UnwindWine

Monday, March 7, 2011

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Mayacamas Mt Veeder Winery & Vineyards

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Mayacamas Mt Veeder Winery & Vineyards

A visit to Mt Veeder would not be complete without a visit to the legendary Mayacamas Mt Veeder Winery & Vineyards. Founded and operated as a winery going back to the late 1800's, the current owners, Robert and Elinor Travers bought Mayacamas Vineyards back in 1968.

Located up and back off of Lokoya Road in the rugged Mt Veeder highlands located between 1,800 to 2,400 feet.are the mountain Mayacamas vineyards. Consisting of rich volcanic soil the vineyards produce small grapes with distinctive, intense flavors.

Bob Travers remains the winemaker, producing about 4,000 cases annually, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, with some Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. About 1,500 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon are made each year - blended with small amounts, 10% to 15%, of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon is typically best consumed between twelve to twenty five years of age although some vintages will be at or near their best for even longer. Annual production of Chardonnay is about 1,500 cases. The remainder is split between a larger portion of Sauvignon Blanc and then Merlot which is blended with about 10% Caberrnet Sauvignon, with a small portion of Pinot Noir.

Wine flight of current release Mayacamas wines

Mayacamas Wines tasted (and purchased):

Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Winemaker's Comments: Deep, brooding blackberry and black cherry aromas, along with a sage-like dimension, on the nose. The acidity on the tongue balances the surprisingly supple tannins. Red currants and plums on the palate finish very long. Will age gracefully for many years.

Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot

RM 91 points.

Mayacamas Chardonnay 2007
The nose is tropical - - banana peel, pineapple tart, and a bit of effervescent lemon. on the palate, more lemon character is joined by a hint of white peaches, and the subtlest vanilla. The hallmark fresh acidity is in form here.
RM 88 points.

Mayacamas Merlot 2006

Vivid cherry and plum aromas and shades of bay leaf on the nose. The smooth mouthfeel is enlivened with bright acidity. More cherry in the mid-palate, along with a licorice edge. The finish is long. Very classical in its structure.
RM 89 points.

Mayacamas Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Honeydew melon rind on the nose gives way to freshly cut limes on the palate. Diamond-like precision in the acid balance and focused fruit make this a bright, lovely wine to go with shellfish and all manner of seafood.
RM 88 points.

Historic Mayacamas Mt Veeder Winery

Mayacamas wine cellar where small quantities of crafted wines are produced.

No frills down-to-earth Mayacamas Vineyards tasting room

Picturesque grounds of the rugged Mt Veeder mountain estate.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Constant Vineyards & Winery

Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Constant Vineyards & Winery

Our visit to Diamond Mountain reached the 'summit' with a visit to CONSTANT Diamond Mountain Vineyard and winery at the top of the mountain, sitting at over 2100 feet elevation. It also is among the oldest wineries in the valley with history dating back to the late 1800's.

We visited on a completely overcast day and it was spectacular - one can only imagine the incredible vistas on a 'normal' sunny day. It will be worth a return trip to find out.


Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Sitting at the top of the Mayacamas range, Freddy Constant grows Bordeaux varietals offered under his own Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label. He also bottles Constant Diamond Mountain Queen of Diamonds Shiraz with grapes grown on the only Sonoma vineyard on Diamond Mountain.

Constant wines tasted:

Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc 2006
Constant Diamond Mountain Syrah 2006

Constant Diamond Mountain hillside vineyards
as seen from historic winery cottage.

Constant Diamond Mountain hilltop vista
with 'infinite' vineyard views


Freddie Constant telling the Constant Diamond Mountain story.

Picturesque winter vineyard views
from tasting house

Constant mountaintop tasting house - cozy even
on an inclement day.

Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Diamond Creek Vineyards

Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Diamond Creek Vineyards

A trip to Napa Valley Diamond Mountain by the serious wine enthusiast or collector would not be complete without a visit to the legendary Diamond Creek Vineyards. Founded in 1968 by the late Al Brounstein, a visionary pioneer who defied conventions of the time by planting Bordeaux varietals on secluded Diamond Mountain in the Mayacamas Range at the north remote end of Napa Valley.

Diamond Creek is a case study in terroir - each of its four vineyards with its own micro-climate, soil type and geography that are revealed in their single vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon wines - named for their four distinctly different origination vineyards. The vineyards of Diamond Creek are Gravelly Meadow (5 acres - center left), Red Rock Terrace (7 acres front), Volcanic Hill (8 acres opposite), and Lake (¾ acre), plus Petit Verdot (1 acre) to the left outside of frame. The vineyards as pictured below, are amazingly co-located close to each other yet have distinctive individual characteristics that are revealed in their wines.

