We had reached Atlas Peak, the mountain but also the former name of a winery. Founded originally by a partnership between Marchese Piero Antinori, Bollinger, and Whitbread, Atlas Peak Winery was host to newly planted Italian varietals as well as the first ever Sangiovese Symposium in 1997.

The Italian grapes struggled to survive and, now, the new enterprise called Antica has returned to Napa Valley’s preeminent grapes: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, though some Sangiovese is still vinified by winemaker Nate Weis on the property.

Antinori’s style shows through in the wines, the estate, and the layout of the vineyards, green lines of lush vines that cascade down the slopes from this aerie. Hidden from Napa’s busy commerce on Route 29 and surrounded by lazy hills and cultured vineyards, the landscape below us seemed snatched from a photographer’s rendering of the bucolic beauty of Tuscany. So it is no surprise that the wines should show elegance, respect for tradition, and bountiful flavors. 

The 2009 Chardonnay ($35) has scents of pear and apple, with luscious textures and layered flavors, interwoven with a racy thread of minerality. It would be a perfect pair for trout almondine. The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) shows black cherry fruit and, while still a little closed, seems to be coming out of hibernation.

“While Massican takes its name from a coastal mountain range in southern Italy, proprietor and winemaker Dan Petroski draws his inspiration from the blended wines of Friuli in the eastern hills of northern Italy.

“His white wine “annia” is a blend of dry-farmed Friulano from sixty-three year old vines, a floral “Muscat Clone” of Chardonnay from Carneros and Ribolla Gialla (Yellow Ribolla) from legendary Napa Valley Italian grape aficionado George Vare. Mr. Vare’s famed vineyard, planted in metamorphic soils at the base of Mount Veeder, is the only known planting of Ribolla in the country and provides grapes to some of the finest winemakers in the Napa Valley.
With subtle honeysuckle and orange-blossom notes mingling with aromas of white peach and Bosc pear, “annia” is quite fragrant. When the wine hits the palate the fresh citrus flavors provide laser-like focus and impressive length.
“The bright, crisp style and modest 12.8% alcohol level make this wine the ideal compliment for salad and seafood courses at The French Laundry. The bad news? With only 238 cases of this wine produced, I expect that it will be sold-out in a Milan-minute.”

Chef Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry has garnered world-wide acclaim from every leading lifestyle publication and newspaper.  It is an icon.  To some it is the equivalent of Mecca.  I began my pilgrimage 6 weeks ago when I called for a reservation and was placed on the waiting list.  I booked my flights and hotel, with faith that I would show up at the gate and be deemed worthy.  The stars aligned and a cancellation 3 days prior to my Saturday visit secured me a table, and I will get to enjoy Mr. Kelly’s recommendation personally.

To be continued…

It’s no wonder we often hear “it tastes like chicken” when someone wants to make light of the blank palette this bird is.

And what of chicken tarragon? This is a marriage made in heaven, because the tarragon breathes life into the bird while the juice of the chicken brings out the aromas of the tarragon. A perfect dinner pair is tarragon chicken and a mushroom risotto. The blend of textures and broad range of aromas from the four principle parts – chicken, tarragon, butter-sautéed rice and mushroom – offer a not-to-miss dining opportunity. [Hint for the cook: Find a tarragon chicken recipe that is oven-baked, freeing the hands for the labor-intensive stove-top preparation of the risotto.]

Some of the recipes mentioned above would be paired with Arneis (roasted chicken), Syrah (blackened chicken), oaky Chardonnay (cream sauce), or Pinot Grigio (artichoke lemon sauce). But tarragon chicken, and its herbal aromas, requires something with a bit more “oomph” than Pinot Grigio but lighter than an oaked Chardonnay.

For this, Emiliana Natura 2010 Chardonnay (Valle de Casablanca, Chile, $11) steps into the breach. Fresh citrusy aromas and light, unoaked palate impression ensure a wine that is medium-bodied yet minerally enough to pair with the tarragon flavors of this dish. The Emiliana vineyards are farmed organically, which should also make the wine more palatable to buyers. The tiny amount of Sauvignon Blanc (about 1%) that is blended in before bottling probably accounts for the tangy accent.

