Marita's Vineyard

Our first stop after reaching Napa this year was at Marita's Vineyard.  We had heard about this amazing place from some friends in Dallas and made an appointment for a tasting.

It's a bit off the beaten path but we eventually found ourselves at the Montes home in Coombsville.  After being ushered through the house we were seated on a lovely patio set up to taste some wine and pair with tapas.  Mrs. Montes busied herself with serving us tasty tapas treats while we sipped wine and listened to her winemaker husband and daughter, Mara, tell the story of how Marita's came to be.  We started off with their red wine called Soma and finished up with their flagship wine, Marita's.  

Bulmaro Montes worked for Joseph Phelps for 30 years, retiring in 2003.  Not content to sit back and enjoy his retirement, he decided to buy some land and begin growing his own grapes.  His dream was to make Cabernet Sauvignon "his way".  He also wanted to release the wine only when he really thought it was ready.  He planted his vines in 2002 on 2.6 acres and his wine is only made with grapes that he grows.

Soma was a first run wine that did not turn out the way Bulmaro envisioned.  However, it was very good so the family decided to create a second label called "Soma" and try again for the perfect Cab.  The result was Marita's.  It's truly a Cabernet for the Cabernet lover - bold and smooth with a great finish that stays with you.

This wine is so outstanding that I would recommend this be a stop you make at the END of a day of tastings and not at the beginning.  All other Cabs are likely to pale in comparison after you've had this wine.

We ended up joining the wine club and our first shipment arrived yesterday.  That is definitely some wine that will be saved for special occasions!

A trip to Marita's Vineyard is not just a wine tasting - it's a wine experience.  To visit the home of the winemaker, listen to him explain his winemaking philosophy and drink wine with him out of his private cellar was tremendous and one of the highlights of our trip this year.

Here are some facts about the various Marita's releases from their website:

Appellation/AVA:  Coombsville, Napa Valley

Fruit Source:  100% MARITA´S VINEYARD

Vineyard Size:  2.6 acres

Vineyard Age:  Vineyard planted in 2002

Topography:  The unique vineyard setting is a hillside slope.

Soil:  Well-drained rocky and stone/gravel soil.

Root Depth:  Shallow - Average 24 to 36 inches. (Shallow root depth has a major impact on fruit quality by concentrating the fruit flavors.)

Varietal/Blend:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Aging:  Wines are aged 18 to 20 months in French oak.

Vintages:

SOMA 2004 - Never sold or released - Available for vertical tastings at vineyard only (70 cases made)

MARITA´S VINEYARD 2005 - 225 cases
SOMA 2005 - 230 cases

MARITA´S VINEYARD 2006 - 225 cases
SOMA 2006 - 265 cases

MARITA´S VINEYARD 2007 - 225 cases (Not yet released)
SOMA 2007 - 230 cases (Not yet released) 

New Years Eve Wine Dinner

My "wine worthy" friends and I got together NYE for a fantastic dinner and even better wine.  We really went all out.

Each of the following wines was fantastic but I have to admit that the Beringer stole the show.  I would love to have a case!

We started with 2 bottles of Champagne.  My friend, Michael, brought the Piper Heidsieck Champagne.  It was terrific.  Very dry - just the way I like it!

I brought my prized bottle of 1998 La Grande Dame.  That Champagne is true luxury!  As the winery describes it:

La Grande Dame 1998 has a pale gold color with jade glints. The wine is crystal clear, with unbelievably fine bubbles.  On the first nose, typical Chardonnay characteristics come to the fore, with the arrival of floral and mineral aromas (acacia, ferns, chalk). By agitating the wine, scents of candied fruit (citrus fruits, apricots, quince) and sweet almond emerge, to reappear later in the mouth. After rotating the wine for a few minutes more, rare notes such as peaty malt, tobacco and delicate herbs, are gradually unveiled.  This aromatic, impressively complex bouquet is confirmed in the mouth. On the palate, the wine is clear-cut and pure, perfectly balanced with a delightful silky smoothness. La Grande Dame 1998, with its lace-like construction, has a long, lively, and structured finish.  This wine has unbelievable aging potential. The 1998 vintage of La Grande Dame, the quintessence of the Veuve Clicquot style, reaches a peak of refinement, without losing its legendary strength produced by a blend including nearly two-thirds of Pinot Noir.

We then moved on to the reds.  Michael had brought a magnum of 2000 Robert Mondavi Reserve Napa Cabernet.  It was excellent and didn't last long!  

From the winemaker's notes:

Our 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is made from our finest Napa Valley vineyards, with half the grapes selected from Robert Mondavi’s historic To Kalon Vineyard. The wine was fermented in a traditional oak tank, aged for 17 months in French oak château barrels and bottled without filtration.

We next opened a bottle of 2006 Marita's Vineyard Napa Cabernet.  This was my first experience with a Marita's wine and it was very good.  It's what I call a boutique wine - only 444 cases were produced.  This 100% Cab will set you back $150 retail.  Wine Enthusiast awarded 93 points.  

I think we're adding Merita's Vineyards to our Napa Tour list.  

Cellar Tracker was telling me that I should have opened my 1998 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cab by 2010 so I decided NYE was as good a time as any!  It totally rocked.  Silver Oak releases their Cabs at the 5 year mark but in my humble opinion their wine needs to age.  A 10+ year old Silver Oak is hard to beat.  Drink it too early and it lacks the smoothness that time will bring.  

From the winemaker:

The 1998 Alexander Valley is a beautifully elegant Cabernet Sauvignon with a medium ruby-red color and a nose of strawberry, Bing cherry and ginger. It is seamless on the palate and has a fruity attack, elegant mid-palate with a long finish of fruit and herbs. Drink now to 2016.

Hands down, the best wine we drank that night was the 2004 Beringer Private Reserve Napa Cab.  It was just out of this world.  Sometimes you drink a bottle of wine and find near perfection.  This was one of those bottles.  Wine Spectator gave this wine 93 points and it deserved every one of them.  This wine is still available for around $80.