Napa
We traded our vacation week in Carlsbad Beach this year for a week in Napa. We have never spent more than a day or 2 in Napa and thought it would be nice to see this beautiful part of California and find some great wine. Betty and I both love wine and Napa is the best, right?
The drive to Napa took us through the river front town of Rio Vista on Hwy 12. Rio Vista holds a lot of memories for Betty and me. I lived in the tiny Rio Vista Motor Hotel for 10 weeks in 1981. My first job in the oil industry was as a mud engineer. I was the technical sales and service person taking care of the drilling fluid on a deep exploratory gas well outside Rio Vista. I also worked on Unocal gas wells on the islands in the Sacramento River Delta nearby. Betty had just moved to Bakersfield from Houston and would drive to Rio Vista and see me on weekends.
We drove through downtown Rio Vista and stopped at Foster’s Big Horn. It’s probably the most unique restaurant I ever ate at. I ate many meals there in 1981. It has a long bar and a dining room in back. The unique thing is that Foster’s has a huge collection of big game trophies. The trophies are from Africa and North America and include lions, bears, wolves, tigers, a black rhino, an elephant and even a giraffe. It’s a world class collection, but I do not agree with killing such beautiful creatures for sport. We got talking to an old guy outside on a bench and I said it is nice to see that the place hadn’t changed in 30 years. I asked who the owner was and he said, here he comes now. I talked to the owner and said I enjoyed eating there in 1981. He asked about what I was doing in town back then and I explained my job as a mud engineer. I mentioned that I used to stay at the Rio Vista Hotel and that I remember Marie used to own it. And how she was so nice to her guests. He said he knows Marie and sees her almost every day. He said she is elderly now and he asked for my business card so he could tell her that I remember her.
We booked a cottage at River Point Resorts in the city of Napa. It’s right along the Napa River and centrally located for one of the world’s premium wine producing regions. River Point is a lovely and charming place to stay even though the charming 1 bedroom cottages in the brochure ended up being 400 square foot trailers. Seriously, the cottage is a trainer – on wheels and with a trailer hitch. Betty says she feels like Ricky and Lucy in this place. The cottage does have a nice deck with a patio table and chairs. And the interior is clean and modern, nicely appointed with quality furniture and decorations. In the orientation, we learned that the cottages are trailered so that when it floods, they can be moved. Riiiight. The location was under 5 feet of flood water in 2005, supposedly. Hey, the TV’s works and the bed is very comfortable. And there is a good coffee maker.
Monday (Memorial Day): We started wine tasting along the Silverado Trail, named for the road that went to the silver and mercury mines in the late 1800’s. Hagafen Cellars offered a nice wine tour and had a great Sauvignon Blanc. We did not care for any of the red wines though. And every wine I taste, I find myself comparing to Le Cuvier. And on the wine tour, I can see the processes that are standard in the industry and that Le Cuvier does differently. From the fermentation tanks to the yeast used and the barrel aging, the differences must be important because the wine I tasted just didn’t compare to the depth of flavors, bouquet and softness that I get from Le Cuvier.
Across the road from Hagafen Cellars is Black Stallion. This is a beautiful winery and a monstrous estate and wine production complex. It’s spectacular in every way, except the wine. When I told the guy I didn’t care for the wines and the rough tannins, he poured me one of the “Reserve” wines, a Meritage blend that cost $125. It was only OK. Sorry. It did not have any bouquet on the nose and the I didn’t find it very rich in flavor. It was noticeably better than the $65 Cabs they offered, but nothing like the $36 Cab from Le Cuvier or the Cabs at Chateau Margene in Paso.
Driving north on Silverado Trail, we stopped a Silverado Vineyards. This is another spectacular winery with a beautiful tasting room with incredible views of the Yountville vineyards. It’s a great relaxing experience. However, I didn’t care for the wines at all. It’s like I can taste the bitterness from pumping the wine and seeds around the tall fermentation tanks they all use. And the new oak barrels they talk about using seem to leave the tannins prominent, not soft and supple. And the standard aging time in the barrels is only 18 to 24 months.
Back at River Point Resort, they sponsored wine tasting on Sunday and Monday featuring small independent wines, Perez Family wines and Vino Di Angelo. We tasted a really nice Zinfandel and some nice Cab and red table wine that was better than the wine from the big fancy wineries we visited during the day.
