Tasti-Pairings » Uncorking at the Oxbow

Uncorking at the Oxbow

by Lisa Yee on June 1, 2011

All of Ahnfeldt wine grapes are grown in Napa Valley. The blending of the grapes from those different vineyards with differences in soil conditions, rootstock, clones, and micro climates produced the making of complex, yet smooth elegant wines.

The Kreuse Canyon Vineyard, a hillside Cabernet vineyard, located in South East portion of Napa Valley is known as the Tulcay-Coombsville region. The characteristics of the grapes from this vineyard are fruity and smooth with just the right amount of tannins.

The Monticello Vineyard, near the Silverado County Club, is also a Cabernet vineyard. Additional Bordeaux varieties of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc were also planted and those grapes were used to blend with the Cabernet and Merlot grapes to produce a classic Bordeaux blend.

The Hardman Vineyard is a Merlot vineyard, located in the Eastern portion of the mid Napa Valley. These grapes are used for Merlot Wine and also used to blend into the Cabernet wine. This vineyard produces smooth and fruity, yet bold Merlot.

Consulting Winemaker Paul Hobbs, Winemaker Julian Gonzalez, and Crossbarn Operations Director Jason Valenti are now producing the Ahnfeldt and Carducci lines of premium wines. Bruce Ahnfeldt and Celeste Carducci-Ahnfeldt are very pleased and enthusiastic about their new wine making relations with the Hobb’s Team. Paul’s wines have achieved national and international acclaim, and he is recognized for his vineyard knowledge, winemaking philosophy, and his passion for making single vineyard wines. Paul attended the University of California at Davis in the enology department. This led to employment at the Robert Mondavi Winery where he was the Head Enologist on the Opus One team in 1981. He founded the Paul Hobbs Winery in 1991.

We came across an open house event at the Uncorked at Oxbow, just off a few blocks from downtown Napa. Lisa’s favorite wine of the evening was the 2005 Quid Pro Quo, a Bordeaux style blend of 60% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon (from both vineyards), 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. This wine had aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, prunes, and licorice. The color was of a dark garnet red. The Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot added complexity, yet smooth, silky tannins and a bit of spice as the long lingering finish appeared in layers upon layers of the makings of a great solid wine on the palate. A pairing suggestion would be a Coq au Vin or a nice thick T-bone or Rib-eye Steak.

Patrick’s favorite pick was the 2006 Provocative Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Syrah, and 1% Petit Verdot. The color was beautiful like a Black Forrest Cake. Dark Chocolate cake with dark cherries and whipped cream was on the palate. The whipped cream was more of a caramel center of the cake and milk chocolate shavings on top. It wasn’t a dessert wine by any means, but a carefully long medium bodied wine, that was approachable and was elegantly showcased in a glass. A pairing suggestion would be Lamb burgers and a nice layered chocolate cake for dessert.