Barnett Vineyards-Wine Tasting Day 2
“Tour de California” continued on Saturday morning with our Texas friends and our daughter LuLu and son-in-law Money. Wine tasting is addictive and delightful and most enjoyable with friends and family! The morning started out clear and crisp. LuLu and Money made their way up to the top of Sonoma mountain to meet us at our abode.
We thought it only appropriate to pop open a bottle of bubbly to start the day!
Recently named as one of the top 5 vineyards to know by Wall Street Journal, Barnett Vineyard would be our first stop. The estate vineyards of Barnett are located at the top of Spring Mountain Road in the Spring Mountain district, high above Napa Valley. It is a long and winding road to reach the entrance but well worth the drive. Upon reaching the entrance the views open up before you. Steeply terraced vineyards at an elevation high enough to stay above the foggy valley floor below assures many mornings of sunlight for the vines and their fruit.
Still early with comfortable temperatures we arrived at Barnett and were greeted by this…
A warning like that will wake you right up! They are not joking! The high elevation and rocky soil make a perfect home for rattlers. We proceeded to the patio where our table was set and once again the views opened up before us.
Welcomed by Nicole, the Barnett hostess, we took our seats and listened to the story of Barnett where grapes are hand harvested, row by row and approximately 6000 cases are produced yearly. While the main focus of Barnett Vineyards is the Estate Vineyards, other wines are produced from neighboring vineyards on Spring Mountain or single vineyards from other AVAs that they favor. We would taste wines from a few of these neighboring vineyards.
First pour a white, of course! 2013 Chardonnay from Sangiacomo Vineyard in the Carneros region. Lively and fresh with notes of pear, honeysuckle and peach blossoms with a surprise twist, a bit of spice.
Our next 3 tastes were of Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Pinot from Tina Marie Vineyard in the Green Valley of the Russian River, dark, intense, silky and lush, a palate of black raspberry, licorice and dusty cocoa. Spring Mountain District Merlot, opulent with a velvety mouthfeel. The palate holds black cherry, cinnamon and graphite but with a coffee and peppercorn spice. The 2012 Spring Mountain Cabernet leaps from the glass. Immense amounts of aromatics are prevalent upon pouring. Blackberry, ripe fig, violet perfume and plum are surrounded by creamed coffee, cedar and allspice. This cab is velvety, and rich.
As delicious as all of these reds were the best was yet to come. We were about to venture into the cave at Barnett for a nip of 2012 Rattlesnake Cabernet Sauvignon…named for ? You got it- the little rattlers that live on the property!
Rattlesnake is a wine that will age seductively over the next 15-16 years. Intensely purple and silky, pure blackberry and raspberry pie dominate the initial aromas, as layers of dark chocolate, anise, coffee and volcanic earth emerge. Tasting Rattlesnake Cab directly from the barrel was a real treat, possibly the best of the day, and we had just begun!
The bung was removed and a wine thief inserted into the barrel. We were each given a generous taste of what proved to be our favorite wine at Barnett. Unfortunately the wine was sold out and we were not able to purchase any. Disappointing but we didn’t let it ruin our day, by any means!
LuLu and I took one last selfie before taking the path back to our ride and heading off to our next stop, Frog’s Leap. 