Composed principally of tomatoes, seafood stock, herbs, and a range of fish and shellfish morsels, bouillabaise is a richly textured one-pot meal, but with numerous individual flavors and accents. The long-simmering integrates the flavors and brings the variety of ingredients into harmony. While filling the house with mouth-watering aromas – a great payoff in itself – the result is both heart-warming and intensely exotic.

So what wine goes with a dish so complex? A light red wine, maybe a lightly chilled Beaujolais or rosé would fit, and the natural acidity would bring out the flavors in the dish. But my first thoughts turn to Chablis or other, French-style, chardonnay-based wines. (Chablis – at least that made at its origin, in France – is a chardonnay, not to be confused with bottles of generic wine in the U.S. that incorrectly appropriate the moniker “Chablis” for just any white wine.)

The cool, refreshing flavors of the wine match the finely tuned accents achieved by the dish. One caveat, though. Bouillabaisse is a hearty, some say peasant, dish so you need a wine that you can quaff with pleasure. Stay away from the broad palate of the white Burgundies. The affordable line of wines from Louis Jadot are a perfect match for this dish.

Louis Jadot 2009 Chablis ($25). Aromas evocative of fresh fruit and springtime, smooth flavors melding melon and tropical fruit with a tinge of grapefruit tanginess. Score: 87

Louis Jadot 2008 Chardonnay ($15). Finely crafted and smooth, with flavors of apricot and white peach, finishing with a hint of nutmeg. Score: 86

Louis Jadot 2009 Mâcon-Villages ($15). Crisp, clean, refreshing, white peach and ripe pear flavors, soft finish. Score: 86

American playwright Elmer Rice was certainly on to something. Any decent sparkling wine can convey pleasure and elegance, but Champagne will always be a breed apart. And one of the best things about this very special pleasure is that it goes with nearly any food – and any time of day, but more on that later.

We dined with Didier Depond, president of Champagne Salon and Champagne Delamotte, to test this thesis. The meal was at Bourbon Steak, the graceful dining establishment in Georgetown’s Four Seasons Hotel. The fare included oysters on the half shell, Ahi Tuna Tartare with mint and toasted sesame oil, marinated Angus Tenderloin, Nova Scotia Halibut, Glazed Salmon, and Fresh Louisiana Gulf Shrimp with cocktail sauce.

With such a wide range of flavors, any single wine would have struggled to survive. But the sparkle in sparkling wines serves as a perfect foil for the multitude of flavors, simultaneously enhancing the essence of each dish and cleansing the palate between bites.

Fortunately, there were four bottles of Delamotte and Salon bubbly on the table. The non-vintage Delamotte Brut was delicious and nicely balanced, creating a perfect platform for the many flavors at the table. This was followed by a Delamotte 1999 Blanc de Blancs, a wine with terrific body and constant bead, bright Chardonnay fruit to stand up to the food.

In a surprising turn, the Delamotte non-vintage Brut Rosé was served after the 1999, but it possessed some heft and texture that worked especially well with the tuna tartare. We closed out the tasting with the Champagne Salon 1997 Champagne a wine that was both sumptuous and elegant, expertly blending breezy citrus accents with deeper green apple and hazelnut flavors. This wine went beautifully with the glazed salmon and Nova Scotia Halibut.

Now, about that “any time of day” thing: Mr. Depond breezily suggested that Champagne at breakfast is perfectly fine, in fact, quite a wonderful way to start the day. Of course, many Americans hide their Champagne in frivolous drinks like Mimosas and quaff these without guilt. So why not spare Mr. Depond’s wonderful wines the indignity of being blended with orange juice? Why not sip flutes of bubbly with breakfast?

I can almost see your eyebrows raised in agreement.

Not surprisingly, one of the state’s first wineries—the Williamsburg Winery–produces some of the state’s most exciting wines. The winery produces top quality because its founder, Patrick Duffeler, invests in top talent. In 2002, he brought on Napa Valley winemaker Mathew Meyer, whose credentials include studying oenology and viticulture school at the University of California-Davis. Meyers launched his career at Grgich Hills winery—the winery started by Napa pioneer winemaker Mike Grgich, who made the Chardonnay that shook the world when it won at the 1976 tasting of Paris.

Meyers then went on to make award winning wines at Heitz Cellar, which makes some exclusive wines near St. Helena in Napa Valley. Among them is the Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a highly regarded premium Napa wine. In 1999, the Wine Spectator selected the 1974 vintage to be it as one of the Top 12 wines of the 20th Century.

