Barrel tastings...FINALLY!

January 31...Luckily, I slept until almost 6:15, when Tuck texted me forgetting the time change. We got up and going, and headed to our first appointment of the day: Cliff Lede Winery.

Cliff Lede is an amazing design, with stunning views of the Napa Valley floor, in the Stags Leap District. Jack Bitner met us and took us thru the 20,000 square foot cave system (used for barrel storage), and on to our private tasting (the tasting room is on the 2nd floor, overlooking the production area and the vineyards and mountains. The wines are amazing, and we even managed to acquire a bottle of delish Sauvi B for the road. During our tasting, Denis Toner rang Jack to tell him that we were shoplifters and not to be trusted. This became a fantastic pattern, as Denis "phone-stalked" us from Nantucket.

Off to lunch, and since we have decided that (a) we will not eat at French Laundry, but (b) want to eat at one of Thomas Keller's place we shall hit Bouchon. And how. The meal began with us once again toasting ouramazing lives with 3 glasses of Dom. Chandon bubbly. Kelly and Kim shared a house made pate, while I had the soup du jour, Butternut Squash. The pate was amazing, simply amazing. They also had chicken for a main, while I opted for the Quiche Florentine. Now laugh if you wish, but that was pretty much the most amazing quiche I have ever had. The girls have the same opinion regarding the chicken it seems.

Now, to Darioush, which they say is "Las Vegas meets Napa Valley". Well, they would be correct. It is dumping rain, and once again we are stuck with a civilian "tour" (read: we were sat in the corner and given wine). The tour guide told us more about the owner's bank account than the grapes and techniques, and didn't seem to understand that we were not vacationing for pleasure. He did take us into the cellar, where there just happened to be a table of glasses and some candles lite for a barrel tasting.

As we contemplate dinner (and recall our new love for Bouchon) we dash to the Bouchon Bakery for supplies. A loaf of bread, some desserts, and some "Foie Gras dog bones" for Angus and Scout and we are off to the next appointment: Elyse Winery.

At Elyse we get very nervous: the first gentleman we are greeted by doesn't know us. Oh-no...did I screw up the itinerary? Damnit...
Well, actually no. The owner, a lovely gentleman named Ray, came out from his office to take us on the tour himself. We start going thru the bottles that are our for tastings, when Ray decides we are tasting from Barrels. Sweet. We must have tasted 15 wines straight from the barrels. To date, it is the high-light of my trip.
While we are with Ray, Denis Toner calls to warn him of our theivery and tactics (see picture below for confirmation of this fact.) Also, Sean Larkin rings him, a Scot-turned-New Jersey winemaker who is a favorite of mine from the Nantucket Wine Festival. He makes an amazing Cabernet Franc...we make plans to hook up at...you got it....Bouchon.

Bouchon again, there may be a restraining order against us now. We had a fantastic time: Kim, Kelly, me, Ray from Elyse, Sean Larkin, Jack from Miner and Sean's friend Ira (who we are still unclear about his line of work [Kelly: I think he is in the business of spending money on shit]). 2 glasses of 1999 Veuve Cliquot and we were off to Sean's for some Cab Franc, then back to the casa.