Long Meadow Ranch
Kale Wines
Kick Ranch Vineyards Home Run Cuvée Grenache Blend 2013
The 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel from Tablas Creek was a tough act to follow, but this elegant Rhône blend from Sonoma just did that.
The nose was quite similar with aroma of blue fruits and earthy elements with hint of violet, it was the palate that set it apart: soft, complex and deep, with great texture and beautiful acidity that adds the tension. Elegant and seamless.
Kale Anderson was the long time wine maker at Pahlmeyer, and Kale wines are all vineyard-specific. Worth seeking out. — 6 years ago
Long Meadow Ranch
Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Blackberry, raspberry, cassis, cherry, vanilla, chocolate and oak. Good structure and soft tannins. — 6 years ago
The Calling Wines
Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2015
Lemon, lime, melon, and toasty oak flavors. Fuller bodied. The finish is LONG. Got for $23, which was a steal, but I wouldn’t buy if more than that. There are better quality wines that cost less. A WS Top 100. — 7 years ago
Snowden
The Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Dark ruby violet. Blackberry, graphite, and a slight herbal note on the nose. Dense and concentrated red and black fruits on the palate with prominent, chunky tannins and long, gravelly finish. Blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot fermented with native yeasts then aged 19 months in 50% new French oak. Made by Diana Snowden wife of Jeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac in Burgundy. Would undoubtedly benefit from more time in the bottle. 14.5% ABV. $50. — 7 years ago
Long Meadow Ranch
Farmstead Napa Valley Chardonnay 2015
Different Chardonnay, lime and citrus notes — 8 years ago
Dirty & Rowdy
Shake Ridge Ranch Mourvedre
yes, this is a photo of a computer image. tasted as part of a Mourvèdre wine group tasting via zoom, wines portioned into woozies. 2018v. super aromatic, raspberry/cranberry juice, fresh leather, violet. palate texture is silky, light but complex and flavorful, acid medium +, long tannins- just a bit of grip. fantastic — 4 years ago
Soter Vineyards
Mineral Springs Ranch Pinot Noir 2016
Glistening magenta. Displays expansive, spice- and mineral-accented red/dark berry preserve scents that take on incense and lavender flourishes with air. Juicy, seamless and energetic on the palate, offering densely packed black raspberry, cherry liqueur and exotic spice flavors that show sharp delineation and back-end thrust. Finishes impressively long and smooth, with resonating red fruit, floral notes and velvety, harmonious tannins that make a cameo appearance. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, June 2019) — 6 years ago
Diamond Creek Vineyards
Gravelly Meadow Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Awesome but needs a few more years. This one will hold up for the long haul! — 7 years ago
Hendricks Wines
Gold Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
On the nose, ripe, ruby, fruits of; mulberry, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, black cherries, blueberries & creamy raspberries. Vanilla, hints of sweet tarriness, black licorice, whiff of spice, soft understated limestone minerals & crushed rock powder, fruity black tea, hint of fresh herbaceousness, rich, black turned earth, fresh dark floral bouquet and fields of lavender & violets.
The body is rich, ripe & full. The tannins are a little sticky but well softened, round and a touch chewy. The structure, tension, length, balance, tension and balance are very close to perfect and harmonious. Fruits are; mulberry, huckleberry, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, black cherries & creamy raspberries. Vanilla, hints of sweet tarriness, black licorice, whiff of spice, soft understated limestone minerals & crushed rock powder, fruity black tea, hint of fresh herbaceousness, rich, black turned earth, fresh dark floral bouquet and fields of lavender & violets. The acidity is round and rains like a waterfall perfectly over the palate. The very long, ruby, rich, well balance lasts minutes and is absolutely heavenly. Gorgeous, elegant, stunning wine.
Photos of; the vertical tasting we attended of all Hendricks Cabernets; 04, 05, 09 & 12 at the time w/ one of our favorite paintings in the background, Charles Hendricks working in the cellar, very old rootstock from the Stag’s Leap Vineyard where the fruit to make this wine normally comes from and a wide shot of the Stag’s Leap Vineyard.
Producer notes and history...Hendricks Cabernet Sauvignon is consistently sourced from a few of Napa Valley’s finest vineyards. In those near perfect vintages, Charles only makes a small production wine of around 250-300 cases. Charles only produces it when he has exception fruit. He’s made Hendricks Cabernet in; 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012 & 2014. Notice he didn’t make Hendricks Cabernet in a great vintage year like 2013. He wasn’t happy enough with his fruit in 2013 to put his name on it. That says a lot and maybe all you need to know about his standard for quality. I do know what wine his 13 fruit made as I’ve had and it’s an unbelievable wine for far less money.
Charles also makes a fantastic Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands that is really quite amazing. Especially, if you give it 5 or 6 years in bottle. All his wines are sold exclusively through the Hope & Grace tasting room in Yountville as he is also the Hope & Grace Winemaker.
Charles graduated in 1982 from UC Davis in viticulture. He was also able to tailor his own curriculum and was one of the earliest to integrate winemaking and viticulture course work. Having knowledge of both viticulture and enology forms the basis for his well-rounded winemaking.
Over the years Charles has worked in both Napa and Sonoma Counties, gaining hands on experience in all aspects of winemaking. He has a strong reputation for excellence. In his career, he’s been a consulting winemaker for many wineries; Viader, Barnett Vineyards, Paoletti Vineyards, Regusci Winery, James Cole, T-Vine and Tamayo family Vineyard.
I asked Charles, “how does he make wines that are amazingly good in their youth but will age effortlessly for 15-20 years?” His answer was simply this, “its not that hard, you just have to know the perfect time to harvest fruit.” I would agree with that to a degree. But, you also have to know how to gently guide fruit onto it’s path into the barrel and not get in the wine’s way or overwork the process. — 7 years ago
Pax Mahle Wines
Castelli-Knight Ranch Syrah 2018
Mixed pepper, mixed red and black fruit. Was tart to open and then evolved beautifully. This will age! Rated 2016 last night 2018 tonight (feb)... Update, (2nd bottle of 2018, now late may): Those tart aromatics are piercing, rose water, lavender. It’s an intense wine. Medium bodied with light tannins. Very little oak influence. I think the cranberry and subtle white pepper will age and this wine will be nice for a long time. — 4 years ago
Lazy Susan Ranch
Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Mix of garnet and ruby red. Mature nose with truffles, plums, cocoa, spices and cassis. Integrated tannins (6/10) and medium plus body. Smooth and integrated palate with cocoa, raspberries, black fruit, herbal and a little bit of minerality. Medium plus to long finish. Drink till 2020. — 7 years ago
Long Meadow Ranch
Farmstead Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
The best of a few Cabs I had that day. — 8 years ago
Nickel & Nickel
State Ranch Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
balanced. elegant. ripe, clean, complex, not jammy, long acid and tannins. nothing out of proportion here. — 8 years ago
Bruce Dunbar
The 2021 is sadly the last Pagani Bedrock will make. Just released, it’s pitch dark but full of vibrant fruit and zippy acidity. For a field blend heavy on Zinfandel, the young version has some pinot like qualities. I’m putting the rest of the allocation away for as long as I can hold out, ideally 10+ years. UPDATE 11/24: I held out for two years before going back in and it’s a changed wine — darker red fruits, plum, cocoa still with an acid zing and tannins for structure. — 3 years ago