As it turns out, this was one of the best experiences I've ever had in Napa. If you want the formal grand tasting room, with staff hovering and mahogany bars, this isn't for you. But if you want to see how an up-and-coming winery with a great product and a down-to-earth vibe is getting started (and I assume you do, since you're reading this blog!), Lava Vine is it. This place embodies Wine For Normal People -- it's not snobby or pretentious, just a place to have fun, drink well, and learn a thing or two.
I should have known it was going to be a very cool and normal experience. The guy at Ladera, who was super corporate and seemed to look down his nose a bit at "Wine For Normal People" was shocked when I told him our next stop was Lava Vine. He boasted that he knew the winemaker well because their kids played soccer together, but when I asked him if he'd ever visited the winery or had the wines, he said no. I got the distinct impression that this place may be a little too indie for him...and man, was I right!
If you head north on the Silve
Everything had personal touches -- this was clearly someone's place, not a corporate mega-conglomerate.
I
Lava Vine is a tiny operation. It's run by Joe Cabral, a former real estate builder/contractor who got into wine for the same exact reasons I did -- he
Joe and his family got the opportunity to buy a super-steep 4 acre vineyard in the Franz Valley of Calistoga in Napa in 2000. Although it was a hot mess that needed a ton of work (that could only be done by hand, given the 45% slope), Joe perservered. He became a home winemaker and made wine from the Portuguese grapes growing in his vineyard...as you can probably guess, he started with a Port-style wine.
By 2004, Joe teamed up with another winemaker and started the Lava Vine label. In 2008 he and his wife bought the property on the Silverado Trail and opened the tasting room in October of that year.
Joe and his assistant/partner Burroughs took some time out of manua
It's rare that you go anywhere in wine country and feel this welcomed and such a part of the experience. I was happy to be there, but I was even happier that the product kicked ass. It would have been a shame if they were nice people making crap wine, but I'm here to tell you -- that's not the case.
Here's the lineup...
Wine #1: 2009 Lava Vine Napa Valley Viognier, $29
Smell: The smell was all Viognier, all the time -- peach, honey comb, honeysuckle, and a fresh out of the oven lemon sugar cookie jumped out of the glass.
Taste: Again really unexpected. This wine had some great acid to balance the honeysuckle/lemon cookie thing. It was a very dry, light style but super fruity. I was surprised when Jon said that 10% of the wine was aged in oak to give it more body -- it definitely didn't taste like it, which is a good thing, I think.
Drink or Sink?: Drink...all day long. The wine was a little austere from the acid and I loved it. The contrast of acid and fruit made it tasty and refreshing and one of the best Napa Viogniers I've had.
Wine #2: 2010 Lava Vine Russian River Valley Chardonnay, $35
Smell: The wine had a very typical Russian River Chardonnay smell -- lots of green apple, some pineapple, and then a huge hit of caramel from the oak. Again, I felt trepidation, since I have to admit, although I appreciate the style, I'm not a personal fan of Russian River Chardonnay because I find it a little too much in the big fruit, butter, and oak stuff.
Taste: Damn! This was a great wine. It was so balanced -- it had great tart apple notes, just a touch of oak, and super acid. Jon let us in on a few secrets to their success.
- First, the grapes come from DuMOL, a very small production, highly esteemed producer in the Russian River Valley. The raw materials that Joe had to work with were awesome.
- Second, the wine didn't go through malolactic fermentation, which makes a wine creamy and buttery and can accentuate tropical flavors. That makes for a crisper, more acidic style.
Drink or sink?: In Joe's hands the grapes made a great wine. If everyone did Russian River Chardonnay this way, I'd be a convert.
Wine #3: 2009 Lava Vine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $54
Color: A faded garnet color, this was lighter than some of the blood red Cabs that are common in Napa and can taste like prune juice because they are so fruity.
