Wine Blogging Wednesday #57 is upon us again and this time around it's a theme near and dear to my heart, being from the Bay Area and a huge fan of Napa Valley wines. Our host this time is Jeff over at Good Grape and he describes this WBW as follows:Thematically, this month is intended to be broad while acting as homage to Robert Mondavi, the 1-year anniversary of his passing on Saturday, May 16. Because Mondavi was such an inspiration physically, spiritually and philosophically to so many – both in the industry and to consumers, while acting as the forefather of the modern California wine movement, I would like for WBW participants to revisit a California wine that they have enjoyed, or have a particular fond memory of, and tell a story.
Simply, Mondavi promoted an air of inclusiveness, not exclusiveness, conducting many of his business practices around a philosophy of aiding other wineries in knowledge and practices to create a profile for California wine that would rival the world’s finest wines. The easy route for this theme would be to taste a Mondavi wine, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Mondavi would have preferred an air of openness. No good is accomplished by a singularity of purpose that acts as an exclusionary barrier for others.
I took a little liberty with this theme and broadened it to include a wine that I've coveted for some time, but haven't tasted and am only revisiting for the first time. I wanted my wine selection to represent the Mondavi spirit and the spirit of Napa as a place of exploration in wine. Allow me to explain...
When I moved from Seattle to San Francisco 4 years ago, I was a huge Washington wine fan, supporting the hometown favorite over the "Goliath" Napa down south. They had their due, now it was our turn. Turns out, we all won. Washington wines have definitely found their own place in the lexicon of world-renowned wines and I found Napa and the surrounding areas (Sonoma, Santa Cruz mountains, Mendocino and on and on...) to be a whole new world of wine that I had never been exposed to before. My friends in Washington now complain that I've crossed over and are all about California wines, but I am definitely an equal opportunity wine guy - it just so happens that most of the wine you can get in California is, well, from California. And, turns out, it isn't half bad.
Napa is often called the "Disneyland of wine" and I don't entirely disagree with that sentiment. It can be a bit overblown, very expensive and play out, at times, like a theme park with vineyards as far as the eye can see and tourists you'd rather not spend time with on a ride, let alone a 90-minute vineyard tour. That said, it truly is a beautiful place and is quite literally vineyards as far as the eye can see. There are big wineries, small wineries and everything in between. And, no matter how often I go to Napa, I always seem to find a new winery and a new experience that captures my imagination and keeps me going back time and again.
Which brings me to my point - for me, Napa is all about exploration. Finding new wineries, having new experiences, having those wine tasting experiences that are literally right out of a magazine. And, Mondavi provided so much for the Valley and for our experiences today. Truth be told, I'm not a big Mondavi wine fan, but I do understand the impact he and his family had, and continue to have, on Napa Valley and I couldn't be more grateful.
Okay, enough with the "romanticized" version of Napa...on to the wine.
For my selection, I chose a wine that I have heard about and coveted for some time now and just recently was able to purchase from my local wine store. For Wine Blogging Wednesday #57, the wine I chose to taste is the 2006 Ghost Block Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa Valley. To me, it captures everything I described above, as mentioned on the back of the bottle: "GHOST BLOCK is the culmination of one family's 100-year history in the Napa Valley. Our wines are made with quiet pride, pour a glass, the story begins..." Very simple, humble and a little mysterious - these are the wines and wineries that I really love in Napa.Even the name suggests some great mystery around the wine: "Nestled on a gently sloping knoll on the north edge of Yountville, Ghost Block vineyard is named in honor of the historic Pioneer Cemetery for which it borders. According to local lore George C. Yount; who was the first person to plant a grapevine in the Valley, wanders the hillside overseeing the vast spectrum of an industry he himself founded on this very land (from the Ghost Block website)."
On the nose, the wine definitely develops over time - a bit tight straight out of the bottle, but with a 1/2 hour sitting in a glass, the nose is rich with blackberry, dark cherries, dry earth, cacao and coffee. In the mouth, the dark fruit opens up into an array of different cherries, blackberries and wild berries, along with espresso, tobacco and a hint of citrus on the finish. This wine is clearly built to age, but even opening the 2006 as early as I did, the balance is there and the acidity in the wine brings it to life. The finish is strong and lingering, all the way down the throat into the stomach.
Have you guessed yet? I like this wine. And, it's what I've come to expect from a nice bottle of wine from Napa - a little mystery, a little marketing and a great bottle of wine. I think Robert Mondavi would agree with all three and the Napa Valley that he helped start, grow and nurture captures all of these things.
What you should do: Tough one here, given the economy. Clearly, I liked the wine a lot, but, at $58 a bottle, could be a lot to stomach for some folks. Collector? Buy three, at least, if you can find it. Not a collector, but love fine wine? Buy one, see what you think. Like good wine, but don't want to break the bank? Find a good partner for the night and buy a bottle of Napa Cab in the $30 range - you will most likely not be disappointed.
My rating: 91
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