On the Napa Trail: Sequoia Grove

Earlier this month TuscanVines descended upon Napa and Sonoma to tour, taste and interview winemakers.  As has been said, man cannot live on bread alone, so from time to time we indulge in SideTrips® that take us to new and different places.  This is the first installment from the trip that will be rolled out over the next several weeks.  Enjoy.

~ Welcome to Sequoia Grove Vineyards ~

We arrived at Sequoia Grove late in the afternoon and despite the knowledge that the winery was closing in less than 40 minutes, we decided to go in and see what we could taste.  

The winery sits on beautiful ground in St. Helena, literally surrounded by towering, majestic Sequoia trees.  When we entered the tasting room, a warm inviting atmosphere with a rustic carved wooden bar, we were greeted by Brad. The place was fairly busy despite the lateness of the day,  but Brad served as our personal guide. He was a wonderful host. We weren't rushed, we weren't pressured, we weren't charged a penny.  It was an incredible visit and very different from some of the other places we encountered on the trip.  We made friends here. 

~ The Entrance to Sequoia Grove Winery ~

The first wine tasted was winemaker Molly Hill's "blank canvass" the  2010 Rebellious Red.  This is a wine that bucks the trends of conventional varietal winemaking and allows Molly to completely, as Brad said, "do whatever the heck she wants!"  The wine is a dark vibrant purplish red.  It's got pretty aromas of dark fruits, and slight mocha.  On the palate it's smooth with silky but substantial tannins, medium bodied and full of fresh black fruit flavors that are framed by spice, new suede and dusty tannins.  A really nice wine but not what I typically look for in terms of distinction.  The 2010 is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet.  91 points about $30.



~ Rebellious:  70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet ~

Brad sensed that I had a keen interest in tasting the Reserve Cabernet, so he skipped the planned tasting of the Estate Cabernet, which I've enjoyed many times, and went straight to the Reserve.

 

Substantial. Powerful, yet graceful.  The 2009 Rutherford Reserve is a wonderful example of the finesse and stature that Napa Valley can churn out.  Deep violet in color, this wine is young, but it's already displaying exuberant aromas of blackberries, jam, cake spices and leather. On the palate, the balance is evident and the purity of flavors is punctuated like a laser. Black fruits, roasted coffee, leather and eucalyptus are coated in wonderful warm Rutherford dust.  This is elegant and delicious.  93 points, about $65.

~ The Rutherford Reserve is almost entirely Cabernet ~



~ Two large oak puncheons stand guard at the tasting room entrance ~

 

At this point I was prepared to purchase some of the reserve and be on our way since I assumed the tasting room was going to close.  "Go outside and relax!"  Brad said,  and come back in when you're ready.  We retreated to the "Grove" with a full glass of the Reserve and enjoyed one of the best environments on the trip. 

 

When we came back in, Brad had one of the Single Vineyard Cabernets ready for us to taste; the 2008 Oak Knoll Lamoreaux Vineyard Cabernet.

 

Wow!  This is gorgeous - my partner and I said at almost the exact time.  It's a deep violet in the glass with pretty reflections.  The aroma is very elegant, with a harmonious blend of black plums, toast, coffee and herbs.  On the palate the wine is generous and very approachable with flavors of blackberries, espresso, spices and cedar. The ripe and silky tannins assert themselves on the finish, but there is nothing not to like about this wine right now.  Certainly will show more with some cellaring.  94 points, about $90.   Yes, it's worth it.

~ Single Vineyard Cabernet from the Lamoreaux Vineyard ~

~ Etched large format bottles behind the tasting room bar ~

Just as the euphoria of Lamoreaux was waning from my partner's face, Brad reaches below the bar and emerges with the 2008 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.  This wine is sourced from grapes up on the eastern hills of Napa Valley, by Pritchard Hill and some of the most prestigious vineyards in the valley.  I did not know that Sequoia Grove produced a wine from Stagecoach and was very excited to try it.  In the glass the wine is a darker purple than it's sibling Lamoreaux.  There's more power here and the mountain fruit is higher toned.  There's deep aromas of crisp black fruits, with mocha, mineral, leather and shale.  On the palate the wine is full bodied and perfectly ripe. It's fresh and juicy in the mouth with herbs, cedar, black fruits, licorice and mint.  Outstanding.  The entire time Brad just stood there smiling. He knew.  He knew these wines were great.  They show themselves. They're irrestible.  The finish on this wine was so long, I lingered with it for minutes at the bar.  Approachable now but will cellar a decade or more with ease. 96 points, about $90. 

