Reflections

Reflecting on the week's posts, and the events leading up to, and contributing to the success of our San Francisco/Napa trip, I remembered that this all started with Frank Husic's visit to the Wineontheway.com Board Meeting (http://mowse.blogspot.com/2010/04/husic-vineyards.html). The following video of Frank explaining the makeup of his Palm Terrace wine was recorded at that time.



While we were having lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa, Frank asked one of the servers whether Donna was in. Donna was Donna Scala, one of the owners of Don Giovanni. She came in towards the end of our lunch and sat down with us. Frank introduced us as being from Orlando and she lit up, explaining that she had recently opened a restaurant called La Luce at the Hilton at Bonnet Creek in Orlando. That was cool. After Frank left, she continued to hang with us and offered us a glass of her Sangiovese. Turns out that she has a 1-acre vineyard which had been planted to Sangiovese but is now planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. She gave us a bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon -- called Scala and pictured below -- as a gift. I have not had a chance to taste it as yet. Since returning to Orlando I have checked out the menu and wine list at La Luce and noted that they have a Scala Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon on offer.

Husic Vineyards Napa Cabernet: A Vertical Lunch

I know. I know.  This is beginning to look and sound like Shark Week on Discovery Channel.  I did not intend for it to become Husic Week on the blog but so much happened in such a short time.  And it was so goood. 

Prior to our tour of the wine cellar (see previous post), Frank had opened two bottles of Husic Cabernet so that they could breathe before we went to lunch.  He now opened a third.  So we were going to be having '01, '02, and '03 Husic Cabernet Sauvignons for lunch; wines which are no longer available from the winery, except in magnums.  Frank replaced the corks lightly into the bottles, placed the bottles into a wine bag, and we were on our way to lunch.  We travelled in separate cars as Frank had to go back to San Francisco after lunch.  Parlo, being the only passenger, was entrusted with the wine bag and the job of ensuring no spillage as we wound our way down the hillside. 

Lunch was at Bistro Don Giovanni at 410 Howard Lane in Napa.  We pulled in (ample parking) and headed to the terrace as it was a day well suited to outside dining.  The restaurant, according to Frank, has some of the best Trattoria-style food in Napa.  The restaurant has traditional inside dining and eastern and northern terraces, each with its own character and characteristics, for outside dining.

Frank opted for the northern terrace which, in addition to a spectacular view of the surrounding hills, had a view of the fountain and characters in the picture above (I later found out that these were depictions of characters from "Commedia del Artre," a professional form of theatre that began in Italy in the mid-16th century.).

We began by ordering a Fritto Misto (Calamari, Rock Shrimp, Fennel, Onions, Green Beans, Spicy Aioli) and an Antipasti.  Frank wanted a white to accompany the starter so he ordered a bottle of Husic Chardonnay ("I don't eat where they don't serve my wines," he said).  The starters were exceptional and went very well with the wine.

While we were having our starters, Frank instructed our server to bring nine additional glasses to the table and to begin pouring from left to right, beginning with the '01 at the left.  The wines all had excellent color in the glasses and it was all I could do to restrain myself until the "appropriate" time.

For the main courses, Frank had Lamb Meatballs, I had a Risotto ai Funghi, and Parlo had a seared Filet of Salmon.  My meal was excellent and, if the sounds of contentment that I heard escaping from my tablemates were any indication, so was theirs.  We tasted the '01 first and I heard Frank say "This does not taste like a Napa Cab."  He was right.  This wine was all leather and graphite.  The fruit had receeded completely into the overall framework of the wine.  This was a left-bank Bordeaux in disguise.  Frank had the happy, contented look of a master magician who had "done it again."

We went to the '02 next and it had almost a split personality with all of the characteristics of the '01 very evident but wrapped in a more prominent display of fruit and evidence of acidity.  Good round mouthfeel.  The '03 was fruit-dominant and spicy, also with a great round mouthfeel.  Very approachable to the discerning drinker.

These wines are evolving rapidly in the bottle and if they are predictors of what the '05, '06, and '07 will be like in a few years, I am happy with the purchases I have made to date.

Frank Husic: Avid Wine Collector

Frank came up from San Francisco to have lunch with us on Friday.  Once he arrived on property he invited us down to the main house so that he could show us around.  Beautiful structure.  Tastefully decorated.  The things that stuck with me were the entrance, the basketball court at one end of the family room (set up to entertain the boys while the room is being re-designed), an extensive rose garden, and a jaw-dropping wine cellar.

