tasting notes

grapes

NEW RELEASES ~

2012 Suisun Valley Verdejo:

This is a new varietal for Lava Vine that we just could not resist exploring. These grapes originally hail from the Northern part of Spain and have grown considerably in popularity. On the nose, our 2012 vintage opens with dusty “Flintstone” Vitamin minerality and a whoosh of night-blooming Jasmine. Then comes the fruit: fresh kiwi and sweet cantaloupe. A crisp Granny Smith apple entry broadens to a rich mid-mouth palate with a hint of lemon zest in the background. The mid palate increases in volume through the smooth finish.Balanced now, and ageable for up to 3 years.

2012 North Coast Viognier:

Sweet banana chip aroma with grilled pineapple and Juicy Fruit gum entice the senses with this year’s amazing Viognier. Like its predecessor, a rich, full entry leads to a dense mid palate with tropical notes flourishing. Flawless. The balanced acidity and depth of the wine allow it to compliment rich cuisine, and heat from spicy foods will elevate and enhance the fruit characteristics. Extremely balanced and ready to drink, but if you can bear to cellar it, this gem will age for up to 3-5 years.

2012 Napa Valley Rose of Cabernet of Sauvignon:

Summer pool party and BBQ anyone? Sweet summer strawberry floods the nose with prominent pomegranate and dried cranberry backing it up. This dry Rose has an incredible viscous mouthfeel creating a balanced and robust mid palate. Fire up the grill and slather some sweet, zesty sauce on Baby Back ribs and taste how well smoked meat or vegetables will elevate the fruit.

2010 Napa Valley Zinfandel:

Brown sugar and fresh ripe plum begin this beauty of Calistoga. Strawberry-Rhubarb pie with a perfectly browned piecrust captivate aromatically. This fruit forward Zinfandel has a silky, bright entry and is full of summer berry jam. Rich viscous mid palate opens with excellent acidity all the way through the long seductive finish. Try this with pork chops with a brown sugar/fresh ginger glaze! Balanced and drinking very well but can age for up to three years.

2011 Napa Valley Zinfandel:

A beautiful cedar chest blast with fresh raspberry jam and extremely ripe late-harvest strawberries engage the nose. Wet tobacco and vanilla bean hint around the edges with a dash of burnt marshmallow. This vintage has an extremely balanced entry through the mid palate showing its grace with a long elegant finish. This classic Calistoga Zinfandel has refined tannins and will continue to showcase its fruit after 5 years in the cellar.2012 California Red Wine:

It’s back! We have answered the demand from our wonderful family members and made another Red blend. Fresh blueberries and cassis greet the nose with caramel and vanilla backbone close behind. A bright cherry entry advances to a medium bodied mid palate. A bit of gaminess enters in the nose and illuminates a silky smooth juicy cherry finish. Will compliment most any food and this balanced party wine is ready for sipping. Enjoy!

2011 Knights Valley Syrah:

This is how it all started…and boy are we glad we stayed in it long enough to see the aging and maturity shine on our established Estate fruit. A rich blueberry and light blackberry aroma along with a resinous black pepper and dash of white pepper in the background is all held together seamlessly by the natural minerality the earth provides us in our namesake vineyard. A rich full entry, to a bold, balanced spicy mouthfeel continues on to an extremely long luxurious finish. For fruit-forward lovers, cellar for up to five years. Ageable for 7 to 9 years.

2011 Napa Valley Charbono:

This wine was sold out before it could have a chance to be poured in the tasting room…so take good care of our babies if you have them! Dark black ink to the eye and full fruit on the nose. Ripe black plum flushes the senses with black raspberry at its side. Big balanced tannins captivate the mouth with rich dark fruit guiding the round, robust mid-palate. All this and a pinch of sweet sandalwood, vanilla been, and toasted almonds. This beautiful beast will cellar for 8 to 10 years, but for those adventurous palates wanting a roller coaster ride of rich tannins and enormous fruit…be our guests and pop the cork now.

 

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2012 Napa Valley Chenin Blanc:

This new release of our Chenin Blanc is sure to tantalize the Palate. A Fruit forward, multi-faceted wine exuding fresh peach and dried apricot with sweet grapefruit undertones. The green lime minerality tangled with peach blossom entry sustains to a ripe honeydew mid-palate with crisp, balanced acidity driving through the finish. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser on the table and in the backyard.

