Recent notes from some of my Napa Valley favorites
Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 5:35 I recently had a chance to taste several of the wines that I don’t get to visit that often anymore but they happen to be wines that received some of their first reviews from me so I have more than a passing interest in writing about them when I can.
Maldonado Chardonnay - an instant classis, now in its sixth vintage
I wrote the first reviews on this producer for the 2002 Chardonnay made by Abe Schoener, released in 2004 and since then they have gone on to reproduce successive vintages of very high quality wines.
2007 Chardonnay, Parr Vineyard Knights Valley; DW 93 $25.00
A beautifully made wine - straightforward nicely structured fruit throughout, delicate, not overly oaked, balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. This is one of those wines that is so stealthly, you could drink a bottle and then think ’ wow, that’s gone already?” What is not to like here for a wine priced less than $25.00 a bottle?
2006 Chardonnay, Los Olivos Vineyard Estate; DW 93 $49.00
Showing a little nuttiness in the nose along with some hints of oxidation. Knowing how these wines are made, I’m not particularly concerned about it. The palate still shows pretty melon and nicely focused golden stone fruits.
2006 Chardonnay Reserve, Los Olivos Vineyard; DW 95 $99.00
Very little of this wine made it to the market a couple years ago when it was released in the 2004 vintage. Those who have it own one of the rarest Chardonnay made (40 cases). This is my first time tasting the 2006. Very rich peach, citrus and mineral with dense weight and texture.
2002 Chardonnay, Los Olivos Vineyard; DW 94 The premiere release
It is hard to believe it was almost six years ago when I wrote the first review on this wine - to me it was an instant classic - pure and vibrant with complexity that kept me coming back again and again. There is that ethereal nose of dusty almonds and mineral that gives way to an underlying supple stone fruit, vanilla/shortbread and crisp pear/citrus that indicates the wine is holding together beautifully.
Corra - the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Hard to believe that Celia Welch is already on the fourth vintage of her own wine. I remember learning about this project in early 2007 but was sworn to secrecy at the time. Maybe it was in recognition of keeping that secret when I was invited to be the first to taste the wine and ended up writing the first review on the 2004 premiere release. It is now one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Many of my readers have been asking me what I think of 2007 Corra, and I have been able to produce only the most feeble excuse of “need to schedule with the winemaker”. That being settled here is what I think.
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, DW 96 $125.00
Aromas of chocolate, blackberry, spice and camphor with flavors of mocha, cassis, violets and black cherry. All of this is wrapped up in oak that is barely noticeable, being well integrated with the wine. I tasted this twice and noticed even more meshing of the flavors after an hour.
Culler - a blast from the past
2002 Culler La Pallette Red Wine Napa Valley; DW 96
This wine shouldn’t have come as a surprise as for as long as I have known her, Karen Culler has made some riveting wines under her own label as well as Wolf, recently recognized in the Top 25 list of 2009. Karen showed this to me as a library selection, I remember when I used to sell this wine, we were lucky to get a case or two.
It was showing beautifully - intense depth with excellent balance, finesse and richness. Everything is there the black fruits in the nose show seamlessly together while the smoothness in the palate (at 8 years) is what I think any winemaker would strive to achieve. I asked Karen about the availability and she said this bottle came from her personal library. A very impressive wine!
Lindstrom - first review on the un-released 2007 vintage
2007 Lindstrom Cabernet Sauvignon; DW 94+ (4/10 release) $95.00
I frankly get tired of hearing people ask me “When are you going to stop writing such great reviews on Celia’s wines?” My answer is the same - “When they stop impressing me”. So for those who just can’t stand it, close your eyes now…
After the first two vintages ( 2005 and 2006) of Lindstrom Cabernet Sauvignon came to market and made my Top list of the year, people began to project forward to what they sensed would be a classic vintage, 2007.
A nose of pure plum, cassis and graphite all singularly notable but interwoven. The palate shows some warm spice with a sprinkling of aromatic lavender giving way to polished black plum and dark cherry.
There are wines selling for triple the price in the valley that couldn’t compete with this.
