The Evil Red Genius and I definitely needed this night out. We've had a hell of a couple of days this week and haven't been to my happy place in quite a while. Good things come to those who wait, I suppose.
In 1973, John Trefethen met Janet, they married, and began Trefethen Family Vineyards. Last night, I was fortunate enough to taste seven wines from this 46 year old, 500-acre estate in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. The East Coast representative of 15 years was very informative about not only the wines but the entire family business. He explained this area is the "sweet spot of Napa"; having the coolest climate in Napa.
The first wine of the night was the 2013 Dry Riesling ($22.99). Trefethen's Dry Riesling is one of the only dry style Rieslings in Napa. I am not a fan of sweet Rieslings or overly dry Rieslings like this one. Had I not been told this was a Riesling, I would have sworn it was a Sauvignon Blanc. It smelled of grapefruit and green apple. It was definitely too tart for my palette. Perhaps with food, a nice cheese, it would have been tolerable. Of course, I drank it, because one of my rules in wine tasting is not to waste. If you don't like it, then give it to a friend. However, this wasn't THAT bad so I drank it.
Next on the list was the 2012 Estate Chardonnay ($34.99). Trefethen's first vintage of this wine was in 1973 and this is the wine that "put them on the map". In fact, while white wines don't age well and shouldn't be laid down to age like you can most reds, the rep told us that he had tried one of theirs from the 80s or 90s and it was shocking how wonderful it still tasted. Yet, that is not the norm.
While the Evil Red Genius was pleasantly surprised exclaiming, "it was better than I thought," I felt as if this wine was just acceptable. Aromas of cream, vanilla and light pastry with a rich finish and light butter aftertaste. It had a creamy smell but not a creamy taste which disappointed me. This wine definitely begs for food. Not the best Chardonnay I've ever tasted, but definitely not the worst either. To our delight, next up were the reds......
The first red was the 2011 Merlot ($34.99). I must admit, I am partial to Washington State Merlot and trying this wine didn't change my mind. The smell did not appeal to me - petroleum, burning wax. The taste of this wine was overwhelmingly cherry with maple syrup or molasses. It was not smooth at all. I find it interesting when people pronounce Merlot "mare-LOW". Perhaps, I'm saying it wrong, "mur-LOW". Oh well.
Seeing the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($69.99) as next on the list, we were getting hopeful. It was a deep, dark color and better than the Merlot but still a little tart. It smelled of dark berries, coffee and chocolate but still didn't win me over. I thought perhaps it was still young and needed to age or that a decanter would help. However, Arthur told me later it had been decanted for 2 hours already so there went that theory! When the rep told us that if we liked big, bold Cabs then we wouldn't get that from Trefethen then I knew what the problem was! We like big, bold Cabs. Trefethen focuses on making well-balanced wines which is admirable and I'm sure many people think fondly of them. I just prefer the bigger ones. When it comes to Cabs, size DOES matter!
However, the Evil Red Genius and I were satisified because we finally were moving in the right direction for our taste. I reached to toast her and didn't clear the six empty glasses on our table, and made a pretty obnoxious clinking sound as if something had broken. Naturally, this happens at the quietest moment of the evening and everyone then has all eyes on us. However, I made it clear that not a single thing broke or even fell over!!! Phew!
At this point, you're probably thinking, what a snob. Or she's soooooo picky. Is there anything there that she liked? Why did she even bother going? She must have been miserable. Well, hold on for a moment because it's about to get better. We all have different palettes and know what we like. It's ok not to like something. The more you try the more you realize what you like and what you don't.
It's all about experimentation!
It's all about experimentation!
My taste buds started to get excited with the last three wines. First was the 2010 Dragon's Tooth ($94.99) which is 58% Malbec, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. So far, it was the darkest in color and it had the smoothness that I had been longing for! It had a burning smell and the Evil Red Genius mentioned that it smelled like a pretzel. Combine them and you get "burning pretzel". How's that for a new red wine descriptor? I like it!
While it had a smoky, tangy taste, it also reminded us of a Pinot Noir. Very interesting and complex. My favorite quote of the evening, "I need a big ole hung of chocolate cake with this one.... or maybe just a big ole hunk with chocolate in his hand." Yep, yours truly.
