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WinE CountRy nEWs | WinE CountRy this WEEK 26 st. ClEMEnt VinEyaRds open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2867 St. helena highway north, St. helena, cA 94574 Advance reservations and Wine club Questions: 1-866-877-5939 Same-Day reservations: 707-265-5000 www.stclement.com ST. CLEMENT VINEYARDS Reminding Us All That “Old Napa” Never Left! BY JoSh Stein Surrounded by Cabernet vines, on a knoll at the base of Spring Mountain over-looking the upper-Valley, sits the 1878 Victorian mansion which houses St. Clement Vineyards. Originally built by Fritz Rosenbaum, the man responsible for furnishing the homes of San Francisco’s Guilded Age, the property went through a number of winemaking owners before it was purchased and renamed in 1976 when local opthalmologist William Casey bought it and built the stone winery behind it. The name pays tribute to Casey’s ancestors who helped found the state of Maryland, the cross in the St. Clement logo coming from that state’s flag. It’s hard to find a more magnificent example of the “Old Napa” idea of a grand winery. The exterior is surrounded by gardens with picnic areas and shaded awnings, allowing for spots to stop and savor: the Patio and Bistro Terrace, the Winery Terrace with its antique fountain, the wisteria-covered www.WineCountrythisWeek.com
WinE CountRy this WEEK | WinE CountRy nEWs Continued Pergola – all harken back to a more timeless sense of the Valley. Stepping into the house is stepping back in time, to an age of quiet kindnesses and elegance. A grand staircase greets you upon entry, dividing the bottom of the house into the two tasting rooms, and a small children’s playroom resides under the stairs themselves. One gains a sense of the Valley’s history simply by looking around. Equally, it’s the focus on vineyard location and matching site to varietal which has given St. Clement the edge over others in the Valley. Long-term relationships have been key in developing special vineyards from which to source the best grapes as no single property can do it all. Carneros’s Abbott Vineyard is perfect for Chardonnay and Merlot because of its fog and breezes. South Napa’s Bacigalupi Vineyard offers consistent growth for the Napa Cab bottling. Verhey Vineyard in Atlas Peak provides ultra-concentrated Cabernet grapes while Gamble Ranch Vineyard between Yountville and Oakville presents amazing Sauvignon Blanc. Rutherford’s Star Vineyard supplies the backbone for the “Oroppas” Cabernet with St. Helena’s Bale Lane Vineyard providing aromatic Sauvignon Blanc and Tournahu Vineyards two different Cabs because of different soil types. The hills are equally showcased, with Howell Mountain’s Steinhauer Ranch giving Cabernet and Mount Veeder’s Progeny providing Cabernet and Syrah. There are lots of wines to enjoy, ranging from Napa Valley whites and reds to a half-dozen single-vineyard bottlings of Cab. Winemaker Danielle Cyrot allows each to showcase its varietal pedigree while not losing the sense of place for the grapes. The Chardonnay and Sauvignon show careful, detailed winemaking, and the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are some of the best, especially at these pricepoints, in the Valley. The single-vineyard Cabs really show off Napa’s locations, with distinct differences in wines from the different areas of the Valley. Additionally, the winery’s flagship release, the “Oroppas” Cabernet, named for then-owners Sapporo, has been showing off the finest of each vintage within St. Clement’s combintorial wineblending for more than two decades. The variety continues in your tasting and touring options, most which the winery suggests or requires you to make reservations for so that they’re able to make the experience personalized and special. The Introduction to St. Clement Tasting can be poured on the patio in nice weather, providing amazing views to pair with the wines. The Discovery and the Reserve Tastings take place inside the main bar in the house. In the intimate Oroppas Tasting Room, you can experience the Stand-Out Single Vineyards Tasting or the Oroppas Tasting. The Stand-Out Single Vineyard Tasting lets you experience the similarities and differences of these special bottlings. The Oroppas Tasting gives you the opportunity to try and compare multiple vintages of the Oroppas. All of the above can be supplanted by Cheese or Chocolate Pairings or Boxed Lunches – again, let the winery know ahead of time what you’re looking for and they’ll take care of the rest. Still looking for a reason to come visit? There are several upcoming events which should do the trick! April 21st’s Oysters and New Releases Party will pair the bivalve with wines, including the new Sauvignon Blanc and two new winery-only exclusives. The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta will be bringing in the Valley’s greatest food trucks, and late-May’s Memorial Day Passport Weekend promises exclusive access to five of the North Bay’s greatest wineries – this one shouldn’t be missed! There are even two different clubs, with a reds-only option, too, so you can have access to both the wines and these kinds of experiences all year round. As you can see, there’s a lot going on up just past St. Helena. Do yourself the favor: pick up your phone and give the kind folks at St. Clement a call right now – you’ll be glad you did. Enjoy! sign up for our email newsletter at www.WineCountrythisWeek.com 27
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