The chateau and tasting room offer a magnificent setting and view of the vineyards on the slope and meadow below and of the opposing hillside.

Diamond Creek offers an elegant tasting experience showcasing their wines harmonized by Diamond Creek cabernet sauvignon reduction with petit beef tenderloin and artisanal cheeses.

Diamond Creek dinner tasting.
Thomas Arvid painting above fireplace in background.
(See below)

The limited production highly allocated wines amazingly reflect the character of their source site. Boots Brownstein carries on the Diamond Creek tradition.

Our tasting group with 'Boot's' Brownstein

Diamond Creek Wines Tasted -


Diamond Creek Tasting Flight

Wines tasted -

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

What a wonderful opportunity to do a horizontal tasting of Diamond Creek vineyard select wines. There really is unique character revealed in each wine. We each had our favorite - all were spectacular.

Diamond Creek Art -

Another special treat of visiting the winery is to see the legend of Al Brownstein living on in the display of his original artwork (shown below) that was used in the Diamond Creek Thirtieth Anniversary commemorative labels for the 2002 vintage vineyard select cabernet sauvignons.

Diamond Creek wine painting montage by Thomas Arvid graces the fireplace in the tasting room.
More on Thomas Arvid art.

Special wines for special occasions -

We served a horizontal selection of each Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from magnums at the wedding of our son Ryan to Michelle Diamond! Several magnums were birth year vintages.

Diamond Creek horizontal magnum tasting including birth year vintages served at Ryan and Michelle's wedding.

Bill and Beth Connolly shown above in attendance, served birth-year vintage 1982 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon from double magnum at the wedding of son Will and Kate Jandl.

Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon 1982 Double Magnum served by Connelly's at Will and Kate's wedding.

We featured Diamond Creek in a horizontal Napa cabernet tasting dinner held at the Fairmount Hotel in Chicago with Bill & Beth C, and California friends Gigi & Michael P, Andy & Liat, and Phil - who came in to town for the occasion. Also featured were Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and Dominus Estate.

Gala Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon dinner tasting - Diamond Creek, Dunn, and Dominus

And yes, there is the actual Diamond Creek. Spectacular settings and views on the vineyard grounds.

Other vineyard views .....

Diamond Creek Lake Vineyard

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace

More Diamond Creek Winery Pics on Rick's UnWindWine.com.

Also see other Diamond Mountain producer Constant Vineyards and Winery blog.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Yates Mt Veeder Family Vineyards

Finally after more than a dozen years of wine trips visiting various wine regions, we learned the discipline and organization of focus! When we now visit Napa Valley, we focus on one appellation at a time. Recent Napa Valley trips focused on Howell Mtn, Spring Mtn, and Atlas Peak. This trip we dedicated to Mt Veeder, with a day also so dedicated to Diamond Mountain. We have long known and enjoyed Mt Veeder wines - notably the legendary Mayacamas, the popular Hess, the producer namesake Mt Veeder, and the popular Robert Craig Mt Veeder cabernet, one of his collection of single mountain designated cabs. According to my Cellartracker records, we hold Robert Craig Mt Veeder cabernet for every vintage from 1993 thru 2007 with the sole exception of 2003. Can you spell library? And this weekend we dropped in at Craig's tasting room and tasted the 2008 vintage!

We also visited Rubissow Vineyards and Winery high atop Mt Veeder.

If not for simplicity, from a logistical standpoint, we start at the top of the Mountain and work our way down. You can select the metaphor for this strategy. To that end, we started our assault of Mt Veeder at the top at Yates Family Vineyard. Note the designation Vineyard, over Winery, as the Yates family have been farming the property for sixty years producing and selling top quality fruit to producers who bottle under their own label - no doubt popular producers we know, and others. Due to the heritage of the original developers from Europe back in the 1800's, the property was originally planted in German and Alsatian varietals. Over time these have been replaced with the traditional Bordeaux varietals that are now most popular on Mt Veeder - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,and some Cabernet Franc.

Yates Family Mt Veeder Vineyard

In recent years, Proprietor Mike Yates aided by his daughter Whitney Yates Hanes have worked together as Co-Winemakers to produce wines under the Yates label. They estate bottle under a standard varietal designate labels as well as a Reserve. They also produce a St Emilion style blend and a left bank Bordeaux blend Alden Perry Reserve named for family patriarch Mike's grandfather, Perry and father Alden, who shifted to the Bordeaux varietals in the early fifties, (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc). Produced in small quantity of less about 200 cases, we tasted from a 375 as this was SOLD OUT in standard bottles. We also tasted their Viognier 2009.

