Preview of John Anthony Vineyards new "in the vineyard" tasting experience.

Earlier this week we were invited by David Bryant, to preview the new vineyard tasting experience that John Anthony Vineyards will be offering  at their very scenic vineyard location in the Mayacamas range within the Oak Knoll AVA. This experience is available by appointment only and ICONIC Wine Tours is happy to announce a preferred partnership program with John Anthony Vineyards.

As can be seen from these pictures the view from this vineyard site is nothing short of spectacular!

From this amazing perch overlooking the Napa Valley we tasted the 2012 John Anthony Church Vineyard Carneros sauvignon blanc and the 2009 Oak Knoll District cabernet sauvignon.

This is a perfect place to do a picnic lunch, catered dinners and other wine centric affairs.

2012 "Church Vineyard" Sauvignon Blanc

Enticing aromatics of honeydew and asian pear in the nose lead to a luscious and rounded mouthfeel, showing ripe peach, nectarine and guava with a kick of roasted Meyer lemon and a zing of spice, finishing with balanced acidity with nuances of perfectly ripened tropical fruit.
 










Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Attractive aromas of dark berry, red berry, red and black licorice make way to flavors of huckleberry, dried cherry, anise and roasted coffee.  Integrated with ripe and nutty tannins, it's cedary oak and cigar box notes leave you with a plush and silky lingering finish.

Vineyard 29 - An amazing combination of terroir and technology.

This jewel of a property north of St Helena was purchased by Chuck McMinn in 2000. The original  3 acre vineyard is located just north of St Helena, neighboring Grace Family Vineyard and other premium vineyards. Since its inception the vineyard manager has been David Abreu, arguably  Napa's foremost vineyard manager - (more on David Abreu here)

The vineyards are monitored by strategically placed moisture probes which read the soil and certain vines have "sap flow sensors" that provide precise information for when to irrigate and how much water is needed.

Our host Hospitality Director Austin Gallioni

 From the very beginning the winemaking team at Vineyard 29 has been impressive & world class.

• Gary Galleron (1992—1994)
• Heidi Barrett (1995—1998) 
• Philippe Melka (1999 - present) 

 The Vineyard 29 wines:

•     Aida Estate Zinfandel - perhaps the finest Zin I have tasted in years!
•     29 Estate Franc -
•     29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon -
•     Aida Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

 The Cru Wines:

• Cru Sauvignon Blanc
• Cru Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cru Pinot Noir

Chuck McMinn owner of Vineyard 29 describing the unique terroir.

Vineyard 29 is truly state of the art and the efficiency of the design is evident throughout the winery.

As evident by the multipurpose stainless steel "blending" tank encased in a hydraulic elevator, this  truly is a technologically sophisticated gravity flow winery

Office, winery and public spaces are seamlessly incorporated in a visually stunning design

The stainless steel catwalks above the fermentation tanks.

One of the mottos at Vineyard 29 is: "if you can't measure it you can't improve it"

 

The wine is gravity fed and transferred directly from the hydraulic elevator tank through a conduit in the wall to the barrels in the caves.

The caves are dramatic and elegant, blending both function and beauty and culminating in the beautiful Library Room where the wine tasting with food pairings take place.

Their wines are smooth and balanced with a velvety texture. No surprise here that they are very highly rated by wine critics and coveted by wine collectors.