This 2nd tasting room closed. Their main tasting room and winery remain the same. Archiving this review now.
Bourassa-Napa Smith operates a second tasting room in the same business park as their main winery/tasting room in south Napa (minutes away). Bourassa’s tasting room adjoins the main tasting area for Napa Smith Brewery. No appointment is needed but it is recommended to call ahead to verify their seasonal hours. The tasting room is spacious with two small serving bars for busier times. There are also a number of tables if you prefer to have your wine while seated.
Owner Vic Bourassa originally was exposed to wine in Massachusetts from his Italian grandfathers, however not to premium fruit from the Napa Valley but rather grapes his grandfather bought at street markets and then fermented. After serving in the Navy in Vietnam, and during a career in real estate he was able to visit Napa for the first time in the early 1980’s. He then moved to the valley in 1996 and got the “wine bug”. He worked at several area wineries and also increased his wine education by taking classes at UC Davis and Napa Valley College.
He then started making wine at home and ultimately served as president of the Napa Valley Home Winemakers Association.
Robert Mondavi has been very influential on the careers of many winemakers in the Napa Valley. As chance would have it, a friend introduced Vic to Mr. Mondavi who visited Vic’s house to try some of Vic’s homemade Pinot Noir. As it were, Vic had just bottled this Pinot earlier that day and smartly added a computer made label using glue to the bottle. Packaging is nice, but of course its whats in the bottle that counts. After both men enjoyed a number of glasses Mr. Mondavi declared that Vic should consider making wine on a commercial basis. Vic was 50 years of age at that time but then Mondavi reminded him that he was 53 when he started Robert Mondavi Winery in 1966.
Bourassa’s first vintage dates from 1999 – the Harmony3 – a Bordeaux style blend that they still make today. Gary Galleron is their long time winemaker.
Several tasting options are available including a Reserve tasting for their more limited production wines. Along with Bourassa’s own wines – several of Napa Smith’s wines are also available for tasting.
The 2010 Rutherford Chardonnay shows a very pleasing palate – it is a rich complex Chardonnay. The aromas show tangerine and other tropical fruit. The mouth feel is rounded and slightly creamy – the wine lingers for some time leaving notes of apricot and pear.
The 2007 Merlot is one of the “bigger” Merlots you will find in Napa. It delivers dark fruit and structure. Rich dominating fruit shows, especially from the mid palate to the finish. Lingering big tannins invite one to either cellar this wine or drink it with a juicy steak.
Two rewarding wines for their complexity and layers of flavor are the 2007 Harmony and the 2007 Cabernet Franc. In part the Franc contributes similar aromatic threads in both bouquets. The Harmony is somewhat perfumy on the nose with good structure throughout. The Franc has a complex nose – very ripe fruit and a more elegant palate.
We have had their Solera port before but its always a treat to revisit this wine. Their port is made in the Solera style so that their “current release” is a mixture of various vintages. The oldest vintage in the particular release we tried is 8 years old. The bouquet can be a bit trickey – in that you may not be able to tell this is a sweet wine right away from its aromas. Initially it is a little dusty with notes of tobacco which as the wine opens sweet fruit starts to show through. This wine is beautifully balanced with a clean well integrated mid palate. The wine becomes richer on the palate towards the finish and lingers with a dark cherry liqeur characteristic as well as notes of toasted oak.
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NOTE: This review has been archived.
REASON: Closed their tasting room inside and adjoining to the Napa Smith tasting room. Their main tasting room is NOT closed.
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