Where did the name Dragon's tooth come from? It's best explained from the winemaker himself, "The Red Dragon on the label of our Dragon's Tooth Napa Valley Red Wine originated in ancient British legend where two dragons—one red, one white—fight in the sky. The boy Merlin watches them with King Vortigern and when the red prevails, driving the white across the sea, the boy foretells the coming of King Arthur who will lead Vortigern's people, the Welsh, to victory over the invading Saxons. Catherine Trefethen, our First Lady, was Welsh. Her loves for wine, gardens and family were the inspiration for our estate in Napa Valley's Oak Knoll District, and though she has departed, her spirit is still felt, especially in the cool foggy mornings when mist envelops the vineyard and our minds tend towards whimsical imaginings."
By far, my favorite of the evening is the next wine we tried, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. 90% Cab which would also most likely explain why it was my favorite. Very smooth on the nose and the palette. At this point in the night, I wasn't taking as many notes. Once I find something I like, I tend to throw caution to the wind and just enjoy it!
At $124.99, this wine is going to do nothing but get better with time. This wine was decanted for almost three hours and I could tell it would just get better. It was definitely not at its peak and most likely could be laid down for a good five to 10 years and be delightful down the road. A good special occasion wine. Buy three now. Try one in five years - see how you feel about it. If it's good, then lay the next one down for 5 more or even 10. I probably could have bought one and saved it for my 50th birthday but honestly, at this price, I've had better. I've definitely had better at less (any Orin Swift red).
HaLo is the flagship wine of Trefethen Family Vineyards. It is named for their two kids (or their next generation of winemakers) Hailey and Loren, who grew up in the middle of the Hillspring Vineyard in the Mayacamas foothills of western Napa Valley, the source of this red wine. The family claims that the vineyard’s rocky, shallow soils, coupled with a climate protected from fog and wind, make Hillspring the perfect spot to grow exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon.
HaLo is one of Arthur's "aha wine moments" and I always love to hear those stories. Naturally, my first aha wine moment was with an Orin Swift wine many years ago. Oh Orin... but I digress. Arthur had decided to sell a 2006-2007-2008 vertical (3 pack of consecutive years) of HaLo and not sell them individually. He also did not plan on opening a HaLo for us to try but he surprised us and opened the 2006!! The vertical is priced at $899.99 and a girl I know there bought two of them. What she does for a living, I have no idea, but you know what? Maybe I don't want to know!
While I photographed the 2007 HaLo that the rep brought around for us to see, we tried the 2006 HaLo at the tasting. The nose was amazing - earthy, the cherry that was prominent in the previous Cabs went away and it was very smooth. I could have enjoyed smelling that wine for hours without even being tempted to taste it. It smelled that good! It had a peppery taste and while it was good, to the dismay of most, it didn't knock my socks off! Fortunately, the Evil Red Genius agreed with me.
We both liked the Dragon's Tooth and Cab Sav Reserve better. In fact, after the official tasting, we went back for more tastes of both of those. Arthur even saved a sip of the HaLo for me just to make sure I didn't change my mind, and I didn't. While I greatly appreciate it, it just didn't blow me away. At $300 a bottle, I'm not too upset about it not being my favorite.
I love these special tastings that my wonderful happy places holds. I try my best to go to them when they are held because most of the time they involve wines that I'd never normally get to taste. To my surprise, my work scheduled didn't conflict with this event and all the stars aligned so that I'd be able to participate. I'll gladly pay $25 to taste wines that I may never know about otherwise and at prices that I definitely wouldn't just nonchalantly pull off the shelf on any given Wednesday!
After this tasting, and writing this post, I am left with this very appropriate quote by Janet Trefethen....
"Food and wine: two things that bring people together. And much like the best relationships, together they can take each other to heights neither can achieve alone.
Each of us has a “treasure chest” of sensory delight based in our noses and mouths, just waiting to be opened, bringing pleasure to an otherwise ordinary day, or adding the crowning touch to a splendid party."
-Janet Trefethen
To Arthur -
Thanks for bringing pleasure, a simple pleasure, to our otherwise ordinary Wednesday!
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