Midsummer Night’s Dream Tweetup The one, the only, Napa Valley Tweetup was proud to partner with Flora Springs for an amazing party on July 17th.
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We raised a toast with Trilogy and sipped Soliloquy as DJ Kevin West got us movin’ and groovin’ with the Flora Go Go’s at the gorgeous Flora Springs tasting room.
Rebecca recently won where’s magnum offered by the Marriott Napa Valley Hotel and Spa. They show a picture on facebook and people have to guess where the picture was taken. Last week they featured us and I asked Rebecca how she knew the picture was at our estate.
Not that cheers but the Cheers St. Helena event that happens the first Friday of every month now until October. Last Friday, we were back to downtown St. Helena to pour at Toss Designs for Cheers! St. Helena, a monthly non-profit event. As with all of the other Cheers! events, there was great wine, food, and live music. We poured our Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio, chatted up the crowd, and enjoyed a beautiful summer night. The Sangiovese was perfect with the barbecued food, and the Pinot Grigio was a favorite in the warm weather. Main Street was PACKED. Just walking from one end to another took forever, but that just gave everyone the excuse to stop and taste more wines. http://florasprings.tumblr.com/
Last Friday, we kicked off the Flora Springs Summer Lunch series, an intimate gathering of up to 20 people, invited to spend an afternoon with the family to share stories and wine over lunch. Flora Springs owner John Komes hosted the lunch, starting with a barrel tasting in the caves. While we compared wines aged in French, American and Hungarian oak barrels, John told some hilarious jokes and spoke about how the winery was started, which kept everyone entertained and eager to hear more. http://florasprings.tumblr.com/
Like most people, I find Mondays are boring and often wish I could skip right to Tuesday. But thanks to the people over at Vintank, Bolen Family Estates and Gabriel Carrejo, this Monday was anything but boring. I grabbed a bottle of 2007 Flora Springs Merlot, stuffed it in my purse, and headed over to Vintank in downtown Napa for a #MerlotMonday tweetup. florasprings.tumblr.com/
Last Saturday night, I was at the St. Helena Native Sons Hall for the June Bug Dance, a concert to benefit local farmworkers. Organized by Sean and Lindsay Garvey, the event built on last year’s success, and raised considerably more money than the 2009 concert. A portion of the proceeds went to the Work Connection in St. Helena, a non-profit that matches Napa Valley farmworkers with employers who pay fair-wages and provide safe work environments.
By day, Sean is Flora Spring’s Communications and Production Director, but by night, he’s known in the Valley for his singing and songwriting. Sean opened the show with songs from his newest record, “California Parable.” Many people came specifically to see Sean play; his songs appeal to those who want to dance or just enjoy the music. If you missed the concert, you can check out some of his songs here. Chuck Prophet also played at the concert.
Sean’s wife Lindsay is a professional photographer, and luckily for me, she provided the above photo. You know there’s no way I took that great of a photo with my iPhone, much less in a dimly lit room…countdown to iPhone 4.
Last weekend, my boss Margaret and I headed over to Walnut Creek for the Art and Wine Festival. We had a blast! We poured the 2008 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay and Soliloquy Sauvignon Blanc, opened up a magnum of the 2007 Trilogy, and ate lots and lots of kettle corn. Just another day of hard work! After the festival, the locals we met recommended that we stop downtown to eat dinner at Va de Vi, a small plates bistro and wine bar. Although the restaurant was packed, we only had to wait a few minutes before being seated at the chef’s table. We could see all of the cooking right in front of us—I tried to pick up some tricks but could hardly keep up. Next time I’ll just stick with the eating part.We ordered the crispy chile relleno, the crispy pork belly, the seared ahi, the rib eye medallions and the mini chicken-mole tacos—my favorite! The menu was very creative, and I thought the portions were generous for being small plates. We ended our dinner with the apple tarte tartin…yum! Overall, I think Va de Vi has a great ambiance, delicious food, and it’s not too hard on the wallet—at least by Napa Valley standards!
I recently started working at the Room one day a week. So far it’s been great, I’ve gotten to meet lots of fun and interesting people. The end of the day can be pretty entertaining when we get groups that are on their way back from a full day of wine tasting!
