Open 10:30 to 4:30
Appt required? Yes
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2012 (April 18, 2012 Itinerary)
Directions:
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Tasting:
My first visit to Ehlers Estate was 7 or 8 years ago. I remembered a small tasting room that could probably fit around 10 people and also trying some “Madison” label wines being made by an affiliate in Virginia.
Things have certainly expanded since then. The tasting room is 3-4 times bigger than it used to be allowing for a large tasting table to accommodate seated tastings as well as the traditional tasting bar with 8 bar chairs awaiting butts. We tasted with Oscar, who I’m sure has many a female visitor all atwitter with his heavy Spanish accent and “dark and mysterious” vibe. He poured through their standard tasting lineup of Sauvignon Blanc (good, not exceptional), Merlot, 120 Over 80, and Cabernet 1886.
The “120 Over 80” was a new brand on an old Ehlers wine for me. One thing that wasn’t made explicitly clear on the original visit was that 100% of profits from Ehlers Estate Winery go to fund cardiac research. With both my father and father-in-law having had open heart surgery in the last 10 years (7 bypasses between them!), this was something that hit close to home. The “120 Over 80” wine is the rebranded Ehlers Estate Cab sourced from their St. Helena vineyard and a solid value at $45/bottle.
I had remembered liking the Merlot and the 1886 from my first visit, and the same held true on this one. The Merlot was very good and priced the same as the “120 Over 80” at $45. The 1886 had drastically risen in price – I think on my last visit it was somewhere between $50 and $60 and now retails for $95 – but I think it’s worth the money. This was a great wine and one that I’m excited to try in 5-7 years.
The $25 tasting fee was waived with a 3-bottle purchase, and we were happy to oblige given the good cause the money was going to and the delicious wines that we’d be able to enjoy.
Things have certainly expanded since then. The tasting room is 3-4 times bigger than it used to be allowing for a large tasting table to accommodate seated tastings as well as the traditional tasting bar with 8 bar chairs awaiting butts. We tasted with Oscar, who I’m sure has many a female visitor all atwitter with his heavy Spanish accent and “dark and mysterious” vibe. He poured through their standard tasting lineup of Sauvignon Blanc (good, not exceptional), Merlot, 120 Over 80, and Cabernet 1886.
I had remembered liking the Merlot and the 1886 from my first visit, and the same held true on this one. The Merlot was very good and priced the same as the “120 Over 80” at $45. The 1886 had drastically risen in price – I think on my last visit it was somewhere between $50 and $60 and now retails for $95 – but I think it’s worth the money. This was a great wine and one that I’m excited to try in 5-7 years.
The $25 tasting fee was waived with a 3-bottle purchase, and we were happy to oblige given the good cause the money was going to and the delicious wines that we’d be able to enjoy.
Recommended wine: The Merlot was good, and the 1886 Cabernet was great.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 4.50 |  TASTING ROOM | 4.25 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 4.00 |  VALUE | 4.00 |
 OVERALL | 4.19 | ||
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