It is hard to believe that I had never been to the Wolf Family Vineyard in St. Helena until last month, but when an invitation came from the winery for a private tasting with proprietress, Jane Wolf, and winemaker, Karen Culler I cleared a morning on my calendar and found my way to the vineyard estate tucked up against the Mayacamas slopes in St. Helena. I had tasted the wines numerous times and had heard bits and pieces about the property but simply wasn’t prepared for what a jewel it is. 

The beautiful 19th C. mansion that is depicted on the label is one of the first things encountered when arriving through the gate, soon followed by the tidal wave of dozens of different roses hanging from the fences. The mosaic of vineyard blocks stretch around the 30 acre property, taking up less than 7 acres. Jim Barbour tends the vineyard, and Culler has made the wines since the first vintage in 1997. I know, it is hard to believe this will be the thirteenth harvest here. After a walking tour of the vineyard, and cave with Jane and Karen, we wound our way through the garden to the back porch of the house where they had prepared a flight of the current wines.

Karen also had a lineup of her releases there which I tasted and will cover in a later post.

2007 Wolf Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Tres Hermanos, Estate; DW 91

13.1% alcohol, 182 cases produced a blend of Musque, and Clone 1 planted in 2000

Aromas: mineral, star jasmine, apple and herbs

Palate: firm crispness in front, leading to fuller complexity on mid palate showing pear, apple, lychee and citus

Impression: nice leesy quality gives the wine substantial character

2006 Wolf Family Vineyards Phaedrus, Red Wine Napa Valley; DW 91

14.5% alcohol, 575 cases produced, 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, remainder is Cabernet Franc and Merlot

Aromas: black cherry, violet and berries with nice spiciness

Palate: mineral, black currant, violet and tar, solid texture 

Impression: nicely balanced, good structure and plenty of acidity

2006 Wolf Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Estate; DW 93

14.7% alcohol, 150 cases produced, originally planted in the late 1970s

So far, the top Cab Franc from the vintage - dw

Aromas: bits of herb and lilac and java

Palate: lush round chocolate and espresso, beautiful texture

Impression: this wine was extremely tight initially yet opened up beautifully with about 20 minutes of air

2005 Wolf Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate; DW 96

14.9% alcohol, 535 cases produced, planted in 1996

Aromas: dark, intense and pure blackberry jam, herbs and coffee

Palate: extremely sexy flavors of layered plum, blackberry and violet - some of the purest flavor components I have encountered

Impression: a stunning wine that is a joy to drink, impeccable structure, depth and elegance

Here is the link to the Wolf Family Vineyards website.