 

2010 California Red Wine:

Juicy Cherry and summer strawberry mingle with sweet cedar and fresh cracked pepper notes. The silk entry slips and gently slides to a soft and balanced mouth feel and chewy red vine finish.  This is a wine that will surely please the masses, so turn up the music, it’s time to par-tay!

 

2010 Napa Valley Petit Verdot:

Like stepping into an old-fashioned sweet shoppe; hard black fruit candy, salt-water taffy, and dark chocolate truffles coalesce and intrigue the senses, with caramel and butterscotch notes lingering above. Deep rich tannins greet and introduce the palate to an ever-present chewy mid-palate finishing with a dollop of boysenberry and syrupy cassis. Though not for the faint of heart in this stage of its development, a little age will go a long way with this Powerhouse Petit!

 

2010 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve:

Bold. Rich. Balanced. Cabernet. Hold onto your hats with this gem. Dark chocolate covered ripe cherry with a toasted graham cracker, and burnt marshmallow nose! An intense but balanced mouth feel with rich tannins meld the bold mid-palate with a deeply pronounced finish. Now the fireworks begin; vanilla bean and Crème Brule, black currant, ascend as the richness expands and evolves. This promiscuous delight is sure to settle down with elegance for years and years to come!

California Non-Vintage Dessert Wine (AKA Port)

AKA Amazing! It’s back and better than ever! Sweet black licorice, Bing cherry cordial, married with ripe black plum and absinthe. Breathe in the instant crystal coffee nose with the crushed velvet entry and a rush of butterscotch will guide the palate to a comforting, lingering finish. Refined. Mature. Magical. Yours.

 

2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

Dark ruby in the glass, the 2010 displays incredible color and depth, even more opulent than the past couple of vintages. The nose is vibrant with ripe cassis and blackberries and a hint of the rich spice typical of the volcanic soils of Calistoga. Blackberries fold into black cherry in the mouth and the spice turns to dusty tannins and pepper. The finish lingers with barrel notes of toast and vanilla. Ready to drink now, but becoming more interesting everyday.

 

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2011 Napa Valley Chenin Blanc (SOLD OUT)

Cool straw colored and lean in the glass, this wine is alive with aromas of peach blossom and honeydew. In the mouth it's angular and layered, with firm acidity and a stony minerality that tingles with a crisp bright citrus- think Meyer Lemon zest. Some summer whites are meant for getting really cold and drinking by the pool, this one comes off a little more nuanced and sophisticated, it belongs with the first course of a fabulous dinner.

2011 Napa Valley Viognier (SOLD OUT)
This wine is all about summer- it looks like gold-flecked summer light in a glass. The bouquet is rich and tropical, with notes of guava, passion fruit, and ripe pears. The mouthfeel is tremendous- displaying weight and viscosity with a satiny touch that at once feels both enveloping and fleeting. Tropical flavors take hold on the palate with sweet pineapple and stone fruit, and a long finish that hints at vanilla bean.

2011 Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon (SOLD OUT)
The Saignee of our Cabernet, this is that wine to drink by the pool. It's light raspberry in color, a hue leaning more towards an old photograph than a new one, washed out and vintage rather than neon. The nose is just what you'd expect, bright red fruit- this year it's over-ripe strawberries that steal the bouquet. Flavor of wild strawberries , raspberries and a perfect streak of wet-stony minerality leaving you wanting more.
2011 Clement Hills Grenache (SOLD OUT)

Adam's favorite red of last year (so far). It's light to medium bodied with a blood orange glow. The nose displays aromas of strawberry, rhubarb, white pepper, and cranberry- and the flavors... they just kept coming... here's a selection of the forty notes we wrote: rose petal, wild cranberry, sour cherries, candied apples, dried strawberry... This is a wine of bottomless complexity that changes in your glass from minute to minute.

2009 Alexander Valley Syrah (SOLD OUT)

Crimson in color and full-bodied, this is a masculine wine with aromas of huckleberries, licorice, and sandlewood . At the first sip it is undeniably Syrah, tarry and savory with spicy, plummy fruit- But it's in the mid-palate that this wine breaks from the pack, revealing luscious red fruit, cinnamon, and brown sugar- persisting to bold notes of toasted wood and baking spices in the finish.

2010 Napa Valley Petite Sirah (SOLD OUT)
Lava Vine Petite is known for it's opaque blueberry color- it happens naturally over the course of its fermentation, without the use of tricks like enzymes or extended macerations- the fruit is just that incredible. Jon jokes that this vintage smells like "blueberries smashed on the wet pavement" and tastes like brown sugar, tart cherry, and molasses. As in the past, the 2010 is another show-stopper for us, and is sure to be a favorite in the tasting room.

