Today I was fortunate enough to make a short trip up to Napa Valley Wine Country.  It started off with a stop by one of the wineries I am a member of to pick up some of my winery club wines.  Very nice to say the very least.  However, it was the two wineries I stopped by after that made this trip a truly rewarding one.

With the number of Napa wineries charging $100 or for their top wine becoming more common; it truly is fun to come across wineries who have not gone down that path. Today, I was lucky enough to come across two such wineries.  It is experiences like this that make one feel like they can go to one of the worlds top wine growing regions and feel like they are getting excellent wine at a good price.

My first stop was at Miner Family Vineyards.  They have been in Napa long before I was even cared about wine.  They had a nice tasting for $10.  It started off with an average Viognier, but the wines that followed got better.  Their Pinot Noir was good, with strawberry and cherry nose and taste.  It is a wine that I would drink within the next 3 years.  Then they had a nice 2002 Syrah that was jammy with berry and beefy tastes and aromas.  The aroma also had some herbal notes as well.  There 2003 Cabernet Sauvigon was very good, but a little closed in and would benefit from a little time in the cellar. 

The one that really stood out from Miner was their top wine The Oracle.  A wine that is very approachable now, but can cellar for up to 10 years.  It had real nice floral and perfumey aromas with red berries.  It had a taste of cassis and berries and other fruit.  A real nice effort.

Best part about this winery.  Their highest priced wine was $65 a bottle and they had several other very good wines for half that price or less.

The next winery, Baldacci Family Vineyards is one that I believe is truly a hidden gem in Napa Valley.   I was told that the 2003 vintage is their 3rd vintage.   After tasting what they had to offer, I can say that this winery is off to a tremendous start and is making wines that can quite easily compete with other wineries charging over twice as much for a bottle of wine. 

The 2003 Napa wines in most cases are not as good as their 2001 and 2002 vintages, and probably will not cellar as long as these 2 vintages.  That is not a bad thing, because I have tasted some excellent 2003 vintages so far.    What makes Baldacci stand out amongst some of the other 2003s I have tasted is the heavy body and how muscular and powerful their Cabernet Sauvignons are.  They are built to last, and I believe the Cabs produced by Baldacci will outlive many of their compeitors for the 2003 vintage. It is from this that I believe in more intense vintages with longer cellaring potential, Baldacci has the potential to be a Napa Winery that can produce a Cab that will hold up 20+ years.

Baldacci does buy some fruit from a few outside vineyards, BUT, their Cabernet vineyards are 100% owned by the Baldacci Family. 

The wines I tasted from Baldacci were the following.

1. 2005 Gewurztraminer, Frederich - a wine ready to go now.  With aromas of pineapples, citrus and tropical fruit and a taste of green apples, mango and toffee this is a really nice wine.  86-88 points.

2. 2004 Baldacci Pinot Noir - another wine ready to go now.  I thought it was an okay wine, with floral notes and strawberry aromas.  It had a taste of cherry, strawberry and red licorice.  83-85 points.

3. 2003 IV Sons Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap -  a big cabernet with aromas of dark chocolate, berries and earth.  And flavors of blueberry, cassis, ripe cherry and tea.  Heavy body and beautiful purple color, this is a wine where I think will be at its best between 2007 and 2015.  -- 90-92 points

4. 2003 Baldacci Estate  Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon - a very muscular and tannic red with heavy body and a deep purple color.  With aromas of blackberry jam, mineral, leather and dark chocolate and flavors of dark berries, mineral, and currants; this is truly a wonderful wine! I believe this wine will drink best between 2008 and 2020. -- 92-95 points

5. 2003 Baldacci Estate Stags Leap Cab. Sauv. "Brendas Vineyard" - another muscular cab with heavy body and a deep purple color.  It is more approachable then 03 Baldacci Estate Cab, but the tannin in between the flavors and at the end will tell you this is a wine that can last 15 years.  Aromas of violets, dark fruits, and tobacco and flavors of cherries, cloves, bittersweet chocolate and earthy tones.  This is really a good wine!  -- 95 points!!

Best part is, the 03 Brendas Vineyard tops out at $70, while the rest of the wines are under $50.