Looking for that special wine for the holiday season or for a gift, this wine tasting is for you. Join us 4-6pm on Thursday, December 4.
On a recent trip to Napa, I was introduced to the Award Winning Gibbs Winery, a very small winery in St Helena. When we visited, we learned they don’t have a traditional tasting room, so we tasted in the field and at the winemaker’s house.
We sampled a bright Sauvignon Blanc, two standout Chardonnays, a Cab Franc, and several Cabernet Sauvignons and estate wines. Our store’s wine consultant, Anda, who rarely enjoys Chardonnays, declared both of theirs exceptional. She’s bringing one, along with the Cab Franc, to her Napa Thanksgiving celebration, which says everything.
We will be tasting 5 wines including the Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, The Dusty Red (a classic Bordeaux blend with a bit of a twist) a Napa-Styled Cab Franc and one of their Estate Cabernets.
This is a free event and very casual. Come anything between 4pm and 6pm and stay for as long as you like. Of course, we will be providing a well-appointed charcuterie board to nibble on.
Make a night of it in Sunapee Harbor by using the tasting as a starting point to finish with dinner or beers at the Wildwood Smokehouse, Blue Canoe or Hoptimystic.
Gibbs 2024 Centa Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
Made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc harvested from Centa Vineyard, one of our two estate vineyards in Saint Helena. The fruit comes from vines grown near the banks of the Napa River, where relatively cool summer temperatures help retain a balance of flavor and acidity.
Gibbs Sauvignon Blanc is light bodied with crisp acidity and an elegantly long finish. The nose is generous, exhibiting aromas of lime zest, white nectarine, and subtle white florals that compliment a light, but immensely flavorful body bursting with mouthwatering Key lime, juicy white peach, tart Granny Smith apple, Tangelo and a touch of grapefruit. The finish is quite lengthy, showing tropical notes of passion fruit and lychee.
Vintage 2024
Alcohol: 13.3%
Case Production: 1,258 cases
Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc | Clone 1 & 530
Oak Program: 5 months Stainless Steel
Awards: 91 pts James Suckling (’23)
Gibbs 2024 Napa Valley Chardonnay
Gibbs Napa Valley Chardonnay dances a fine line between richness and restraint. Fermented in French oak and stirred on the lees for the first 16 weeks, the mouthfeel is round and lush up front with vibrant flavors showing on the mid palate and extending through the finish. A truly beautiful balance between classic Napa Valley opulence and modern winemaking clarity.
Delicate florals, a touch of toasted oak and hints of lemon zest on the nose. The body offers classic Napa depth, showing deliciously juicy pear, melon, stone fruits and just a touch of citrus that are complimented by fresh acidity on the mid-palate and finish.
Vintage 2024
Alcohol: 14.4%
Case Production: 820 cases
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Oak Program: 6-8 months French oak | 20% new | 20% ML
Awards: 90pts James Suckling (’23), 90 pts Wine Advocate (’22)
Gibbs 2022 Napa Valley Dusty Red
Craig puts this blend together with the goal to create a wine that is incredibly food friendly and has a whole lot to offer right out of the gate. Each varietal is fermented individually and blended prior to bottling.
The 2022 Dusty Red is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel; a classic Bordeaux blend with a bit of a twist. The 2022 vintage of our staple blend is comprised of fruit from St. Helena, Oakville, Yountville and Coombsville; a beautiful representation of what the Napa Valley has to offer. Fresh and vibrant aromas of red and black fruits with baking spice and a touch of damp earth on the nose. The body is plush with juicy dark cherry, cassis, dark chocolate, cedar and a subtle herbaceous note on the finish. Plush and mouthcoating tannins drive the body and extend the finish. Our Dusty Red blend is always meant to be incredibly approachable, food friendly and better than the sum of its part. This is our homage to the weeknight Napa Valley reds of yesteryear!
Vintage 2022
Alcohol: 14.7%
Case Production: 814 cases
Composition: 40% Cabernet, 25% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Zinfandel
Oak Program: 24 months French oak | 30% new
Awards: 90 James Suckling (’21) | 91 James Suckling (’20 & ’19)
Gibbs 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc
Our “Napa styled” Cabernet Franc offers all the classic notes of old-world Cabernet Franc in a bolder and more boisterous fashion than one might find in Bordeaux or the Loire Valley. Ripeness is the name of the game here as we let this fruit hang late into the growing season to ensure it develops rich depth of flavor beyond the harsh and unpalatable stemmy green notes often found in young, under-ripe Cabernet Franc.
The 2022 vintage is beautifully complex, layered, and rich with character; only made more powerful thanks to the addition of a splash of Oakville Petit Verdot. Violets, blue fruits and herbal notes on the nose seamlessly meld with a body showing blueberry, dark boysenberry, bitter chocolate, and a touch of green bell pepper. The tannins are fine, but ever present bringing beautiful structure to this layered and age worthy wine.
Vintage 2022
Alcohol: 14.5%
Case Production: 725 cases
Composition: 90% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot
Oak Program: 22 months | 35% new French oak
Awards: 92 pts James Suckling (’19), 91 pts Wine& Spirits (’19)
Gibbs 2022 Three Clones Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Our flagship Cabernet owes its name to the three Cabernet clones grown on our two Estate Vineyards; 6, 15, and 337, that create the core of this delicious wine. Each clone adds unique character, complexity, and depth to the Cabernet. We craft our Three Clones Cabernet with the end goal of presenting a wine that is incredibly balanced; showing well in it’s youth, but with the ability to age beautifully for years to come.
Raspberry, cocoa, star anise, and dusty French oak on the nose with a textured mid-palate bursting with dark plum, juicy cherries, bitter chocolate, iron, and dried herbs. Finely etched tannins are present throughout providing structure and extending the generous finish that hints at notes of coffee and dark chocolate.
Vintage 2022
Alcohol: 14.7%
Case Production: 1,450 cases
Composition: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot
Oak Program: 24 months | 35% new French oak
Awards: 92 James Suckling, 92 Decanter(’21), 92 James Suckling (’21), 90 Wine Enthusiast (’20) 93 James Suckling (’19), 94 James Suckling (’18), 91 Decanter “Napa Valley Cabernet: Best value 2018 wines under $50” (’18)