On my most recent trip to Napa Valley I had the opportunity to visit Benessere Vineyards, while there I spent some time with winemaker Jack Stuart. He’s been on board at Benessere for roughly a year and he’s set to usher in the winery’s next era. Of late he’d been working on his own projects, but prior to that he’d been the winemaker at Napa Valley stalwart Silverado for more than 20 years.

The focus at Benessere is on Italian varietals. Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio. Muscat Canelli, and Aglianico are all part of the portfolio. Their Rosato contains Sangiovese as well, and they make several Zinfandels in addition to a couple of other releases. Each wine in the portfolio I tasted on my visit was distinct. What ties the Benessere wines together is that they are well balanced offerings loaded with varietal character; each of them is primed to pair with food.

In speaking to Jack I was able the gleam quite a bit about his approach to winemaking and what changes he intends on a go forward basis for the Benessere wines. In fact it’s fair to say that his intent is to take the traits I feel are already strong about the wines and take them to the next level. From a technical standpoint he’s making small changes with the oak treatment some of the wines receive, using French instead of American in spots he feels that’s appropriate. Another example is improving the Pinot Grigio by working to craft one without the bit of residual sugar that has cropped up in some vintages.

Benessere makes a couple of single vineyard Zinfandels which are impressive for a couple of reasons. Importantly, the Benessere Zinfandels are distinct, as single vineyard wines should be. Unfortunately not every single-vineyard wine on the market is as distinct and special as that designation is intended to indicate. That’s not an issue at Benessere where the Zinfandel is made in a classic style which compared to some of the other Zinfandels on the market today would be considered restrained. In truth what they are is impeccably balanced and age-worthy, showing off a sense of place that makes them noteworthy.

Benessere Vineyards is located at 1010 Big Tree Road in St Helena and they’re open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM. Check there website for more specific details as well as tasting and tour options. Benessere sits up on a quiet road in St. Helena, one of the least hectic parts of Napa Valley. It’s a serene atmosphere that seems far removed from the hustle and bustle that so often embodies Highway 29, just a stones throw away. The folks at Benessere are friendly and the wines are well made, quite delicious and more than fairly priced. If you’re going to be in Napa Valley I highly recommend setting aside some time out to visit them. Take a break from the endless array of Cabernet Sauvignon and sample some well made California versions of classic Italian varieties.

Also, please stay tuned as I’ll take a close look at some of the current releases from Benessere Vineyards right here over the next few weeks.

Wine tasting is one of the greatest and most relaxing ways to spend a couple of hours, a day or a week. If you spend enough time in tasting rooms it’s easy to pick out the places that are truly special. At the end of the day if the wine is good, that’s sufficient I suppose. That said some places take it to another level by treating their visitors particularly well or offering more than just a couple of pours at a bar in the corner. I spent the last week plus out in Napa and Sonoma and I found some excellent places to recommend. Once such producer is Judd’s Hill, which is located on the Silverado trail. If you hit the trail out of downtown Napa they’re quite literally the first producer you’ll run across.

Judd’s Hill is a boutique winery that sets itself apart from the masses in Napa in a number of ways. From the moment you drive onto their property you’ll feel like you’re transported to a different time. Their facility is just perfectly secluded enough to make this an incredibly serene environment. Lucky for us wine lovers that they share it with the public. Tastings at Judd’s Hill occur daily from 10 AM to 4 PM by prior appointment. The tasting room itself seems like anything but the standard bearer rooms you find at many other spots nearby. It’s a bright, well lit room, with a large conference style table at the center. The walls are adorned with artwork from both local artists who are being featured and members of the family such as founder Art Finkelstein. Tastings at Judd’s Hill are $10 (waived with a $45 purchase) and officially they have about 5 wines at a time they pour. However often they have other wines open which are gladly sampled for the keenly interested. Someone will guide you and/or your group through the tasting and walk you through the facility as well if you’re interested. Their wines are made both from estate and purchased fruit. What is distinct about the Judd’s Hill wines is that they are each well-balanced and loaded with varietal character. They’re also priced very fairly which is nice to see. Their new release 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($24) is a particular standout in terms of being an exceptional value. The Estate Pinot Noir which is available only at the winery was my favorite of their current releases. I also got to sample a Merlot and several Cabernet Sauvignons. Each wine they poured for me was terrific and if you’re a fan of one of their wines there’s a good chance the portfolio in general will appeal to you. The reason for this is the house style which is aimed towards producing balanced and food friendly wines which are proportionate.

