Thursday, April 16, 2009

renteria winery

One of the perks of tasting wine is it takes place once and awhile in very nice enviorns. Today I had a lunch with others at Starkers Upstairs with the winemaker Oscar Renteria. The family has been in Napa valley for many decades developing relationships with some of the big guns in the wine industry.

2007 Chardonnay Carneros a clean crisp light on the oak and ml chard...great with food.

2006 Salva Tierra Cabernet Napa good california cab...named after his mother-in-law...trying to get brownie points no doubt.

2006 Knittel Vineyard Pinot Noir pretty food wine...color of bright garnet...some earth and cola on the nose...

2005 Mount Veeder Napa Cab ... woodsy aromas on the nose, nice cassis and tannin on the palate/

winner of the day....Fourteen...taken from Fourteen producers in Appellations all over Napa and Sonoma from some of the big guns... only 1 ton per producer...this is where the contacts with people have paid off...to do such an ambitious project. silky and almost perfect for the price...will have a six pack in store soon.. only around $95

also got to try some older vintages thanks to Jim Coley of starkers and Mr Renteria himself.

1999 Renteria Napa a touch brickish in the glass. sawdust and dirt on the nose, sweet fruit and silky tannin on the palate...long finish..beautiful

2002 Tres Perlas Stags Leap Vineyard...made from what were described as midget vines in the Stags Leap District...three pearls stand for his three daughters..typical of the 2002 that I have tried...lush opulent fruit, a touch of alcohol on the nose that does not translate at all to the palate...beautiful wine..we will have a bottle of the 2003 as only 144 magnums were made...period

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