Day Two of winery visits to Napa brought me to the culinary
epicentre that is Yountville (pronounced, by the way, as Yawntville). A small
village by no stretch of the imagination, Yountville presents a fair degree of
ennui for those seeking the larger-than-life, Disneyland-of-wine experience.
For the epicurean oenophile, however, Yountville is THE Disneyland of
everything epicurean and oenophilic.
Yountville AVA may not offer much in terms of sprawling
vineyards and chateaux galore, but within her boundaries lay (quite arguably)
the best of the best and the best of the worst wining and dining experiences
one could have in Napa, if not the entire You.Ess.of.Eh.
First and foremost, if you have ever followed any Food
Network/Channel programme on the likes of Iron Chef or Top Chef, you know that
Yountville is where IT is at. Thomas Keller’s French Laundry is THE
icon of American gastronomy, and requires 3-months-to-the-day advanced
reservations. If that didn’t work out, try almost-Iron-Chef Michael Chiarelo’s
“Botteglia.” As much as I’d have loved to try either of these highly regarded
restaurants, the Mexican food trucks are a delicacy of takeaway in and
of themselves.Now for the wine. Without a doubt, Domaine Chandon (a California branch for the famed Champagne house Moet & Chandon) is the draw for the tourist crowd. A stunning estate with frequent tours and tastings of their Sparkling Wine programme, Domaine Chandon is an obvious draw. However, park your car in Yountville carpark on a weekday and your California winery experience will be elevated to beyond the physical. Without the bells and whistles of large estates and too-busy staff, the below wineries-as-tasting-bars will surely tempt you to Yountville:
Girard (www.girardwinery.com) – Admittedly, my draw to the
area because of my work, Girard nonetheless surpassed all expectations with an
amazing line-up of Cab-Sauv “Mountain Terroir.” Individual, estate-grown crops
in the hills of Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain, and Mout Veeder will defy
anyone’s image that Napa fruit is all but fruit-bomb and weak tannin. Perfectly ageworthy each and of themselves, I
opted for the Mount Veeder as it balances the fresher fruit of Spring Mountain
with the austerity and ageability of Howell Mountain.
Jessup (www.jessupcellars.com) – Recommended by everyone in
the Yountville-know, Jessup is certainly a boutique producer by Napa standards.
Only 10,000 cases are produced each year, most of which are focused on their
Carneros-sought Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (both elegant and worth cellaring for
several years). The “Table for Four” red blend, however, proved to be worthy of
its name: a Cab-Sauv-based blend with Cab-Franc, Merlot, and Petite Sirah, soft
yet full-bodied makes this wine a perfect choice for 4 diners having different
dinners.
Ma(i)sonry (www.maisonry.com) – The Blackbird label wines drew me to this art-shop-cum-tasting room in
the heart of Yountville. While the focus of tastings are on the house labels
produced by Aaron Pott, Ma(i)sonry is also a one-stop-tasting-shop for those
looking for the truly boutique in Napa (and, quite randomly, 2 wines from
Argentina). Among the Blackbirds, a sip of the Arise and Illustration
will prove that Pomerol-inspired wines in the Napa are well worth the flight.
Hope & Grace
(www.hopeandgracewines.com) –
Anyone who is anyone that loves fine wine outside of their own cellars in
Yountville will direct you to Hope & Grace. A limited portfolio that will
have even Okanagan producers think “that’s not much,” Hope & Grace have
achieved excellence in small batches for a total of 2,500 cases, by and large
sold through cellar door. Focusing on pure varietal expression, the Pinot Noir
from Carneros and Napa Malbec show amazing skill and flavour for these lesser-appreciated
Northern Cali grapes. The Dry Riesling, however, stands out among the crowd for
its lemon-limey, bone-dry-y goodness.
Page (www.pagewinecellars.com) – A small,
family-owned-and-operated tasting room, Page does its best at keeping up with
the Big Boys. As quality musicians jam with the best in the business, Page
continually looks to make the best out of single varietal expressions, such as
their very good Cab-Franc and Petite Sirah, to the harmonious blend that is The Search.
Corner Stone/Stepping
Stone (www.cornerstonecellars.com)
– Everyone needs a Corner Stone on which to build a solid foundation, and a
Stepping Stone to bring aspiring oenophiles to the next level. The wines here
are good value for the prices charged, but look for the Syrah and Cabernet
Sauvignon as standouts for something unique among the red programme and for the
whites, the Riesling (with 15% Gewurz) stands with Hope&Grace as a sign of
what cool-climate grape-growing can do in Napa.
Several tasting bars down, there is no shortage of
restaurants in which you can indulge your grumbling gastronomy-minded gullet.
If it is late in the evening, however, you can always count on Poncho’s, voted
the “best among the seediest in America” by Playboy magazine. Sadly (or not so
much), it took the opening of the doors of Poncho’s at noon today for me to
flashback to a trip 5-years ago that ended at her doors. But that, my friends,
is another story…
No comments:
Post a Comment