A Tale of Two Mountain Wines
One of the many things that intrigue me about wine is how the geography and environmental conditions of grapes can influence its “personality” so greatly – even within the same region. Mountain-sourced wines are especially known for their structure and ageability due to the stress the vines endure during the growing process. In higher elevations, rainfall drains to the valley below, making these grapes much more concentrated. To our benefit, this produces truly unique and complex wines.
Heading into New Year’s Eve, we opened two drastically different Napa Valley mountain icons.
Wine Reviews and Ratings
- Vieux-OS 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel (Black Sears Vineyard) – Schrader Cellars produces this full-bodied wine from 35-year-old Howell
Mountain vines. Zinfandel is known for its spice and bright fruit but this one really stood out for its pepper notes. Wine tasting can be a fairly subjective experience, but everyone in my group paused and commented on the pepper domination. I also noticed subtle hints of blackberry and oak. I have to call out that this wine is available by invitation from Schrader or through specialty channels, but figured some of my readers may be cellaring this and curious to know how it’s drinking currently. Rating: 3.5. - Von Strasser 2004 Red Wine (Sori Bricco Vineyard) – On the other side of the valley, Diamond Mountain is home to nearly a dozen wineries. What makes Von Strasser stand out is that its namesake, Rudy von Strasser, helped lead the charge to distinguish Diamond Mountain as an AVA (American Viticultural Area). We were surprised to find this wine at a smaller-town Michigan wine shop while visiting for the holidays and really couldn’t wait to give it a try. The 2004 is comprised of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc. We tasted the eight years of age on this one; it had aromas of leather, anise and black currant. On the palate, plum and earth were prominent. I suspect that little of its primary fruit remains. I would suggest drinking now, if you have it. Rating: 3.75.
Wine Tasting at Von Strasser
We’ve visited Von Strasser a couple of times and enjoyed our tastings. On a busier weekend, we remained in the quaint tasting room, overlooking the owner’s estate. It’s really a relaxing, quiet experience tucked away on the mountain. On another occasion, we participated in a longer, guided wine and food pairing in their beautiful cave. Both times, we had fun playing with Echo, their friendly yellow lab. She was such a ham, entering our photo just in time to be our third wheel. If you have time for one Diamond Mountain winery tasting, we recommend this one.
