Saturday 3/1/03... Big Day

Left San Jose at 7AM. Arrived atChateau Montelena at 9:15 for a 9:30 appointment/tasting for the release of the '99 Estate. Nice little gathering of seven. Watched their new propaganda DVD. Very enjoyable but didn't take home any new bottles. Did get my order for the '01 futures. Had hoped to be able to taste the '01 but no such luck.

Headed down toDutch Henry Winery and hooked up with Scott Chafen, owner and winemaker. Did some barrel tasting of the '00 and '01. The former was pretty good. It is being bottles in May. The latter was super. Bought a couple bottles of '00 Zin.

Next stopRombauer . One of my buddies loads up on the Chardonnay for his wife. I tasted and bought some of their new Zin-Port. Just like eating a black and white sundae. 18.8%. Wow! A little will go a long way I hope.

Down the road toRobert Sinsky . Nice facility. Tasting conducted by Phil whose card says "wine informant". Different. Reds too muddy for my taste. Did buy a couple bottles of '99 Four Vinyards Pinot. Did like the '01 Pinot Blanc though. Only available in 375s so bought four bottles. Two bottles of NV Sinsky Zinsky (late harvest zin) too just because.

Up the road toZD . Big release party for the '01 Chard. Didn't taste of buy anything but one of my buddies bought some.

Off to lunch atMartini House . Two of us ordered the "beef hache" (I pronounced "hash" and they corrected me: "hash-shay) and the other ahi tuna. WOW to both! The hache was basically a hamburger steak but man... mushrooms, gorganzola, all on a thin toast. With a side of onion rings it was absolutely DELICIOUS! Lisa, one of my favorite sommeliers, brought us a half bottle of Biale Old Pato Ranch Contra Costa Zinfandel. Very good+. After eating I sought out Jim (dining room manager) and told him I thought my "hamburger" was better than around the corner at Taylor's. He said, "Now that's a real compliment!"

Up toPride . Had made an appointment. Was pretty dissapointed as there was nobody there that would give us a tour. Only stuff there to taste was there regular plonk. Did get to meet Jim Pride. One of my buddies is a DDS and had Jim as a professor in school. Jim brought us up to date about his Pride Foundation for dental students. Not much talk about wine. He says he is "winning" his bout with cancer but I gotta tell you he doesn't look very good. We should all say a little prayer for him.

Down toDel Dotto for a quick stop before heading home. "How was I to know there was a party going on?" WOW. People. Music. Wine. They had it all. Georgia (Cave Girl) was expecting us and we had a super tour. The caves, some 250 feet deep, have the barrels lined up on both sides and every Saturday and Sunday now they (the barrels) all have candles on them. What a beautiful sight! Something else! And the wine too. Georgia had us taste so many wonderful wines. It is almost unbelievable. My favorite "the David" (what else?). But I do want to tell you all about something called " 2001 lot C ". Amazing and unusual but I will put that in a separate post. I gotta tell you; Del Dotto is a MUST STOP on any visit to Napa!!!

Back down to San Jose to meet up with the girls for dinner atStratta . That's a whole 'nother post too. Had a '97 Montelena Estate and a '99 the David, both from my cellar, to commemorate the day.

I'm tired but oh so satisfied.

it sounds like you just ought to hold down the couch today, david. nice saturday, though.

Great day it sounds like. And Del Dotto is definitely on my 'go to' list for my next CA trip...