Sullivan Vineyards in Napa: Solid Wines in an Incredible Oasis

At the suggestion of a Facebook friend who seems to have a similar palate (thanks to John P of CO!), I booked an appointment at Sullivan Vineyards, a small, appointment-only winery in the Rutherford district of Napa that makes between 2,500 and 3,500 cases per year.

Between the main drags in Napa -- 29 and the Silverado Trail, lies this beautiful oasis. As we drove into the parking lot, we saw the hustle and bustle of grapes coming in to the crushpad. A stroll around the corner and there was a gorgeous picnic area between a Frank Lloyd Wright style home and the tasting room/winery (actually John Marsh Davis, who built Chateau Souverain and Joseph Phelps designed it). It's a secluded, serene area and was such a tranquil getaway spot in the middle of Napa.

I was greeted by Sean Sullivan himself, who oversees winemaking and viticulture at the Winery. He was a modest, soft-spoken guy, but was excited to speak about his wines and family. His mother, JoAnna, and his father, Jim, a graphic designer to various music, TV, and book publishers, moved the family from Southern California in 1972 to the Rutherford property to do the wine thing. They have been making wine here since around 1981 and received tons of accolades over the years.

Sean was the lone man holding down the fort when I arrived and he was a bit overwhelmed with guests, so I got only a brief time with him. He told me a bit about his family and Sullivan's winemaking style, which focuses on more restrained, earthy, and less fruity flavors. I learned from the web site that the grapes are and always have been farmed organically and that Sean is making the move to become Biodynamic as well (you can listen to the podcast or read the post on this topic if you want to know more). Very cool.

After I finished the tasting, I got a fabulous tour around the crushpad by Sean's brother, Ross, who is also a winemaker as well. I've got to say, for a small shop, Sullivan is a technologically advanced operation and I was psyched to get a view of the valley from high atop the tanks. Ross even gave us a barrel sample of un-fermented Rosé, which tasted a lot like raspberry beer but was delicious nonetheless. I really appreciated the hospitality, and the impromptu tour and tasting. The people are cool, the property is beautiful and I'd recommend a visit any time.

Here's the lineup:

Wine #1: Red Ink, 2007 $25
This wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. It was a dark red color with a light pink rim. It smelled minerally and light with just a little bit of cherry and blackberry fruit. This is a super light wine for a Cabernet/Merlot blend -- lots of red cherry flavor with some medium mouthdrying tannins, but not a showstopper. It's their best seller, most likely because of the competitive price.

Wine #2: 2008 Estate Merlot, $50
This wine is made with a little bit of Cabernet Franc. It was light in color -- like a rose petal. This was a super aromatic Merlot. It really filled my nose with red cherries and was floral, like fresh violets. The wine was a little more complex to taste. It had a strong red cherry flavor, but also an earthy, tobacco note. On a second sip I tasted a lot of thyme and dried herb flavors. It had medium mouth-drying tannin and mouthwatering acid. By far, my favorite wine at Sullivan...I'm a sucker for a well-made Merlot.

Wine #3: 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, $55
Super dark in color, this was a rich crimson and stained the legs when I swirled it around the glass. The nose was pretty -- like black currant and then like a flowery perfume. There was a slightly medicinal or salty note to it, though, that I didn't love. The wine tasted better than it smelled. It was really restrained on the fruit -- juicy black currant and black plums were balanced by good acid and really strong (in a good way) tannin. There was no green pepper flavor to it at all, something I think is rare in a Napa Cabernet. Sean let me try one that was opened the day before and one that was opened that day -- I would definitely say this wine benefits from breathing! The day-old bottle was much more delicious.

Wine #4: 2008 Coeur de Vigne Bordeaux Blend, $90
The wine is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Rutherford is known for it's "Rutherford dust" or earthy, dusty flavors. I've got to admit that until I smelled and tasted this wine, I wasn't finding Sullivan's lineup to display this unique character. It presented itself in force here and that was a good thing.

The wine was crimson, had thick, stained legs. The smell wasn't strong -- I had to dig to find some character. It was kind of like black cherry, cola, cinnamon, and a bit like a floral soap. To taste, it was extremely dusty and earthy with a cherry flavor in the background. I liked the medium weight of the wine and soft tannins. This was a food wine. I had it with a bit of cheese and thought it shone with that.


Wine #5: James O'Neil Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008, $125 (Special Edition)
Named after Sean's dad, and founder of the winery, James O'Neil Sullivan, this wine was the big wine of the day. It was nearly purple with a pink rim and completely saturated in color. The aroma was earthy, and lightly fruity, but restrained, just like the others. Ah, the Rutherford dust made itself known immediately on the taste. The dust almost stuck in my throat and the strong black currant notes were delicious. There was a bit of green pepper flavor and the wine had massive, super mouth-drying tannins. I think this one could use a bit more time in the bottle before drinking -- it was a little rough on the boca to drink. It needs to mellow a bit before it will reach it's full potential, but with the earth, fruit, and great tannin -- it's a bright future at that.

All in all a very positive experience. If you want to visit an elegant, understated, and beautiful property with good wine, I'd recommend Sullivan. Truth be told, the wines didn't blow me away, but they were well made and better than a lot of the big guys. The opportunity to speak to the winemaker/viticulturist/owner/family member isn't common everywhere and when you get ones as nice as Sean and Ross Sullivan, it's a great thing and creates a personal, unique experience.

Have you been to Sullivan? Let me know what you thought!