I love Spago. I know it's cliche, but there's a reason it's still around after all these years and you will almost always find foodies and wine-lovers alike. In fact, today virtually every wine person I know in Los Angeles was present at different tables. And Mario Batalli was sporting his orange crocks at a table just across the patio. There's just nothing like lunch at Spago!
Well, on to the wine: Good friend Daniel Ha who runs Sales and Hospitality up at Dana Estate in Napa contacted me to attend a little trade lunch. They don't have any wine to sell until later this year so it was really more of an opportunity for we sommeliers to actually sit down with the wines we have sold but rarely tasted. Fellows sommeliers from Bouchon, Valentino and Capo were also at the table.
Dana Estate is the most successful of the new line-up of "cult wineries". The Helms Vineyard and winery exist on the former Livingston-Moffet property just behind Whitehall Lane in Rutherford. The winery proper was built out from the original ghost winery. The facility is nothing short of amazing and is the quintessential example of sparing no expense. Famed designer of the Harlan and Bond facilities, Howard Backen, was brought in to design Dana. The concept in much of what they do ties a little of something old to something new.
The same can be said for their wines. They nod their head to the traditional wines and seek out some of the minerality and structure one might expect from Bordeaux, but utilize all new winemaking technology available for their wines. Famed winemaker Phillipe Melka is on staff, but also has a new budding winemaker straight out of school working with them as well. The vineyard was originally planted in the 1880's, but now plays home to a brand new winery in Dana.
Dana's first release was the 2005 Helms Vineyard, which had a very limited distribution as there were a mere 500 cases. From what I understand, the winery kept their hands on a very large portion of it for future use. Right out of the gate, press was favorable with a 94pt score from Parker. The next vintage incorporated two more vineyards into the line-up: the Lotus Vineyard from a hillside vineyard further north in St. Helena and the Hershey vineyard which is on Howell Mountain and produces under 100 cases at the moment. Press was favorable again in 2006 with the two distributed labels earning 94 and 95 pt scores.
And then - the highly revered 2007 vintage struck! Most winemakers are raving about this vintage for its decided New World-ness and ripeness. A large handful of wines were awarded the elusive 100 pt score and Dana was no exception. The Lotus vineyard took the lead with Helms trailing at 97 and Hershey 96+. Dana was off and running in a mere three years, absorbing all of the clamoring collectors looking for the next big wine list to be on.
My first experience with these wines was visiting the property at Daniel's invitation. He poured the 2006 Helms and Lotus vineyards for me. I found the Lotus to be a much more heavy-handed style that I would have a hard time drinking, showing super-ripe fruit and alcohol. The Helms, however, stopped me in my tracks with its balance, complexity and typicity. I also had the opportunity to taste the 2007 Lotus late last year when first released and found the bottling, at that time, to be consistent with my feelings on the 2006.
We sat down to lunch and enjoyed a 2006 Raveneau 'Montee de Tonnerre' Chablis with the many amuses and salads. It was an amazing start! The Bacon en Croute is to die for! The Raveneau, while still a baby, showed boatloads of minerality, slate, chalk and salinity, but all wrapped up in this wonderful ripe sheath of lemon, lime and baked apple. The minerals clung to my palate for the rest of the afternoon. A true benchmark in Chablis and worth every penny you pay for it.
The Dana wines were poured with a truly amazing steak course. The 2007 Helms Vineyard offered ripe black currant and cassis, crisp blackberry acidity, ripe tannins that are not intrusive, cedar, spice, chocolate and an incredibly long finish. This was a riper version of the 2006 which I adored. An herbal overtone adds further complexity with time in the glass and, I must say, this wine changed pretty frequently during the course of the meal. The 2007 Lotus Vineyard was also consistent with my last tasting and the style of the 2006. Right out of the gate, it was flamboyent and fruity, almost like a young vintage port. A soy and mineral character is also present, but more challenging to find beneath the gobs of ripeness. Plush texture, blackberry jam and candied cherries, taking full-bodied to the next level. Very intense fruit with brown sugar and chocolate notes. With time in the glass, this bottling also began to settle into itself and find more balance. Hopefully, time in the cellar will do the same.
This is a very impressive operation and certainly one to experience, if the opportunity should arise. Unfortunately, many of these wines are already hibernating in collectors' trophy cellars and won't arise again for a few years. If aging is not kind, we may see some on the markets before too long. But with a release price of almost $300, meager production, and all the press, at what cost will they resurface?
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