Tuesday: We had a reservation at the world class French restaurant in Yountville called Bouchon. We picked up the menu on Monday when we made the reservation so we knew what we were going to order ahead of time. You know me, always thinking about my next meal. Bouchon is located in a charming historical brick building in the tourist area of Yountville. Their popular bakery is next door and the tasting rooms, wine shops and upscale stores are in the downtown Yountville area.
Because of a dream she had last night, Betty insisted that we not deprive ourselves of the finest dining experience available at Bouchon (I wished she dreamed of our bank account, maybe we could get a sandwich qt the market instead). Betty ordered the prime pan-seared flatiron steak with caramelized shallots and fries. And I ordered the roast leg of lamb. We started off sharing a salad of watercress, endive, Roquefort and walnuts with herbs de Provence and the lightest walnut vinaigrette. And since we were not depriving ourselves, Betty ordered the wine. We enjoyed a 500 ml carafe of Ramey 2006 Napa Valley Cab (a full bottle is 750 mls). And the staff promptly brought a cold dish of butter and crusty French bread to the table. The Ramey Napa Cab was a delight with a wonderful bouquet, soft tannins and flavors of cherry, berry fruit, dark chocolate and long finish. The bread, butter and chunks of Roquefort and the walnuts that came with the salad accompanied the wine perfectly. We agreed that, finally we found a wine that we truly loved. The 500 ml carafe cost $54 at Bouchon, which is not bad compared to the $50 the 2007 costs in a wine store across the street.
Betty’s flatiron steak was a generous portion and cut over an inch thick. It was cooked perfectly medium (just right for the cut) and seasoned with the caramelized onions and a blend of herbs. The steak was accompanied by a mountain of thin, crispy and hot French fries which I enjoyed as much as Betty did. I ordered the roasted leg of lamb medium rare and it was presented as 4 beautiful center cut medallions nestled over a ragout of garbanzo beans, fava beans and merguez sausage, garden carrots, green garlic, preserved Meyer lemon and lamb jus. It was a truly a gourmet dining experience and we both treasured.
We were seated at a small table along the wall with other tables for 2 on both sides. We were seated at 11:30 when Bouchon first opened. With my back to the dining room, I did not notice that the restaurant filled up towards noon. About half way through our meal, other diners were seated next to us. The tables were so close together they had to be moved so that diners could step between them to be seated against the wall. This was just a little uncomfortable and took away some of the intimacy from the dining experience. But from the restaurant’s point of view, and the fact that they are charging $34 for an ala carte entrée, the more tables crammed in the dining room the better.
I almost forgot about the dessert. We shared a dark chocolate mousse with a burnt orange cream and fresh whipped cream. It was rich but not too sweet and included dollops of a thick burnt orange cream to balance the rich sweetness of the mousse. Lunch with tax and tip came to $185. Overall, Bouchon is a 5 star dining experience in the Napa Valley and a great way to indulge oneself.
For dinner we found an old school Italian restaurant, Filippi’s in downtown Napa. Filippi’s is a family owned chain of Italian restaurants from Chula Vista to Napa. Remember the Italian restaurant you went to as a kid in the 50’s and 60’s? Red upholstery, red and white table cloths with red bar candles adorned the tables. I was still full from lunch, but we were hungry for a little night life. Filippi’s is great. Betty and I had a bowl of minestrone soup with the softest warm Italian bread and butter. Betty ordered an eggplant parmigiana sandwich that we shared. The roll was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, warm and wet with the marinara sauce just the right amount of melted cheese. A great low cost Italian meal can be found at Fillipi’s. I can’t wait to go back and try a pizza or pasta.
Wednesday: we ventured to Somona Valley. The drive through the wine country was the most enjoyable part of the day. We went on Scenic Drive 12 and wanted to see the Jack London State Park. It was closed - thanks to Jerry Brown. But we did stop at some small shops along the Glen Ellen creek. Nothing worth walking into the stores for, but I noticed the Eric Ross tasting room across the street. I remember having a great Eric Ross Pinot Noir years ago on my last visit to Healdsburg. We went into the empty tasting room and met the manager. I asked if he was Eric and he came back with a smart ass comment that Betty and I found dry yet funny. This guy, Dennis had one great line after another. He was very knowledgeable about the wine and we really enjoyed the Spanish varietal whites. So we joined the wine club and look forward to our first 3 bottle shipment in July.