2010 Napa Valley Viognier (SOLD OUT)

Night picked 'under the lights' on the sandy bench-lands of Oakville on September 30th. Why the wait? Superb tropical notes of guava and passion fruit on sun softened skins... Preserving those delicate aromas and full force flavors via whole cluster pressing is required, we pay the price in lower yields, but uncompromised quality is what we deliver. Fermenting 85% of the resulting juice in stainless steel and 15% in lightly toasted French Oak brings balance and tension. The result? Pale new straw in color, apricot blossoms, vanilla, honeysuckle, and guava fill out the aromas. Passion fruit, toasted nuts, Meyer Lemon zest and Honey Crisp Apples play on the pallet.

2010 North Coast Viognier (SOLD OUT)

Our second year working with these amazing old vine Viognier beauties from Green Valley. Clearly we are onto something amazing here- California sun fruit loops & french styled minerals. Wow. Didn't think we could improve on our acclaimed 2009, but the proof is in the bottle. The sloping sandy soil restricts Viognier's inherent vigor, setting a concentrated crop. Lemongrass yellow-green in the glass, the wine has an ideal mix of fruit, floral notes, and acidity. Honeysuckle, white blossom and brown spice aromas (30% French barrel aged) are followed by green apple, white peach and subtle vanilla notes. 

2010 Napa Valley Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon (SOLD OUT)

Soft rose petals meet the eye. Is that crushed limestone comingling with farm ripe strawberries and raspberries on the nose? Straight shock of raspberries tickles the tongue for certain. This delightfully dry and crisp wine of the pink persuasion is a crowd pleaser. By the pool. At the beach. To cool down on a summer day. With breakfast (it's 5pm somewhere)! Goes great with a Casper's Hot Dog (www.caspershotdogs.com) when beer isn't what you are after...

2009 Sonoma County Syrah (SOLD OUT)

Garnett brilliance in the glass and presenting rich aromas of toasted oak, brown spices, boysenberries, and red cherries. Flavors of roasted nuts and opulent red fruit meld seamlessly with forest floor notes leading to a long, delicious finish punctuated by baking spice overtones and a bright fruit core.

2009 Napa Valley Cabernet franc (SOLD OUT)

Crimson. A vibrant example of the amazing bouquet and structure this grape can achieve at its pinnacle. White pepper, roasted herbs and red cherry aromas provide intrigue at the entrance. Dark cherry juice, red currants, sage and toasted oak hold court in the parlor. Cigars anyone? A wine of power and finesse; full bodied yet supple, approachable in its youth but capable of extended bottle age.

2009 Napa Valley Petite Sirah (SOLD OUT)

Opaque huckleberry juice gets close to describing the astounding density of color and aroma. Blueberry pie, dark plums and sundried cherries fill out behind the massive boysenberry and baking chocolate flavors. Mouth filling and pallet coating, this wine finishes over the course of minutes, trailing with soft chocolaty tannins.

2010 Russian River Chardonnay (SOLD OUT)

A white rose bouquet~ Gravenstein and Granny Smith Apples in the nose lead to rich Bartlett Pear and vanilla in the mouth. A rich butterscotch bass note surfaces in the finish, and gives way to crisp minerality.

2009 Lava Vine Viognier (SOLD OUT)

Meyer Lemon, and night blooming Jasmine highlight a supple bouquet that melts seamlessly to a silky mouthfeel. Green mango and orange blossom notes abound, balanced in the mid-palate by a perfect stream of sea salt minerality. This is a wonderful wine to pair with spicier foods.

2010 Clements Hills Grenache (SOLD OUT)

Deemed our "Thanksgiving Wine" it slams the senses with fresh cranberry and ripe cherry. Brilliant acidity ensures it will hold up to the Holiday table. Slight carmel notes add a richness to the body that will play wonderfully with the turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy!

2009 Mt. Veeder Syrah (SOLD OUT)

Toasted almonds and rhubarb entice the senses, with a warm graham cracker and roasted marshmallow afterglow. A creamy, silky first sip builds to an impressive and balanced mouthfeel. This is a bold wine perfect for a romantic fireplace.

2009 Lava Vine Cabernet Sauvignon (SOLD OUT)

Forest floor strawberry and ripe bing cherry captivate the nose- A velvet mouthfeel introduces rich blackberry in the mid-palate followed with elderberry and cassis notes in the long finish. Exceptional balance and marked craftsmanship are undeniable