Tasting Notes Current Vintage: 

2006 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

The wine starts off with explosive grapefruit and candied lemon peel in the nose, with hints of guava, fig and gooseberry in the background. On the palate, this zippy wine displays the tangy acidity which keeps the wine lively, while also coating the mouth with the concentration and richness of a round white wine.

2006 Napa Valley Rosé

The essence of summer, this wine shows off juicy watermelon, strawberry and delicate floral aromatics in the nose, while on the palate candied red fruits, pear and crisp acid give this refreshing wine its vivacity. Perfect as an aperitif or with a variety of light summer foods.

2005 Napa Valley Red Wine

An attack of big black cherry, mocha, roasted nut and mineral earthiness hit the nose followed by discreet notes of vanilla and spice. While the ripe but firm tannins show that this is a big wine, they balance the sweet fruit to give it an overarching elegance true to the blending of several grape varieties. Dark plum skin and coffee lead out on the palate, while many other flavors slowly evolve as this silky red wine crosses and caresses the tongue and finishes with persistence.

2005 Napa Valley Syrah

The grapes for this wine were hand selected in the vineyard when they were harvested at full ripeness on October 18th and then hand sorted twice in the winery to make sure only the best reached the fermentation tank. Once in the tank, the grapes sat cold in the tank developing color, flavor and aroma before starting to ferment with native yeast. The tank was gently punched down and pumped over to extract all the color, aroma and flavor from the grapes carefully and finished fermentation in about 22 days, when the juice was drained and skins pressed before being filled into barrels. The wine finished a native malolactic fermentation in the barrel in three months and was aged for 17 months in a combination of mostly small French oak barrels with a handful of Hungarian and American barrels (about 33% new) and bottled in March 2007. The pH is 3.67, total acidity 5.6 grams per liter and alcohol 14.95%.

2004 Frias Family Spring Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Grown on the slopes of the Frias Family’s Spring Mountain estate where red, rocky volcanic soil dominates, this 2004 estate blend showcases the vibrant terroir of this small piece of Napa Valley . The grapes for this wine were hand selected in the vineyard and then hand sorted twice in the winery to make sure only the best reached the fermentation tank. The wine was aged for 22 months in small French oak barrels (about 40% new) and bottled in August 2006. The pH is 3.73 and total acidity 5.93 grams per liter.

Exploding with dark chocolate, blackberry and raspberry, this wine is sweetly perfumed with ripe fruit and exotic spices such as vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom as well as cedar, cigarbox and sandalwood. On the palate cassis as well as dark berries carries through with a mocha-berry underpinning. The silky mouthfeel, yet bold structure and balanced acids highlight the glory of mountain grown fruit in this concentrated wine. The long finish of fleshy ripe dark fruits and spicy, earthy background also reminiscent of the forest floor add an element of complexity. While this wine is tempting and enjoyable to drink now, it will improve and evolve with years of aging.

2002 Frias Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Private Reserve

Spring Mountain-Aromas of dried black currant, just ripe black skinned/red flesh plums, and ripe cherries are complemented by hints of wet stone and spearmint.  On the palate the wine is tightly wound, with a solid tannin structure and balancing acidity.  The second sip fills the mouth with the wines bounty of fruit.  The spice and earth characteristics come through on the long finish.  While the wine is showing well now, several years in the bottle will reveal the wine's true complexity and lushness.