Vineyard House Napa Valley Wine Tasting With Special Guest Charlie Plummer Wednesday, March 11th 7:30pm
Thoughts on the matter: “I would like a wine. The purpose of
the wine is to get me drunk. A bad wine will get me as drunk as a good wine. I
would like the good wine. And since the result is the same no matter which wine
I drink, I’d like to pay the bad wine price.”
Steve Martin
Comedian, writer, actor, banjo player
We don’t have any bad wines at Wine Watch and some of the
really good wines are not that expensive but when you are in Napa Valley the
really good wines seem to cost a lot. Especially the small production
wines that hail from famous vineyard sites.
It was only a few weeks ago that Jeremy Nikel hosted an
event at the Vineyard House winery and he throws a GREAT party. It is not the first time that I have been
invited to an event with Jeremy and the Vineyard House wines we have been
following this winery since the very first vintage and hosted several tastings
over the years with this 2nd generation Napa Vally vintner. Jeremy is the son of Gil Nickel who founded
Far Niente Winery in the early 1970’s when there was only a couple dozen
wineries in the valley at that time. Jeremy
grew up in the vineyards and cofounded Nikel and Nikel winery with his father
and mother in 1997.
The wines from this property have just gotten better and
when Jeremy took our group on a tour of the vineyards and pointed out the
neighboring vineyards owned by Harlan Estate for their iconic Harlan Estate
wine, Bond and Promontory you can see why Vineyard House is the best value in Napa
Valley cult wines. Jeremy even sells
some of his grapes to Harlan Estate making these wines seem like an even better
value as they are less than 1/3 of the price of their neighbors.
We wanted to purchase the 2024 vintage Premier Napa lot but
it went above the price we were willing to pay as I set clear limits on every
lot we bid on this year. The limit for
the Vineyard House lot was $25,000 and we had the bid at $24,000 but the lot
sold for $26,000 and if it were not for the 8% buyers fee paid I would have bid
again but that would have put the wine over $450 per bottle already more than
any of the wines that they make upon release. Congratulations to Jeremy and crew as they
made the top 10 in terms of per bottle price this year at the auction!!
Join us as we experience the newest releases from our good
friend Jeremy Nickel with his right-hand man Charlie Plummer. The fee for
this event which includes dinner is $275 + tax, for reservations call
954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Vineyard House Napa
Valley Wine Tasting
With Special Guest
Charlie Plummer
Wednesday, March
11th
7:30pm
2020 The Vineyard
House Chardonnay
2017 The Vineyard
House Chardonnay
2021 Vineyard
House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa
2019 Vineyard
House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa
2014 Vineyard
House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa
2013 Vineyard
House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa
2012 Vineyard
House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa Valley Napa
2021 Vineyard
House Cabernet Franc Block 5 - Crabb's Black Burgundy
2019 Vineyard
House Cabernet Franc Block 5 - Crabb's Black Burgundy
2016 Vineyard
House Cabernet Franc Block 5 - Crabb's Black Burgundy
Menu
Selection of Cheese
and Charcuterie
Shrimp Enchilada with
Salsa Verde Sauce
Crispy Scallion
Pancake stuffed with Duck Confit and Hoisin Glaze
Medium Rare Sliced NY
with Chimichurri and Cabernet Natural Sauce Sweet Potato Puree
Bourbon Chocolate
Chip Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $275 +
tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your
reservations if you have any dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will
be happy to accommodate you.
A bit about the Vineyard House:
The Vineyard House was originally Hiram Crabbs place in the
late 19th century, it was sold to the Stelling family and then to Gil
Nickel. Gil left this house to his son Jeremy to ensure that he would
always have a place in Napa Valley. On the Vineyard House property there
is a 2 acre vineyard which some of the fruit from this site now goes into the
this exciting new wine and he has also purchased 35 acres right there on the
valley floor located just 50 feet before you get to Harlan estate and Bond
Wineries. In the very near future this wine will be 100% estate
bottled. Bill Ballentine was the winemaker from the first vintage which
was 2005.
Today, Philippe Melka & Maayan Koschitzky are together making some of the
best wines in Napa Valley. Philippe brings over 30 years of winemaking
experience from renowned Chateaux and Wineries mostly located in Bordeaux,
France and Napa Valley, United States. Maayan Koschitzky was born and
raised in Israel and moved to Napa in 2011. He was named one of the “40 under
40” by Wine Enthusiast in 2019. In addition to making wine for some of the
finest wineries in Israel, Maayan has an impressive list in Napa Valley,
including Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle.
