 |  |  |  |
Open: Monday-Saturday, by appointment. Preferred visit times are 11am and 2pm
Appt required? Yes
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2013
Directions:
View Napa in a larger map or Get Directions
Tasting:
I had originally planned to visit Fisher Vineyards with my sister, Meredith, on a recent trip in May. But when she had to leave for a job interview (I know…where are her priorities?) it ended up just being me. It definitely turned out to be her loss.
Fisher is located on the Sonoma side of Spring Mountain, and I highly recommended you use the map they’ll send to you when you make your appointment! There are few signs and even fewer cars on this side of the mountain, but a trip through the trees can be a welcome change from the weekend gridlock of Hwy 29. Fisher is family-owned and family-run; daughter Whitney is the winemaker, son Rob is the General Manager, and my tasting was conducted with youngest daughter Cameron Fisher, the head of Sales & Marketing.
After I was buzzed through the gate, Cameron strolled down the driveway to meet me as I parked. She was preceded by a VERY excited four-legged welcoming committee, which also let me know that Fisher doesn’t get the volume of visitors some of its easier-to-find wineries do. We made our way up the hill and around to the back of the winery, where a picnic area atop a shady knoll awaited our presence. Cameron talked me through some of what it was like growing up in a wine family, how it is working with her siblings, and the challenges of the 2011 growing season.
And of course there was wine! Four bottles anxiously awaited my consumption. We started out with the 2010 Mountain Estate Chardonnay. This was well balanced and extremely drinkable. Cameron made it clear she wouldn’t be offended if I didn’t finish all of my wine, and after several sips I set the Chardonnay aside in anticipation of the Cabernets Fisher is known for.
Before we got into their most well-known red blend, the Coach Insignia, Cameron went and grabbed a 5th bottle to initiate the shift to red wine. The 2009 Cameron Red Wine, named after the woman sitting in front of me, was actually not a blend at all, but 100% Cabernet from young vines in Fisher’s Napa Valley Estate in the Palisades near Calistoga. Given the percentage, it could have been called a Cabernet, but Cameron’s winemaking sister Whitney likes to adjust the blend occasionally. 2010 was 83% and 17% Malbec, for example. The wine was pretty good, but tasted young. A good entry level offering to highlight the depth of the wines I was about to try.
Next up was the 2007 Coach Insignia, Fisher’s flagship blend. While typically heavily Cabernet, Whitney occasionally blends in around 10% of other Bordeaux varietals. For 2007, the blend was 90% Cab, 7% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. This was like a mature and very solid version of the Cameron and definitely a quality wine. Fortunately, it’s also fairly widely distributed and available locally for me.
At this point we shifted our attention to Spring Mountain and the 2008 Mountain Estate Vineyard Cabernet. Like the Chardonnay at the start of the tasting, this wine came from the vines surrounding our picnic perch. The wine was a classic example of Spring Mountain and very well made, and it was my favorite of the visit up to that point.
I had one wine left to try, though, and Cameron saved the best for last. The 2007 Lamb Vineyard Cabernet was perhaps the best wine I had over the course of 8 days in wine country. Delicious, beautifully crafted, smooth but with excellent structure, this was an instant favorite. The Lamb Vineyard is a block within Fisher’s Napa Valley Estate Vineyard, and it was truly excellent.
Up to this point, the visit has been almost flawless. Great wine, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in a perfect setting, but I had yet to see a price list. I loved all of the wines and definitely wanted to ship some back to Chicago. The price list came out…and my precious Lamb Vineyard Cabernet was a whopping $150/bottle. Now, I think it’s worth that, but if it had been priced south of $100 I would have been ecstatic. The other wines were also quite expensive, with the Cameron clocking in at $65, the Mountain Estate Cab at $80, and the Coach Insignia at $85. I think the quality of the wine justified the price tag on all, but I was hopeful that this small family winery might have small family prices. No such luck.
We wrapped up the tasting with a stroll through the winery production facility, and Cameron bid me adieu as she returned to set up for a lunch party that would follow my visit. Overall, I think this is an excellent stop for any lover of big Napa reds. The Chardonnay shouldn’t be overlooked, but the Cabernets Fisher is crafting are all 90+ point wines. Combine that with the fantastic setting for the tasting, and this is a highly recommended stop. Keep in mind that an appointment is required (and Fisher requests at least 7 days notice), so this is not a drop-in spot, but it's absolutely worth the pre-planning required.
