610434 Tue Apr 07 23:24:45 -0700 2009 3 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 4577421 Just returned from a short jaunt up to wine country to attend a Failla winemaker's dinner in Calistoga. Had some good eats and good wines...and some that weren't: Ad-Hoc, Yountville: Sunday brunch was fun, though more carb-tastic than we'd hoped. Started with a yogurt parfait with a citrus salad, vanilla yogurt, and home-made granola served with toasted banana bread and blackberry honey. The main course was "steak and eggs" with sous vide short rib and baked eggs with blue cheese. Tasty, but I think my stomach would have been happier if the egg was more cooked. Dessert was a chocolate cupcake with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Yummy, but I would have liked a moister cupcake and less frosting. Neat concept and fun meal, but didn't quite live up to our expectations. Flora Springs Winery, St. Helena: Elegant, lighter-style Cabernet and Cabernet blends that were a pleasant surprise. Refreshing to see them staying true to their own style. Don't get me wrong, they are far from thin or wimpy, they just aren't the heavy, overly-tannic monsters that somehow became synonymous with Napa Cabernet. Very pretty. Peju Provence, St Helena: Targeted Peju for their Cabernet Franc. Unfortunately, the bottle they were pouring in the tasting room was slightly corked (not that anyone else noticed). Pretty disappointing until the pourer snuck us some of their estate wines when the other tasters weren't looking. Pricey, but good. (Which was our overall impression of the wines we tasted this trip--there are some absolutely fantastic Napa wines, assuming you're willing to spend $80-$120 a bottle. We didn't find much at all in the way of "bargains.") Beringer Vineyards, St Helena: Even more Disneyland-like than we remembered, but we bypassed the crowds and headed straight for the Reserve Tasting. It didn't disappoint. Our favorite was the Spring Mountain, but the only bad thing about any of them was the price. Mount View Hotel, Calistoga: The obvious lodging choice, since the Failla dinner was in one of the two hotel restaurants, JoLe. Renovated "spa" hotel with nicely-appointed rooms. Comfortable, nice pool area (not usually a consideration for us, but was a nice place to relax after an afternoon of wine tasting). Only real complaint is that they've fallen for the euro-style bed-making trend with no top sheet or blanket, just a comforter--which inevitably leaves me alternately sweating and freezing. Thankfully, we were able to acquire a sheet and blanket for the second night and slept much better. JoLe Restaurant, Calistoga: One of two restaurants in the Mount View Hotel. Highly-recommended. Ate from the regular menu on Sunday night, and returned for the Failla dinner on Monday. The concept, ingredients, execution, and presentation was absolutely 5 star. Chef Matt Spector is no celebrity chef--he's actually the man in the kitchen ensuring every dish is perfectly prepared and presented. His attention to detail shows--the dishes are fresh and creative, beautifully plated, and (most importantly) they taste great. (The fish and shellfish really shows his mastery--the salmon, halibut, and scallop dishes we had were all cooked to perfection.) Loved the Spanish/Mediterranean influence and creative use of ingredients. The menu is designed so you can easily create your own tasting menu or share plates. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a "tapas" restaurant, though--JoLe is fine dining cleverly disguised as a neighborhood restaurant, with prices that happily more reflect the latter. Barnett Vineyards, Spring Mountain: Had the pleasure of meeting owner Hal Barnett, who poured some very nice wines for us at their perch near the top of Spring Mountain. The caves, the views, and the Rattlesnake Hill Cabernet were all worth the visit. Robert Keenan Winery, Spring Mountain: One of the wineries that sparked our interest in the Spring Mountain AVA. The tasting didn't disappoint, though we wished they had a wine club that focused on their "Mernet" and Cabernet selections. Failla Wines, St Helena: What can I say, we're fans. For his own venture, Ehren Jordan seeks out cool-climate grapes and makes lovely Old-world style wines. (Well, except for the fact that they're impeccably clean.) He's truly a master at his art, able to vinify wines in radically different styles depending on what he has to work with and what the goal is. While we've enjoyed the big zins and fruit-dominated wines he's created for Turley, and the rich Syrahs he's made under the Neyers label, his own wines are clearly true to his own heart. Our favorite of the wines poured at the dinner was the Failla Estate Syrah. A beautiful, almost ethereal expression of Syrah. The Pinot Noirs didn't disappoint, either--the difference between the Hirsch and the Keefer Ranch was quite remarkable, but both were a clear expression of the best the vines had to offer. Chef Matt of JoLe put together a tasting menu that beautifully complemented the wines--as the wines similarly complemented the food. Definitely worth the trek! Bouchon, Yountville: Our second Keller-restaurant experience. Top-notch service and well-executed bistro food. Honestly, kind of missing the "wow" factor we expected. We love bistro food, and expected to love Bouchon. In the end, we were feeling a bit nostalgic for Mon Ami Gabi in Las Vegas, of all places! (Their scallops gratin is to die for, and everything else totally hits the bistro mark--just ignore the "steakhouse" appendage in their name.) Between the excellent food we enjoyed at JoLe, and the hype that surrounds anything that Keller is involved with, Ad Hoc and Bouchon were something of a let-down. Enjoyable meals that I'm glad we had the opportunity to experience, but we probably won't go out of our way to return. There are too many other great dining options. Tue Apr 07 23:24:46 -0700 2009 21443 debadair 1 4579646 Thanks for reporting back. Your trip is a template of well-planned choices, and my personal opinion lines up with your take away on Ad-Hoc & Bouchon. Wed Apr 08 16:47:20 -0700 2009 4577421 17221 SteveG 1 4579772 We are heading out to Napa - Sonoma in two weeks and are really looking forward to visiting Jole. We were huge fans of Matyson in Philadelphia when Matt and Sonjia owned and operated the restaurant. Wed Apr 08 17:32:06 -0700 2009 4577421 22225 tom246 1 4590171 Excellent report. Thanks. I'm still holding out hope that Ad Hoc will be the one Keller place I like, but it is faint hope. Sun Apr 12 18:32:41 -0700 2009 4577421 10264 rworange