I have loved every vintage of this wine and we had all of
them at the last tasting we had with Jeremy where we put his neighbor Harlan
Estate’s wine next to Vineyard House blind and our group of “Wine Drinking
People” picked the Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 over Harlan Estate
2009! It is not a surprise as the vineyards surrounding Vineyard Houses
are Harlan Estate, Bond and Promontory. These
latest releases are a cut above the first wines, and we are just beginning to
see the potential of this Vineyard House property!
A bit about The Vineyard House
The Vineyard House (TVH) is an exceptional and rare Cabernet
Sauvignon created by proprietor Jeremy Nickel as a tribute to his late father
Gil Nickel, founder of three of Napa’s most acclaimed wineries: Far Niente,
Nickel & Nickel, and Dolce. Like his father before him, Jeremy’s
vision for TVH is to build a world-class estate winery around his one-of-a-kind
property in Oakville, and to produce an extraordinary and inspirational
Cabernet Sauvignon that is at once drinkable and collectible. To that end, TVH has
received rave reviews and held its own twice in blind tastings against Napa’s
most renowned cult wines. TVH takes its name from a 19th century
farmhouse surrounded by vineyards in a picturesque valley in Oakville,
California. Known as The Vineyard House, the home was built in 1853
by William Baldridge, one of Napa’s most prominent citizens. It was
bestowed to Jeremy by Gil when he passed away in 2003.
Jeremy is proud to continue the family tradition of great winemaking.
“Here’s to all we do that would make our fathers proud!
"My father taught me many life lessons, one of which was “never compromise
on quality.” The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon is a tribute to my father’s
commitment to excellence, as well as his passion for fine Cabernet. An “Okie
from Muskogee,” who established three of Napa Valley’s most iconic brands, Gil
Nickel was not only my father, but my hero, whose lessons continue to inspire
me every day. here’s to our fathers!" Jeremy Nickel
The Vineyard House is a loving tribute to Jeremy’s late father, Gil Nickel,
creator of three of Napa’s most iconic wineries. Gil was also a gifted
nurseryman, champion vintage auto racer, avid motorcyclist and guided missile
analyst. While his passions were many, his friends and longtime associates
agree that Gil was driven more by his ideals, loyalties, friendships, and sense
of humor, than his business interests. In the Fall of 2003, Gil passed away
after a courageous battle against melanoma.
Born Harold Gilliland Nickel in 1939 in Muskogee, OK, Gil
studied Physics and Math at Oklahoma State University and graduated in 1961.
After college, he served with the Oklahoma Air National Guard and achieved a
service ribbon for his tour of duty in Vietnam. At the conclusion of active
duty, Gil relocated to Southern California, where he worked as a guided missile
analyst at the United States Navy laboratory in Corona, CA.
Eventually, Gil returned home to Oklahoma to join his
father, Harold, and older brother, John, in managing the family’s Greenleaf
Nursery Company, which was founded by Harold Nickel in 1945 as a small retail
operation. Together, the brothers grew the nursery from its small-company roots
to the second largest, family-owned wholesale nursery in the United States, a
position it continues to hold today.
All the wines from Vineyard House in the store on
SALE!!
2021 The Vineyard House 'The Boss Vineyard' Block 8
Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $412.50 Your
Price: $363.00
Notes of blueberry compote, plum, clove and black pepper
intermingle with gravelly minerality and leather. The palate is enriched with
silky, mouth filling tannins, bright black fruits with lingering notes of
clove, dusty cocoa powder and brioche. The wine has extraordinary length and
persistence and will only benefit from extended cellaring.
The reduced winter rains of 2021 brought a second
consecutive year of drought that was felt across the valley. The headwinds,
coupled with dry, difficult conditions during bud determination in 2020,
resulted in a light vintage for 2021. Earlier ripening sites, on hillsides or
with limited soil water, trended even earlier than normal due to the dry
conditions and lightened crop load. Overall grape quality is quite high across
the board with great color, balanced tannin structure and ideal chemistry. -Atelier Melka
2019 The Vineyard House 'The Boss Vineyard' Block 8
Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $412.50 Your
Price: $363.00 Quantity
in Stock: 3
(95 Points) My favorite of the The Vineyard House offerings
is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Block 8, a wine that includes 10% Cabernet
Franc. Gorgeous scents of cassis, bay leaf, black cherries and vanilla merge
seamlessly on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is richly textured and
supple, with a long, velvety finish. Impressively delicious. Wine Advocate
2019 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa
Valley Napa
Price: $285.00 Your
Price: $250.80 Quantity
in Stock: 3
(96 Points) "Consultants
Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky stared working with this label in 2018.
Sourced from the southwest corner of the property, in a valley between Bond and
Harlan, the wine will be released in 2024. In August 2022 it was very tight,
with a core of dark fruit, subtle brown spices and crushed stone minerality.
