Wines from Northern California are well received in Bordeaux

In March 2020, I flew from Bordeaux to San Francisco to visit friends in the Napa Valley wine country. The plan was to stay for a week. Upon arrival in the US, a customs officer mentioned that all passenger flights to the US would be suspended the next day due to Covid-19 precautions.

Three days later, generous Napa hosts woke me early. They warned that Europe would soon ban incoming flights and suggested that I go to the airport immediately and take the first flight. Her advice was wise: I did it when I came back just a day before the airspace was closed to international flights in France.

During those brief days in California, I visited a handful of wineries and found that Napa wines – many of which were teeming with tannins a decade and a half ago – were back on track in terms of variety and quality: layered and complex flavor profiles are now obscuring those Memories of Perhaps the region has had even passing attention in the past to the curling power of the cheeky tannins. Up and down in the valley (according to latitude and altitude) the quality remains – not through a marketing trick, but through generations of committed breeders who carefully consider the climate and soil. This, combined with concentrated cellar craft, produces wines that are pleasing today and can often last for decades.

The easing of the pandemic is now evident in Northern California – the Napa Valley unemployment rate fell from 6.2% to 5.5% between April and May this year. Quiet days of economic hiatus are again being replaced by notable financial deals – such as the announced sale of Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic winery to Delicato Family Wines. Certain frivolities also emerge – with the post-lockdown sociability increasing sales of $ 500 bottles in the Napa Valley.

Months ago friends sent Californian wines here to France to taste, knowing that travel from abroad to their state was restricted. Some of these vintages were produced by Californians with historical connections to Bordeaux viticulture (Chris Phelps studied in Bordeaux and did his internship at Château Pétrus in Pomerol; Robin Lail’s connection with Robert Mondavi brought them into close contact with Bordeaux Vignerons.)

Local Bordeaux winemakers and sommeliers came together to taste these wines. Overall, they gave these slightly hotter climatic years rave approval from their professional California cohort. This sharing of boxes and bottles (across oceans and continents) during a time when few people could make this journey only seemed to strengthen mutual relationships and respect between the winemakers of Napa and Bordeaux.

Below are selected tasting notes.

Coil wines. Pinot Noir. Signal Ridge Vineyard. Mendocino Ridge appellation. 2018. (95 to 96 points)

Light brick and amber color. A rich, ripe, juicy and fruity beauty with juicy aromas of red plums, wild strawberries, smoke, cherries, raspberries and vanilla. In the mouth, a light, sparkling acidity, which is fused with firm tannins and red fruits, offers rich and crunchy aromas of cherries, plums and vanilla on the middle palate. A beautiful spring beauty with silky tannins and a round mouthfeel – goes well with a wide range of dishes, both savory and sweet

Ad Vivum Keller. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. 2017. (97 points)

From the Sleeping Lady Vineyard of Yountville come grapes that make this light to medium purple colored wine. It contains roasted aromas of liquorice, sultanas, molasses and mocha. The soft mouthfeel includes a supple acidity and firmly structured tannins. Black cherries and black pepper in the beginning and a lively middle palate with spices, mashed cherries, anise and a hint of menthol in the finish. Complex but accessible. A striped three-course meal in the mouth. Pair with steaks cooked over burnt vines with a garnish of butternut squash.

Grounded Wine Company. Founded by Josh Phelps. Cabernet Sauvignon. 2019. (94 points)

From a young Californian producer who became famous. Made from select grapes harvested across California, this wine contains blockbuster flavors of violets, blueberries, acorns, red plums, black cherries, wild strawberries, and even hints of maple syrup and vanilla. Polished, juicy, lively. Skilfully balanced in the mouth with plump and fresh aromas of ripe cherries and plums and black pepper on the palate and sparkling acidity in the finish. Easy to drink and delicious in summer. Pair with (what his famous winemaker suggests) burgers fortified with red wine. An unusually good price / performance ratio.

Grounded Wine Company. Space Age Central Coast Rosé. California. 2020. (93 points)

Grenache fruit Рselected from growers in the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo regions of California Рis blended with Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignane, and Cunoise. Light acidity and tropics on the nose, together with aromas of lime, paws and gooseberries. Juicy and rich with balanced fruit / acidity. A well processed and balanced ros̩; drink lightly. A plate of grilled anchovies or a honeydew melon and ham slices go well with it.

Grounded Wine Company. Sauvignon Blanc. 2020. (92 points)

Crunchy, brittle, snappy and precise aromas of lime, tangerine and a little saltiness. The carefree flavors of the middle palate include white pears and tropical fruits; a splash of crunchy nectarine in the finish. With a handful of roasted cashew nuts or a plate of sashimi.

Lail vineyards. Georgia. Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley. 2018. (97 points)

Named after the first member of the sixth generation of the Lail family – Georgia Eileen – this wine contains smacking aromas of lime, mint, gooseberry, some flint and wet beach stones. In the mouth, this precise and concentrated wine has a rich and delicate tropical palate, a pleasantly oily mouthfeel and contains a little mint and even butterscotch in the finish. An easy, almost ethereal, winner. Impressive. It goes well with anchovies or a meringue dessert.

Lail vineyards. Design. Sauvignon Blanc. Napa Valley. 2019. (97 points)

Spicy aromas of grapefruit, mandarins, green apples, moist minerals and the scent of an olive grove. Delicious semi-sweet and open in the mouth with a juicy and comprehensive acidity that persists in the finish. Enjoy it with sashimi or even a creamy cheese. Time in a bottle.

Lail vineyards. J. Daniel Cuvée. Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley. 2018. (99 points)

Dark purple and ash-colored from this Cabernet Sauvignon with 15.3% alcohol. The flavors are rich, compact, earthy and approachable. Seriously juicy, sun-kissed fruit on the nose. In the mouth a beautifully light and ephemeral, but focused treasure chest of black and red fruits, mint chocolate cake and subtle tannins and juicy acidity. This well-processed, balanced wine is the pinnacle of the winemaking trade. This goes well with game and roasted potatoes coated with sage.

Lail vineyards. Design. Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley. 2018. (99 points)

The name pays homage to Jon Lail’s architectural design achievements in the wine world. A rich palette of flavors: brownies, plums and even Bartlett pair with the acidity, as well as mocha and sultanas. On the palate, an imposing and regal touch of rich, velvety juice with a well-structured tannin backbone. A touch of cocoa in the beginning, followed by raspberries, plums and Christmas cake on the palate, followed by a finish with a touch of lime and menthol. This is a three course meal in itself; Serve with roast beef, oxtail soup or lamb with potato gratin. A really extraordinary, well-made, beautiful wine. A song in a bottle.