If you haven’t been to The Room before, we’re right on Highway 29, next to Dean & Deluca and across the street from V. Sattui. We’re hard to miss, as you can see. The Room has a very sleek and modern feel, and you have the option of being inside by the bar or you can enjoy the warm weather and views from our rooftop patio. If you’re on Foursquare, make sure to check-in to receive a special deal for the next time you come by.
The tasting lineup includes our Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Poggio Del Papa, and Trilogy. If you happen to be headed to Rutherford Grill like so many people are, I’d recommend taking a bottle of wine with you to take advantage of their no-corkage policy.
I’m at The Room on Tuesdays, and I’ll also be here for our popular FS Lounge on Thursday, June 24 from 6-8pm. We’ll have a DJ, small bites, and lots of wine of course. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at the door.Hope to see you here soon!
Whether they came for the wine, food, or for the chance to hobnob with industry folks, everyone seemed to be having a great time at last Friday’s Auction Napa Valley event at Rubicon Estates.
We started the day off with barrel tastings of Shafer Vineyards, Alpha Omega, and Darioush wines, among many, many others.
As expected, the food was incredible. Restaurants including Go Fish, Farmstead and Cole’s Chophouse were all serving bite-sized foods. One of my favorites of the day was from Zuzu; they served their paella in a massive paellera. Celebrity sightings included Iron Chef Morimoto, golfer Annika Sorenstam, and Andrea Immer Robinson, but sadly, no Oprah.
Chef Morimoto was personally dashing out to people to give us a taste of his food from his upcoming restaurant, Morimoto Napa. He served steamed pork belly on a very soft bun, and it was as scrumptious as I had envisioned it would be when watching reruns of Iron Chef America.
And as with many events, the Auction wouldn’t have been complete without getting some entertainment from watching a few drunk people hippie dancing in the middle of the giant lawn.
The Auction raised $8.51 million for local charities, way up from last year’s $5.7 million.
Last week, as part of my newly appointed duties, I was presented with the difficult task of tasting not one, but six Flora Springs wines over the Memorial Day Weekend. I knew I was meant to work in Napa when drinking wine became a part of my job! Considering it had been raining for the last couple of weeks in MAY, I finally got to dust off the grill and cook some Santa Maria-style trip-tip. I then got started on my homework:
2008 Soliloquy Sauvignon Blanc
Excellent varietal expression, fruity, fresh, very clean finish. I’m a huge fan of spicy food, and this is the wine I’ve been looking for to pair with my enchiladas or chiles rellenos.
2008 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay Rich, silky texture. Warm tropical melon flavors. Chardonnay moms everywhere would love to sip this during their happy hour play dates.
2008 Pinot Grigio
Sweet, spritzy, refreshing. This is the wine I enjoyed while cooking. 2007 Sangiovese
Dark cherry aroma, notes of dried cranberry, dry finish. The perfect wine to bring to a picnic in the vineyards.
2007 Poggio Del Pappa
Aromas of leather with hints of tobacco. Several layers of flavor. The cab gives it a nice structure. A great accompaniment to Italian food.
2006 Trilogy
Notes of black fruits and dark chocolate. Smooth, lingering finish. I’ll have to bring a bottle to my BF’s family—bonus points!
My friends are now going to be calling me every time they hear that I’m “working”, just to find out if they can help me again—by finishing the wine.
Fall wine pairings: Flora Springs '07 Chardonnay with a creamy, garlic and walnut pesto pasta-Wine ExaminerStacie Hunt
Comfort food comes in many cultures but always has an element of creaminess to it. The creamy texture of a dish can come from slow cooking or braising of dishes – or from delectable cream itself.
To pair with the recipe from San Jose Cooking Examiner’s Creamy, Garlic, Walnut Pesto Pasta, as featured in the Fall Cookbook, there are choices depending on style and taste.
A buttery, Chardonnay from California will bring forth the smooth texture of the sauce and enhance garlic/cream flavors. The taste of pear inherent in the '07 Barrel Fermented, Flora Springs Chardonnay is especially delicious and takes full advantage of the walnuts in the sauce. This wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation and therefore keeps its acidity, which is perfect for refreshing your mouth between each creamy forkful.