I had originally planned to visit Fisher Vineyards with my sister, Meredith, on a recent trip in May. But when she had to leave for a job interview (I know…where are her priorities?) it ended up just being me. It definitely turned out to be her loss.Fisher is located on the Sonoma side of Spring Mountain, and I highly recommended you use the map they’ll send to you when you make your appointment! There are few signs and even fewer cars on this side of the mountain, but a trip through the trees can be a welcome change from the weekend gridlock of Hwy 29. Fisher is family-owned and family-run; daughter Whitney is the winemaker, son Rob is the General Manager, and my tasting was conducted with youngest daughter Cameron Fisher, the head of Sales & Marketing.
After I was buzzed through the gate, Cameron strolled down the driveway to meet me as I parked. She was preceded by a VERY excited four-legged welcoming committee, which also let me know that Fisher doesn’t get the volume of visitors some of its easier-to-find wineries do. We made our way up the hill and around to the back of the winery, where a picnic area atop a shady knoll awaited our presence. Cameron talked me through some of what it was like growing up in a wine family, how it is working with her siblings, and the challenges of the 2011 growing season.And of course there was wine! Four bottles anxiously awaited my consumption. We started out with the 2010 Mountain Estate Chardonnay. This was well balanced and extremely drinkable. Cameron made it clear she wouldn’t be offended if I didn’t finish all of my wine, and after several sips I set the Chardonnay aside in anticipation of the Cabernets Fisher is known for.
Before we got into their most well-known red blend, the Coach Insignia, Cameron went and grabbed a 5th bottle to initiate the shift to red wine. The 2009 Cameron Red Wine, named after the woman sitting in front of me, was actually not a blend at all, but 100% Cabernet from young vines in Fisher’s Napa Valley Estate in the Palisades near Calistoga. Given the percentage, it could have been called a Cabernet, but Cameron’s winemaking sister Whitney likes to adjust the blend occasionally. 2010 was 83% and 17% Malbec, for example. The wine was pretty good, but tasted young. A good entry level offering to highlight the depth of the wines I was about to try.Next up was the 2007 Coach Insignia, Fisher’s flagship blend. While typically heavily Cabernet, Whitney occasionally blends in around 10% of other Bordeaux varietals. For 2007, the blend was 90% Cab, 7% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. This was like a mature and very solid version of the Cameron and definitely a quality wine. Fortunately, it’s also fairly widely distributed and available locally for me.
At this point we shifted our attention to Spring Mountain and the 2008 Mountain Estate Vineyard Cabernet. Like the Chardonnay at the start of the tasting, this wine came from the vines surrounding our picnic perch. The wine was a classic example of Spring Mountain and very well made, and it was my favorite of the visit up to that point.I had one wine left to try, though, and Cameron saved the best for last. The 2007 Lamb Vineyard Cabernet was perhaps the best wine I had over the course of 8 days in wine country. Delicious, beautifully crafted, smooth but with excellent structure, this was an instant favorite. The Lamb Vineyard is a block within Fisher’s Napa Valley Estate Vineyard, and it was truly excellent.
Up to this point, the visit has been almost flawless. Great wine, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in a perfect setting, but I had yet to see a price list. I loved all of the wines and definitely wanted to ship some back to Chicago. The price list came out…and my precious Lamb Vineyard Cabernet was a whopping $150/bottle. Now, I think it’s worth that, but if it had been priced south of $100 I would have been ecstatic. The other wines were also quite expensive, with the Cameron clocking in at $65, the Mountain Estate Cab at $80, and the Coach Insignia at $85. I think the quality of the wine justified the price tag on all, but I was hopeful that this small family winery might have small family prices. No such luck.We wrapped up the tasting with a stroll through the winery production facility, and Cameron bid me adieu as she returned to set up for a lunch party that would follow my visit. Overall, I think this is an excellent stop for any lover of big Napa reds. The Chardonnay shouldn’t be overlooked, but the Cabernets Fisher is crafting are all 90+ point wines. Combine that with the fantastic setting for the tasting, and this is a highly recommended stop. Keep in mind that an appointment is required (and Fisher requests at least 7 days notice), so this is not a drop-in spot, but it's absolutely worth the pre-planning required.
Recommended wine: The Lamb Vineyard Cabernet is amazing, and the other reds are also all quite good.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 4.50 |  TASTING ROOM | 5.00 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 5.00 |  VALUE | 4.00 |
 OVERALL | 4.63 | ||
No comments:
Post a Comment