Artesa of Carneros
I visited the Artesa winery in the Carneros district of Napa the other day with visiting family. As a tour guide/driver I usually don’t get to taste the wine, but touring with family is a whole other situation. It’s not like I drink a lot, in the course of three wineries I probably drank less than half a glass of wine; lots of sniffing and very little sips. Normally I spit but with family, you know how it is! But I had the opinions of my wife and niece for added info.
The wines that really impressed me were their Albariño and Tempranillo, possibly Spain’s most important white and red varietals. Now considering that Cordenui, the parent company, has been making wine in Spain for over five hundred years, I would expect these wines to be good. But what really amazed me was that the Albariño was better than many that I’ve tasted from Spain, bright, refreshing, filled with vitality but with a signature character. The Tempranillo was lush, full bodied with moderate acid and a lovely, but not cloying finish, another stand out.
While we’re talking wine, the Pinot Noir had a lot of body for a Carneros varietal, it made for a scrumptious experience. The place is so gorgeous and the views the best in Carneros so I often visit Artesa with clients. The staff is fun and informative, without hitting you over the head with pithy wine pronouncements and the experience is relaxed without a boring bone in its whole body. I have to say that they wines have really advanced from the last time I tasted there a couple of years ago so Artesa has the whole package.
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