Napa

Jen’s Notes

We had a modest agenda for this Napa trip:

Nickel & Nickel tour and tasting at 11:30
Silver Oak release party at approximately 1:30
Domaine Chandon to conclude

When we were on our timeline for the 8/26 wedding date, this weekend was to be Shane’s bachelor party – celebrated in Napa with the guys. But as Shane is no longer bachelor, we decided to revisit Nickel & Nickel, where we got engaged, and asked friends and family to meet us at Silver Oak. We had a pretty good turnout, including Shane’s parents, our friends Cam & Kim, Cam’s dad and step mom, and our friend Paul.

Nickel & Nickel

Although we had been to Nickel & Nickel on two previous occasions, we hadn’t yet taken the tour. We are glad that we did. Not only is the property exceptionally beautiful, the tour was very informative. And, of course, there is the thrill of seeing a place where skilled artisans make the wines that we truly love.

The tasting included four 2003 Cabernet Sauvignons, each a single vineyard, single varietal wine. These covered a lot of territory, each showing the distinction that most oenophiles will tell you only comes from the soil in which the grapes are grown. Though all the wines were exceptional in their own way, the two standouts for me were the Regusci and the Vogt. The Regusci was quite powerful and will be absolutely divine after a few years’ bottle age. The Vogt was more subtle, focusing on elegance and finesse. It was interesting to taste these more or less side by side and love them both equally.

The Cab tasting finished early so our docent said that he would see if he could find us some more wine to taste. During the tour, I happened to let slip that we had gotten engaged in the Gleason Barn at the winery. So, when Shane suggested to the docent that he break out the Dolce, he readily agreed. The Dolce was poured and everyone raised their glasses in a toast to us. The 2002 vintage heralds a new wine maker at Dolce. While the wine’s opulent style is still evident, it shows more minerality than some of the previous vintages. It was delicious. In fact, a lady who had barely touched her Cabs gulped down the Dolce in surprised delight.

Silver Oak

The occasion was the release of the 2002 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It was also our meeting place for the friends and family who joined us. As usual, it was quite a party, fueled by many pours of the famous red, and a selection of gourmet treats. The treats were served in tiny, ridged plastic cups that could be hung inside the Silver Oak glasses. You could place the cup in your glass, eat your treat, pop the cup out of your glass and then drink your wine. Talk about old fashioned American ingenuity!

As one might expect, a Monet-like blur overcame us as the afternoon wore on; a blur of laughing, smiling faces, broken wineglasses greeted by loud cheers, dogs, cute babies, women in inexplicably revealing clothing…There were even two women who spanked each other. After their raunchy display, one of them ran over to Paul and hugged him saying, “I don’t know you, but I’m going to hug you.”

We’re actually not huge fans of the wine, but this is always a party not to be missed.

Domaine Chandon

It would take a lot of Silver Oak to keep us from finishing a tasting trip at Domaine Chandon. Paul came with us, and we each had a glass of sparkling wine. Shane’s favorite is the Chandon Riche, a rich, slightly sweeter style. Paul and I went for the top shelf Etoile – the rose for me, and the classic one for him.

After the Silver Oak party, we were ready for some quiet time. We walked past the sign that said “No guests past this point” and laid down in the shady grass. I believe we may have even napped.