This is my first trip to Napa. I will be visiting

Robert Mondavi
Pride
Duckhorn
Joseph Phelps
Reverie
Stags Leap Wine
Caymus
Chapalette
Opus One and Pine Ridge

What older vintages should I be on the look out for to bring back to New York from these or other wineries ?????

Caymus: None. All overpriced. Way overpriced.

Reverie: 1995s (but don't overpay). Do a search for TNs. ojeffso & I posted/commented on these.

Opus1: NONE. All overpriced. Way overpriced. Tasting Fee: I think $30.00--Wow....

Duckhorn/Pride: Posted in your other thread.

Mondavi: Reserve Cab is overpriced. Way overpriced (these days).

Joseph Phelps: '94, '95, '96, '97---I liked all of those. But, watch the prices, again.

Caymus- buy their ZIN! Winery only- $36 a bottle.

thanks for the tip JAZIN

Caymus does a nice sit down tasting, but they do not taste the Zin. But you can stop in btwn 10-4 and buy it. Trust me, buy some... or buy one early in your trip, try at dinner and if you like go back for more! Thats what we usually do.

Don't bother wasting your time at Opus. Never had one I loved and terrible QPR.

jb

Good point. Forgot about the Zin that I just had last week. I was talking about the Cab.

In our never-ending search for the best pizza wine, we had some of Reverie's Barbera. Give it a taste, I think that it is an excellent food wine.

The tasting at Opus One is $25 for a fairly small pour of the 98 or 99 and $30 for the 95. At the Napa Wine Company less than a mile away, you get 4 wines including 99 Blankiet, 98 Jones Family, 99 La Sirena and one more winery that I keep forgetting for $25 total. The view from the terrace of Opus One is nice.

I've never bought an older wine from the winery. The provenance should be good, but the prices are usually ridiculous.

GATC, the fourth winery is Oakford. Also purchasing previous vintages from a winery is typically going to cost you bucks. They will always want top dollar.

Btw, the pour you get from Opus is 4 ounces which is a fairly good sized pour (although I saw a couple pours that big at NVWC). When Jones and I went to NVWC a week ago it was the first place we visited (good call on this Jones) I was dumping some of the wine as I didn't want to start off drinking too much. The four wines were pretty darn good though. I just didn't want to get wasted before I'd even started that day.

It's a nice piece of property. That's true.

P.S.: As far as views go, try Stirling.

I would spend all my money at Pride. The other's are all OK but Pride is outstanding IMHO. It also has the BEST view!

Problem with wanting to buy some older vintages is you won't be able to taste before you buy. Do your tasting of the current releases and buy if you like. Or if the stuff is widely available wait until you get home and save some money. Most of the winerys have some stuff that is only available at the winery. Maybe a couple of bottles ot that for the rememberance factor.

Robert Mondavi -Take the tour

Pride - My favorite view and super wines. Call ahead.

Duckhorn - spend $25 and get the special tasting. Call for reservation.

Joseph Phelps - nice grounds but boring wine. Try the dessert wines.

Reverie - ?

Stags Leap Wine - ?

Caymus - Only if you want their SS. But SS is available cheaper off
premis.

Chapalette - Super view. Great grounds. Worth visit. Taste!

Opus One - Interesting building. Just drive in and park and walk around. Go up to observation deck. Look east to Plumpjack, Groth, Silver Oak, Rudd and Screaming Eagle. Don't taste unless you have unlimited $$$. Maybe buy a bottle of Overture for fun.

Pine Ridge - ?

Only one suggestion. You are right in the neighborhood.
Rombauer. Walk around the grounds at check out their collection of caliopes. Also look at the old "Joy Of Cooking" cookbooks. Cozy tasting room. Ask to taste the Zin and try the sweet Joy.

skwid, Oakford, that was it. All of the 4 wines poured at the Napa Valley wine Company were better than the Opus One. The line on the glass didn't look like a 4 oz pour, but I bought it for my guest and only had a sip. I saw people buying lots of wine there ($150 for the 98 and 99 and $170 for the 95). No wonder I was able to sell my 97 Opus for over $150 at auction. I only paid around $100 for it, so I'm happy. I just don't get it.