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NAPA VALLEY | WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEK
TASTING ROOM OF THE WEEK
BALDACCI FAMILY VINEYARDS
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment (just call).
6236 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558
About ten miles from Napa and five minutes from Yountville
(707) 944-9261 | www.baldaccivineyards.com
They’re also on Facebook and Twitter.
BALDACCI FAMILY VINEYARDS
BY CHARLES NEAVE
If you live in the wine country long enough, you’ll find out pretty quickly that when
friends and friends-of-friends visit, you become a de facto travel guide. To make matters
easier I made up a list of wineries that I could print out and keep on hand. For years,
Baldacci Family Vineyards on the Silverado Trail has been on the list, and from the
comments I have received from everyone who’s been there, Baldacci has deserved to be on
the list. Having been there recently, it deserves it now more than ever.
The winery is the realization of a dream that Tom and Brenda Baldacci had for a long
time, one that began to come together with the purchase of this 17-acre property in the
Stags Leap district in 1997. From the very beginning, the winery has combined a passion
for winemaking with the tradition of family.
The winery tasting room is like being in the private wine cellar of a friend’s home, in this
case, a restored Napa farm house with two compact granite-topped tasting bars. It is “wine
country casual” with great attention to detail and charming understatement. The terrace is
the same, as is the pathway to the 4,000 square feet of humidity- and naturally
temperature-controlled caves carved into the knoll.
As you sit outdoors and enjoy their wine, look across the vineyards that are at the core
of the winery’s estate Cabernet Sauvignon program. These grapes reach their maximum
potential and create exceptional tannic structure and concentrated flavors – essential
elements of their wine.
New to the property is their Cellar Reserve Room, with thick stone walls and perfectly
set tables for tasting in a venue that is both rustic and refined.
A wine that shows the commitment to both family and quality is the IV Sons Cabernet
Sauvignon, named for the four Baldacci sons. Then there are the four elements: it is always
crafted of Cabernet Sauvignon and a bit of Cabernet Franc, and the wine is aged in French
and American oak barrels. The result is a wine filled with fig and black cherry nuances.
Other wines wearing the Baldacci label are Pinot Noir and more Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Allwin Syrah is another favorite, as is the limited-production Gewürztraminer and a
wine that never fails to delight and surprise is their Chardonnay. But then, you need to
visit, decide for yourself and, most of all, enjoy every moment of the experience.
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