Other options:
If your taste tends away from the full-flavored, oaked, Chardonnay style, there are others that merely give a “Hollywood kiss” to an oak barrel, resulting in more citrus and mineral taste components. One such find in this category is from Milagro winery, located in the San Diego suburb of Ramona, California.
California grows a good deal of Pinot Grigio and produces several versions of this popular Italian grape varietal in a fuller style than its Italian relatives. For something completely different, Flora Springs takes a unique approach by using the Pinot Grigio varietal that is native to Alsace, producing a spicier version. Their winemaking process is cold fermentation in stainless steel and quickly into bottle. What comes through in this extraordinarily well-priced bottle is a honeyed-citrusy spike that enlivens the sauce.
The Wine Cask Blog recently tasted our 1991 Trilogy.
They said that: "This is a fine example of the differing aging potential of how wines. The Chateau Pavie Decesse (below) appeared older with the classic bricking (a brown reddish color at the rim of the wine) while this wine still looked like it had years to go before it started going over the hill. This 19 year old wine will go for many more years. At $40, this wine will be around for another decade so raise a glass."
Please note: the current Trilogy price is $65 a bottle.
There are many operations that we do in the vineyards. Some can be done mechanically with a tractor or other motorized implement. Others require a more delicate approach like removing suckers. For those that don't know what a sucker is, it is growth that was not intended by the vineyard manager.
In nature, the vine does not see much in the way of pruning unless done by an animal or other object. In the vineyard, growth is removed several times during the year, including winter pruning, suckering, and in some cases hedging. All of this is done to contol growth. Too much growth produces wines with a green, vegetal character. Too little growth delays or prevents full ripeness of the fruit making for an underwhelming wine.
In the spring before bloom, the vine goes through a very vigorous stage of growth. What growth points were left after pruning are not enough for this stage so the vine finds other growth point to release that energy, and since there are growth points throughout the vine, suckers are the result. These must be removed to keep the vine in balance for the rest of the vintage. This can only be done by the careful hands of our field workers. It takes a skillful eye to make sure that only suckers are removed and not the growth from the bud left behind from last year. I have included some before and after photos of this process.
Well that's it for this week. Again, if there are any questions about this or any other operation we do in the vineyard, please feel free to email me at yeager.jason@gmail.com. A Happy Mothers Day to All!
Flora Springs Winery is named after two life-giving forces: the springs that flow unceasingly from the hills behind the winery and Flora Komes, the matriarch of the family. Flora will celebrate her 99th birthday in November and don’t even begin to imagine her as a decrepit old woman. Flora has a sparkle in her eye, a jaunt to her step and a mean game of dominoes. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1911 Flora has always lived up to her name. She loves to garden and at all times has green plants thriving around her. Although it’s been a few years since she has put a shovel to the earth on the Flora Springs Estate, we credit her with the spectacular show of color that occurs each Spring around the winery. The hillside behind us is usually still lush from the winter rains, the fruit trees that line the terraced vineyards flower with splashes of pink and white, and Grandma Flora’s fig tree starts to show life. She has poured a lifetime of love and energy into the Grounds of Flora Springs, which stand as wonderful tribute to her legacy.
Flora left Honolulu after her high school graduation to become a nurse. It was as a student at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco that she met the love of her life on a blind date. Jerry Komes knew he met “the one” but Flora refused to marry him until she successfully graduated and had secured a nursing position. While she eventually gave up her career to raise their children, she is still a nurse at heart and it shows. Jerry and Flora were quite a team. She was his greatest supporter and he was always quick to tell you that his accomplishments were not his alone but possible because of Flora. They were married 67 years when Jerry died at the age of 89.
If you have the good fortune to meet Flora, you won’t soon forget her. And, if you have the opportunity to walk through the gardens at Flora Springs, you may even feel the soul of Hawaii.
Founded in 1978 by Jerry and Flora Komes along with their children, John Komes and his wife Carrie, and Julie Garvey and her husband, Pat Garvey, Flora Springs has been a family affair for nearly three decades. Third-generation vintners Nat Komes and Sean Garvey, both of whom grew up at the winery and have worked there for several years, are now guiding the winery into a new era of artisanal winemaking in the spirit of tradition, innovation, and community values epitomized by their grandparents Jerry and Flora Komes.
