Yesterday we did a barrel tasting of the 2009 Vineyard 511 cabernet. The wine is aging in 7 French oak barrels at Folio Winemakers Studio. Wine from the core of the vineyard is being aged in 4 new barrels and 1 used barrel – more refined than the wine from the edge of the vineyard, it can stand up to the oak flavor imparted by a new barrel.
So, how is the wine tasting? The core vineyard cabernet is quite good – it has rich blackberry notes and is soft with very subtle tannins. The cabernet from the edge is also nice, though not as soft as the core wine.
Vineyard 511 cabernet aging in French oak.
Our winemaker, Rob Lloyd, siphons out some of the cab for us to taste.
Tasting wine from the vineyard edge stored in barrels once used by Raumbauer.
Jeff and I love visiting Napa Valley – which is why we decided to get married here four years ago this July 22nd. This weekend we are back in Napa for our annual July 4th family reunion. It’s great to spend time with family in this beautiful place – our days consist of some combination of tennis, golf, wine tasting, picnics, barbecuing, and enjoying the lovely and peaceful surroundings of my dad’s house in Calistoga.
Remembering our Wedding Day – July 22nd, 2006
After a long day of travel from NY on Thursday, we enjoyed the scenic view of Vineyard 511 from the house…
We started dinner off with a few appetizers – a steamed artichoke and roasted figs with goat cheese and balsamic glaze.
Then we headed down to the outside kitchen to cook up some steaks and corn on the cob.
We also got to taste the wine from the 2008 harvest of Vineyard 511 in preparation for barrel tasting the 2009 the next day. The grapes from this harvest were sold to another wine-maker with the condition that she bottle a case or so of a single vineyard cabernet from Vineyard 511′s grapes. I thought the 2008 was quite good.
We ended the day by relaxing in front of the fire while enjoying some more time with family.
So, how is the 2009 Vineyard 511 cab tasting? Here are some tasting notes from late April:
The wine is now racked and aging nicely in French Oak barrels that have been medium toasted. Wine from the “core” of the vineyard is developing nicely. Although high in alcohol (15.6%) it does not explode in your mouth like the many fruit bombs on the market. It is surprisingly smooth – the tannins do not overwhelm as in many young wines. The wine produced from grapes on the edge of the vineyard has more tannins and is not as smooth but still a very nice tasting wine. We’ll see how these two wines develop over time.
Bud break at Vineyard 511 occurred in very early April.
These pictures were taken just a few weeks later.
The 2010 pruning of Vineyard 511 occurred this past Thursday.
Pruning is an important process during which the dormant dry vines are cut back – this influences the size and form of the vines, making them better producers of high quality fruit.
Bud break at Vineyard 511 is expected to occur towards the end of March.
Pruners hard at work – pruning is considered to be both an art and a science.
Vineyard 511 prior to pruning…
…Vineyard 511 after pruning.
Vineyard 511 did its first barrel tasting just a few weeks ago (not including barrel tastings by the winemaker, that is). Here’s what my dad had to say….
We had our first barrel tasting about two weeks ago. Currently there are two batches: one from the core of the vineyard (4 barrels) and one from the edges (2 barrels). The core wine is really tasting well even though it has not finished malalactic fermentation and has a bit of sulfur smell yet. The alcohol level is 15.9% so it is a full bodied wine but very balanced so the tannins don’t over whelm. It should be a very drinkable wine even at a young age. The edge wine is not quite as good with a lower alcohol content and somewhat stronger tannins. We haven’t decide whether to blend the two and Rob will do some testing later.
We’ve started the process of looking for bottles, labels and closures.
This is so exciting! Jeff and I can’t wait to do a barrel tasting the next time we are in Napa.