There is a special place in my heart for Prager. Years before I moved to the Napa Valley, Prager Port Works was one of the very first wineries my sister brought me to visit. Barely detectable along Highway 29, Prager is tucked behind the large bushes between the infamous Sutter Home winery and the opulent Harvest Inn. There is a very small sign on the side of the road and the euphemism that Prager is one of Napa’s hidden gems does not fall short here.

While Prager does produce two still (non-sweet) wines, that is not what draws people to their tasting room or their products. The tasting room is nestled among a little garden area. You enter their building through a dark, barrel storage area to a comfy room with walls that are completely bedecked money. Visitors over the years have inscribed their good wishes and the money — both foreign and domestic — has completely plastered every square inch. But don’t get too distracted and keep your eye out for the small window covered with cobwebs and is a very impressive sign of the history of Prager as these things can’t be faked.

Besides the quirkiness of the room, it is the wines which bring the crowds and will always bring me back.

2006 Aria – A white port made from Chardonnay, this offering shows deep, concentrated flavors of roasted pear with a light nutty finish.

2006 Tomas – Showing bright caramelized cherries with a core of  orange, this unctuous wine made in the Portuguese style provides hints of caramel and a plummy finish.

Sweet Claire – A favorite of mine, a late-harvest Riesling has a slight mineral entry which complements the rich peach and dried apricot notes with a clean, engaging finish.

2004 Royal Escort – One that I brought home to be opened for a special occasion (or not!), the Royal Escort is one of their richest offerings with dark cherry, heady plums and a hint leather on the finish.

Prager Winery & Port Works
1281 Lewelling Ln.
St Helena, CA 94574
707-963-7678

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Sharing a parking lot with nearby gourmet grocery store Dean & DeLuca is Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards. A family-owned endeavor, the name Flora is derived from Flora Komes, the matriarch who, along with husband, Jerry, purchased a vineyard as a retirement project. Their children got involved, hired winemaker Ken Deis and a legacy was born. Deis was winemaker for almost 20 years, but since 2008, Ken’s assistant, Paul Steinauer, took over the reins. I am always drawn to Flora Springs for its stylistic architecture, fluid and organic, it is reminiscent of a hobbit’s hovel; warm and whimsical. This is a juxtaposition to the tasting room’s interior, which is also fluid and organic, but elegant and understated. The long tasting bar flows and twists from one end of the room to the other, but created from the same wooden slats and brass strips used in the creation of wine barrels so that the illusion of the barrel is carried throughout the space.

I love the feel of the place and know they produce a number of specialty wines which were not made available to me on my visit. Their standard pours are decent enough for daily drinkers, but I have a feeling the single vineyard productions are the wines worth tasting. Considering the crowds this tasting room sees because of the grocery store overflow, it isn’t surprising they can’t accommodate every person who might be interested in their better quality vintages, but perhaps an appointment to taste would be worth trying for in the future.

2009 Pinot Grigio -Pale and easy-drinking with faint hints of clean tropical fruit upon the entry, but deepens a bit on the finish to produce white stone fruit. Slightly creamy, but mostly bright and engaging.

2007 Merlot – Slightly harsh, sharp entry, the ample berry fruit rounds out and softens to produce a spicy core.

2007  Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon -Big, ample nose of dark cherry which continues with the ample mouth entry of dark, red fruit. A core of dusty herb and cocoa hits the center palate which finishes with touches of soft wood and tobacco.

Flora Springs Winery
1978 West Zinfandel Lane
St. Helena, 94574
707.963.5711

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3. The Joy of the Aged Zinfandel – 1998 Ridge

I visited Biale Vineyards back in 2005, when I was living in Napa. It was part of the WineBlogWednesday which seems to be dormant these days. Back then, the intention of that day was to taste a wine from as close to your home as possible. Living in Napa, I couldn’t throw a dead animal without hitting a vineyard but I did some investigation to determine that the closest vineyard to my house was owned and operated by Biale. I had a great visit and tasting all those years ago so it was several years later, when I spied an older Zinfandel available in an auction that I went ahead and picked it up; a 1999 Old Crane Ranch Napa Valley Zin.