The Komes-Garvey families own 650 acres of sustainable vineyards throughout several appellations in the Napa Valley, enabling Flora Springs to maintain the quality of their wines through estate-only fruit. Part of Flora Springs’ commitment to community and innovation is through green vineyard practices; 100% of their vineyards are sustainable, and 20% (120 acres) are organic with another 240 acres set to be certified organic in 2009.
That same dedication to innovation stems to the winery as well. In 2003, 1,000 linear feet of caves were carved into the hillside behind the winery, providing constant temperature and humidity for aging and storing Flora Springs’ red wines. In December 2007, Flora Springs implemented solar power at the Komes Ranch on Zinfandel Lane, enabling all of their red wine production to go completely off the grid.
We had the honor of hosting the Cheers to Taste event last night at The Room. We saw over 300 attendees and Dean & Deluca provided all the tasty food. It was a blast!
The Concierge knows all. They are your ticket into experiencing the best restaurants and wineries, you name it, they have an answer for every question. We had the pleasure of hosting them at our winery on Tuesday. They came from all over the bay area and we wanted to again send our thanks to them for referring their guests to us. Thank you Concierge's you guys are the life of the party and we appreciate you!
So, when is the best time to visit Napa Valley? Where should you eat, and most importantly, where should you stay? The winter months in the Valley offer visitors an entirely different perspective on wine country, and for a number of us here at Flora Springs, it’s our favorite time of year. The frenetic pace of Highway 29 slows to a stroll. There’s more elbowroom at the tasting room, and, if you catch the valley after a good winter storm, the snow-dusted views of Mount Saint Helena will stay with you forever. It’s hard to go wrong with so many great restaurants, but when it comes to suggesting a place to stay we always recommend Rancho Caymus Inn. And the big secret is that the Flora Springs Family owns it!
Rancho Caymus Inn allows its guests to experience the rich history of the Napa Valley in an old-world Spanish California setting. Restored by the Flora Springs family in 1991, the story goes back to 1836, when founder George C.
Yount was awarded the land from General Mariano Vallejo. Asprawling hacienda named Caymus Rancho was built on the site and opened its doors to all those who visited the valley: Russian nobility, stagecoach drivers, saloonkeepers, writers, and singers.
Rebuilt from 100-year-old oak beams reclaimed from a historic barn in Ohio, Rancho Caymus Inn has been crafted to recreate the hacienda architecture from Napa Valley’s past. The spacious, split-level suites are formed with bright stucco walls and decorated with handmade furnishings from Ecuador and Southern Mexico. What makes the experience of Rancho Caymus Inn so unique is how well it blends rustic Napa Valley influences with modern comforts. The suites of Rancho Caymus offer every amenity you can imagine. Some of the larger rooms boast private balconies, wood burning fireplaces, and wet bars. It’s no wonder Rancho Caymus Inn has been called, "one of California’s most Romantic Inns."April 30th we are offering exclusive weekday rates of $85 per night and weekend rates of $125 per night. We also hope you will take advantage of a complimentary tasting at The Room.
To thank you for your patronage and allow you the opportunity to experience winter in the valley, Flora Springs would like to extend a special wine club members-only invitation. From March 15th – May 15th.
Women can enjoy a tipple and stay slim, according to a study that shows moderate drinkers gain less weight than teetotallers.
Women who drank red wine gained the least, but the results held for other wines, beers and spirits.
Although alcohol contains calories, the US researchers believe the women may have substituted it for other food.
Their work in the Archives of Internal Medicine followed over 19,000 women over 13 years.
The women recruited into the study were aged 39 or over and of normal weight at the time they joined.
“ It would be a mistake to think that drinking alcohol helps you lose weight ”
Catherine Collins, British Dietetic Association
Over the next 13 years, on average, they gained weight progressively.
Those who drank no alcohol gained the most weight, and there was an inverse relationship between weight gain and alcohol consumption.
Even after accounting for lifestyle, dietary factors and things like smoking and exercise, the study found those who drank the least gained the most weight.
Moderate drinking was classed as drinking up to about two 150ml glasses of wine a day.
Although the study did not include men, the authors believe the findings may not apply to men.
The women in the study who drank appeared to substitute alcohol for other food, meaning their overall calorie intake did not go up that much.
