Napa Valley: Trinitas Wine Tasting
It’s hard to beat drinking wine at your hotel in a tasting room beneath the vineyard (that’s right — in a cave) that you can see from your room. (The spa is also under the vineyard; there is something about this that just hits you right in the sacral chakra — oh you know what I mean). Trinitas has a little motto “sun, soil, humanity,” which I find perfect for today, the summer solstice.
I always like the first wine I taste at a tasting; there’s something to say for a fresh palate. This wine had a pale color and a subtle nose — not the strong NZ grapefruit nose. Floral notes with a soft, creamy texture. A good start to the night.
2010 Reserve Chardonnay Carneros
Gold starbright color and a much stronger nose than the sauv blanc. We couldn’t decide on tasting notes: dill-apple-melon? Light reduced fat popcorn butter taste — burned — that’s right, an edge of smoke on the finish.
2010 Meritage Red Blend*
Apparently, they accidentally opened this bottle instead of another bottle, so they were passing out tastes for fun to the interested tasters. A dark ruby red with blackberry and currant. Heavy tannins and oak with a lingering, back of the throat buzzing resonance. This surprise bottle was our pick for the evening.
2012 Martin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
A nice bright red cab with notes of raspberry-chocolate, red pepper and a hint of oak.
2007 Amarone della Valpolicella
Ruby red color and a fruit forward nose with straight-forward bright berry flavors like red cherry and watermelon balanced with some oak.
