Trip to Langtry Estae

Yep, just got back from California.  In particular Langtry Estate(Guenoc Winery) in Lake County.  As you cruse through the green lushness of Napa you can not only smell the grapes but you can smell the money.  Full of expensive restaurants, B&B's, and the most famous wineries in California is exactly where I was not!  And I loved it!!  Just over Howell Mountain and through the Pope Valley you come to the Guenoc Valley.  Green and lush is precisely what it is not.  The area reminded me of the Sierra Foothills.  Desert like terrain with small shrubs and rocky soils.  And no one in site.....I think that's why I liked it so much. 

The picturesque estate consists of 23,000 acres and straddles both Lake and Napa Counties where cougar, bear and wild boar still roam the remote hills. Despite the vastness, Langtry's vineyards are limited to 400 prime acres, ensuring the highest quality of wines. 

The winery's namesake, Lillie Langtry, flamboyant British Theatre star, purchased the property sight unseen in 1888. On her first visit, she arrived in St. Helena in her lavish private railroad car, then embarked with a small fleet of stagecoaches carrying her entourage and paramour, Freddie Gebhard. Raised as a tomboy, she apparently was quite a horsewoman. She also made wine, which she proclaimed the “greatest claret in the country.” With the help of her winemaker Henri Descelles, she had 51 tons crushed her first vintage and bottled wine in unique vessels portraying her likeness on the glass. By 1900 Lake County wines were winning awards in international competition, and the region was earning a reputation for producing some of the world's greatest wines. Lillie Langtry sold the property in 1906 and the years of prohibition and vineyard destruction soon followed.

It was a miracle that any vineyard area was left when the property was acquired by 1962. A syrah, petit verdot and white grape vines of mysterious origin were found on the hillside vineyard site after at least half a century of neglect. In 1963, Malulani Investments acquired the 23,000 acre Langtry Estate & Vineyards with a focus of producing top-tier wines from the Guenoc Valley. The Winery planted extensive vineyard acreage and was one of the first in California to plant the five major red Bordeaux grape varieties. The Langtry Red Wine is a supreme example of Langtry's artistry in blending the red Bordeaux varietals.

In 1981, Guenoc Valleywas approved as an AVA (American Viticultural Area), with the distinction of being the first single-proprietor AVA in the country.

Since then, under the new Langtry Estate & Vineyards name, the winery continues to produce award winning Bordeaux style wines as well as their signature Petite Sirah and Sauvignon Blanc alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Pinot Grigio.

My highlight of the trip was the Tephra Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon which is on top of Howell Mountain.  Unbelievable bottle of wine for a fraction of what those folks in the Napa Zip Code want.  Unfortunately its hard to find.  Great news is the Guenoc Lake County Cabernet is easy to find.  Most of the fruit comes from Tephra Ridge and can be found in fine wine retail for around $15.  The Sauvignon Blanc is rather tasty as well.