Excellent Winery in Anderson Valley

My colleagues at Wine Review Online hit the nail on the head in their review of the small, family-owned, Anderson Valley winery, Navarro. I'm reproducing some of their post here, but check out the whole post for a more complete report. It's definitely a hike to get here, but I think it's worth the trek.

My Anderson Valley darling of the moment, however, is Navarro Vineyards. An extremely small family run business, Navarro has been delivering at a very high standard since the 1970s. Almost all of its wines are sold direct, so the easiest way to find them is online at www.navarrowine.com.

Navarro was recently named Winery of the Year for the Western United States for its performance at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition (www.criticschallenge.com). Navarro took 11 awards, including two Platinums (for its 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, $32, and its 2006 Cluster Select Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, $59) and three Golds.

Navarro has always had a measure of renown for its work with aromatic whites such as Gewurztraminer and Riesling, but more recently has gained recognition for its reds. The Cabernet displays exceptional concentration and persistence of flavor while maintaining impeccable balance, which is a somewhat unique feature in today's world of California Cabernet.