This is the last posting for the week as I head off to World of Pinot Noir tonight for the weekend in Shell Beach. Lulu Roberts just attended a tasting in San Francisco last night and should be posting her notes soon.
Reader Comments (2)
Doug,
You turned me onto Scarecrow and Corra (and Auteur and Scholium and on and on and on) all those years ago and each continues to be the gift that keeps on giving... I tasted the 07 Corra earlier this week. Here is the note I posted last night on this wine --- I think you can tell I liked it A LOT! Did you really like the 06 Corra more than the 07????? Now that is a tasting I have to arrange... The Corra Flight - 04 thru 07! I think her first wine (with fruit from Beckstoffer) was great, but the new vintage (with Pritchard Hill fruit) blew my previous experiences with these wines off the map.
"The 2007 Corra is as exciting as it is exceptional. In a vintage that allowed winemakers to craft wines of genuine glory, the cream rises to the crop.
More polished and powerful than the the wonderful 2004 Corra, this new offering is a wine of outstanding purity and focus that is exciting to drink now and will age gracefully in the years ahead. It's gonna be hard to keep my hands off my few remaining bottles. Knowing what is in this specific bottle, the real trick may just be the test of restraint as owners resist grabbing one off the rack to share with friends and fellow wine enthusiasts.
I guess I was smitten with this label years ago after my first sip of the 2004. I wear my fan stripes proudly here. But with this latest offering Celia Welch delivers a real show stopper.
I had been enviously and anxiously following others who chimed in on this wine - among them a palate I respect: Roy Piper - who offered a rave after tasting. Could it really be that good? Could it live up to the hype of the vintage or my own lofty expectations? Well, uh, yeah. Actually It can and it does.
It has a beautiful purple/cabernet color. Not opaque. Not deep and blue, like some super extracted fruit bombs can show. From the moment you pour this wine into your glass, you can actually see a noble restraint that shows off just in the color. You should give this baby a little time to open after you pop the cork, but almost immediately, you sense something special. You are doused with a sexy smell of rich dark fruit and exotic teas and spices. In its primal infancy, this child is all about the clean expression of fruit. It's not green. It's not earthy. It's not so overdone that it is pruney or so extracted that you feel like you can spread it on your peanut butter. It is rich and full bodied, yes, but with delicious mouth coating dark cherries and blackberries that blend beautifully with sweet espresso and a little tinge of mocha. This fruit is mixed with these lush, opulent tannins that coat your mouth and leave you wanting more. There is a great moderate mouth feel to this wine that is not dense, but it is powerful yet smooth with a finish that goes on and on and on.
What is so striking to me is the harmony of this wine. Everything works in its own balance here and nothing is out of place peeking out. The fruit isn't overpowered by the tannin and the acid hangs in the back keeping everything in its proper place. This is just exceptionally well crafted wine on every level.
When you taste a lot of wines as we do, the ones that really stand out leave an impression. This one is special.
As a taster, I don't believe in 100 points wines because I don't understand really, why a 99 point wine is not a 100 point wine. Is this a 99 point wine? As a stand alone wine experience - yes, I think so. Would it rank when compared with 99 point wines rated by professional tasters in a blind tasting? One day, I plan to conduct that experiment myself with some friends who truly appreciate great california wines and I guess we will see."
Steve,
I love your note on the Corra. I think maybe you need your own blog page here! You nailed it I think on the harmony part. That comes across real strong :) I try to make sure that when I am tasting a wine that on first blush screams out to me that it is 95 points or higher to go back and retaste. Also, the notes in this post were done at a walk around tasting which I usually find difficult. Luckily it wasn't that crowded and I knew most everyone pouring so I could step behind the table or get an extra ounce or so and grab a booth to sit down and relax with it a bit. Celia and I joked that when I approached her Corra table, there was no crowd at all. Is it possible for any wine too score differently at another time? Of course. I had the 2006 at dinner with Celia last year along with D.R. Stephens and Scarecrow on the night of release and thought the Corra was best of all.