It was exactly one l-o-n-g year ago that the world changed and we hunkered down. Now fully vaccinated, winter ending and anxious for some quality ski time, we headed west to Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe. After skiing several days with fresh snow and bluebird skies, we couldn’t leave California without visiting the nearby mecca of wine junkies, Napa Valley. With advance planning I scheduled winery visits to smaller producers; those not owned by large corporations and who focus on quality. Today prime vineyard property in Napa sells for $1 million per acre and family-owned wineries are disappearing. Robert Craig and Larkmead have successfully transitioned ownership from the founders to the next generation.

ROBERT CRAIG WINERY is located at the summit of Howell Mountain. After Bob Craig, the founder, retired in 2012, ownership was maintained by existing partners and CEO, Elton Stone, who hosted us during our visit. Howell Mountain is one of most prized locations in the valley and Robert Craig property has reputable neighbors such as Dunn, Turley and Outpost. At an elevation of 2,400 feet, the vineyards produce mountain fruit and full-body wines with structure and strong tannins. Estate mountain vineyards in Mount Veeder, Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain and Coombsville are also used to produce their portfolio of Bordeaux varietal wines.

Robert Craig Howell Mountain Cuvée Red 2018 | $35
The blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 4% Malbec, mostly from Robert Craig’s Candlestick Vineyard.

Robert Craig Affinity Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 | $59
Cabernet Sauvignon 77%, Petite Verdot 8%, Merlot 7%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Malbec 4%
The Affinity is now mostly (85%) estate grown fruit from a site in Coombsville.

LARKMEAD VINEYARDS is a historic winery celebrating their 125 year anniversary. Erik Siebelist, tasting room lead, explained winery history and the owners’ loyalty to their employees during the pandemic. Larkmead has 110 acres of vineyards, produces only 8,000 cases per year and sells 65% of grapes to prestigious clients such as Rivers-Marie and Dariousch. Located in Calistoga, it is the most northern and hottest appellation in Napa Valley. Cooling breezes from San Francisco Bay to the south have little influence in Calistoga and summer temps on valley floor are brutally hot, causing high alcohol wines. However, winemaker Dan Pietroski has adapted the winemaking style since he joined in 2012. Harvesting grapes earlier enables him to produce lower alcohol wines near 14% in contrast to older Larkmead vintages approaching 15% alcohol.

Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 | $120

Cheers, Bob the WineGuy
Bob the WineGuy is on FaceBook and Instagram.
If you wish to receive posts by email, click this link