While I have my complaints about California, the one thing I feel blessed about it is that I am only a 90 minute drive from the Napa and Sonoma wine regions.  I am only about a 30 minute drive from the Livermore wine region, and 45 minutes away from the rapidly growing Lodi wine region.  Today, October 7th, I had yet another good time visiting Napa.  I have several reviews and I do hope you enjoy reading them.

My first stop was by Twomey Cellars.  They have only 2 wines there: Merlot and Pinot Noir.  It is in a very nice setting up in Calistoga.  Friendly service and a good warm feeling with a very well maintained facility make this a very nice stop to anyone visiting the area.

2004 Russian River Pinot Noir - this wine had medium/light body with a lt ruby red color.  It has aromas of pommegranite, cherries and spice and flavors of cherry and cotton candy.  It is a good every day wine but at $42 I feel the price is too high.  Drink this wine now through 2010. --  82-84 points

2003 Napa Valley Merlot - a wine with heavy body and a medium ruby red color.  It has aromas of expresso, dark fruit and currants, and flavors of dark chocolate, berries and cigar tobacco.  I felt it was a good merlot, but at $65, again the price is too high and not worth what they are asking.  Drink this wine now through 2012.  -- 87 points

The next stop was also a winery in the Calistoga region of Napa,  Chateau Montelena.  The vineyard and facilities are absolutely stunning.  This is a must visit if you should visit the Napa Valley, for both the magnificent scenery and superb wines.  One thing to keep in mind, Chateau Montelenas Cabernet Sauvignon wines are big wines and need cellaring time before ready.  They are also made in the tradition of the wines of Bordeaux and are not the usual fruit blasts so many Napa and California Vintners are known for.

2005 Napa Valley Riesling, 13.2% alc. ($20) A wine of heavy body and a clear hay color.  It had a very open nose of citrus, honey, peaches and white flowers and tasted of lime, peach, and honeydue.  Excellent wine, drink now through 2010+. --  90-93 points

1998 Napa Valley Chardonnay, 13.0% alc.($40).  This wine has held up superbly and has some life left in it yet. It has a nice medium body with light clear yellow color.  It has a floral nose with caramel and peaches and has clean tastes of green apple, peach and caramel.  This wine is drinking really good right now and my guess is it will good through 2008 and might just make it to 2010.  -- 90 points

2004  Napa Valley Chardonnay, 13.9% alc.($38).  A wine of medium/heavy body with clear medium light yellow color.   It has aromas of minerals, grapefruit, and herbal notes.  Flavors of apples, apricots and vanilla are in this wine.  I am not sure if it will hold up as long as the 1998 Chard, but I believe this wine is drinking good right now and should go through 2010+. -- 90 points

2003 Napa Valley Zinfandel, 14.7% alc. ($28).  A wine with medium/heavy body  and a deep ruby red color.  The aromas are of toasted oak, currants and herbs.  It has earthy flavors and flavors of  cherries, chocolate and coffee.  Drink this now through 2012.  -- 91 points

2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.9% alc.($40).  A wine with deep purple color and heavy body.  The aromas are of earth, mineral, herbal, and cassis.  Flavors of dark fruit, cardamom and spice, tobacco and slight herbal notes.  This is a wine that will hold up 15+ years. Drink from 2007-2020+.  -- 92-93 points

1999 Montelena Estate Cab. Sauv., 13.9% alc. ($140).  A wine with dark purple color and heavy body.  Aromas of earth, herbs, forest floor, mineral and cassis and flavors of dark berries, earthy and herbal tones, cassis and black tea.  This wine is beginning to drink good but a few more years in the cellar and it will start to really drink good.  Drink it 2008 to 2030+. -- 95-96 points

2002 Montelena Estate Cab. Sauv., 14.3% alc. ($95).  A wine with heavy body, deep dark purple color.  It was hard to pick up much in the nose or of flavor because the wine was still so closed in.  But from the aromas I go hints of the following - earthy, bay leaf and herbal/spice and maybe a bit of minerals.  The flavors I got this - black berries, cassis, herbal and earthy tones.  It is a wine of great potential to say the least. Drink from 2010 to 2035+.  --  95-98+ points

My next stop was Trefethen Vineyards.  They had a big celebration party there and were tasting all their wines except their superb Halo Cab. Sauv.   Usually Trefethen has an excellent offering of white wines, but at this tasting I felt it was an off year for their current releases of whites.  I am sure they will have some much better whites the next time as most of their vintages with the white varietals are worthy of 88+ ratings.  However, there red varietals were very good to say the least.  

Trefethen is another Napa Valley Vintner that makes their red wines to last.  And 20+ years is pretty much a given for Trefethen on any of the good vintages for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauv.

2002 Merlot, 14.5% alc.($30).  A wine of deep purple color and heavy body.  This is a big and tannic merlot.  A Merlot that I believe can hold up to 15 years.  Aromas of blackberry, lavender and spices with flavors of dark berries, cassis and cloves. --   89-90 points

2003 Cabernet Franc, 14.1% alc.($30).  Dark ruby red with heavy body.  Aromas of violets, lavender, bay leaf and berries with flavors of dark chocolate, beef steak, tobacco and slight hints of earthiness.  Drink this 2007 to 2015. --  91 points

1991 Reserve Cabernet Sauv., 13.0% alc.  What is truly amazing about this 15 year old wine is that it is showing no loss of color at all.  It still has heavy body and a deep purple color to it.  This wine has aromas of violets, cassis, tea and hints of berry with flavors of ripe red cherry,  dried fruits, and slight herbal tones.   This wine clearly has more life left in it.  It should be good for another 5 years, a time when I think the dominating ripe cherry flavors will tone down some and the wine will have more complexity to it.   I think this wine is a safe bet to hold on to for another 5 years and may have the potential to last up to another 10 years.  --  91-93 points

1995 Reserve Cab. Sauv., 13.0% alc. Another ageworthy Trefethen Cab that is maintaining its color of a dark ruby red and heavy body.  It casts off aromas of dried fruits, berries and herbs with flavors of cassis, cherry and vanilla.  Drink it now through 2015+.  -- 90 points

1999 Reserve Cab. Sauv., 14.1% alc. A wine with deep purple color and heavy body.  The aromas are of eucalyptus, dark berries, currants and flavors of blackberry, cloves and spices.  Drink this from 2008 to 2024+. -- 92+ points

2000 Reserve Cab. Sauv. 14.1% alc.($75).  A wine with deep purple color and heavy body.  Aromas that are floral, of violets, tobacco, wild berries with flavors of dried cherries, and spices. Drink this now through 2015. -- 90 points.

2001 Reserve Cab. Sauv. 14.1% alc.($80) A wine with deep purple color and heavy body.  Aromas of bay leaf, dark fruits, minerals and cassis with flavors of blackberry, cloves/spices, and chocolate.  A very age worthy wine.  Drink from 2010 to 2025+.  -- 92-93+ points.

The final and last stop, Domaine Carneros.  I almost had one of their excellent sparkling whites, but when they told me about their 2004 Famous Gate Pinot Noir, I went with that.  I was only in the mood to taste one more wine.  Maybe some time in the future I will do a sparkling white only tour.

2004 Famous Gate Pinot Noir, 13.7% alc.  This is a Pinot that had a real nice ruby red color to it and surprisingly heavy body for a Pinot.  It had aromas of cola, cherries and flowers with flavors of cola, dried berries and spices.   This is one of the few Pinot Noir I believe can hold up 10+ years.  It is very approachable now.  -- 92+ points