We hit a couple of tasting rooms in the morning. First, we stopped at Sequoia Grove. They had activity on the crushpad, so I was hoping that Michael Trujillo might be there, but no luck. We tasted a few insipid and second label (Allen?) wines. The chard and syrah were forgettable. The 01 Cab, however, was another story. This is a very nice, well priced wine. I'd say about 90 points. I also inquired about their Reserve library cabs. They had a sale on 91 Reserve in magnum. The tasting room guy was nice enough to open a 750, and we tried it. It was vaguely reminiscent of the 92 Dominus we had at last year's VC Anniversary dinner. Needless to say, I bought the magnum and a couple of 01 cabs.

One minor gripe (please don't start another thread on this). I was disappointed to see on my receipt that although I spent arond $170 for wine, they did not apply the $5 tasting fee to the purchase. Cheapskates! Apparently you have to join the wine club to get a 'refund'. Well, living in PA, I can't! I feel discriminated against!



Next stop was Flora Springs. We tasted thru their entire lineup. The high end cabs were good, but overpriced. I picked up a couple of 00 Toad Hall Bodacious (50% cab franc/50% malbec). I think the label is cool.



On the recommendation of the guys at Frank Family, we stopped next at Bremer (formerly Deer Park and Deer Creek). There's no formal tasting room, just an office with a desk. We met Bob Boland, the winemaker, whose credentials include Ferrari-Carano, and proceeded to taste their wares.

The 01 Chard was reminiscent of the Frank Family chard. Butter, but not much oak. The 01 Cab Franc had a huge floral nose, and the wine stood up well. The 01 Cab was tannic but has potential. This is one to revisit in 4-5 years. The 01 Claret was smoother, softer, and more approachable than the cab.
Finally, we asked to try the merlot. Wow! Almost as good as the 02 Pride, and $12 per bottle less than the Pride. This leg of the trip was an unexpected bonanza. Joined the mailing list. Bought an assortment of 6 bottles (chard/merlot/cab franc).



Our final visit of the day was a trip further up Howell Mountain, then through the woods, and eventually up to O'Shaughnessy Vineyards. We were greeted by Barbara Christo, the winery's capable administrator.
She gave us a tour of the winery and caves - a brand new, modern, spare-no-expense facility with a conference room and a glass library-like 20 foot high wine cellar belonging to the owner, Betty O'Shaughnessy.

Barbara poured the 01 cab for us, and it is drinking even better than when I had a bottle at home around 4 months ago. I'm glad I have 6 in the cellar, and I'm glad I got them at retail for $40, and not at the winery price of $54.

We wished Barbara the best of luck in their new venture, and headed 'home'. I left there with a nagging feeling that O'Shaughnessy's philosophy is more about Betty than about the wine. The place was gorgeous, but left me feeling little warmth and charm. I guess I have more empathy for the guy down in the vineyards than for the owner in the beautiful brand new sparkling facility. Oh, well.