Wednesday was our day of frustration in finding lunch. I bought an Entertainment book for Sonoma that had discounts on dining. So I thought. I even paid $15 to have it shipped overnight to me so I got it in time to take on this trip. The restaurants listed in Sonoma were not even there anymore. The restaurants in Santa Rosa were not there either. We were tired and hungry by 2:00 and we were having a hard time finding a suitable place to eat. We got to Healdsburg and couldn’t find a place that we could agree on. So we decided the Entertainment book was bogus and left it the car. We finally found a little Mexican restaurant in Healdsburg and had a late lunch. I had a seafood cocktail and Betty had a carnitas taco plate. It was a good lunch for $20. When we got back to the car I had to look in the Entertainment book and I found a buy one get on free coupon in there that we could have used. Sometimes it’s good to keep my frustration bottled up so as not to spread the aggravation to those around me. This is one of those times.
Thursday: we had tickets for the tour of the Castello di Amarosa (Castle of Love). This is authentic Tuscan castle build from hand shaped stones and brick and tile from Italy. It is a working winery and a great tour if you are in Napa. The tour and wine tasting took 2 hours. The wine was not very good though. However, the overall experience was great.
We had lunch at the Silverado Brew pub in St. Helena. I had a lamb burger with garlic fries. And Betty had a braised pork shank in a spicy tomatillo sauce with polenta. Both dishes were awesome, especially the garlic fries. They were hot and crispy and the garlic must have been lightly sautéed in butter because it was to too garlicky. The burger was a thick ground lamp patty with fresh veggies and a homemade roll. And the pork shank was fall-off-the-bone tender and luscious. It was a great meal. We walked next door to the Freemark Abby Winery for some wine tasting. This is another beautiful tasting room overlooking the St. Helena vineyards. Too bad we did not find the wine so special.
So far, most of the wine in the area seems to be the same. The reds have a lot of tannins that provide a harsh mouth feel. And everyone seems to use commercial yeast and barrel age 18 to 24 months in new oak. All the fermentation tanks are expensive jacketed stainless steel and are tall and narrow. It must be a good formula for success because these wineries are supposed to be the biggest and best in the world. I’m looking for a winery that does something special that I can say “wow” when I taste the wine. I’m looking for a Bordeaux wine that has a bouquet that I can smell from an arm’s length away. I’m looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon that has tannins that are soft enough that I don’t need a mouthful of blue cheese to mask it. I’m looking for a wine that is special enough that I don’t recognize it from the Albertsons I shop at. And I don’t want to pay over $50 a bottle. The search continues.
Friday: we made an appointment for wine tasting at the Paoletti Estate Winery. In 2004, when we used to go the Café Med in Bakersfield for their Friday night wine tasting, I won the auction for 6 bottles of Napa Cab from Paoletti Winery. I loved the big bouquet and big cherry and chocolate flavors that the wine presented. I’ve had my eye on Paoletti ever since. It is located in the Calistoga district in Napa on the Silverado Trail. I have driven by the winery before and been turned away by the “appointment only” status and a closed gate. I have been waiting all week to get in to this winery on this Friday.
The winery is a beautiful stone building with the residence next door. There is a complex of caves in the hillside used for barrel aging. It is sorounded by estate vineyards and a small lake. We were greeted in the tasting room by the owner Gianinni Paoletti himself. He was hosting a 9 person tour and asked us to sit at the long table and join in. When I told him my name, he called me Sergio Mendes. I said that is my favorite group and that I love Lani Hall. He said he has had Lani Hall and Herb Alpert in his Brentwood Restaurant, Peppone on several occasions. I’ll have to check that restaurant out sometime. How cool would it be to go there and have a bottle of his wine paired with a great Italian dinner?
He started us out by pouring the Russian River Chardonnay. It was clean and fresh, not too crisp or acidy, with citrus notes and light oak. It has a very soft mouth feel and is very enjoyable. When we got to the Novello Cabernet Sauvignon, I experienced that “wow” that Betty and I were looking for all week. It had the same bouquet and flavors that it had from the 1998 vintage I got from Café Med. Check it out on line or come to the house for a pour. I bought a case. At $26 a bottle, this is a great find and I highly recommend it. It is so much more enjoyable than the $75 to $90 Cabs that we have tasted this week. And I was pleased to see the short fat fermentation tanks in the winery and old barrels full of wine in the aging caves. Everything we tasted was great. And he just bottled his 2009 Malbec that has not been released or priced yet. We got a preview taste. This is a fruit bomb, in a good way. It will be great when it’s released.
Paoletti Winery is the highlight wine experience of this vacation. Although I will be looking for the Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon at Luigi’s next time I am there. Did I mention that I found out on-line that Ramey is using native yeast in his fermentation? I’m finally feeling that there is hope in finding more great wine. And the search can be fun as well.
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