~ 2008 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet ~



We switched gears ever so slightly for the next taste.  Dropping down one year, we tried the 2007 Healy Vineyard Cabernet.  A danger, if you will, that I'm always cognizant of when tasting Cab after Cab is that they can often start tasting alike. So when this wine set itself apart given the company it was in,  I took notice. 

 

This wine is darker still, verging closely on purplish black.  The nose is like a Starbucks.  Intense aromas of ground coffee, with black fruits, mint, eucalyptus and leather. It's absolutely stunning to smell.  It's almost a shame to taste, for as you do, the smell will be extinguished, but you cannot resist.  The palate of this wine is remarkable.  Power. Grace. Precision. Depth. The flavors of black plums, berries, mocha, coffee, minerals, cedar, coffee and mint are seamless and intricately woven. This was the best Cabernet I tried on the entire trip.  It's a testament to Napa and makes one realize why this little valley has the reputation it does.  97 points, about $90. 

~ 2007 Healy Vineyard Cabernet ~

All of these delicious Cabernets had one thing in common.  They were young!  I remarked to Brad that while I enjoy the occasional "pure pleasure" of youthful Cabernet,  I do want wines that can become more complex with aging and withstand some time in the cellar.  As if on cue, he said:  "That's why I want you to try this next"  and he pulls out the 2005 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet adding that this wine really begins to blossom at 7-8 years from vintage. "Buy the 2008 and let it become this...."

 

The 2005 hasn't lost any trace of color.  It's a dark purplish black with some violet hues toward the rim. The nose of the wine is noticeably different. The leather, clay, and cedar are amped up a few notches and there's a warmer more "mature" stature to the black fruits on the nose.  In the mouth, the wine seemed to possess an even greater body than the 2008.  I'm not certain if that's vintage or age related - or both, but it was noticeable.  The core flavors of blackberry and plum are still ripe and generous, but there is more persistence to the tertiary flavors of earth, cedar and tobacco.  Clearly you're sacrificing some youthful vibrancy in the fruit for those tertiary aspects, but I love this.  96 points, about $100.

~ 2005 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet - Maturing Wonderfully ~

When you think of the great wines of Barolo, no one ever bats an eyelash when they draw distinctions between La Morra, Brunate, Cannubi, etc.  Yet I couldn't help but think some people may find these wines so similar as to question why they exist as they do.  Yet, I find that very unfair.  Winemaker Molly Hill has treated each of the vineyards the same - in terms of aging, oak, fermentation, etc.  The only difference is the source of the fruit and in that sense, the wines are distinctive. When tasting them one right after the other, the contrasts are easily discernable.  The flavors may be similar, but the body and texture of the wine is what is most notable.  This was highlighted further by second pours of the 2005 and 2008 Stagecoach side by side.  To be able to go back and forth instantly between vintages is an educational experience that it not easily matched.

 

These Cabernets are as delicious as they are unique. They are different and just like many single vineyard Barolo or Brunello, they each are wonderful in their own way.

 

As I was preparing to give Brad my Amex, :)  my partner is staring at the back of the bar where these bottles are devoid of labels.  Instead, they appear to have gold etching.  "What are those gold bottles there?"   Oh, says Brad......

 

The 2008 Cambium Proprietary Red may well be the flagship of the winery.  The wine is a blend of 86% Cabernet, with the balance to Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.  This wine is pure velvet.  On the nose there are generous aromas of blackberry, blueberry and fresh herb, tobacco and mineral notes.  On the palate, it's liquid silk. So finely woven, like cashmere. The core of fruit retains beautiful freshness from the acidity and the fully ripened tannins are dusty and silky. It lacks the distinction of the single vineyard Cabernets but it makes up for that in pure sex appeal.  One of the most polished Cabernets I've ever had. 95 points, about $110.

~ The Proprietary Blend: Cambium ~

~ Yours Truly in the Sequoia Grove behind the Tasting Room ~

 

After Cambium we loaded up the car, and headed out.  This stop was eye opening.  We were treated so well, and with such personal attention that an article like this seemingly damns with faint praise.  We will return.

~ The Final view from Sequoia Grove Vineyards.  Looking west across the Valley floor ~

Stay tuned for future "On the Napa Trail" installments........