You’ve probably heard the saying, “What happens on Spring Break, stays on Spring Break,” but what happens when that spring break experience turns your life around and you never want to leave? Such was the case with Michael Trujillo, the director of Winemaking at Sequoia Grove in Napa. What started as a road trip to California with some buddies, ended up with Trujillo finding a new passion in life — that of which working on a vineyard entailed.
I was invited to a Sequoia Grove luncheon at Wine Depot 555 earlier this week and was lucky enough to sit next to Trujillo, a friendly laid-back family man, for a tasting of his passion, his love — the Sequoia Grove portfolio. Gathered among fellow wine writers in the private wine room at Wine Depot, we sipped and swirled Sequoia Grove’s Chardonnay, Cabernet and Cambium with Trujillo, all of which were served with beautiful pairings from the restaurant.
We started off with a medley of tuna tartare cones and a beautiful frisée salad made with baby artichokes, puy lentils, orange and feta. These were paired with the Sequoia Grove Chardonnay 2012. The nose of the Chardonnay brought in a nutty aroma and finished with citrus and green apple. The pairing of the Chardonnay and the salad was extraordinary, combining sweet and savory, with an abundance of textures and a sprinkle of feta to balance everything out — I’ll be dreaming of this one for awhile and it’s definitely worthy of a return visit. And … did I mention how much I loved the salad?
Next up, came the Grilled Halibut served with hearts of palm, braised puy lentils and sea fennel paired with the luxurious Cambium 2010. This taste and your eyes-will-light-up-all-night bottle of wine was a stellar blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Although the pairing didn’t quite work so well for me, tasting the elegant Cambium made up for it– and this wine could definitely stand on it’s own. It brought together the robust flavors of chocolate, black cherries and mocha, combined with dark berries to the nose — and finished off with lovely tones of mocha, vanilla and cinnamon. This is one that you we’ll be singing it’s praises — and is also one to watch. Trujillo is proud of this blend and is confident that the Cambium will soon have people saying — “This is why I drink wine.”
Sequoia Grove Winery sits on 22 acres in Rutherford Ranch, an area known for their Cabernet Sauvignons. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, our last wine at the event, brought the flavors of black cherry, raspberry and clove to the nose — and ended with a luxurious, silky finish of ripe plums, soft tannins and a smoky finish. The Cab, like many of their other wines, uses grapes from some of the best appellations and growers in Napa Valley. These include Sequoia Grove, Tonella Estate, Stagecoach, Morisoli and more — producing a complex, yet elegant bottle to enjoy.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the luncheon, there is one slight change that I would have made — and that was to save the Sequoia Grove’s star, the Cambium, at the end. It was such an elegant wine that it was hard to live up to the because after one sip, I knew where my joy was and I didn’t want to leave that moment.
For those days when you’re not able to have lunch with the winemaker, you can still savor these fantastic wines, as they are available at local restaurants and stores like Area 31 Restaurant, Wine Depot 555 , Wine Wave, Total Wine and more. For a through listing of places to buy these wines, visit Kobrand Wine & Spirit. s find a retailer.
Sequoia Grove Winery is located at 8338 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, CA; (800) 851-7841