Cornerstone Cellars located in the middle of downtown Yountville, just a step away from some of the best restaurants in Napa Valley, The French Laundry, Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, Ad Hoc, Bottega, Hurley’s, Redd and Redd Wood. Such a cute white painted cottage, think of a French country side, it’s much more spacious than it looks from the outside.

A long bar by the left side where you can chill and wines tasting, or reserve a table, where you can have a private tasting with your group. Plenty art works through out the tasting room and store, rack and rack of wines, as well as wine country souvenir for sale here. Another private tasting room for a larger group in the back where you can see a lot of their magnum bottles display through out the room.

    In 1991 Cornerstone Cellars was founded by Dr. Michael Dragutsky. Later managing partner Craig Camp from Napa Valley,  then current winemaker Jeff Keene from New Zealand came on board. They brought Cornerstone Cellars in Napa Valley and Oregon’s Willamette Valley to wine lovers.

We were lucky to chat with winemaker Jeff Keene and it was very informative and nothing better than having a winemaker poured
your wines, while walk you through the wines he makes.

Together with managing partner Craig Camp’s old world style background (he was importer of Burgundy & Bordeaux, and years of working at wineries in Italy); winemaker Jeff Keene, a New Zealand native and making wines here in Napa Valley. They now making elegant wines, terroir driven, balance in acidity and alcohol levels to pair with food better. I say they make old world style wines, the kind of wines that I personally love to drink. I don’t like wines with high alcohol, it just kills my taste bud.

With that said, we got to try some of their best selling wines, a few that memorable to me.

– 2011 Cornerstone, Cabernet Sauvignon, The Cornerstone, Napa Valley, Reserve; it’s a single vineyard, and only 100 cases made. A Bordeaux style blend of Cab, Merlot and Cab Franc. It was definitely a cooler vintage, in French Oak barrel for 22 months. This was a rare treat and a very gorgeous wine, round, elegant, silky, beautiful nose, and lingering finish. I enjoyed this every much.

– 2011 Cornerstone, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley $80, ripe fruit, powerful, spices, full bodied, and long finish, this is a voluptuous wine. We love it.

– 2012 Cornerstone, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, steel then 5 months in used French Oak, tropical fruits, pineapple, honeydew, melon, citrus, bright, and crisp, it’s a perfect wine for shellfish and Sunday Brunch.

– 2011 Cornerstone Napa Valley, Cab Franc, black label $45, ripe tannins, round, tobacco, herbal aromatic, lingering on the finish, elegance, structure, and rounder with an edge. I’m not a fruits bomb girl, so anything savory, you got me, this bottle did it for me. Reasonable, deliver, and food friendly cab franc is a hard to find in Napa Valley for less than $45.

   We also got to try the Oregon’s Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. It was quite nice as well. We can’t wait to come back.

They also offer 4 different wine club members, and all vary to to your desire. Check them out here: www.cornerstonecellars.com/Wine-Club and follow them on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/CornerstoneNapa  and Instagram here: https://instagram.com/craigcamp

So if you visit Yountville, Cornerstone Cellars tasting room is a perfect spot for you to drop in for some good wines tasting before your dinner reservation.

Tasting Fee is only $20, members are FREE. You got to try out 5 different wines. If you have a group of more than 4 people on the weekend, reservation is highly recommended.

Cornerstone Cellars
www.cornerstonecellars.com
6505 Washington Steet
Yountville, CA 94599
Tasting room: 1-707-945-0388
Email: TastingRoom@cornerstonecellars.com

by Manda Bear @1MandaBear