High Museum Cultivation Trip: Sonoma and Napa
Another week in wine country!
This time my wife and I are with a group from the Atlanta High Museum Wine Auction committee for the annual cultivation trip to Napa and Sonoma! We’re looking forward to seeing many of these producers in Atlanta in March 2024 for the Auction!
Monday
We visited Hamel Family Wines (beautiful property and facilities) and then did a tasting in the vineyard with Joseph Jewell wines in Sonoma. The Jewell "Old Girls" was my favorite of the day.
Tuesday
Tastings at Reeve (really nice tasting room plus they have an awesome guest house with pool!), Enriquez (at the estate in the Russian River Valley) and Wrens Hop (in their tasting room - incredible view and super nice people!) in Sonoma. The wren hop "Crushed and Broken" pinot was my favorite of the day
Wednesday
In Napa we visited Phifer Pavitt and then Gamble. The Gamble "Heart Block" Sav Blanc was my favorite of the day. Glad to see Georgia people (Phifer Pavitt) making great wine in Napa!
Thursday
Markham, Amulet and Pride Mountain were on the docket today in Napa. The best California wine of the day was the 2018 Amulet Estate "Mockingbird" cab blend. Let's see if someone can top it on Friday! Not reflected in my tasting notes is that at Amulet we were invited to taste the 3 finalists (A, B & C) for their new upcoming blend. I picked A and Shawn is going to let us know what they end up picking. I hope it's "A" and I've got dibs on that one :) All were outstanding so they can't go wrong!
Friday
Pahlmeyer, Arrow & Branch and Fait-Main to close out the trip in Napa. The Arrow & Branch Dr. Crane was the best California wine of the day and of the trip. Grabbed a good bit of this one for the cellar! Also loved trying the '21 LP from FM (probs my fav Napa Cab from vintage to vintage) and the inaugural Tierra Roja. Also, so glad I learned how to pronounce Fait-Main correctly "Fay Maah" (or just "Fat Man" as they have lovingly nicknamed it since almost everyone pronounces it incorrectly!). Great last day in Wine Country!
In conclusion….
Man what a variety of wines and experiences! Enjoyable trip for this old world guy. The funniest thing I heard from my tasting group is "you brought your own wine with you to wine country? wth?" Yep... nothing like an aged Bordeaux after drinking a ton of young Cali cabs! (It was a Château Cos d'Estournel shared with the group at our final dinner of the trip at The Charter Oak)