Not surprisingly, the Williamsburg winery has been making some award winning wines on Meyer’s clock. Among them are awards from prestigious UK-based Decanter magazine, which dubbed the winery’s he 2006 Acte Chardonnay as among the “world’s best wines.” That is pretty substantial praise for one of Virginia’s humble wines! This wine region surely have come a long way. And this wine retails on the Winery website for just $16. Who says Virginia’s quality wines are not affordable?

So start tasting them. Meyer recently gave me a tasting of some his wonderful wines at the winery, and all were quite impressive! Among them were:

The Willamsburg Reserve Chardonnay, 2006. This wine is made fermented and aged in French oak and undergoes malolactic fermentation, resulting a wine with toasty and creamy qualities. The winery recommends serving it with “grilled swordfish, steak, grilled prawns, pheasant, and ‘duck a l‘orange.’” If you serve it with steak, make sure you include a nice creamy béarnaise sauce! Decanter awarded this wine as “commended” in 2009. It retails for just $24 a bottle on the winery website online.

Sir Samuel Argall Dry Riesling, 2007. The grapes from this wine come from all the way from Washington State, where Riesling thrives. As a result, it cannot be sold in inter-state commerce because of unfortunate wine regulations. But if you are lucky enough to see it at the retail level in Virginia or if you make you way to the winery, grab one—or more—bottles. This is a light, crisp dry wine with a lemony profile. It’s the perfect match for a light fish dish with lemon or something oily like fried chicken as it will cleanse the palate between bites. It’s a refreshing picnic or summer sipping wine. And it retails for just $10.50 a bottle.

Gabriel Archer Reserve, 2005. This Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc) blend combines only select wines each year from the best barrels of the vintage. It is only made in the better vintage years, ensuring it always meets a certain standard of quality. Like the other reds, it was rich with good acidity, and soft and smooth tannins. Decanter gave the 2006 Gabriel Archer Reserve a bronze metal, and gave the 2005 a “commended” award. It retails for $32 on the winery’s website.

The Virginia Trianon. This wine is the Winery’s Cabernet Franc, a grape that is doing quite well in Virginia. It has nice acidity and soft tannins, with red fruit flavors (cherry and raspberry). It retails for $32 a bottle.

Adagio, 2007. Last but not least was the Adagio, the winery’s most premium wine, carrying a price tag of $65. It is a rich blend of 40 percent Petite Verdot, 40 percent Merlot, and 20 percent Cabernet Franc. The Winery describes it as: “An initial hint of black cherries progresses into more mature dark fruits such as figs and dates. Mixed in with the fruit is a lovely note of fresh cocoa, along with a bit of soy and eucalyptus. Earthiness and minerality blend agreeably with the fruit.”

You can look for these around town, in Virginia wine shops, or shop online at the winery’s website. Another option is to drive a couple hours to the winery and enjoy them there!

Like me, they had the delight of visiting the winery. The Artesa facility itself is a sight to see, one of Napa’s most unique. Indeed, it is almost all located underground with a grass roof. The ultra modern interior includes original artwork of the artist in residence, and the tasting room staff and tour guides are unpretentious and friendly.

Artesa stands for “craftsman,” which is appropriate for a winery that crafts its wine with great care under the leadership of their winemaker, Mark Beringer. Artesa achieves a different, softer style because they do not crush any red grapes (they do crush white grapes releasing juice to be fermented without skins). They leave red wine grapes to begin fermentation inside the skins, which break open on their own and release juice. When making red wines most winemakers gently crush the grapes to release the juice. Crushing is perfectly fine and makes wonderful wines, but just a different style.

Aresta’s no-crush approach makes wines that are softer and fruitier because fewer bitter flavors from skins and seeds are released into the wines. Their wines are rich and velvety with a softer style than many “big” Napa Valley reds, yet they are still wonderfully flavorful and complex.

