James Cole Winery: Dreams Do Come True

In a quest to visit all 600 Napa wineries( 400 and counting), my wife  Linda and I were recently referred to James Cole Winery in Napa and we were not disappointed.

James and Colleen Harder are passionate people. They realized their dream when they purchased the vineyard in 2000.They are raising their son and daughter on this beautiful property and have established a stellar  reputation in the wine world for making great wines. 

Our host for the tasting was Nick whose passionate explanation of the wines was very enjoyable. The winery sits on 8.5 acres of pristine property located on Silverado Trail. Winemaker Sybrand Albertus Straus Van Zyl is from Capetown, South Africa and his wines were all great works of art.

We began with a 2017 Rose from the Sierra Foothills that was very refreshing on this warm Napa day.  Next was the 2015 Privado, which means “Private”, which was a heavenly blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot from Spring Mountain grapes. It was an exquisite blend of rich red wine that we brought back to Danville with us.

The third tasting was a 2015 100% Malbec  and a truly full bodied wine that was a joy to experience.  Next the 100% 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, which had a deep royal color and very smooth sensation on your palate.

The final taste was the 2014 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Umbral meaning “start of a journey” that was aged in French oak and was rich in color and flavor. It was so great that a bottle took the journey back to Danville with us.

This winery is definitely a “must do.” The wines and ambiance are special and the people are very warm and friendly. 

For lunch, we dined in downtown Napa at charming Celadon featuring  great calamari and a variety of sandwiches.

For more information and to make a reservation go to:
https://www.jamescolewinery.com/

Pritchard Hill: Home of great wines since 1967

In an effort to visit all 600 Napa wineries( 400 and counting), we recently visited Chappellet Winery on Pritchard Hill.

Founded in 1967 by Donn Chappellet, the winery continues its world class wine creations with a second generation of Chappellets filling bottles with heavenly juice. 

The winding road that leads to this great winery on famous Pritchard Hill makes you feel that you are going to a very special place. Stunning views and sensational wine await your arrival.

Our host for today’s tasting was Amanda Gagnon a wine and food lover who recently graduated from the CIA(Culinary Institute Of America).

We began our tasting strolling around the 640 acre hillside winery overlooking Lake Hennessy with a glass of 2014 Signature Chardonnay Chappellet that had enticing aromas of citrus and apricot that leaped from your glass.

We enjoyed the heavenly  views and next enjoyed a glass of 2014 Chappellet Dustin Ranch Pinot Noir. This enticing wine had  beautiful aromas of dark cherry, vanilla and clove.

Our tasting then took us to a private table surrounded by wine barrels and graced by wonderful works of art painted by Laura Titus wife of winemaker Philip Titus who has been crafting great wine since 1989.

Our tasting continued with a 2014 Merlot that was an elegant blend of Mountain grown Merlot blended with other Bourdeaux varieties.

Next we sampled the 2013 Malbec with a blend with 90%Malbec, 5%Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 % Merlot. This was a lush and radiant wine offering aromas of cherry and French Oak inspired hints of vanilla, coffee and spice. It was so enjoyable that we took a bottle back to Danville with us.

The final tasting was the 2013 Signature  Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a perfect blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9%Malbec, 6% Merlot, 5%Cabernet Franc and 4% Petite Verdot. It was a great way to complete our tasting. It was deep, rich and classic expression of hillside Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. A bottle of this great juice also returned home to Danville with us.

For lunch, we enjoyed Mustards, a longtime Napa treasure that lived up to its high expectations for great food and service.

For more information and to schedule an appointment go to:
 http://www.chappellet.com/