Napa Valley with Altitude

Golden Gate Wine Cellars
2337 Ocean Avenue (showroom to open soon)
San Francisco, CA 94127
Tel: 415.640.6611
Fax: 888.790.9463
frank@goldengatewinecellars.com
www.goldengatewinecellars.com

Our Motto: ALWAYS DRINK GOOD WINE™

Frank’s Wine Tasting Afternoon.

Yesterday I attended Napa Valley with “Altitude” a tasting symposium of wineries on the Western Hills of the Napa Valley, called the Maycamas Mountain Range. This range includes three California AVA’s – Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain and Diamond Mountain.

The mountain appellations are defined by vineyards that range from small to smaller, often hand-tilled on terraces and sloping meadows, and wineries hidden from view among dark forests and steep winding roads.

I tasted about 35 wines, and here is a list of the best ones of the day.

Diamond Mountain Range

Coho 2005 SummitVine Ranch Cabernet. Big burly, wine on both the nose and palate, loading with concentrated fruit. Tons of intensity and luscious fruit. Tannins are there, but not overly aggressive. A must have! $54.00

Coho 2005 Headwaters (Cabernet Blend). This latest release blend is delicious blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Petit Verdot showcasing some of the best of Napa at an affordable price! This wine is lush and full in body, and loaded with pure black stone fruit, offering good complexity and acidity. Silky finish. Very Limited Release! $37.00

Dyer 2004 Cabernet. The blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. With one year of bottle age, the wine is open and accessible. The wine will age, but there is no need to wait. A nose of black cherry, ripe berries and violets with hints of anise and cocoa. An elegantly structured wine; full bodied and supple ripe tannins and great length. $69.99

Andrew Geoffrey 2004 Cabernet. An awesome follow-up to their 2002 and 2003 vintage. Again very limited. Intense nose of spicy berries, highlighted with bright blueberry and a touch of leather and coffee. Intense on impact, loaded with flavors and of viscous and ripe black fruit, good tannin structure. $69.99

Spring Mountain Range.

Barnett 2005 Cabernet. A typical stellar wine. Intense nose of anise, herb and spice. The wine is full in body, loaded with the same intense mountain-grown fruit, with layer after layer of complex flavors, good acidity and a long-lasting finish. $59.99

Fantesca 2004 Cabernet. This is Heidi Barrett’s latest venture, and it shows. I know that many of you liked the 2003, this follow-up is amazing. Guess what; the price stayed the same, even with Heidi on board! Another winner, this only the third release from this winery. It displays the finesse and opulent style that are the hallmarks of Spring Mountain District. When swirled, notes of spice and berries capture your attention. When tasted, its rich and supple body tantalizes the palate. $ TBA

Peacock 2004 Cabernet. This wine is reminiscent to the 1999 vintage, offering aromas of dark chocolate, hints of anise, and lots of dark stone fruit. Full in body, loaded with fruit. The tannins are there, but not overly aggressive, finish lingers for a long time. $69.99

Mount Veeder

Sage 2004 Cabernet. This might have been one of the revelations of the tasting. The wine is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, of course all from the estate. The wine has lots of intensity on the nose with hints of black cherry, boysenberry and a touch of chocolate and spice. The wine is full in body with a touch of sweet earth, which is somewhat a-typical for Mt. Veeder AVA, lots of blackberry. The palate is smooth and the finish is silky and soft, and very long-lasting. 450 cases produced. $59.99

Sage 2005 Veeder Crest. This wine is partially from the estate (40% Cabernet), Merlot (30%) is from Gardner and Cabernet Franc (30%) from Dimate. This wine was equally pleasing, almost silky on approach. Not as full in body versus its Cabernet Big Brother, but still full enough, with lots of structure and flavor. Definitely a winner in my book. 1000 cases produced. $38.00

Paras 2005 Cabernet. Doug Danielak (winemaker) and I go way back. We first met in the 1990’s while he was the winemaker at White Rock. The 2005 Estate Paras is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot and 8% Malbec. The nose reveals A hint of sexy perfume, sweet blackberry fruit and a touch of spicy vanilla. The wine is lush and intense with an emphasis on the concentrated black-stone fruit, followed by shaved chocolate flavors. The finish is long and intense with ample tannins. $ +/- 65.00