With the Valley’s most comprehensive list featuring 1500+ selections, the wines at Auberge du Soleil have been carefully assembled by Wine Director Kris Margerum to perfectly complement Auberge’s inspired wine country cooking at our restaurant. The list is organized by grape varietals first, and then by region. And while the list encompasses selections from wine growing regions through out the world, the focus is on the Auberge’s Napa Valley home in California. Kris Margerum carefully trains the Auberge staff by conducting regular tastings and advanced level winery tours, and works directly with our culinary team to create perfect pairings for the restaurant’s prix fixe menus.
Currently Wine Director Kris Margerum recommends these wines
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2009 Merry Edwards "Meredith" Pinot Noir (December 2012 Cru)
Merry Edwards Pinot Noirs are very popular in the Restaurant. I find that the style of wine is more dark fruited and mouth filling compared to most other Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs. The Meredith is what I would call a Cabernet lovers Pinot Noir. It has a rich mouth feel, layers of black and red fruits, and elegant floral and spice notes. The wine has a fuller tannin structure and is very age worthy. The Meredith Vineyard is located in the southern part of the Russian River appellation in a cooler, fog influenced sub region known as the Sebastopol Hills.
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2011 Arnot Roberts "Watson Ranch" Chardonnay (December 2012 Cru)
The winegrowing region south of the city of Napa does not have any special acclaim. There are no named sub appellations and no famous wineries. It is a region for the Napa Airport and light industry. But quietly over the years more and more vineyards are being planted shifting the Napa Valley vineyard scape further south. Part of the success of this up and coming region is the Watson Ranch Vineyard, located on a hillside overlooking the San Pablo Bay. The site is blessed with the combination of marine sediments over limestone. This is rare for California but is exactly what you would find in Burgundy. This windy, foggy site is dry farmed using organic practices. The Arnot Roberts is an exciting example of a Burgundian style of California Chardonnay.
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1998 Elvio Pertinace Barbaresco (December 2012 Premier Cru)
This wine, aged 14 years, has elegant yet firm tannins, delicate red fruit notes and a slightly dusty calcareous earth quality. It is just now beginning to express its full potential. In Piedmont, Barbaresco is known as the Queen (Barolo is the King) and is a bit more approachable in style. This wine reminds me of a slightly more tannic version of a top red Burgundy.
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2011 Grassi Ribolla Gialla (September 2012 Cru)
I believe the Ribolla Gialla may have a future in California. The grape, well known in the Friuli region of Northern Italy, produces wines that are slightly floral, show crisp acidity, express mineral notes and have a body that is lighter than Chardonnay but richer than Sauvignon Blanc. These qualities make it a lovely and versatile food wine.
