Pope Valley is a good place for the grape, particularly the late-ripening grape – both of the Sauvignons (Blanc and Cabernet), not to mention the Zinfandel and the Syrah. And you can see that Tony is still – to his vines’ benefit and to the benefit of the wines he makes from them – a gardener. The guy knows his plants. In fact, it’s not a big discovery to find Tony or Herta weeding and pruning and puttering on the winery’s precise and well-kept grounds.
The grounds at Peju are worth more than a simple walk-through. Give yourself time to meander through Tony’s horticultural museum. There are pebbled waterways, ponds and fountains. The planting scheme is well-thought, as is the array of artistic works thoughtfully placed throughout to prick the mind to thought. Welton Rotz and Phillip Dizick are two noted Northern California sculptors. The former’s “Moonrise” is a subtle piece of white marble near the parking lot that evokes a range of emotion; the latter’s reclining nude, over on the grass, seems almost ready to rise from her repose and strike up a conversation. Dizick is also responsible for the large carved wooden doors at the entry to the new tasting room, “The Tower.” (Inside is a remarkable, arched stained glass window that Tony got by outbidding Bill Gates!) Particularly enchanting is the mock moat at the front of The Tower and its accompanying mock (ha!) drawbridge.
Tony’s daughter Ariana spent nearly three years working at Francis Ford Coppola’s nearby winery before she came home. She likes to say “I am working as my father’s shadow, training to understand everything about the place, from the vineyard to the cellar. I particularly enjoy walking the grounds, the cellar and the tasting areas to make sure that everything is in place and tidy,” says Ariana, her eyes flashing personality and dedication.
The Peju clan is particularly pleased to note that they have earned their “organic” certification from the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) and that the Pejus are actively “harvesting the sun” with more than 700 solar rooftop panels at the winery. “The panels will generate power throughout the winery,” says Ariana with pride. “The ten thousand square feet of solar panels – installed by Akeena Solar – are going to cut our electricity bills by more than a third, and the installation will pay for itself in just five years!”
Tasting the Wines
Here are four wines that really stand out now. The Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($18; all of these wines are Napa Valley appellation and estate grown) is a beauty, with enchanting Meyer lemon and fig notes that draw you in, just a hint of mown grass and hay to keep you there, and then finishing vibrantly with crisp fruit and fennel spice. Just the thing for most any seafood or chicken dish, and sturdy enough for the pork or the veal.
The Merlot 2005 ($35) shows off an intriguing bit of inky, black fruit – think cassis and black currant – with a hint of soy and cedar just to set the fruit up a bit. If you like your meat in a tomato sauce, this wine will handle that challenge with ease.
The wine judges seem to have a particular love of the Peju Cabernets. Taste the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) and you’ll see why. It’s a full and fluid mouthful of menthol and cassis, a little dark chocolate (the best kind) with a sharp hit of pepper in the finish to tidy up all that fruit (putting the bow on the present, as it were).
Cabernet Franc is a variety that is garnering increasing attention, both from consumers and from winemakers, all of whom are charmed by the floral qualities it brings to Bordeaux blends. But it is a variety that can, when well-made, stand on its own, and it does so forthrightly at Peju. The 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc ($45) is all tobacco and rose petal up front, with a dusty camphor spiciness that only adds to the package. I’ve pegged vegetarian casserole to the Peju Franc before, and it seems like a good match for this vintage as well.
Peju Province is on the right hand side (if you are traveling north) of Napa Valley’s famed “Wine Road,” at 8466 St. Helena Highway in Rutherford. Phone 1-800-446-7358, or go online to www.peju.com. The tasting room is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.