Artesa’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown in its Napa Valley Carneros-based winery, while some of the other red grapes are grown in warmer areas in Sonoma and Napa. Carneros has a surprisingly cooler climate than the rest of Napa. At a visit during one of the hottest  weeks this summer (while it was well over 100 degrees just an hour away in Sacramento), Carneros was down-right chilly by comparison, with cool breezes coming off the San Pablo Bay. Meanwhile, that week, unbearably hot weather plagued Pinot Noir grapes at Oregon vineyards, which are considered some of the best sites for Pinot Noir in the country because their usually cooler climate. Carneros is indeed a particularly unique place. In addition to cool breezes fog blankets vineyards in the morning, keeping grapes cool before it is burned off by bright sunlight. These factors produce good ripening of grapes with a relatively long-hang time on the vine.  They can then develop complex, fruity flavors and sugar, while maintaining enough acid to make balanced wines.

Not surprisingly, Artesa produces fantastic Pinot Noir wines, at all price points. Their value-priced Pinot Noir has a delicate profile–as Pinot Noir should–but it is still packed with fruit flavors and spice with complexity. You can get the 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros for $20-$25.

Artesa Chardonnay is a particularly nice, balanced wine, in contrast to other California Chardonnay wines that some say receive excessive oak or other treatments. Fifty percent of the wine is fermented in oak barrels, is aged with the yeast (aged “on its lees”), and receives malolactic fermentation. The other half is fermented in stainless steel and does not undergo malolactic fermentation. In addition, the French oak barrels are 34 percent new (which extracts more intense flavor) and 66 percent used (which exacts subtle if any flavor). French oak imparts flavors that are less intense than American oak, which is commonly used in California Chardonnay.

Also worth hunting down are Artesa Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines. If you visit you can taste some of them at the winery in Carneros, but the grapes are sourced from their vineyards in warmer areas—one in Napa’s Atlas Peak area and the other in Alexander Valley in Sonoma. These reds offer opulently rich and velvety flavor and texture with deep, dark fruit flavors. Try the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa/Sonoma made with 55 percent Napa grapes and 45 percent Sonoma-sourced grapes.  It is aged in French oak barrels for 24 months. It is available for $20-$25.  Total Wine has a Napa Valley only Cabernet for $29.99, worth trying.

If you have a bigger budget and are willing to do mail order, Aresta’s single vineyard and limited release wines are nothing short of fantastic. Artesa also markets wines under the label of Ridgeline, which are quite delicious. I recently mail-ordered from the winery half a case to enjoy this summer. You might also locate some on on Wine Searcher. Check out the others available on their website.

Fandango has won awards from Wine Spectator and DiRoNA.  Their fantastic menu touches Italian and French cuisine, and entrées set diners back less than $30 on average.

The Arroyo Seco appellation is dominated by Chardonnay and Reisling.  The vines reach deep into sand and gravel soil which is littered with large stones called Greenfield pebbles that absorb the warm mid-day sunshine.

A search on Wine-Searcher for the 2008 Mercy Chardonnay came up empty likely due to its limited production, so keep an eye out for it on the wine list at the next restaurant you visit.

Hugo kicked the meeting off with the Finca La Linda Torrontés, which had a floral aroma that made me anticipate a sweet, full-bodied white.  What I got was an ultra clean and bone dry refresher that held the door for the first course of market greens, herbs and truffled new potatoes.  The winery’s value line, Finca la Linda aims for a fruit-forward modern style.  Hugo next poured the unoaked Chardonnay from that line along with a chardonnay from the Riserva line.  Due to partial oak-aging the Riserva offered a sleek backbone and toast, while the La Linda was young and crisp with notes of apple.  Both were delightful pairs to finish our salads and an amuse of tuna tartare.

Next we compared Hugo’s Pinot Noir and  Temperanillo, poured to match a dish of duck confit, hand-rolled cavatappi, maitake mushrooms and beet purée.  The Pinot, which Hugo admitted to be the winery’s on-going experiment, turned out to be my favorite of the day.  Stylistically it reminded me of Monterey County, and its “crazy pluminess” reminded Dick of Russian River.  I thought the wine offered a bright contrast to the mildly gamey duck and the nestled up to the earthiness of the beet purée.  The Tempranillo was 100% pure from one of the older family vineyards.  Distinct old-world style with ripe, ripe tannins.

To meet Mina’s signature butter-poached, wood-fired filet, Hugo poured the two Malbecs from his line.  Both the Riserva and the DOC Malbec were outstanding representatives of Mendoza’s signature varietal, but the aromatics of the DOC made for an extra special experience.  ”To be honest, the winery is producing European style wines.  We are trying to have wine for food, and Europeans have the best wines for food.  Even when we are working with new world grapes, we are trying to make wines that will pair with different types of meats,” said Hugo.  Dick offered that, “Malbec is, or was, the flagship wine of Argentina, but it doesn’t need to be anymore, because Argentina makes many other good wines…Malbec brought Argentina the attention of the world, and now it has many other wines to offer.”

