Holiday Gift Guide 2019: The Best Napa Valley Cabernets For Oenophiles
November 22, 2019
“2016 VIADER Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley ($195): A proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc sourced from Viader estate vineyards on the eastern slopes of Howell Mountain. This blend put Delia Viader on the map as a Napa pioneer for showcasing Cab Franc alongside Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of dark and red fruit and berries, cassis, warm baking spice, fresh herbs, dusty earth, tobacco, and black pepper arouse the senses. Its silky texture is accentuated by smooth tannins, high acidity, and a bold structure. A wine to enjoy now with a long decant, or age for more concentration. Purchase direct from Viader.”
Viader Napa Valley — Details and a Tasting
November 19, 2019
“Visitors to Viader enjoy a breathtaking panorama of northern Napa Valley. They taste richly aromatic and flavorful wines with sensual structure and savory complexity in the peaceful, mountainside tasting room. But the hand-farmed vines that lead to those wines lead a much less luxurious life. Their vineyard home is steeply sloping and unforgivingly rocky—planting required jackhammers and dynamite. The soil is extremely well-drained, leaving even the drought-tolerant, 110R rootstock continually thirsty. The tough, infertile landscape, along with high-density spacing, leads to small berries and low yields, about two tons per acre. So, deep concentration comes naturally to the estate wines."
Humble Pinot
November 15, 2019
“LaRue 2017 Thorn Ridge Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($70): This real nice turkey wine still goes strong a few days after opening, for that turkey sandwich snack. Sandalwood incense, raspberry candy, chocolate liqueur, and cranberry liqueur tease the nose, and a tangy smack of acidity brightens a silky palate.”
From Ivy-League Education to Growing Vines in Napa Valley, Delia Viader Follows Her Wine-Inspired Dream
November 08, 2019
“Behind every successful winery is an inspiring story, and VIADER is no exception. Located on Howell Mountain in California’s Napa Valley, the Viader’s story is about determination, innovation and family. The story of VIADER begins with its founder Delia Viader, one of the first female winemakers in Napa Valley. Born in Argentina, she spent much of her youth in Europe. After receiving a doctorate in philosophy from the Sorbonne University in Paris, she came to the United States and continued her studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California (UC) Berkeley and UC Davis, where she studied viticulture and oenology."
LaRue 2017 Charles Heintz Vineyard Chardononnay Makes List of Sonoma Magazine's Top 100 Wines
November 01, 2019
"Katy Wilson is a noted winemaking consultant and taps some of her favorite vineyards for her own brand, named for her great grandmother, Veona LaRue Newell. From the Heintz Vineyard, located east of Occidental, Wilson achieved a fruit-filled flavorful wine at just 12.5% alcohol. Striking minerality and acidity plump the Meyer lemon and green apple flavors." - Linda Murphy
Napa's Next Generation - Alan Viader
October 15, 2019
"At the age of 25, Alan assumed the mantle of winemaker and today is one of the leading next generation, carving a path into the future of Napa Valley winemaking. Alan is soft spoken, with an innate intelligence, plus energy that seems to be constantly bubbling just below the surface, ready to spill out at any moment. He has a defined vision for the future, displaying a passion for life, wine, and family. Unsurprisingly, when you sip Viader wines, you will experience the same complexity and subtleties. They (whomever “they” are) say that wine is grown in the vineyard-but I have found that a great wines also reflect the winemaker’s personality and vision as well."