A nose slightly reminiscent of spun sugar, or that smell when you start to caramelize sugar on the stove and it is just beginning to turn golden brown. The wine was even and smooth and very easy to drink. With very faint hints of dark chocolate and subtle dried, dusty herbs those flavors were not enough to detract or dominate. It has aged well and is a joy to drink. Rich and redolent without burning of alcohol or youth, there is so much to be said for the grace of aging a zinfandel.

Surprisingly sweet entry in the mouth, almost like candy. But it contained flavors that expand into enticing concentrated tones of plum, prune, and dried fig with a back palate of blackberry and boysenberry. Still very rich and dark ruby in color with no hint of brickiness. Showing lots of legs, the wine’s only display of age is its incredible soft palate. With fruit and balance, it is smooth and elegant in its boldness.

I imagine that ten years ago, it was a bold representation of heady fruit and alcohol that was best decanted for several hours. Here there is a refinement. A complete and utter joy.

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Now an associate winemaker at Kosta Browne, he is producing exceptional Pinot Noir. Shane Wines is his own side project and gives him the opportunity to produce just 700 cases of Syrah. Currently,  he is selling about half of his production to a mailing list and the remainder at finer restaurants around California.  This is a producer I am looking forward to following as the wines shows tremendous promise, as greatness is already being tasted.

2009 Rosé, Ma Fille, Sonoma County, $15 – Smooth and easy drinking, this rosé of Syrah shows bright engaging flavors of clean refreshing red summer fruit with herbal hints that showed tight integration. There is not too much acidity and I appreciated the long finish, reminiscent of juicy watermelon and strawberries.

2008 Syrah, The Unknown, North Coast, $38 – A dark, inky wine, the grapes came from “unknown vineyard.” The entry was smooth and depicted the classic blackberry, black plum, blossoming with textures of dark chocolate. The finish was tight — this is a wine I would like to taste in a few years as I could sense potential expansion of the palate.

2008 Syrah, The Judge, Mendocino Coast, $38 – Rich and complex, dark and jammy fruit entered the mouth with a distinctive mid-palate of rose petals and elegant dried sage. The finish lingered with balanced tobacco and black plum.

Shane Wine Cellars
P.O. Box 533
Novato, CA 94948
415.342.7926

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It is still a small winery, producing only a handful of wines, two whites (a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay) and two reds (a blend and Cabernet Sauvignon), under the name Solovino.

During my visit, I only tasted the Sauvignon Blanc and the blend. I found the SauvBlanc a bit thin on the entry but with detectable tropical fruit and grassiness. The sharpness of the entry rounded a bit but the wine was more tart than I care for, although the finish of green apple helped.

The blend, known as Mixto, is an equal blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. This was a very easy-drinking wine with well-integrated red stone fruit and mild spice on the entry which blossoms to a darker cherry and hints of floral notes. This would be a great BBQ wine.

1334 Lincoln Avenue, Ste. B
Calistoga, CA 94515
707.942.1376

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The Lytton Springs is 77% Zinfandel blended with 16% Petite Sirah, 2% Carignane, 4% Mataro, and 1% Alicante Bouchet. The York Creek is a more straightforward blend of 88% Zinfandel and 12% Petite Sirah. Now I know these two are not exact comparisons because of the significant amount of blend in the Lytton Springs over the York Creek, but given the quality of the producer, I still think that they are worthy of tasting side-by-side.

Both were still ample with aroma; the York Creek was the more substantial and balanced of the two. While both produced heady noses of dried blackberries and subtle dried herbs, the Lytton Springs was sweeter. Bricky in color, there was great body to be had. With the York Creek, the aromas were predominantly richer and more well-integrated. In the mouth, the York Creek showed dried dark stone fruit and dried blackberry with hints of dried tarragon, muted cinnamon spice, and a rich finish that included a lovely balance of fruit and spice.

The Lytton Springs, while still very drinkable, was less stellar next to its York Creek cousin. Sweeter on the mouth and less balanced, it displayed a good amount of fruit and herbal notes, but with less of a finish. Great fun, regardless!

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But I can tell you about the wines for which I made tasting notes…

2007 Pinot – Classic cherry. And, I’m afraid to say, rather flat an uninspired. A rather insipid entry and biting finish.

2007 Zinfandel – Dark and chewy, a bit more structured than the Pinot with chocolate and deep blackberry fruit.

2006 Cloverdale Cabernet Sauvignon – Still very young and tannic upon entry

2006 Milestone – It was this wine that showed me why Robert Pellegrini was getting all the attention at this tasting. 55% Merlot, 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, and small amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. This was a well-blended, smooth offering showing defined plum and black fruit components. I detected a noticeable herbaceousness in the core, with a long, luscious finish hinting at cinnamon.

