Cuvaison’s Napa Tasting Facility
- By Mike Birdsall
- Published 11/16/2007
I visited Cuvaison’s Napa tasting facility today. The leaves were turning and the vineyards looked beautiful. I pulled in and parked, and was immediately impressed with the friendliness of the staff as two employees where heading out and we met in the parking lot.
I wasn’t impressed with the facilities; a nice new, but small tasting room and everything seemed sterile. But they more than made up for it with the friendly service, awesome view and great wines. I sat out on their patio in an Adirondack chair overlooking their vineyards.
I started with their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc which was nice and crisp; perfect with a cheese plate. I then tried two of their Chardonnays – 2006 Carneros and 2005 S Block. The 2006 was fresh and slightly oaky, but I enjoyed the 2005 better. Although it had sat in oak 12-14 months I wasn’t overwhelmed by the oak and ended up buying two bottles. I think this would go nicely with the Fruit Glazed Pork Chops at http://www.matchmywine.com/index.php?mod=match&p=details&id=303
On to the Reds. The 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros was good, the 2005 Syrah a bit young. The 2004 Merlot was outstanding with its warm flavors and great nose (2 more bottles please). This wine would go great with a Lasagna or this Italian-Style Enchiladas http://www.matchmywine.com//index.php?mod=match&p=details&id=306. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder was nice, but slightly weak.
I then tried the 2005 Espiritu Dessert wine that tastes like a Ruby Port due to the brandy. Nice and I decided to get two bottles of this to have with my family who loves port. By itself at the end of a nice meal would be perfect.
The gem of the trip though was the opening of a 2004 Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon. Only being opened for 5 minutes this one really grabbed me. A wonderfully drinking Cab now, and I bought 4 bottles so I could enjoy now and have a few to put down for 10+ years.
In 1926, the Brandlin family planted the Mount Veeder high above the Napa Valley. In 1998 Cuvaison purchased the estate vineyard and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Now 80 years later in commemoration of this historic family and vineyard Cuvaison introduce the first-ever limited production BRANDLIN Cabernet Sauvignon. Here’s the story on the Brandlin from their web site; this wine has an intoxicating blend of cinnamon and clove with black currant, cassis and black cherry fruit. The palate is full bodied with licorice and plum, supported by an ample core of firm, yet supple, tannins characteristic of mountain-grown Cabernet. I couldn’t agree more. This wine will be saved for something special.
All in all a great experience. Linda in the tasting room could not have been nicer, and had a perfect balance of knowledge and friendliness. You can find these wines at http://www.cuvaison.com/winelist.asp. And now I’ve got great additions to my wine collection! Winery Website
I wasn’t impressed with the facilities; a nice new, but small tasting room and everything seemed sterile. But they more than made up for it with the friendly service, awesome view and great wines. I sat out on their patio in an Adirondack chair overlooking their vineyards.
I started with their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc which was nice and crisp; perfect with a cheese plate. I then tried two of their Chardonnays – 2006 Carneros and 2005 S Block. The 2006 was fresh and slightly oaky, but I enjoyed the 2005 better. Although it had sat in oak 12-14 months I wasn’t overwhelmed by the oak and ended up buying two bottles. I think this would go nicely with the Fruit Glazed Pork Chops at http://www.matchmywine.com/index.php?mod=match&p=details&id=303
On to the Reds. The 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros was good, the 2005 Syrah a bit young. The 2004 Merlot was outstanding with its warm flavors and great nose (2 more bottles please). This wine would go great with a Lasagna or this Italian-Style Enchiladas http://www.matchmywine.com//index.php?mod=match&p=details&id=306. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder was nice, but slightly weak.
I then tried the 2005 Espiritu Dessert wine that tastes like a Ruby Port due to the brandy. Nice and I decided to get two bottles of this to have with my family who loves port. By itself at the end of a nice meal would be perfect.
The gem of the trip though was the opening of a 2004 Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon. Only being opened for 5 minutes this one really grabbed me. A wonderfully drinking Cab now, and I bought 4 bottles so I could enjoy now and have a few to put down for 10+ years.
In 1926, the Brandlin family planted the Mount Veeder high above the Napa Valley. In 1998 Cuvaison purchased the estate vineyard and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Now 80 years later in commemoration of this historic family and vineyard Cuvaison introduce the first-ever limited production BRANDLIN Cabernet Sauvignon. Here’s the story on the Brandlin from their web site; this wine has an intoxicating blend of cinnamon and clove with black currant, cassis and black cherry fruit. The palate is full bodied with licorice and plum, supported by an ample core of firm, yet supple, tannins characteristic of mountain-grown Cabernet. I couldn’t agree more. This wine will be saved for something special.
All in all a great experience. Linda in the tasting room could not have been nicer, and had a perfect balance of knowledge and friendliness. You can find these wines at http://www.cuvaison.com/winelist.asp. And now I’ve got great additions to my wine collection! Winery Website
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Comments
Comment #1 (Posted by tzvee)
nice blog
