A vertical tasting with Alexis

Dinner this past Friday night was a very special occasion—I finally got to open a vertical of proprietary red wines from a well-known winery in Oakville.

Swanson Vineyards has been one of my favorite wineries for sometime, both for the wines and for the unique artwork on display in the salon. Since 1985, they have grown Merlot between the vineyards of Opus One and Silver Oak along Oakville Crossroad and they have garnered a reputation for making some of the best Merlot in the Napa Valley. In addition to Merlot, they also make a delightful Pinot Grigio, a Cabernet Sauvignon dubbed “Alexis” (more on that in a moment), and limited production offerings (like Sangiovese and Chardonnay) to members. 

The Alexis wine, named after the Swanson’s eldest daughter who is also the winery’s Creative Director, is a Bordeaux-style proprietary blend. Less than 2000 cases of this wine are made each year, and the blend varies from year to year (the exact percentages are not published on the label). At $75/bottle, the Alexis is designed to be aged. But I’ve heard from numerous sources that Napa Cabernet should generally be opened within 10 years of the vintage date (unfortunately, aging wine is not an exact science). Knowing this, I have been getting anxious to open my 2002 Alexis.

So that’s exactly what I did this past Friday night. We were invited to dinner at a friend’s house and because one bottle doesn’t go very far for four people, I also brought along the 2003 Alexis, the 2004 Alexis, and the 2008 Merlot (for comparison’s sake).

The 2002 Alexis Red Wine smelled like a mix of star anise, hot tar, asphalt and black tea. Black olive and green bean dominated the palate with undertones of sour cherry and blackberry. It was an interesting mix of mostly savory notes, albeit past its prime.

The 2003 Alexis Red Wine tasted better than the first. The bouquet offered aromas of cherry liqueur, currant and orange zest. Flavors of black cherry and tart cranberry were supported by dry tannins. If I had had a magic ball, I probably would have opened this bottle 2-3 years ago.

2004 Alexis Cabernet Sauvignon was definitely our favorite of the four. The current winemaker, Chris Phelps, took over in late 2003; the difference between the 2003 and 2004 vintages was huge. Even the labels had been updated and a foil topper was added in 2004. In this case, change was a very good thing indeed. The ’04 smelled like burnt orange and spice. The palate expressed more fruity notes of black cherry and raspberry while the finish imparted notes of orange zest and red fruit.

We also decided to open the 2008 Swanson Merlot, the current release ($38/bottle). The Merlot seemed simple in contrast to the Alexis wines. It was robust and jammy, with flavors of black cherry, plum, sweet oak, and mocha. This is an easy-drinking wine and would pair well with many dishes, but I would not hold onto for more than a year after purchase.

I have visited the Swanson tasting room in Oakville on many occasions. They offer a beautifully appointed, sit-down salon tasting with food pairings (which, at $65 per person, is one of the most expensive experiences offered in the Napa Valley) or a more casual tasting in the Sip Shoppe (with flights starting at $20 per). Although pricey, it’s definitely worth a visit!

Sipping in the Swanson Salon

A few years back, I went for a sit-down tasting at Swanson Vineyards with my mother, who was then a Wine Club member. Their "salon" is in a large Tuscan-inspired building that used to be home to the Swansons. My memories of that experience centered around the tasty pairings and the artwork on the walls; the wine was not as memorable.

But Swanson has recently taken on a new winemaker, Chris Phelps, who uses a different barrel regimen than the previous winemaker. I thought it wouldn't hurt to re-visit the Swanson Salon, and wow--I am so pleased we did!

When I called to make the appointment, I had been specifically told that the gates open 5 minutes before the appointment time and close 10 minutes later (if you miss that window, you miss your tasting appointment). Although punctuality is not one of my strengths, I made sure to be prompt.

For once it wasn't me who was running late--Brian, our wine educator, greeted us in the artfully adorned courtyard (I meant to ask about meaning behind the full-size teepee) and offered us a stemless glass of pink Rosato while he finished up with the previous group. We gratefully sipped the chilled Rosato (Italian for "Rose"), which was creamy and tasted faintly of strawberries soaked in brandy.

Once inside the octagonal shaped salon, the 10 visitors got situated at the custom-made, sea shell studded, octagonal shaped table. In front of each of us, there was a small plate of orange and white cheese with an edible flower, and a chocolate truffle poised on an upside-down sea shell at 12 o'clock. And of course, there were wine glasses: one white wine glass and two for red wine. In addition to this magnificent presentation, the room itself was worth noting--high ceilings displayed large paintings with whimsical themes (contrasted by farm animals) done by the local artist Ira Yaeger. In addition to table, the chandelier was also custom made and the fireplace was flown in from Paris (don't ask me how).

Brian slowly walked around the table, pouring the 2008 Pinot Grigio and telling us a bit of history about Swanson. The wine was bright with almost effervescent acidity and faint citrus notes; it was refreshing and would pair perfectly with oysters.

Next, we tasted the 2005 Merlot, which is really what Swanson is known for. I recently opened an older vintage of their Merlot that was vegetal with copper penny flavors (not really a flavor profile that I can enjoy), so I was blown away by how delicious the 2005 was. It was rich and ripe, with plum, black cherry, and velvety tannins. As I savored the last few drops of it, Brian poured a bottle of the 2005 Alexis and poured it into the elegant "Cornetto" Riedel decanter.

The Alexis is the Swanson's flagship Cab and named after their daughter, Alexis (she also runs the winery's marketing department). Up until the 2004 vintage, the Alexis was blended with Syrah, but the 2005 is predominantly Cab with small portions of Merlot and Cab Franc blended in. It tasted a little darker and a little tighter than the 2005 Merlot, and would definitely benefit from a little bottle aging. That being said, the Alexis is a very distinctive and impressive wine.

One benefit of having the last scheduled tasting of the day is that you're not rushed out. Brian insisted on pouring one more wine for us and gave us the choice between a sweet dessert wine (Eiswein) and the 2005 Petite Sirah. Not being a huge fan of dessert wines, I opted for the Petite Sirah, which was characteristically big and fleshy, but with a core of blueberry fruit and long pleasant finish.

After all of our glasses were empty, I was still most attracted to the Merlot, for its drinkability and because they offer it in half-bottles, which is sometimes just the right amount.