|
|
theCompass mobile application is a winery, brewery, and distillery locator for North America. |
|
|
Tulocay Winery
|
|
Okay, let's not beat around the bush. How many folks out there have heard of Tulocay?
They've heard of K-J. They've heard of Robert Mondavi. They've heard of Gallo. But Tulocay? Heck, you look up "Tulocay" on the Internet and the first thing you get is the cemetery down the road. Like where dead people hang out. But Tulocay the winery? Let me, Skippy, Chief Cellar Rat, tell you we're all quite alive here. There's me, of course, then there's Bill, and there's Mark. Bill is the boss. He owns the place, and has ever since he founded the winery in 1974. (That's way before K-J was even thought of!) His first wine was the 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon BBC, which, rumor has it, blew away a 1970 Ch. Mouton Rothschild at a tasting about 10 years ago. He started making wine under the Tulocay label the next year and quickly became known for making outstanding Pinot Noir, which has, from time to time, been confused with true Burgundy (like from France) in blind tastings. The boss has always made good wines and on occasion even great wines. But he's always lacked three things that seem to be very important in the wine industry today: The killer instinct to make money, The concept that you have to make the same style wine as everyone else, and A penchant for self-promotion For many years the boss was the sole winemaker. But a few years ago he hired Mark full time, and now he calls Mark "the winemaker". So, as Napa Valley wineries go, Tulocay is really one of the oldest. At about 2,000 cases per year, it's also one of the smallest. And just in case you're wondering, it doesn't have any trams, fancy tours, or gift shops.
But the boss does offer tastings and his own "down home" style of tour. And you're even welcome to have a picnic here on his picnic table under the giant oak in the front driveway. The only requirement is to give him a call a day or two in advance so he can make sure he's around. Fair enough?
|
|
|
Directions
View Map
|
View Weather
Cabernet Sauvignon Cliff Vineyard, Napa Valley
Our 2001 Cabernet follows in the same tradition as the 2000 and 1999... in other words, not subtle. But this is how the boss likes his wines. You might want to call it the "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" style. (The boss, an old Navy man, likes those kinds of references.)
|
Chardonnay Double T Ranch, Carneros
The "Titty" (TT, get it?), as the boss likes to call it, is a very ripe Chardonnay that he makes without any wood contact. In case you're thinking that this translates to a simple "quaffing" wine, think again. What it proves is that the right clone of Chardonnay grown in the right vineyard in the right climate (in this case, the cool Carneros region) can make a superbly complex wine unencumbered by the plethora of oak (often from oak chips) found in too many of today's commercial name-brand Chardonnays.
|
Merlot Sierra Oaks Vineyard, El Dorado County
What makes our Sierra Oaks Vineyard special is that it's located in the Sierra Nevadas at about 2500 feet. With the exceptionally cool nights and warm (but not too hot) days, this means high sugars and high acids — a perfect combination.
|
Pinot Noir Haynes Vineyard, Napa Valley
Tulocay has been harvesting fruit from the Haynes Vineyard since 1975. A lot of folks (you'd recognize their names) also make Pinot from this vineyard. But the boss has been getting his grapes from the Haynes Vineyard longer than anyone else, so he has first choice of the rows he wants.
The vineyard is located on a south facing slope just about a mile down the road east from us. For those of you who don't know Napa Valley, this is a very cool microclimate, perfect for growing quality Pinot.
|
Pinot Noir Nord Family Vineyard, Napa Valley
Will Nord, the scion of the Nord Family Vineyard, is one of the premier longtime Napa Valley viticulturists. The vineyard is located on the Napa side of Carneros, an area respected throughout the wine world as perfect for Pinot.
I, Skippy, Chief Cellar Rat, was able to sneak some after one of the boss's recent tastings. Okay, I confess, I love French Burgundy, and this comes awfully close. The color is deceptive. Its light, brickish hue hardly prepares the nose and palate for an explosion of flavors.
|
Syrah Sierra Oaks Vineyard, El Dorado County
Powerful aroma of cherry pie with a note of licorice. In the mouth, strong cherry flavor with a hint of smoky wild herbs. Not filtered. Aged primarily in two-year-old French oak.
|
Zinfandel Amador County
The 2000 is big and ripe with a touch of raisining and lots of alcohol (16.6% to be exact). Yeah, you can drink it today with full-flavored, spicy foods—Italian, southern French, Mexican—or throw it in the cellar and forget about it for a few years.
|
Zinfandel Casanova Vineyard, Napa Valley
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Casanova Zin, it comes from this vineyard way the heck up in the hills on the east side of Napa Valley. It seems like we gotta drive for two days to get there, or something like that. The vines just kind of pop out of this volcanic soil. It gets pretty warm up there. And the fruit gets really ripe — what little of it there is.
|
Add New Review
|
|