Goosecross Cellars Napa County | Yountville, CA

Goosecross Cellars Wine Tasting Notes

We made the required appointment at Goosecross to end our day, and a perfect ending it was. Located on the Yountville Crossroad between the Silverado Trail and Highway 29, this small, family winery is much more our speed than the big Disney-style wineries that are cropping up all over Napa. After parking next to the Gorsuch family home and walking along a path through the fermentation tanks, we enter the small tasting room, tucked in the corner of the barrel cellar - big enough for about a dozen people, at most!

Tasting is $10 per person, (you can share one tasting), and you get to taste 5 wines officially...we tasted eight. Matt, our host, was very nice and even let us bring out our small puppy, who was sleeping in my doggie backpack for the occation. We talked wine and food, and about the virtues of small family wineries. He told us how the owners, Patt and Rey Gorsuch, started out in the 1970's selling grapes to local wineries. Soon they realized that all these other wineries were getting famous from their grapes, so they decided to start making their own wine. Since 1993 their son Geoff and his friend David Topper run the winery.

We really liked a couple of the wines, especially the Chenin Blanc, but the prices were a bit over our head, but the overall experience was extremely pleasant and relaxed. Matt was nice enough to suggest five or six other family wineries to visit.

Next time we plan to try one of the winery's educational tours and wine classes. You can can sign up for them online, or by calling the winery. The class is free, and the tour is $20 per person. Goosecross is also the home of Napa Valley Wine Radio and podcast.

TASTING NOTES:

2006 Sauv Blanc ($23)
Nose: Bright, crisp nose
Taste: smooth acid. dry mid-palate. Bitter finish.
Score: 85

2006 Estate Chardonnay ($32)
Nose: butter
Taste: sweet cream. acid finish. heartburn city.
Score: 83

2005 Merlot ($40)
Nose: sweet, boisenberry.
Taste: earthy. cherry. dry.
Score: 86

2005 Syrah ($34)
Nose: jammy
Taste: sweet & smokey
Score: 85

2005 Zin ($34)
Nose: strong port.
Taste: sweet fruit. dry finish.
Score: 83

2003 Howell Mountain Cab ($64)
Taste: w/ chocolate it tasted like chocolate covered cherries.
Score: 92

2005 Napa Valley Cab ($49)
Taste: easy to drink.
Score: 88

2006 Chenin Blanc ($23)
Nose: sweet
Taste: light color, but full flavor. Seemed to fizz on the tongue. 3% residual sugar. tasty!
Score: 90
WE BOUGHT IT!

Goosecross Cellars Wines

Ratings and tasting notes coming soon!