In addition to producing wines under their own label, Judd’s Hill is a custom crush facility. That means you can sign up to utilize their equipment and vast wine making acumen to make your own wines. Unlike many of the other such facilities out there Judd’s Hill is a Micro Crush facility; their focus is not on large commercial clients but rather on wine enthusiasts the world over who want a place to enjoy their hobby or start their small brand. By focusing on smaller clients, one barrel (24 cases) is the minimum; they can apply the same personal touches they do to their own small-lot wines and tasting room visitors to their Micro Crush clients. Their website contains many more details, but in short someone who wants to participate can pick exactly which parts of the process they want to be involved in, Judd’s Hill will handle the rest for you.

Judd’s Hill also offers a wine club that can be customized to suit your personal tastes and needs. This includes selecting the number of bottles you receive (shipments are quarterly), as well as an option to receive red wines only. Wine club members are also welcome to pick their wines up at Judd’s Hill. That sounds like a perfect reason to stop by for a taste every 3 months. They also throw events throughout the year including wine pick up parties. If you’re lucky, winery namesake Judd Finkelstein’s Ukulele band will be playing.

So whether you’re in Napa Valley looking to taste wine or you want to bottle some of your own, Judd’s Hill is a place to keep in mind. Their friendly, welcoming atmosphere as well as eclectic artistry and tastes guarantee you’ll have spent time at a special and distinct place when you eventually walk out their door. Call them at 707-255-2332 to schedule a visit; you’ll be glad you did.

I’ve been travelling to Napa Valley since the early 90’s. Even with trips out here several times a year there are wineries that have existed that whole time that I have yet to get to. With that in mind I try to scratch a few off of my list each time out so I can taste their wine and of course see what they’re up to. One such producer whose wines I’ve been drinking over the years is Signorello Estate located on Silverado Trail. Even before landing I had them on my short list of places to finally get to this trip. I’m happy to say I’m very glad I did.

The drive up the road to Signorello Estate from Silverado trail isn’t a long one, but when you reach the top you’re sure to feel like you’ve entered a special place. The grounds are stunning and the colors of the tasting room building inside and out are warm and inviting. When I reached their tasting counter I was greeted enthusiastically and noted that there are several tasting options. In addition to current release and Reserve flights poured in the tasting room Signorello offers tours, food and wine pairings and picnics on their patio. The food is cooked in house, actually right in the tasting room which features an open kitchen area.

The day I visited the current releases being featured included two whites and three reds. This tasting is available for $15. The reserve tasting featured fived reds; within that a three year vertical of their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and two vintages of “Padrone” their Proprietary Estate Blend. Depending on the day you go, they may have other treats open for you to sample. For example I got to experience a Cabernet Franc that was simply out of this world. One of my favorites amongst the current releases is their white blend “Seta.” This classic Bordeaux inspired blend is 60% Semillon and 40% Sauvignon Blanc, flipping the formula on most of the White Bordeaux style wines you’ll run across in California. It’s a really lovely wine that features a gentle palate layered with lots of flavor and a slightly zippy finish with good length. It’s delicious on its own but it’ll really work fabulously with lighter foods.

At the other end of the spectrum I thought that their proprietary Red “Padrone” was a knockout wine. I tasted both the 2006 and 2007. Currently the 2007 is a bit more accessible and ready to drink. However both are beefy, Cabernet based wines that will age gracefully for a minimum of 15 years. Other wines I tasted included Chardonnay, Syrah and Zinfandel. There’s clearly a house style at Signorello; Proportion, grace, balance and precise power are the words I’d use to describe that style. Each wine I sampled was loaded with varietal character and made in a food friendly style. I had the chance to speak to Pierre Birebent for quite awhile and he’s a charming host and great ambassador for these wines, not to mention a killer winemaker. He’s been at Signorello since 1998 after working at several other places as a vineyard manager, a title he also retains here. His passion for making excellent wines that are balanced but not wimpy was obvious in speaking to him. He’s clearly achieving his goal.

Out in back of the tasting room is beautiful patio and pool, where events and some of the tastings take place. The view is nothing short of stunning. Truthfully it took me much longer to visit Signorello Estate than it should have. One thing is for certain, it won’t take me nearly as long to get back. Their picnic on the patio sounds way too tempting, plus the wine is outstanding. I highly recommend you add Signorello to the itinerary on your next trip to Napa too! These folks are doing a wonderful job and a stop will be well worth your time and money.

Much like Wineries come in all shapes and sizes so do Winery visits. When I landed in San Francisco yesterday I had quite a few wineries on my list to visit during my trip. I didn’t however have any specific plans for my first day. My itinerary that initial day involved getting settled in and attending Gateway to Passport in Healdsburg. Of course though once I was settled in and had several hours to spare I headed off to make a couple of stops. On my way to my first stop I passed a tasting room I hadn’t noticed before in Alexander Valley I made a note and on the way back I stopped in to check out Medlock Ames.