Pellegrini Family Vineyards ~ 4055 West Olivet Road ~ Santa Rosa ~ 95401 ~ 800.891.0244

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Venteux means windy in French and that name is derived from the blustery location of the winery and vineyards. The establishment is ten years old and produces twelve varietals, but is keeping the production under 2,000 cases. Most of the wines are 100% varietals, with an occasional blend thrown in for good measure. And if visiting the Paso Robles area, apparently they have a lovely little bed-and-breakfast available for visitors!

2007 Grenache – One of the first “swallow-worthy” wines I tasted at the event. A huge Wow Factor with a supple, round mouth feel. The elegant nose provided the classic chocolate and cherries, but well-balanced and integrated. Hints of spice brought out the finish. At $28 a bottle, this is on the border of not quite the $10/$15 bargain, but not the $40 splurge. Worth the price!

2007 Farmouse Cuvée – A Château-du-Pape blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre, a heady aroma of truffles greets the nose but the mouth is filled with dried fruit, dark cherries and dried plums. This is one of those rare wines that exudes the passion of the winemaker. $28

2007 – Tache le Verre Syrah -  The guys told me that “tache le verre” literally means “stains the glass” and while this is a huge, bulbous wine, all dark and inky in its heartiness, it is still smooth and very accessible. Having spent 20 months in new French Oak, this is a wine I would like to taste in ten or fifteen years. $35.

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A few things that Eric told me during my tasting; he models a few wines after the Château-du-Pape legacy, they are all about sustainable practices in the vineyards, and Zaca Mesa does not source grapes, but grows it all themselves and have done so for over 25 years. They claim to have the oldest Syrah grapes in the Central Coast and are completely family-owned and operated.

2008 Viognier – Clean and lovely, elegant floral notes with a core of honey balances out bright stone fruit flavors.

2006 Roussanne – Eric was rattling off about the wine going into a tank first and then a neutral barrel, using 60% new oak, but I somewhat zoned out on the specifics as I became enraptured with hints of Turkish rose petals in the full-bodied, spicy offering. A touch of toasty on the finish, an elegant offering I could easily become attached to.

2006 Z Cuvée – Refuted to be the winery’s “quaffing wine,” this was a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsaut (this particular vintage, anyway), and shows a rich, warm nose of cherry, berry, and dried sage and tarragon.

2006 Z Three – An estate-bottled blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, there is a rich unctuousness to this offering, with its dark, ripe tannins and liqueur-like berry fruit.

2006 Syrah – Aged in 25% new oak, this was the one wine which did not blow me away. A slightly tannic nose, there was a smokiness which I found a bit stronger than I care for and believe the inbalance is due entirely to its youth.

Zaca Mesa ~ 6905 Foxen Canyon Road ~ P.O. Box 899 ~ Los Olivos ~ 93441 ~ 805.688.9339

Open 10am-4pm daily.

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While they apparently specialize in several Bordeaux varietals, all from their Alexander Valley vineyards, it was their Sauvignon Blanc that was being poured and tasted and — after an hiatus of more than four years — brings me back into the world of wine writing.

A stupendous wine, its pale thin yellow belied a huge, fat nose of yuzu and Buddha’s Hand citrus; strong elegant lemon and a hint of clean floral notes. Entering the mouth with force and vigor, this was not the strident, cat-piss Sauvignon Blancs which have become the norm. This glorious wine showed depth and length and was one of the truly swallow-worthy samples tasted at this particular event. I am still remembering it.

And the circumflex? Well, it is a reflection of the image on the label of both the Pine Mountain estate where their vineyards lie as well as a Rorschach-like inkblot of the embrace of a man and woman, the latter hearkening to the great love given in making this wine. Tasting this wine and chatting with Benjamin about the passion they exude in this single offering makes me that much more intrigued to taste the rest of their line-up. Partnering with Denis and May-Britt Malbec, winemakers, and Mike and Carol Foster, proprietors, this is an organization to keep an eye on.

Captûre ~ Post Office Box 1820 ~ Healdsburg ~ CA ~ 95448 ~ 707.395.0457

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