harvest in Burgundy. He returned to Napa in 1996 to take on the role of Vineyard Manager. 

Michael’s wife, Kendall, is a vineyard manager for several distinguished Napa Valley properties including Grace Family Vineyards; and Christopher’s wife, Sarah, is the winemaker at Elizabeth Spencer Winery. 

We also hold from this producer a winemaker signed bottle of the White Rock Vineyards "Laureate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. This was obtained and gifted to us by our nephew Chris who acquired it for us during a Napa trip a several years back. We'll look forward to sharing this with him when we are together at some point.

White Rock Vineyards Napa Valley Claret 2002

White Rock produce this estate Claret as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and a Chardonnay Reserve.

At twenty-one years, the fill level, foil and cork were in ideal condition, while the labels were somewhat soiled from aging in our cellar.

This is a classic Bordeaux Blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, 1,160 cases were produced of this vintage release.    

In 2010, I wrote of this label, "Dark ink color, medium bodied, smoky leather and floral aromas - forward black berry, violets, hints of cedar, smoke, cedar and touch of tar on moderate tannin finish."

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but nicely balanced and integrated blackberry and blueberry fruits with notes of smoke, spicebox and tobacco and hint of cedar with firm ripe but approachable tannins on a lingering finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=341624

https://whiterockvineyards.com/ 

http://twitter.com/whiterockcaves

Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge

Visit to Venge Vineyards Saddleback Winery, Penny Lane Vineyard and Rossini Ranch with Nils and Kirk Venge

A Unwindwine memorable retrospective. Back in 2002, wine buddy AJ and I visited Venge Vineyards Saddleback Winery down at the northern edge of the Oakville appellation south of St Helena and met with legendary winemaker Nils Venge. 

Nils in Penny Lane Vineyard

After meeting and touring the winery and Penny Lane Vineyard there in Oakville, we took wine maker Nils Venge to lunch at Tra Vigne, our favorite Napa Valley dining site of that era. Dining in the adjacent outside garden with the fountain and the oversize monstrous granite dining table was a highlight of many visits to Napa Valley. 

Upon arrival at Tra Vigne, as if we needed another legend sighting/meeting, we ran into Margaret Mondavi.

Nils Venge and Margaret Mondavi

 At lunch with Nils at Tra Vigna, we dined on the terrace with the garden in the background amidst the blissful sound of the fountain. 

Tasting Venge Reserve wines with Nils Venge

 Over lunch, we tasted Venge Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 and the Venge Penny Lane Vineyard Family Reserve Sangiovese 2000. Nils was the first winemaker grower producer in Napa Valley to plant Sangiovese varietals and craft Sangiovese wines. 

After lunch, we drove up to the new Venge venture, Rossini Ranch, in Calistoga. There we met Kirk Venge who was stepping into and following the footsteps of father Nils. 

At the time they were deep into the development of the Rossini Ranch property digging the caves at the site. 

Nils, Kirk, & AJ in front of new cave
being dug at Rossini Ranch

 

Kirk was born in 1976 and raised in Rutherford, Napa Valley into a wine family and lifestyle. He earned his degree in Viticulture and Eonology at the prestigious University of California, Davis, graduating in 1998, and quickly set his sights on buying the Venge winery from his family. From this foothold he set out across the Mayacamas divide and set roots in Sonoma. 

 

Today, Kirk has acquired the namesake brand and business of Venge Vineyards upon Nil's retirement. He has succeeded in establishing himself as a leading winemaker, grower producer in Napa and has expanded his reach into Sonoma. His wines have earned high praise and he has vastly expanded the Venge portfolio and consults with many top brands in Napa as well as Sonoma County.  

 

In addition to his namesake vineyard and winery, Venge Vineyards, Kirk also founded Croix Estate in Sonoma County. In the spring of 2009, Kirk introduced the name "Croix" and a rough idea for property and an eventual winery in Sonoma. He released the inaugural vintage of Croix Estate in 2012 and opening of a new winery in 2018. From the Russian River site, Kirk focuses on estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but also produces a Zinfandel from the nine acre vineyard that dates back to 1904, and a GSM comprised of the Rhone varietals Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre.  

 

Kirk also serves as consulting winemaker for several other producers including BCellars, Renteria, Promise Wines, Hunnicut, Trespass Vineyards, 11:11 Winery, Jax, and Macaulley Vineyards.

Visit to Venge Vineyards and Nils Venge

Visit to Venge Vineyards Saddleback Winery, Penny Lane Vineyard and Rossini Ranch 

A Unwindwine memorable retrospective. Back in 2002, wine buddy AJ and I visited Venge Vineyards Saddleback Winery down at the northern edge of the Oakville appellation south of St Helena and met with legendary winemaker Nils Venge. 

Nils in Penny Lane Vineyard

After meeting and touring the winery and Penny Lane Vineyard there in Oakville, we took wine maker Nils Venge to lunch at Tra Vigne, our favorite Napa Valley dining site of that era. Dining in the adjacent outside garden with the fountain and the oversize monstrous granite dining table was a highlight of many visits to Napa Valley. 

Upon arrival at Tra Vigne, as if we needed another legend sighting/meeting, we ran into Margaret Mondavi.

Nils Venge and Margaret Mondavi

 At lunch with Nils at Tra Vigna, we dined on the terrace with the garden in the background amidst the blissful sound of the fountain. 

Tasting Venge Reserve wines with Nils Venge

 
Over lunch, we tasted Venge Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 and the Venge Penny Lane Vineyard Family Reserve Sangiovese 2000. Nils was the first winemaker grower producer in Napa Valley to plant Sangiovese varietals and craft Sangiovese wines.

After lunch, we drove up to the new Venge venture, Rossini Ranch, in Calistoga. There we met Kirk Venge who was stepping into and following the footsteps of father Nils. At the time they were deep into the development of the Rossini Ranch property and were in the midst of digging the caves at the site.

Today, Kirk has taken over managing the operations upon Nil's retirement. He has succeeded in establishing himself as a leading winemaker, grower producer in Napa. His wines have earned high praise and he has vastly expanded the Venge portfolio and consults with many top brands in Napa as well as Sonoma County.

At the time they were deep into the development of the Rossini Ranch property digging the caves at the site. 

Nils, Kirk, & AJ in front of new cave
being dug at Rossini Ranch

L to R above - Nils in Penny Lane Vineyard, Nils and Kirk Venge at new Rossini Ranch Vineyard; Nils, Kirk, & AJ in front of new cave being dug at Rossini Ranch; Nils in winery, and with AJ at Penny Lane, Nils and Margaret Mondavi at Tra Vigne.