Barrel Tasting and Blending at Conn Creek

The Blending Experience in the AVA room at Conn Creek Winery was the most fun I've had wine tasting in a while. It was the ultimate presentation of terroir and an excellent opportunity to taste Cabernet Sauvignon from each Napa Valley sub-appellation.

We arrived early for our 2 o'clock appointment and took our glasses of Sauvignon Blanc into the gardens adjacent to the AVA room. It was a beautiful 72-degree day in January, so we happily waited in the sun until the rest of our group arrived.

Once seated at the table in the AVA room, our wine educator Karen provided us with some history of Conn Creek and information about the various sub-appellations before releasing us to the barrels.

There were 19 barrels total to taste from; 15 barrels of identical age and cooperage were filled with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (1 each from 13 sub-appellations and 2 from Calistoga) from the 2008 vintage. The other four barrels included Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. With a spigot on each barrel from which we helped ourselves, we were able to taste at our own speed.

As the temperature increases the more north you go in the Napa Valley, so does the weight of the wines. I began with the "lightest" bodied Cabs which were coincidentally from the more southern parts of Napa, starting with the Oak Knoll district. The first three Cabs were high in acidity, and would have paired beautifully with Italian fare, but not generally my preferred style.

I was curious to see if the sub-appellations I have liked in the past would turn out to be my favorites in this environment. Sure enough, I favored the Cabs from Spring Mountain, Stag's Leap district, Calistoga (Fredriani Vineyard), and Howell Mountain (fruit-forward, big bold tannins, long finish). Surprisingly, I also really liked the Cab from the Truchard Vineyard in Carneros (I've always thought Carneros was too cold to grow Cab, but this barrell was a real crowd-pleaser with soft tannins and terrific berry fruit flavors).

I also loved the Cab Franc. I considered making a bottle of 100% Cab Franc, but I decided to be more adventurous. With a test tube, we each created our own individual blends and then poured them into a glass to see if it tasted as good as we had imagined. My blend included equal parts of Stag's Leap, Calistoga, Howell Mountain, Carneros and Cab Franc. It was absolutely delicious; I was bummed that I could only make one bottle of it!

An elaborate hallway at Hall Rutherford

When I arrived at Hall Rutherford for an afternoon appointment a few weeks ago, I wasn't sure if I was in the right place. I parked in front of what looks like a high-end Napa Valley house and walked up to a traditional front door. There was no sign that said "come on in" or "ring the doorbell"; it seemed rude to just open the door to what looked like someone's home, but they were expecting me, so I let myself in.

Once inside I was greeted with a glass of the 2009 Hall Sauvignon Blanc, and I knew I was in the right place. This tastefully decorated building was "home" to many very

modern works of art, of which Craig and Kathryn Hall are big-time enthusiasts. And despite the modern furnishings, the place was inviting and cozy, but we didn't have a chance to get too comfortable. When the rest of the group arrived, we strolled down the driveway to the caves underneath the house.

I swirled and sipped the bright citrusy Sauvignon Blanc as our tour guide explained the winemaking process. (I was reminded just how tasty this Sauvignon Blanc is at dinner the other night at Willi's Wine Bar in Santa Rosa.) Then we proceeded through the caves, the ceiling of which was lined with Austrian brick; works of art were on display every few yards. And inside the tasting room was the famed chandelier I had heard so much about, with what seemed like thousands of tiny Swarovski crystals.

Once seated, we tasted three of Hall's super-small production wines including the 2007 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, exclusively only at the Rutherford location, and my favorite of the three. A wine to be savored, the Kathryn Hall Cab is rich and full-bodied with ripe blackberry and dark chocolate notes. A very sexy wine that compliments the elegant decor of the tasting room. The tour runs about an hour and is worth it to see how the chandelier sparkles!