Wednesday Wine Tasting: Elyse Winery
Having made about a hundred and nine trips to wine country, we're definitely over the big name, flashy, tchotchke- and gift-laden tasting rooms serving up merely drinkable wine at high-end prices. Give us a shitshack or a shed and some amazing wine and we're happy.
That's not to say that the tasting room at Elyse Winery is a shed -- it's just a simple room in a simple ranch house, right off of Route 29 in the heart of Napa. But they do have some amazing wine and they deserve the attention of any Zinfandel or Petite Sirah lover.
Elyse was founded in 1987 by Ray and Nancy Coursen, and the label was named for their daughter Elyse. In 1997, they purchased the property that currently houses their tasting and distribution facility, which has a couple of acres of grapes -- however the majority of their wine is blended from purchased lots. Perhaps it is the freedom that winemaker Mike Trotta and Ray have in picking and choosing the grapes they use each year, but they do have a pretty magic touch.
The signature Zinfandels -- the 2006 A.K.A. Zin ($35) and the Morisoli Vineyard Zin ($37) -- are excellent examples of the rich, fruity, jammy, and herbal character of Zinfandels, often leaving one with an almost creamy mouth feel from the roundness of the fruit. The same goes for the Howell Mountain Zin ($45) only moreso -- with layers of complexity that would pair well with lamb or marinated beef.
The winery has been making several excellent blends as well -- two Rhone-style blends, one white (2007 L'Ingénue, $35) and one red (2007 C'est si bon, $28), as well as an excellent Zinfandel blend called Couzins, named for the cousins Zinfandel and Primitivo from which it's blended (available at Trader Joe's for a mere $14.99 while supplies last).
We should also mention the Jacob Franklin label produced at Elyse as well, named for the Coursens' son, on which they've often produced Petite Sirahs, but currently they are only selling a Cab, an excellent and rare varietal called Charbono ($28) that is grown almost exclusively in California, and a Cab/Cab Franc blend called Mon Chou #33 ($75).
Wines can be purchased online, but we definitely recommend stopping in (after calling ahead) on your next trip to Napa. It will be a welcome break from the mobs.
Elyse Winery // 2100 Hoffman Lane, Napa // Call for Appointment: (707) 944-2900
PREVIOUSLY: Good Trader Joe's Wines Under $8
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