All of the wines we tasted cost between $12-$28 dollars.  They offer tremendous value, but do not taste like value wines.  Were we tasting blind, accompanied by cuisine from a top restaurant, I would have guessed that all 7 wines were ultra-premium samples from everywhere but South America.  The first comment I always hear about Argentinian Malbecs is that they are a great value.  While that is definitely true, I left this table enlightened about a wine region that is making many great wines regardless of the price.

Franciscan wine highlights the importance of mesoclimates—relatively small areas with unique climatic conditions. Sometimes these are called microclimates, but that term a actually refers to even smaller areas within the vine canopy. Franciscan’s winemakers recognize that every plot of land has different attributes—from soil to sun to temperature—that produce grapes with characteristics unique to the site.  Accordingly, Franciscan works unusually hard to employ the unique attributes of each site to make the best quality grapes from that site.

First, like most premium winemakers, Franciscan grows various grape varieties in several locations to optimize lands best suited for each varietal. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in the warm Oakville area of Napa, and Merlot is grown in cooler areas between Yountville and Carneros. Franciscan grows its Chardonnay grapes in the cool Carneros region.

Unlike many other winemakers, Franciscan also practices what it calls small-lot winemaking, which takes advantage of each lot’s special mesoclimate. Other wineries tend to pick all the grapes from various lots at one time and then crush and ferment them together. Franciscan crushes and ferments each lot separately. Once wines are made from each the 400 lots, the winemaker blends wines from the various lots to produce the finished product. Not all wines from the lots are used in the blend. Franciscan notes on its website that its winemaker, Janet Myers, only uses the best ones to ensure that final wine for that year meets the winery’s high standard of quality.

Franciscan’s approach means that the winery can pick each lot exactly when its grapes are ready, rather than picking everything at once and mixing grapes at various levels of ripeness.  According to Franciscan, this approach essentially produces many “limited production” wines that when blended are more complex and interesting.

To top off their careful viticulture, Franciscan also employs some sophisticated winemaking techniques. For example, Franciscan uses a cold soaking approach for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot grapes. Cold soaking involves letting the crushed grapes and skin sit in a cold environment (to prevent fermentation from beginning) to allow the juice to extract flavor and color from the skins before fermentation. The result is richer, deeper fruit flavors.

The best news is these wines are more affordable and more widely available than most limited production wines of the same quality.  Indeed, try any Franciscan wine and see if you agree. On the high end of the spectrum is the Magnificat, which is a Bordeaux style blend of several varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. The winery describes it as having an: “Elegant, well-structured mouthfeel, with cherries, rich chocolate, black pepper and vibrant plum flavors filling the palate. Very supple, with fine texture and firm structure, giving an immediately approachable richness. The finish is a seamless continuation of fruit and cocoa-like tannins.” This one is available for about $40-$50.

Fortunately, you do not have to spend that much to get a taste of Franciscan’s glory. Try their Merlot, which is particularly pleasant an approachable. Aged and both French and American oak, Franciscan describes its 2005 Merlot as “Round, full-bodied palate with vibrant dark cherry fruit, sweet herbs and silky mouthfeel. Very supple and elegant, the finely knit tannins highlight bold fruit and sweet tobacco notes, giving a velvety finish.” For a fuller bodied red, try Franciscan’s Cabernet Sauvignon and pair it with a juicy steak.

Franciscan Chardonnay is an extra special treat offered at a great price. Costco has offered it for about $13, while many other places charge closer to $20.  Franciscan describes it as: “Layered flavors of lemon and Golden Delicious apple, pineapple and toasted oak. The round mid-palate extends to a lingering crisp finish with bright citrus flavors, minerals and sweet oak.” This is one of the best values of Chardonnay on the market, better than many higher-priced Chardonnay wines. It should also put to rest fears of buying an over-oaked or otherwise over-done Chardonnay. It manages to be both crisp and round, with a juicy, fruity flavor that is smooth rather than tart. It is a personal favorite and should be a stable for anyone looking for a reliably delicious Chardonnay to drink at home or to share with friends.