Needs several more years to come together – and it will." JC for DR Jun
2022
2018 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon HW Crabb's Hermosa
Valley Oakville Napa
Price: $285.00 Your
Price: $250.80
Distinctive character, with rich palate coating textures and
lots of layers and depth - this is benchmark Wine
2021 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa
Price: $285.00 Your
Price: $250.80
This wine is a classic expression of a moderate to warm
vintage, producing smaller berries and lighter crop than average. Dark in
color, it opens up in the glass with expressive aromas of graphite with
pronounced cherry and blackberry. On the palate, the wine is powerful with a
good, firm tannin structure, blending in hints of natural sweetness, ripe fruit
and great acidity. This wine is just starting to show its potential and will
age gracefully for 15+ years.
This wine is a classic expression of a moderate to warm
vintage, producing smaller berries and lighter crop than average. Dark in
color, it opens up in the glass with expressive aromas of graphite with
pronounced cherry and blackberry. On the palate, the wine is powerful with a
good, firm tannin structure, blending in hints of natural sweetness, ripe fruit
and great acidity. This wine is just starting to show its potential and will
age gracefully for 15+ years.
2019 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa
Price: $285.00 Your
Price: $250.80
(95 Points) The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes all
from the estate in Oakville and is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet
Franc. It has a darker fruited style (blackberries, currants) as well as
textbook Oakville iron, tobacco, and black olive. It's broader and more
expansive compared to the 2021s, but also not quite as long or focused.
Regardless, this is a brilliant, layered, sexy 2019 that will evolve for at
least two decades. Jeb Dunnuck
2018 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $285.00 Your
Price: $250.80
(94 Points) Looking first at the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon,
this inky hued effort offers a dense, full-bodied, powerful, yet promising
style. Giving up solid currant and cassis fruits, notes of dark chocolate and
roasted herbs, a dense mid-palate, and a great finish, it needs to be forgotten
for 4-6 years and should be long lived.
Jeb Dunnuck
2013 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MAGNUM
Price: $750.00 Your
Price: $660.00
2013 Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $285.00 Your
Price: $250.80 Quantity
in Stock: 3
TVH has produced a huge Cab, and this one is jammed with
deep ripe flavors of juicy blackcurrant, blackberries and black cherries oozing
with dark chocolate and some gentle nuances of freshly ground espresso. Randa Warren - Master Sommelier
2019 The Vineyard House Crabb's Black Burgundy Block 5
Cabernet Franc
Price: $183.00 Your Price: $161.04 Quantity in
Stock: 3
2021 VINEYARD HOUSE CABERNET FRANC BLOCK 5 - CRABB'S
BLACK BURGUNDY
Price: $185.00 Your
Price: $162.80
The Cabernet Franc Crabb's Black Burgundy Block 5 comes from
the Hermosa Vineyard and a block that sits immediately adjacent to Harlan
Estate.... Beautiful black cherry and currant fruits, notes of dried flowers,
new leather, unsmoked tobacco, and spice, medium to full-bodied richness, and
outstanding balance all characterize this terrific Cabernet Franc that's geared
for drinking over the coming 10-12 years.
Winemakers: Philippe Melka Maayan Koschitzky
2021 The Vineyard House Chardonnay Napa
Price: $105.00 Your
Price: $92.40
This wine opens with enticing aromas of orange blossom,
bright citrus, and a delicate hint of creamy brioche. On the palate, it is
impressively fresh and vibrant, with lively acidity seamlessly integrated into
its medium-bodied frame. Flavors of passion fruit, citrus zest, and a subtle
echo of brioche are carried by a refined, stony minerality. Beautifully
balanced and elegantly nuanced from start to finish, this is a sophisticated
expression of Napa Valley Chardonnay. Enjoy its youthful energy now, or cellar
for graceful development over the next decade and beyond.
2020 The Vineyard House Chardonnay
Price: $105.00 Your
Price: $92.40 Quantity in
Stock: 2
Full and sleek, the 2020 Chardonnay starts with a snug grip
of tangy acidity reminiscent of lemon peel, stone fruit, and a bit of pear. The
mouthfeel is creamy brioche and honeycomb, with a balanced weight and silky
texture.
2017 Vineyard House Chardonnay Napa
Price: $75.00 Your
Price: $66.00 Quantity in
Stock: 26
(93 Points) “Entirely barrel fermented, this layered,
complex white is structured and complex. It offers tones of lemon peel, pear
and Gravenstein apple, with a tangerine accent lending lift. Balanced and
graceful, it winds its way to a finish of nutmeg and clove. — Virginie Boone”