They say men who drink might not do this.
Also the way men and women break down alcohol in their liver may differ, which help might explain why women do not pile on the pounds.
But British researchers cautioned that people should be wary of concluding they can shed pounds by drinking more.
Catherine Collins, dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said: "It would be a mistake to think that drinking alcohol helps you lose weight."
She rejected the notion that the calories in alcohol don't contribute to weight gain.
"We know that alcohol calories do count. For binge drinkers, for example, alcohol can have a major impact on weight."
She pointed out that the study was based on women who were normal weight when they were recruited.
"These are quite an unusual group, who were likely to be mindful of keeping their body healthy," she said.
"Most women would have gained a few extra pounds by the age of 39.
"To be of normal weight by that age is quite a feat in itself.
"So findings about weight gain among this group may not be translate to others."
She said another limitation of the research was that it did not report how much snack food the participants ate.
"It may be that those who had wine as their treat ate less chocolate and snacks," she said.
The winemaking team is hard at work these days. So far we have bottled the 2009 Pinot Grigio, 2008 Sangiovese, 2008 Poggio del Papa. Which they all are tasting fantastic!
Just the other day one of the toughest jobs for our Winemaker is tasting all the barrels at once. He tasted about 332 red wine barrels and needless to say at the end of all that he was feeling good. We are also making preliminary base blends for 2009 Single Vineyard Cabernets, Trilogy, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Napa Valley Merlot.
Richard Tiedemann was on the road again in Texas at Dali Wine Bar in Dallas. You will see from the photos that it was well attended and the food was spectacular. Also we had a guest win a 30th Annievarsy bottle. Way to go!
In Oakville, we are currently underway in replanting the old block C Merlot that we pulled early last year. It is a 12 acre block that will be replanted to two thirds Merlot and one third Cabernet Sauvignon. We will be experimenting with a new rootstock in these blocks that was bred by Dr. Andy Walker's department at UC Davis that looks promising for Fanleaf virus control. Fanleaf virus is becoming more common in Oakville and Rutherford. As a result, a single rootstock (that goes by the name 039-16) has been planted to over 65% of these areas. This kind of monoculture sets these and other areas up for a repeat of the AXR#1 rootstock failure that occurred in the late 80's. We as an industry are trying to be proactive and make sure history does not repeat itself.
Pat and Joe have put the final touches on the Pope Valley appellation application that has just been filed with the government. Joe has been very instrumental in this process; having extensive knowledge of Pope Valley and being a 5th generation resident and farmer.
It’s the season for pruning grapevines and recognizing the job’s fastest and most precise professionals.
Winners of winegrowing region contests faced each other in the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission’s 11th annual pruning championship on Feb. 19 at Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm near Forestville. A total of $1,000 in prizes were awarded to the top four pruners.
Winners of Napa Valley Grapegrowers' 2010 pruning contest were (by placement) Jesus Vega, Miguel Contreras, Jose Alfredo Segura and Jose Plancarte. All photos: Napa Valley Grapegrowers
Jesus Vega, contest winner
Fifty-six farmworkers competed for $1,300 in cash plus other prizes in Napa Valley Grapegrowers‘ ninth annual pruning contest. It was held Feb. 11 at Beringer Vineyards‘ Gamble Ranch in Yountville. The winner was Jesus Vega of Flora Springs‘ Komes Ranch, taking home $600, the trophy belt buckle and other awards.
As we always share what we are doing around the winery we wanted to share that we lost our owners son today, Otto Komes. As we liked to call him around here, as the gentle giant, as he was so tall and had a heart as big as his height.
Otto Komes was born February 11, 1967, to John and Carrie Komes in San Mateo, California. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on February 18th, 2010, at the age of 43.
Otto was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. His long fight with this disease showed off the personal traits the were so admired about him, such as his great courage, strong personal faith, tremendous amounts of patience and a love for life –that he fought so hard for throughout his ordeal.
The Komes family moved to St. Helena in 1978 to start Flora Springs Winery. Otto attended the St. Helena Parochial School, Justin Siena High School and graduated from St. Helena High School in 1986. Otto loved to spend his summers working at Flora Springs Winery. It would be easy to find him either in the cellar, taking care of barrels or on the bottling line, excited by the next new vintage.
