Napa Cellars 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

This was a post provided to me by Vin De Valeur who asked that I post this review.

The Napa Cellars 2006 Cab ranked 87 points with Wilfred Wong. Notes on this cab suggest ripe blackberry and cherry hints. This red wine is "Super Good" says Vin De Valeur who continues describing this as a full bodied cab with oak notes.

The Napa Cellars '06 Cab can be purchased in the grocery store for approximately $20. Give it a try and let us hear your comments.

Chateau Chevalier 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

I decided to open a bottle a couple nights ago, and was looking forward to a nice Cab. I chose the Chateau Chevalier 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. This bottle was given to me as a gift, and has been waiting for nearly 2 years to be opened. This bottle can be found online for $30, but you may want to save your money for something else. After opening for a while, this Cab lacked structure, body and finish. At best, this was a medium bodied Cab, a hint of fruit upfront, with a bit of earth or tobacco in the middle and nothing on the finish. It may have been my state of mind, looking forward to a bigger cab, however, this wine still disappointed the second night. Save your money and move on to something else...maybe a good stand by with a Frank Family Vineyards.

Clos du Val Chardonnay

We truly enjoyed this 2005 Chardonnay from the Carneros region of Napa Valley. Clos du Val produced a nice Chardonnay here. This is 100% Chardonnay from Carneros fruit with hints of melon, peach and citrus. This wine has nice balance with a long, crisp finish. I have had this for a couple years now, but see that you can buy it online between $20 and $25. Very nice Chardonnay, pick one up and enjoy it on its own, or with a nice light meal.

Two Angels Winery - 2006 Petite Sirah

Rated 92 points by Wilfred Wong, this 2006 Petite Sirah comes from the Shannon Ridge Vineyards located in Lake County California (North of the Napa Valley). This was a dark Petite Sirah, with aromas of berry and pomegranate and described as having aromas of roasted game integrated with toasted oak and roasted coffee undertones. This was a well balanced, bigger Petite Sirah.

We had the pleasure of tasting the wine with Steve Kreps whose family owns Two Angels Winery and Steve is also the President of Quintessential Wines (http://www.quintessentialwines.com/quintessential/index.jsp), who imports and markets family-owned wineries in Napa. According to Steve, this 2006 Petite Sirah is the best Petite Sirah they have produced at Two Angels. Put this one on your list to try, you will not be disappointed. You may have to do some internet searching to find this, or contact Quintessntial Wines to find out how to buy this for your cellar (707-226-8300).

Thank you, Steve for the tasting and conversation. We look forward to the opportunity to try more great wines from Two Angels Winery, and the other family-owned wineries you represent.

Peju - 2003 Cab

If you haven't had a chance, I recommend trying Peju Winery...this family owned, boutique winery in the Rutherford area of Napa produces a very nice Cab, along with a zin and their Provence which is a nice every day wine.
We opened a 2003 Cab this weekend with our friends for an early Thanksgiving dinner. The 2003 Cab is a library wine, currently on Peju's website at $65/bottle (although it is sold out). The website describes this wine as having aromas of bing cherry, vanilla, clove, blackberry, black pepper, creme de cassis, toast, roasted coffee, fresh herbs and green olive. big, rich and round on the palate, displaying flavors of black cherry accented with toast and campfire notes.
This was a smooth cab that was full of flavor. Put this on your list of wines to try.
If you are in Napa, this is also a nice winery to visit. They have a beautiful tasting room and an area to enjoy a picnic. For more on Peju, visit their website at http://www.peju.com/.

Waterstone 2003 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

This Napa Valley Cab offers a great nose, with hints of oak and chocolate. The label suggests hints of cherry, currant and blackberry...however, not something I picked up on. The Wine Spectator gave this 90 points, and they may have been a bit generous in my opinion. This Cab lacked body, at best it was a medium bodied Cab...and I was in the mood for a full bodied Cab...so it let me down a bit. The Waterstone Cab hits at the back of the tongue and lingers for a while...a silky, oak finish that was enjoyable. I bought this one for $30 and after getting over my initial disappointment, I enjoyed this wine. However, it did not pair well with my BBQ, but was a nice sipping wine to finish the evening. This was a slightly above average Cab, and at $30 was worth the try. However, I can't find this bottle online for less than +/-$70. At this price point, there are better Cab's to be tried and enjoyed.

Tres Sabores Winery - Porque No?

Tres Sabores is a Napa winery located out of Rutherford, CA. They have a nice red wine called Porque No? This was a complex, spicy and heavier zinfandel blend. Consists of mostly zin with cab, petit verdot and petit syrah. The first smell of this wine showed its complexity. First sip was nice, but unsure. Second sip was better and required more. This one got better with each sip. Cost is approximately $20 and worth it if you enjoy a complex Zinfandel. This one is worth trying.

Frank Family Vineyards

My wife and I are big fans of Frank Family Vineyards (http://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/). This winery is the last of the old style Napa wineries, where you can enjoy free wine tasting of their entire lineup, and enjoy great conversation with the family. Rich Frank is an ex-Disney Executive who connected with the Rombauer family to start Frank Family Vineyards. Frank Family has been on their own now for several years and creating wonderful wines.

Our favorites include the 2006 Chardonnay and the 2004 Zinfandel (if you can find it, otherwise the 2006 is available and a nice Zin).

The 2006 Frank Family Chardonnay is a light, buttery Chardonnay with a smooth finish. Frank Family suggests serving this Chardonnay at room temperature as it stands on its own. They suggest chilling a white wine is a way to hide its flaws...and I highly recommend listening to them on this one. I have served this wine to many people at room temperature, and they have all loved it. A bit pricey, but worth the money at $32 a bottle. Check their website to find out where you buy this as they have limited distribution.

The 2004 Zinfandel, and their Zin in general, is a full bodied Zin, rich and dark in color. Frank Family describes it as leading with a sweet blackberry jam and finishing with hints of white and black pepper and clove spice. This is a great wine to serve with your upcoming Thanksgiving Turkey. Price is roughly $37 a bottle, and worth it.