Their tasting room sits on the same property that for decades housed the Alexander Valley Bar and Store. They rebuilt the structure on the same footprint using as much reclaimed material as they could. Walking in the feel is rustic, modern, incredibly natural and quite welcoming all at the same time. I made my way up to the tasting counter and noted that they have a couple of different options. Their standard flight of four wines is available to taste for $10 and their Library tasting which features those 4 plus others is $20. In addition to the tasting counter they also have a long, picnic like table that accommodates quite a few folks for a sit down tasting. The room is tastefully adorned; wine sits naturally throughout the room as does the olive oil and pickled vegetables they make. Medlock Ames is both sustainable and Biodynamic; that’s clear in their approach and the purity comes singing through when you taste their wines.

I sampled about 6 wines during my visit. The regular flight included, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition to those I got to sample a Cabernet/Merlot blend and an earlier (2001) vintage of Merlot. Each of their wines was impressive in its own right. Varietal correctness is the order of the day and there is no doubt when you taste their Chardonnay for instance, the clarity of the grape shines. My personal favorite however is their Merlot. The fruit for this comes from their home estate on Bell Mountain. It’s mostly Merlot with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. As it should this wine tastes like Merlot. It’s sad but there is a sea of uninspired, tired, flabby wine out there with Merlot written on the label. This is NOT that. This is a tremendous wine with great structure, pure fruit flavors, gripping tannins and a long, inspiring finish. This 2006 Merlot has excellent aging potential to boot. I also sampled the 2001 which was made from the same vineyard source. That 10 year old Merlot is in peak mode now and it’s drinking like velvet.

In the grand scheme of things Medlock Ames is a tiny producer. They make about 4,500 cases with plans to expand a little over the ensuing years. But the way they grow their wines, operate their business and shepherd their property makes them a very important player. They’re part of a movement that is increasing in size every day. This little boutique winery with a charming tasting room on a corner in Alexander Valley is well worth a visit. Check them out soon, you’ll be happy you did. I know I’m absolutely thrilled that I popped in yesterday. Sometimes these last minute, unplanned visits are the best kind, this one was a true delight.

Expectation can be a heavy burden to live up to. Whether it’s a film, book, a bottle of wine or an athlete’s performance, anything perceived as less that the anticipated result comes off as a let down. The same of course can be true for winery visits. Producers of all shapes and size the world over open their doors and invite folks in to taste their wares and perhaps tour their facility. Sometimes it’s easier to be wowed when you know nothing of the wine or the producer in question. Again, with a lack of expectation it’s somewhat easier to impress people. Folks in all lines of work do this all the time; under promise and over deliver, it’s a classic time honored technique. But with many of the world’s wineries, particularly the well known ones, their reputation is known and the expectation level exists. Such is the case with Napa Valley’s Opus One.

Last month I paid to Opus One with some friends. I’d been their once before and recalled it fondly, but it had been about 7 or 8 years so the details were dull. The wine itself is of course the stuff of legend. Founded in 1979 by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild the goal from the outset was simple, greatness. These two legends of their respective wine worlds came together in Napa Valley to make one wine that would compete with the best of the best. It was to be an offering in the great Bordeaux style using the classic varieties which also flourish in Napa Valley. Pretty much from the outset the wines have been praised, setting the bar even higher.

So as my friends and I approached Opus One each of us had different ideas about what we’d find inside, but certainly we all had lofty expectations. Keeping that in mind it’s impressive to say the least that we were all knocked out by the experience. Our tour guide Yasko was part of the greatness of our visit. She’s been with Opus One for a few years and knows the history of the project amazingly well and answered every question we had. But well beyond that the grandeur of the facility is hard to miss. Everything about Opus One is as precisely as it was masterminded, regal and impressive. If I had a nickel for every barrel room I’ve seen on winery tours, well I’d have quite a few nickels. They come in all styles and sizes but at the end of the day not many of them make my jaw drop. I’d seen the barrel room at Opus One before, but still it was a sight to behold. The same came be said for the tank room and other pieces of the wine making facility. The entrance, the tasting area and essentially every last square inch of Opus One is on a different rung than most wineries. It’s intended to be both a working winery and a knock your socks off showplace and it succeeds admirably at both of those things.

At the end of the tour, right after being wowed by the barrel room we had the opportunity to taste the current release of Opus One, the 2007. I was left with a similar impression that I’ve had each time I’ve tasted a new release of their wine. It was impressively structured and tasty, but ultimately tight and in need of some time in the bottle to really resolve itself fully. Hopefully most of the folks who are spending the money to invest in this wine ($195.00 SRP) are also patient enough to give it a few years of time. A few minutes later tasting the 2005 vintage proved to be a revelation in itself. While I believe it still has quite a few years ahead of it, the 2005 Opus One is performing phenomenally right now. It’s a showcase wine and if you want to bowl your wine loving friends over and you can locate some 2005, it’s sure to do the trick.