Smell: This is everythin
Taste: It was earthy but had great blackberry and black plum flavors. The wine had a meaty quality too -- it was smokey, rich, and full. Even with all that flavor, though, it was a great balance of fruit, mouth drying tannin, and acidity.
Drink or Sink?: Drink. This is a multi-faceted wine where the flavors just keep on coming, but it's not so heavy that one flavor or texture awkwardly stands out over the others. Perfectly balanced and an amazing price compared to other less impressive Cabs in the Valley.
Wine #4 (the one that started it all...) Lava Vine Dessert Wine (Port style)
Color: Right on par for a Port, this was a light brownish brick color. It wasn't dark like a ruby Port, but transparent.
Smell: I could tell this was going to be great. It had ripe plum, raisin, and floral smells to it -- an ideal combo. It smelled a little brandied and alcoholic, but in a warm, fruity way. Fortunately the wine didn't smell sugary sweet or artificial, a great sign for a Port-style.
Taste: This kicked serious ass. It was bursting with ripe black plum flavors,
Special Tasting: Jon had a really special treat for us on this one. He broke out unsweetened chocolate, poured on some olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and had us try it with the wine. Holy s*&t. The combo transformed into something like a dark chocolate, plum-filled truffle. It was creamy, fruity, salty, and warm. I could have sworn I was eating a box of Godiva. Heaven. You have to try this!
Drink or sink?: Needless to say, this is a drink.
What else can I say about Lava Vine ? I think this may be the most exciting place in all of Napa right now. If you're heading to California Wine Country, this is a MUST DO. If not, get in their wine club now because I bet it won't be possible in a few years. This is truly a place for normal people who like wine!
Mad I drove by that place about 8 times. Looked like it might be cool, but just didn't pull in. Rats!
ReplyDeleteThe wine is amazing but the ambiance is the hook. This is the way winemaking was meant to be. No gravity feed techno snobbery, just winemaking - fruit flies and all ...
ReplyDeleteWOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW! I've had goosebumps for five minutes!!! This is Jon form the tasting room! I am so glad you had an amazing time...I had a great time as well! Nothing more to say than THANK YOU! Please come visit often. We need "Real People" like you. You know you make our day exciting, adventurous, and down right kick-a@#!!! CHHHEEEERS!
ReplyDeleteJon --
ReplyDeleteFirst of all -- I totally suck for spelling your name wrong though! I just corrected it. Sorry!!
You are amazing. If you poke around the blog (even if you look at the post before yours) you'll know that I only give credit where credit is due -- and it's due ot you. You guys are awesome. I will definitely visit whenever I'm in Napa. If I can ever do anything for you, please let me know and don't forget me when you guys are the next Screaming Eagle...for normal people!
Stay in touch PLEASE!
Elizabeth
My wife and I and two other couples went on a wine tasting trip to the Napa, Sonoma and Russian River Valleys a month or so ago and I couldn't agree more with this article. We stopped at Lava Vine based on a recommendation from someone at Chateau Montelena and it was the best experience of the trip. Jon and Burroughs were in the tasting room and Joe stopped in at one point, those guys were hilarious and made it so much fun. Great wine and the food pairings were fantastic, loved the scallops! (Sorry we broke the glass though)
ReplyDeleteSo amazing that you say that because Chateau Montelena is my favorite classic winery in Napa. I LOVE them and will be writing about their latest releases (and trying to do a podcast with them too!) in the next week. Stands to reason that great places recommend each other -- even though Montelena is a Napa institution, it's also SO normal and an amazing experience because the people are so great (and the wines are phenomenal too!).
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to be let in on the LV secret now.
And I don't want to speak for Jon, but broken glass is an occupational hazard in our field...I'm sure he's good with it!
Take care and thanks for posting,
Elizabeth
Lava Vine was our favorite winery as well. We had the best experience there and just received our first shipment. The wine is fabulous, the people are so much fun and we cannot wait to go back!
ReplyDelete