Yates Family Vineyards historic wine-house.

We were greeted by Mary Yates who otherwise handles the books, and her husband Todd Jones who has taken over sales and marketing duties. On the property still sits the historic ghost winery built back in the 1800’s and operated then as “Castle Rock Vineyard”, which we toured. Ironically, early product was shipped in barrel to Chicago where it was then bottled and sold as Claret from a retail store on Wells Street, although its not known whether that was North or South Wells.

W/ Mary Yates Jones and Todd Jones of Yates Family Winery and Vineyards.

Mike Yates of Mt Veeder Yates Family Vineyards

Yates Family Wines tasted:

Recommended Wines -

Yates Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Dark deep inky purple color - complex and full bodied, the black berry and black cherry fruits were accented by dusty rose petals, tones of dark bittersweet chocolate, spice, and a layer of leather on a smooth tannin finish. This should integrate and gain polish over five years and last ten more. RM 91 points.

Yates Family Vineyard Cheval Cabernet Franc 2007

Spicy black berry, clove and cassis. Winemaker Tasting Notes - A deep, dark ruby appearance with hints of graphite and toast on the nose that finish with dry rocks and cigar tobacco. Strong flavors of espresso with small splashes of clove and cardamom. Dark chocolate covered cherries with cassis. Intense mountain fruit lingers on the palate and finished with supple tannins. RM 91 points.

Yates Family Vineyard Fleur de Veeder Merlot 2007

Winemaker notes - Nicely balanced and plush Merlot, beautifully exhibits the quality we’ve come to expect from Mount Veeder. The enticing bouquet of red berries, smoldering spices and mint lead to intense flavors of crushed raspberry and black cherry. Dark chocolate and a hint of anise add to the complexity. Round and full mouth tannins complete the smooth and lingering finish. 202 Cases Produced - RM 90 points.


Tasting Yates Family Wines

Check out Yates Family wines - small production crafted wines that reflect the true terrior of Mt Veeder. We look forward to receiving our Yates wines and trying upcoming vintages and offerings to come.

Our Mt Veeder Tasting Group at historic and picturesque Yates Family Vineyards

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Rubissow Mt Veeder Vineyards

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Rubissow Mt Veeder Vineyards

One of the highlights of our Napa Valley Mt Veeder appellation wine experience was our visit to Rubissow Vineyards. We also visited Yates Family Vineyards and Winery high atop Mt Veeder.

Rubisow, founded by George Rubissow and Tony Sargent, the Mt.Veeder estate is planted in Bordeaux varietals. George and Tony go back to the 1960's when George also struck up a friendship with, and gained invaluable advice from, the legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today, after twenty-five years, George has handed over operations to the next generation, Ariel and Peter Rubissow who are in their third year carrying on the family tradition of quality crafted mountain vineyard wines.

George Rubissow and the original Rubissow Sargent Label.

Rubissow Wine Flight

Wines tasted:

Rubissow Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Complex, concentrated, full bodied - winemaker notes - deep brambly richness, black currant, graphite, clove, kirsch, raspberry jam, smoke, dark caramel. The Bordeaux blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot , 3% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot. RM 92 points.

Rubissow Mt Veeder Merlot 2006 - Soft, elegant, polished - flavorful - winemaker notes - rich flavors of brandied cherry, red raspberry, plum, herb, bay, cocoa nibs, coffee, roasted morels. RM 91 points.

Rubissow Trompettes 2005 - Medium bodied - subdued elegance - winemaker notes - Forward, perfumed aromatics of blueberry, coffee, and cocoa, amidst a rich floral background. Plush blueberry / vanilla flavors, balanced tannins, good acidity and soft minerality carry through the very long finish. The blend is Cabernet Franc 65% Merlot 25% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%. Less than 200 cases were produced. RM 90 points.

Rubissow-Sargent Reserve 2006 - Dark, full bodied, complex, rich and powerful - blackberry, blackcurrant, layer of vanilla bean turns to sweet, toasted oak and subtle herbal notes with balanced tannins on a long complex finish. RM 90 points.

The Rubissow hilltop vineyard looks to Carneros south with views in the distance of Mt Diablo to the west of San Francisco Bay and Mt Tamalpais in Marin to the north of the golden gate.