Touring and tasting at Opus One is neither the least or most expensive proposition in Napa Valley. However it’s an incredibly impressive display of greatness that actually lives up to the hype; something my entire group of four could attest to. So if you’re heading to Napa Valley and you want do something nice for yourself and maybe for your friends too, book a tour at Opus One, you won’t forget it. The cost is $40 and you should book in advance. I for one know that I won’t let another 7 or 8 years pass until my next visit. How could I, I don’t want to forget what the experience was like. Sometimes expectations as grand as they are can be met and exceeded.

I’ve travelled to Napa Valley often over the last two decades, and still the list of wineries I have yet to visit, that I want to visit, seems bottomless. Okay well perhaps not bottomless, but there sure are quite a few places I have yet to make it to. Every trip out in addition to recommendations and spots I stumble on I do my best to cross a few off the master list in my mind, of producers I need to visit. One that has been rumbling around in my mind for some time is Smith-Madrone. They’re a Spring Mountain producer that has been around since 1971

While I had tasted their wine a few times over the years my knowledge of Smith-Madrone was largely by reputation. So when I arrived at their property with a couple of friends I was a sponge ready to soak in whatever I could about them. Visiting on Spring Mountain is always particularly exciting to me. It’s off the beaten path and lots of folks don’t make it up there, so it seems a little like a secret wine mission. Once there we were greeted by Stu Smith, half of the Smith brother’s team at the helm of the winery.

Stu took us on a tour of their vineyards and taught us a lot about their property as well as things in Napa I wasn’t aware of. One example was the political struggle in the valley faced by mountain vineyards when compared to the folks on the valley floor. It was pretty fascinating to hear especially from a guy like Stu who is incredibly passionate, well spoken and unfiltered in the best way possible.

The Smith-Madrone portfolio includes Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. At one time they also made Pinot Noir. Touring their vineyards it was instructive to note the diversity in their topography, spacing, and training. Some of their blocks are being replanted so it was informative to see the plantings that dated back to the early days of the winery versus the current plantings as well as those in between.

After a fun, informative and sometimes rollicking ride through the vineyard with Stu as our guide we made our way back to the winery itself. It was at this point that we met his brother Charles. While they both seem pretty involved in every aspect of the operation Charles leans towards the winemaking side and Stu towards the vineyard management side.

Tasting through the wines was as much of a revelation as the vineyard tour. Between current vintages, prior vintages and barrel samples we were fortunate enough to taste a few examples of each of their three releases. I didn’t make formal note so I can’t go into great detail about each wine. However as a whole they were impressive. The Chardonnays were really clean and full of fruit. The older of the two (2007 I believe) we tasted from bottle was a bit leaner and had more mineral notes than its younger brother. The Rieslings also featured pure expressions of fruit. There was an impression of sweetness, though they were in fact quite beautifully dry. The Cabernets were simply a knockout. Of the ones we sampled the 2004 was probably my favorite. I have found that when they’re well made, wines that emanate from mountain fruit often show off a pure and intense expression of flavor that is unique. This was the case with the Smith-Madrone Cabernets. They are fruit driven and intense without being fruity and over the top. They are powerful and at the same time elegant and refined. I enjoyed all three varietals quite a bit as they are well made, correct expressions of the grape in question. However the Cabernets for me (at least on the day I tasted them) were just a notch above the Riesling and Chardonnay. Though I’d happily drink any of them.

Before the end of our visit we enjoyed a casual picnic lunch overlooking their vineyards at a table right outside their barrel room. The lively banter we all enjoyed about the world of wine in general was a lot of fun. It also gave me a window into Charles and Stu’s thoughts about some wines outside of their own. Most important to me tough was to have their wine alongside some food. As delicious as they were on their own, having them with a picnic lunch enhanced the experience, which is as it should be with wine in my opinion. Much sooner than I wanted to we had to say goodbye to Charles and Stu so we could make it to another appointment on time. While this was my first visit to Smith-Madrone, it certainly won’t be my last. Their open and gregarious nature, desire to share their vineyards and wines are refreshing and reason enough to visit. Of course the wines themselves makes a pretty strong argument as well. When you mix well made wine, with lovely people you have a sure fire winner in my book. Smith-Madrone is a winery I wish I’d visited sooner and one that it’s well worth your time to make an appointment to visit. When your trip to wine country is over it’s sure to be one of the spots you spend a lot of time talking about.

Photos by David Vermeire