Toad Hall Cellars

Toad Hall is one of those second generation wineries that we’ve seen proliferate in the Napa Valley the last decade or so. It means that the region has enough history now in the modern era (since the 1970s) that it’s recreating itself. Toad Hall is a fine example of that evolution.

Owned by John Komes, the co-owner of the long-established Flora Springs winery in St. Helena, Toad Hall, which was actually established 23 years ago, is run by Komes’ sons Otto and Nat. They have a vineyard in the Rutherford district and two in the Carneros.

This Pinot Noir comes from Toad Hall’s Lavender Hill Vineyard, which is situated on a knoll with soils created by an alluvial fan created by the nearby San Pablo Bay.

The wine shows lovely black cherry aromas with those same cherry flavors and anise showing up in the mouth. It’s a nice little wine really, typical of the new Pinots that are being produced in the Carneros. It’s not big like its counterparts from the Santa Rita Hills or Santa Lucia Highlands. But I wouldn’t want it any other way. It still possesses a good backbone for aging for at least six years, with good balance.

The wine was not fined, which accounts for its structure. It was fermented for nine months in Burgundy barrels, half of which were new. The listed alcohol is 14.4 percent, and there were only 425 cases produced.

Reviewed August 3, 2007 by Alan Goldfarb.

Other Awards & Accolades

89 Points - tastings.com, May 2007
Silver Medal - National Women's Wine Competition, March 2007
Bronze Medal - San Diego International Competition, March 2007