While studying at Lewis and Clark College, in Portland Oregon, Otto met his wife Kirsten Nyby. Otto graduated with a degree in communications in 1990. He enrolled at UNLV for the first Hotel / Hospitality Management courses that the University offered. After receiving his masters he moved to Santa Monica and managed the Miramar Hotel for 2 years. It was in Santa Monica that Otto married Kirsten Komes, his beloved wife of 17 years
Otto became a partner in the Rancho Caymus Inn, in Rutherford, California. He lived in Rutherford for 15 years. It was in Rutherford that Otto and Kirsten started a family, Christian, Mary Grace and Elisa Noelle Komes.
Otto will always be remembered for his dry humor, his detailed story telling, and his untiring efforts of proving to the world that great Pinot Noir can be made from the Carneros region.
Otto is survived by his wife, their three children, his parents and one brother, Nat, wife Anne and family.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 24th at 10 A.M. A rosary service will be held at 7 P.M. on Tuesday, February 23rd. Both services will be at the St. Helena Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers please give donations to the St. Helena Parochial School or the St. Helena Boys & Girls Club.
Frank Sottile frank@bgcsh.org 707-963-8944 Boys and Girls Club
We are currently starting our annual pruning of all the vines starting with the white varieties as these are less susceptible to canker diseases such as Eutypa die back. We would have started earlier but the wet weather has slowed our attempts to get out in the field. We also still have some mechanical pre-pruning to do in our vertically trained blocks as the dry up from the recent rains. The Vineyards, Jason Yeager
We didn't let the rain stop us from having our parade of the 8th Annual Trilogy Release. We saw many guests from all over the nation that came out to enjoy the 2007 Trilogy with us.
Our guest of honor was Cindy Pawlcyn who conducted two pairing sessions that after each one our guests were in absolute awwwh of her and the pairings.
Another guest of honor our Winemaker, Paul Steinauer who hosted two blending sessions that he will be announcing the winner of those soon.
Here are some pictures of the event and the wonderful food that we got to enjoy! Thank you to all of you for bearing the rain and making the Trilogy Release a success.
In February we are having all kinds of fun events at The Room! On 2/2 we will be celebrating Groundhog Day with special discounts! Also, every Friday we will offer a Chocolate and Cabernet pairing. We also are having a special Valentine’s weekend 2.13- 2.14 package that includes a brunch at The Room and dinner at The Estate with a stay at our sister property, Rancho Caymus Inn. The last weekend we are having our first ever “We Care Weekend” where we will take pet food donations for the local St. Helena Animal Shelter-a good cause which benefits you since you will receive a complimentary tasting for your donation!
February is going to be a great month here at The Room and we look forward to welcoming you!
One of Flora Springs finest, Richard Tiedemann was the host at The Gasparilla Inn Food & Wine Festival last weekend. Richard conducted a food and wine pairing that featured:
2007 Holy Smoke paired with fllet mignon
2007 Out of Sight paired with New York strip
2007 Wild Boar paired with Tri-Tip
2007 Rutherford Hillside Reserve
After the pairing, 90 guests were treated to a 7 course dinner that featured all of Flora Springs wines. Everyone had a blast and enjoyed all the wines.
Posted by Robert Whitley on January 19, 2010 at 1:53 PM
Value Wineries: The Top 25
In my Creators Syndicate Wine Talk column this week I tackle value wineries. The emphasis is mine because my take on value might be considered somewhat out of the mainstream. I refuse to draw a dollar-line in the sand.
Even if I have an arbitrary limit of, say, $18 for a red and $15 for a white, I am willing to spend a bit more if I believe I'm getting a bang for the extra bucks. Value isn't necessarily a synonym for cheap. Nor should it be.
So this week's Wine Talk lists my Top 25 "Value" wineries from around the world. These are wineries that have impressed me over the past year, but as always the list is subject to change and will be updated as warranted over the course of this year.
I've posted the first five of the Top 25 here, but the entire list can be accessed over at Whitley On Wine.
1. Flora Springs, Napa Valley -- No fair, you might think, because I lead off with perhaps the most expensive wines in the Top 25. Yet, the $26 price tag on the 2006 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon this week was truly remarkable. Think about that. A solid Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from a big-time Napa winery for under $30. A few years back the regular Napa Valley Cab from Flora Springs very nearly won the award for best red wine at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition. Enough said.
