Napa Valley Masterclass in Houston

Matt Stamp, Master Sommelier

I, along with most wine professionals I know, feel fortunate to have the chance to take these special event classes here in our town. Once again, Matt Stamp, Master Sommelier, came to Houston as part of the Guild of Sommeliers ongoing Masterclass series. The focus of this event was the wines of Napa Valley. It was a great class and the wine community of Houston is looking forward to more.
Along with a good review of all things Napa, it was interesting to hear Matt Stamp's take on how some of the inner AVA's should be delineated (he feels the current system doesn't do justice to the terroir variation of Napa) and what to expect from the upcoming vintages.
We also tasted three flights of great wine. All were well balanced, really nice wines that are worth seeking out. I put stars by some of my favorites.

Flight 1:

2011 Matthiasson White - A Friulian style blend with some Semillion added. Fresh, crisp, light. *
2011 Chappellet Chenin Blanc - crisp, apricot and green apple. *
2011 Massican Chardonnay - Light, crisp, clean, high acidity, no ML, citrus with some pineapple.
2000 Mayacamas Chardonnay - Coconut Creme Brulee, full body, long finish, very slight oxidation. *
2010 Kongsgaard Chardonnay - pronounced vanilla over light lemon citrus. Full body, long finish.

Flight 2:

2010 Frog's Leap Merlot - Drinkable, soft, plum, blueberry. *
2008 Corison "Kronos" Cabernet - Elegant, firm structure, red fruit, pencil shavings, bit of mint. *
2006 Bressler Cabernet - Slightly jammy, rich blackberry flavor, firm tannins.
2010 Araujo "Eisele" Cabernet - very French. nice acidity, black fruit, pencil shavings, bit of tobacco. *
2005 Heitz "Martha's Vineyard" Cabernet - Classic Napa, ripe black fruit, cigar box, bit of eucalyptus, rich flavor, long finish. *
1992 Robert Mondavi "Reserve" Cabernet - surprisingly young! Slightly grippy tannins, over ripe black fruit flavor, bit of black olive and a slight floral note. Long finish. Just going garnet at rim, small amount of sediment.

Flight 3:

2010 Lagier Meredith Syrah, Mount Veeder - Juicy and tannic. Red fruit with chocolate dipped bacon and a slight herbal note. High tannins with good acidity, very drinkable.
2009 Spring Mountain Vineyards "Elivette", Spring Mountain District - somewhat tight. Black fruit, bit of baking spice, grippy tannins.
2009 Ovid (Pritchard Hill) - Ripe black fruit, licorice, grippy tannins.
2010 Continuum (Pritchard Hill) -Big, rich, ripe mixed cherry/berries.
2009 Dalle Valle "Maya" (Pritchard Hill) - Medium+ everything, smooth tannins, fruity-red cherry and plum. *
2008 Diamond Creek "Gravelly Meadow" Cabernet, Diamond Mountain District - tannic, youthful, cherry/berry and vanilla.
2001 Cardinale - ripe cherry/berry with chocolate and a bit of cedar, velvety tannins, long juicy finish. *

related post:
Wines of Germany Masterclass

An Immersive Introduction into the World of Asolo Prosecco

Dinner Views at Osteria Alla Baracca. I was very excited to visit the Asolo DOCG Prosecco region at the end of May on a press trip as it is an Italian area that I have not previously traveled through. Asolo is located in the Province of Treviso at the foot of Monte Grappa in the high hills to the west of the Piave River with views of the Dolomites. The grapes are grown in 17 communes surrounding the town of Asolo. The days were very warm while I was there but I needed a sweater or light jacket on most evenings due to the diurnal swing that makes it a great area for grape growing. Wines from the Master Class Tasting. Asolo was elevated to the DOCG level in 2009. The majority of the Prosecco that I have found in Houston is Prosecco DOC which is mostly from very large producers. Asolo was separated from this category and the region was given this higher status because there are terroir elements that make it distinctive in the world of Prosecco. The Sant'Anna Vineyard. Many of the vin

Lunch at Cépage paired with Paso Robles Sparkling Wine

Cépage is the elegant new restaurant inside of the recently refurbished Paris Valley Road Estate & Winery Tasting Room. Cépage opened in 2022 and currently serves lunch and weekend brunch. Paris Valley Estate is a fairly new brand that is named after the two lane road in Monterey County where the owners, the Stoller family, planted their first vineyard over 20 years ago. The new name inspired them to renovate the former Arciero Winery in the opulent style of French Grand Cru domaines they had previously visited, explained winemaker, Doug Hidinger. I was visiting on a rainy day so I did not get to tour the grounds or take many outside pictures, unfortunately. The table was set and ready upon arrival. Hidinger was at lunch to present both the Paris Valley Road Sparkling Wine 2019 and the Sextant Edna Valley Sparkling Wine 2012 from a sister property of Paris Valley Road. Owner/Winemaker of Vino Vargas , Pedro Vargas, was also there to present his three sparkling wines. All of these

Tasting Tin City - Paso Robles

Located in a small industrial warehouse district, 3 miles south of downtown Paso Robles, is an easily walkable zone of contemporary industrial-style tin buildings called Tin City which is home to an innovative beverage scene. Tin City has several small-production wineries such as Anarchy Wine Co., Benom, Cordant Winery, and Giornata along with somewhat larger producers like Field Recordings . It is not unusual to be greeted by the winemakers in these modern tasting rooms and find them ready to share both their wines and their stories with their guests. Superfly Zinfandel blended with Cabernet and Petite Sirah At Anarchy Wine Co , expect to find a wide range of wines which includes a Bordeaux-Style Blend, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, a Red Rhône-Style Blend, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel all deliciously served with a rebel yell in a rock and roll environment. Les Deux Freres means The Two Brothers and is unique

Wine Life - Houston

Search This Blog