Cade Winery: Howell Mountain, St. Helena - CA

Date:  samedi 21 mai 2011
Location:  360 Howell Mountain Road South
Angwin, CA 94508
Tel:  +1 707 965 2746
http://www.cadewinery.com/cade/

This is a beautiful, contemporary, serene, quiet winery.  It is private-feeling and I almost hesitated to blog about this gem of a find.  Reservations are a must (since this is a small production winery) and you will be introduced to Cade's wines while sitting inside their living room or their outside patio - both which offer stunning views of Napa Valley perched on a dramatic hillside. 

I was delighted with Cade's 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (93% SB, 6% Semillon, 1% Viognier) - a great steal at only $26USD/bottle.  I enjoyed this perfect breakfast/lunch/pre-dinner wine at 11am, which is how every Saturday should begin in any wine country - sunny outdoors on a quiet hilltop above grapevines!  This fresh Sauvignon Blanc glistened brightly and so cleanly in my wine glass in that Northern California morning sun, reflecting against the concrete infinity pool.  All the while, there were only a mere three or four other visitors tasting during the same time around us.

Because this is a small winery, you will be able to enjoy yourself and the wines without feeling rushed (which is how most wineries in Napa/Sonoma region on the main roads feel like - rushed!).  Personally, I prefer discovering the more obscure wines off the beaten path minus the commercialized approach, taking my time speaking with the wine growers and understanding what is it about their wine's terroir and micro-climate that makes them unique. 

I was pleased to know later that evening that a very good friend of mine (aka the "Sheriff of Taste" http://sheriffoftaste.com/) saw my morning posting about visiting Cade and could not resist making a quick day trip up to Cade himself, but missed me by about 2 hours.  My just-long-enough short stay for a brief respite, then off again along the travel status quo.  A pity to have missed him, a fellow Burghound who shares an incedibly similar palatte to mine.  Of course, we collected our notes the next day and agreed on all the same tasting notes for Cade's wines.

I went home with a couple bottles of their SB and the 2008 Cade Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (98pts RP) - which comes in both cork and screwcap.  Yum yum.