*Please note the price is incorrect the Napa Valley Caberent Sauvignon is $36
I wish we could be there for the Trilogy party, but we have to fly home that day. We've been looking forward to returning since you last hosted us on a tour of the winery on 7/31/08. My husband and I started and ended our last trip to wine country with Flora Springs. The last day of our visit we were pleased to be the first guests at The Room on the morning of 8/8/08. Margaret was kind enough to take care of us even though she was obviously very busy with the final touches that were being done at The Room.
Not only do we love Flora Springs wine, we love how nice the Flora Springs team is to us. You never fail to make us feel special!
Over the years, we’ve joined and dropped out of several wine clubs. Flora Springs is definitely a keeper!
As lifelong and career environmentalists, we appreciate and respect Flora Springs commitment to the environment.
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Reserve, from a vineyard planted in Rutherford’s famed red soils, is a classic Rutherford Bench wine with exceptional concentration as well as depth. Brambleberry, cassis, black cherry, spice box, and cedar notes are accompanied by superb, full-bodied flavors, exceptional polished, refined tannins, and a finish that lasts nearly 45 seconds. It can be drunk now or cellared for 25 or more years.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
2007 Holy Smoke Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 94
From: Oakville
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $85
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Holy Smoke, which comes from an Oakville site, exhibits classic Pauillac-like notes of creme de cassis, cedar, licorice, and incense. It is a full-bodied, powerful effort with stunning concentration, richness, and length. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
2007 Out of Sight Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 93
From: Napa
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $85
Nearly as impressive, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Out of Sight is produced from the Stags Leap area, and possesses more graphite and floral notes along with red and black currants and licorice. Its saturated purple color is among the darkest of all these wines. This elegant yet substantial 2007 should drink well for 15-20 years.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
2007 Rennie Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 93+
From: St. Helena
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $100
A wine I had not seen before is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rennie Reserve, which comes from a different block of their Rutherford holdings, located on the valley floor rather than the hillsides. This block of vines has been the foundation for Flora Springs’ 20th and 25th Anniversary offerings. The 2007 Rennie Reserve reveals beautifully sweet blackberry and black currant fruit, incredible charm and suppleness, and perhaps the most endearing and seductive personality of all these 2007 Cabernets. It is drinkable already, and I suspect it has two decades of life ahead of it. The wine is impeccably balanced, opulent, and voluptuous with loads of red and black fruits kissed gently by toasty oak, licorice, and spice box. A beauty!
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each
The 2007 Trilogy might be called a Napa version of St.-Emilion blended with a Margaux. A harmonious blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, it offers undeniable elegance as well as lovely black currant and black cherry notes intermixed with hints of cocoa, roasted herbs, cedar, and licorice. This textured, lush, medium to full-bodied, beautifully constructed 2007 can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
2007 Wild Boar Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 91
From: Pope Valley
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $85
Meat juice, roasted herb, and charcuterie aromas jump from the glass of the peppery, earthy, potent, almost savage 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Wild Boar. Coming from Pope Valley, this cuvee can have an excess of tannins, but that component has been tamed in the 2007. It is a big, tannic, impressive, full-bodied, muscular example of Napa Cabernet.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.
A sleeper of the vintage, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa possesses abundant black currant and black cherry fruit, and hints of white chocolate, espresso, and loamy soil. This terrific value in Napa Valley Cabernet is soft, silky, and opulent with 10-12 years of life ahead of it.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
Last Saturday night, I was at the St. Helena Native Sons Hall for the June Bug Dance, a concert to benefit local farmworkers. Organized by Sean and Lindsay Garvey, the event built on last year’s success, and raised considerably more money than the 2009 concert. A portion of the proceeds went to the Work Connection in St. Helena, a non-profit that matches Napa Valley farmworkers with employers who pay fair-wages and provide safe work environments. 
Stacie Hunt
Even if I have an arbitrary limit of, say, $18 for a red and $15 for a white, I am willing to spend a bit more if I believe I'm getting a bang for the extra bucks. Value isn't necessarily a synonym for cheap. Nor should it be.