The cellar was the last room that we explored.  Frank approached the door, opened it, and said "Let's go down here."  So we followed him down the stairs into a basement.  The basement was divided into a number of rooms and the one that we were in was stacked waist high with carton boxes and, as far as we could see from our position, so were the others.  Frank walked over to one of the boxes and pulled out a 1961 Lafitte.  The pile with which that carton (by now I had noticed that they were shipping cartons) was associated was all old Lafittes.  Then we went over to another pile and it was Screaming Eagles.  Then we went over to another pile and it was Harlan.  Then we went over to another pile and it was Araujo.  Then we went over to another pile and it was DRC.   And then we went over to another pile and it was d'Yquem.  And this went on and on. All the top wines in the world. 750s, 1.5Ls, 3L, 6Ls, 9Ls.  This was the most extensive private collection I had ever been proximate to.  I tried to be cool but my heart was thumping.  I needed air.  Luckily Frank started walking towards a tunnel (it seemed as large as one of the tunnels linking NYC and New Jersey) that was closed at the far end.  This tunnel, still under construction, ran under the house and came out from underground to connect with the wrap-around terrace on the outside of the house.  So you could be sitting on the terrace, decide you wanted some 1982 Lafitte, and just pop into the cellar and pick it up.

Sweet.

Husic Vineyards News

Last week I attended the Husic Vineyards Vintner's Dinner in San Francisco and then visited with Frank Husic in Napa.  I will cover these events in subsequent posts but, first, some Husic Vineyards news.

Celia Masyczek, who had been the winemaker of record at Husic Vineyards, has been replaced as winemaker by Michael Hirby (pictured at left; http://husicvineyards.com/vineyards.htm).  Michael got his start in the wine business as sommelier at a restaurant named Primativo.  He left for a job at a winery in France but the job did not show up when he did.  He made his way back to the US and got a position as Assistant Winemaker at Behrens and Hitchcock (B&H) in 2000.   While at B&H he married the General Manager (Schatzi Throckmorton) and, soon thereafter, left to become the winemaker at Realm Cellars and, subsequently, to launch their joint label Relic.   In addition to his responsibilities at Relic and Husic Vineyards, Michael is also the winemaker at Winter Wines, Realm Cellars, and D.R. Stephens Estate and consulting winemaker at Sherwin Family Vineyards and St. Helena Road Winery.   No reasons were provided for the winemaker change and it is not clear how differences in style or philosophy will affect the final product.  Michael will be fully responsible for the 2010 vintage.

Beginning with the upcoming bottling, Husic Vineyards will be switching to a lighter bottle for its Napa Cabernets.  Husic has traditionally used the heavier style Bordeaux bottles (a la Shafer Hillside Select) but, according to Frank Husic, the additional weight associated with that bottle type translates into higher shipping costs, costs that he will now spare himself and his wine-club members.

Husic Vineyards

The guest of honor at the most recent Wineontheway.com Board Meeting was Frank Husic, owner of Husic Vineyards. Frank was in town as part of a Florida-wide jaunt to promote his wines. I sat next to Frank at the dinner and gained the following insights into his winery and products.

Frank had always had a dream of owning a vineyard so when the opportunity presented itself he bought Napa land "at the very top of the market." The land that he bought was, according to Frank, very well suited to the production of quality grapes because it was on a 40-degree hillside slope (shortly after the purchase, the county passed an ordinance prohibiting the growing of grapes on hillsides with slopes in excess of 30 degrees), it was next to Stags Leap Wine Cellar Fay Vineyard, and, finally, the land had never been used for agricultural purposes (according to Frank, all deposits and no withdrawals).

The Husic 9-acre property is divided into three plots designated as Julie's Knoll, FJs Terrace, and Paris's Terrace (Julie is Frank's wife and FJ and Paris are their kids.). The soil is of a heavy volcanic type and the micro climate consists of hot days with an afternoon cooling breeze coming in from Suisun Bay.

The Husic vision is the production of wines with a French feel: Burgundy for the white and Bordeaux for the reds. Winemaker Celia Masyczek (of Scarecrow and Corra (her own label) fame) is responsible for implementing this vision. The current portfolio consists of two Cabernet Sauvignons and the Chardonnay. Grapes for the Chardonnay are sourced from the Robert Young vineyard on Pritchard Hill.

The flagship wine is the Husic Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. The first vintage of the Husic Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon was 2001. The wine was entered into a Cult Cab tasting competition (which included the likes of Screaming Eagle) and came in second. Parker rated the initial vintage a 95 and it sold out pretty quickly. The '02 - '04 vintages received similar scores and similarly favorable receptions in the marketplace. Now, according to Frank, the market has cratered and "he has a lot of '05 and '06 on his hands."

The 2006 vintage (1060 cases) is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 90% new French oak. This wine presented well with strong hints of chocolate, berries, cedar and sandalwood. This wine retails for about $110. The second label is called Palm Terrace and is made from the wine remaining after the flagship blend has been completed. This wine retails for about $40.

Frank is very proud of his wines and felt that they stood up admirably to the wines at the Board Meeting, wines which included Sine Qua Non, Corra, and Shafer Hillside Select. I had been introduced to the Husic Cab by Adam while we were having dinner at Luma one night and I liked it so much that I immediately ordered some bottles for my cellar. Being an ABAC (anything but American Chardonnay) guy, I was very impressed with the Chardonnay. The only American Chardonnays that I drink (for what its worth) are Ramey's Hyde Vineyard and Dumol (from either vineyard) and the Husic is in the ballpark. For my taste, it needs a little more acidity and a little less burn but it has a definite Burgundian feel.