Following my tasting at Chateau Montelena, which was eye-opening to say the least, we drove up and down Hwy 29 without any plans, popping in to the vineyards which I recognised, which looked good, and one or two others randomly. That is the beauty of Napa - it is geared for tourism: everything is within reach, which is perfect for those (like me) who begin to feel the effects of multiple tastings quickly despite asking for a spittoon at every winery. On that day we visited Grgich Hills Estate, Alpha and Omega, Pride Mountain Vineyards and Heitz Cellars, trying anything and everything we could: with grapes ranging from the usual (Napa Cab) to the unusual ('Port', dessert Gewuertztraminer, Viognier).
I was extremely impressed with Grgich Hills, which I had served a few years ago as a waiter in Lake Tahoe, and had seen once or twice in the UK. Their Chardonnay was mildly oaked and seemed to focus its attention on a complex blend of passion fruit, lemon zest and touches of tropicality. Lower in alcohol than many Napa Chardonnays, it was certainly one to remember. The stand-out from this vineyard, however, was something I was not expecting to come across - a late harvest blend of Gewuertztraminer, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc which they had named 'Violetta'. It had an amazingly intense nose which reminded me of a Mosel Spaetlese, with plenty of apricot and cherry blossom. It carried a touch of acidity to the back of the palate which balanced out the deep sweetness quite well. Despite its price ($85) it was a very interesting dessert wine.
Heitz Cellars was one that caught my eye on the drive in, and is a vineyard that I have bought from in the UK before. We pulled in and were welcomed by a very knowledgable man who knew exactly who I had bought it from just months before. He showed us their extensive range of boutique Cabernet Sauvignons ranging from $60 to upwards of $150 per bottle. All were very heavily oaked (3 and a half years), powerful and bright, with notes of cherry and eucalyptus running through. The star here was a 2000 'Martha's Vineyard' which was opened specially for us, and did not disappoint! 
Less exciting was a trip to the relatively new Alpha and Omega, which for some reason has a great reputation in the US. This was lost on me though as the Cabernets we tried were incredibly young, nowhere near ready and rather acidic. They said they were making them in the Pomerol style, but what was produced was not plush and exuberant, but rather sharp. From there, however, we were given a tip to drive out to Pride Mountain Vineyards north of Calistoga about 30 minutes, and this was definitely worth the trip! 
Pride straddles the border between Napa and Sonoma counties, so all their grapes are weighed and categorised as soon as they are picked so each bottle can describe the percentage from each county each wine contains. They are renowned for their Viognier which was described to me by a rival winemaker as "the best outside of Condrieu", and has been served at the White House Christmas Dinner 9 years running. It lived up to expectations: even the 2011 was fantastically developed, showing an amazingly floral nose and a palate that wasn't too oily, with dancing fresh acidity all the way through. The finish was lengthy and luscious, while maintaining an impressive composure of jasmine, peach and lychee. Another feature of Californian wines that Pride have managed to integrate extremely well is the high alcohol content: this particular wine was listed officially at 14.2%, but that was not at all noticeable.
All in all, it was a day packed full of a vast array of styles and grapes, but one that I will never forget. The variety in Napa is astounding, and I'm sure I will be trying to map it out for many, many years to come.
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