<a target="_blank" href="http://www.pressnapavalley.com/">Press</a>

587
St. Helena Highway

St.
Helena, CA 94574

Tel
+1 (707) 967-0550

Wine:&nbsp;

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 1968 &nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 Louis
 Martini California Mountain Barbera
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1997 
 </td>
 <td>
 Dehlinger
 Pinot Noir
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1980 
 </td>
 <td>
 Caymus
 Cabernet Sauvignon Grace Family Vineyard
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 NV 
 </td>
 <td>
 Spring
 Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Lot H.68.69.LN
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1973
 </td>
 <td>
 Spring
 Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1978 
 </td>
 <td>
 Carneros
 Creek Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1976 
 </td>
 <td>
 Diamond
 Cabernet Sauvignon Creek Red Rock Terrace &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985 
 </td>
 <td>
 Dunn
 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
 </td>
 <td>
 95 
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1984 
 </td>
 <td>
 Dunn
 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain (magnum)
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985 
 </td>
 <td>
 Philip
 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon
 </td>
 <td>
 98</td></tr></tbody></table><img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1381598010952-Press5.jpg"> Food: 

Wild King Salmon; Warm Tarragon
Potato Salad, Watercress Purée, Fresh Horseradish

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1381597905811-Press2.jpg"> Seared Tuna<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1381597896271-Press3.jpg"> 

Family Style Sides; Sautéed Spinach,
Roasted Maitake Mushrooms, Press Roasted Potato &amp; Garlic CakeSelection of Artisan Cheeses<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1381597876360-Press4.jpg"> 

I never miss a chance to get together
with my Napa Valley tasting group. Our shared passion for the great wines of
Napa Valley has been the catalyst for a number of fabulous tastings over the
years. This dinner at Press was another in a series of unforgettable evenings.

On this night we were seated at the
large table downstairs just outside the cellar, probably a good thing for the
sanity of the rest of the restaurant’s patrons, as the action can get pretty
intense once the bottles start coming. Press has one of the most remarkable
lists in the United States. There is something for every palate; from the most
traditional to the most modern. Sommeliers Scott Brenner and Kelli White have
done a fabulous job in assembling a collection of Napa Valley’s crown jewels,
all of which were just a few from us.

Even though our focus was a bit more
on wine rather than food, the menu was beautifully done. The Wild King Salmon
starter was perfectly cooked and delicious. My Ahi Tuna main course was just as
tasty. I could not resist seconds of the potato &amp; garlic cake and sautéed
spinach, both of which were served family style. The tour-de-force, though, was
the cheese platter, which was simply out of this world.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1381598034637-Press6.jpg"> 

Louis
Martini’s 1968 California Mountain Barbera was a revelation for all of
us. With its sweet earthy/tobacco scents, lively red fruit and vibrant acidity,
the 1968 came across as a blend of Pinot and Barbera. It is of course
impossible to know the exact varieties used in wines of this era, but it is
quite possible the 1968 was not 100% Barbera. It didn’t really matter though,
as the wine was stunning in its beauty and liveliness. What a great start.

Tom
Dehlinger’s 1997 Pinot Noir was another revelation. Beautifully
expressive and generous, it showed fabulous depth and plenty of Russian River
character, with lovely tertiary complexity but enough fruit to drink well for a
number of years.

The 1980
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Grace Family Vineyard was the first in a
series of monumental wines. Smoke, cedar, leather and sweet spices all flowed
from the glass in a rich, structured Cabernet Sauvignon still endowed with tons
of class and personality, even after 30+ years. This was a great, great
showing.

Spring
Mountain’s Cabernet Sauvignon Lot H.68.69.LN, with its strange,
non-vintage designation, is supposedly a combination of all/partly bulked out
1968/1969 juice from Martha’s Vineyard. Mint, leather, sweet spices and dried
cherries were some of the nuances that emerged from this eccentric, quirky
Cabernet Sauvignon. The 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from Spring Mountain was
quite pretty, if a touch fragile. Sweet scents of tobacco, licorice, dried
fruit and leather informed the soft, fragrant finish in a wine that is at peak.

A tannic
behemoth, the 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon from Carneros Creek Winery
impressed for its freshness and vibrancy, but it remains an intense wine that
will appeal to readers who appreciate massively structured Cabernets. Some
rough edges showed through, but it was impossible not to admire the wine’s pure
personality, especially with time in the decanter. Diamond Creek’s 1976
Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace was beautifully expressive and layered.
The Diamond Creek Cabernets of this era needed so much bottle age, but today
they are simply striking. Hints of iron, black fruit, cloves and menthol
lingered on the powerful close.

Two wines
from Randy Dunn followed. Exotic, floral and spiced, the 1985 Cabernet
Sauvignon Howell Mountain was drop-dead gorgeous. I have frankly had mixed
experiences with the 1985, but this was a great bottle, with vibrant, layered
fruit and plenty of mid-palate depth – for a Dunn Cabernet. Still explosive,
the 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon is another wine with plenty of life ahead. The 1984
Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain (magnum) took things into the
stratosphere. A superb, thrilling wine, the 1984 captured the essence of what
makes these wines so compelling in great vintages. The classic, nearly
impenetrable Dunn tannins were present, but the 1984 has more than enough fruit
and pure depth to balance things out. Dark plum, cherry, licorice and spice
notes all added complexity on the powerful finish. Drinking this out of magnum
was a real treat.

Philip
Togni’s 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon was off the charts. Over the decades
Togni has made some of the most iconic Napa Valley wines, and the 1985 is right
up there with his very best. Still fresh and vibrant to the core, the 1985
showed massive depth, concentration and pure power. An exotic melange of mocha,
sweet tobacco, plum and espresso added nuance, but the 1985 remains young, with
several decades of exceptional drinking ahead. The last wine of the night,
Togni’s 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon was a fitting conclusion to this fabulous look
back at some of Napa Valley’s iconic producers and wines.

-- Antonio Galloni

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