(i)
Yountville, Napa Valley, California USA
Wine Style: New World / Cabernet
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 91 points
Article Written: July 2017
Article Updated: September 2019
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Château or Vineyard Owner:
Michael Polenske
Winemaker:
Aaron Pott
Ma(i)sonry is in a historically restored building and a piece of land owned by the family going back to 1904, one block up from the French-American top 100 in the world restaurant The French Laundry. The founder Michael Polenske includes Ma(i)sonry in his Artisanal Brands collection called Bespoke, which includes the vineyards of Recuerdo and Blackbird which I wrote an article about two years ago.
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| Ma(i)sonry / Wine Tasting |
The restored stone building serves as a perfect backdrop for Ma(i)sonry, and as an art, in itself. The design and collective wine-tasting gallery are among a few sights to include the outdoor sculpture garden, that brings a welcoming and warm difference you normally don’t expect to see when doing a wine tasting.
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| Ma(i)sonry / Stone House |
The vineyard and building are located in Yountville, a world-class culinary destination as mentioned earlier with The French Laundry, plus the winemaking it a tourism destination. Ma(i)sonry also features internationally renowned art and furnishings to go along with the property. Guests are also welcomed to peruse Ma(i)sonry’s galleries seven days a week.
The Bespoke Collection is a production lifestyle brand that goes along with the art and design gallery. Bespoke Collection also has an additional art gallery in St. Helena, California.
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| Ma(i)sonry / Part of the Bespoke Collection |
I was first introduced to this wine just like the Blackbird collection as being a part of the Cult Wine Central Tasting Club, part of the Napa Wine Company (now Ghost Block). They sent me a bottle of their 2009 cabernet sauvignon.
Composition: 75% Cabernet Franc, 11% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 4% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot
Production: 144 Cases
Optimal Drinking Window: 2015 - 2022
Wine and Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palate Experience:
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2009 Cabernet
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Winemaker Notes:
The 2009 Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates distinctive layers of black fruit and spice with incredible weight and balance. The palate delivers luscious flavors of black currant, plum, and coffee framed by supple, velvety tannins which lead to a long finish
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Winemaker Notes:
Crafted by the Blackbird Vineyards' winemaking team, this limited-production wine is as richly textured as each of Ma(i)sonry's timeless art and design collections. The hand-selected fruit in this Cabernet Sauvignon was primarily sourced from the Rainin Vineyard where rocky soils of Diamond Mountain produce firm, tannic wines with intense fruit.
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Final notes, review basics, and observations:
*** NOTE TO THE READER ***
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about.
To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
I refer to myself as an oenophile though, oenophilia is defined as “a disciplined devotion to wine, accompanying strict traditions of consumption and appreciation.” In a general sense, oenophilia also refers to the enjoyment of wine, often by a layman — which I am, and not qualified as a professional. I just enjoy drinking it, so my rating is based on enjoyment and the overall experience, not the science of an expert, and thus subjective, not objective. See the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ on how I arrived at the rating percentage below:
Overall Star Rating For Ma(i)sonry:
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91/100:
An Outstanding Tasting Experience
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Wines Produced by Ma(i)sonry:
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Red: Meritage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo
White: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, rosé
Dessert: Sauternes
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Grape Blends:
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Red:
Couve
White:
Marsanne blended with Viognier
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Barrel Types and Aging:
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New French oak
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Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach
United States:
California:
Sub-Napa AVA’s:
Other California wines, wineries (Château’s), or food articles on Wine Dine and Play:
Napa - A Sip and Taste in Wine County A 3-day tour of wineries and fine dining restaurants in Napa County, California
Blackbird Vineyards Wine Tasting An ultra-premium terroir in Napa, California
Castello di Amorosa Tuscan inspired castle with wine — friends of the Baron - Calistoga, Napa, California
Chateau Montelena The famed Bottle Shock “Judgement of Paris” winner in Calistoga, California
Crocker and Star Wine Tasting Capturing the essence of Cabernet in St Helena, California
Emmolo Wine Tasting A merlot comparable to no other in Rutherford, California
Flying Horse Wine Tasting A spirited winery with Arabian horses in Oakville, California
Gustavo Winery Artisan winemaker whose story is tied to “The Judgement of Paris” in Napa, California
Hoopes Winery Tasting Cult cabernet winemaker with Liparita and Hoopes labels in Oakville, California
Jonata Winery Tasting Screaming Eagles sister winery, El Desafio cab, in Santa Barbara, California
Kamen Estates Low yield, high quality + film writing in Sonoma, California
Mirror Wine Tasting A beautiful Cabernet from a family of entrepreneurs in St Helena, California
Ottimino Winery Exclusive red Zinfandel producer partnered with William Knuttel in Sonoma, California
Row 11 Santa Maria Pinot An Old World style Pinot from Santa Maria, California
Row 11 Tasting Pinot grapes using Dijon clones in Santa Maria, California
Silver Oak Cellars Near the Silverado Trail, known for high-end Cabernet in Oakville, California
Twomey Wine Tasting Napa and Sonoma wines owned by Silver Oak, Calistoga, Napa California
Volker Eisele Wine Tasting An elegant family estate in the Chiles Valley district of St Helena, California
California cuisine is a style of cuisine marked by an interest in fusion cuisine (integrating disparate cooking styles and ingredients) and in the use of freshly prepared local ingredients. The food is typically prepared with strong attention to presentation. Foods low in saturated fats and high in fresh vegetables and fruits with lean meats and seafood from the California coast often define the style.
5A5 Steak Lounge Modern Japanese steakhouse with chic design in San Francisco, California
Alioto’s Restaurant Historic restaurant serving Sicilian-infused seafood in San Francisco, California
Casita Taqueria a fast-casual taqueria serving homemade artisan Mexican food specializing especially in tacos and burritos in St. Petersburg, Florida
Ciccio Cali inspired cuisine from California using antibiotic-free meats, organic and Non-GMO vegetables in St. Petersburg, Florida
Cowgirl Creamery Artisan Cheese Shop “aka” Cowgirl Cantina in Point Reyes Station, California
FarmTable Cucina organic, sustainable, and local with a focus on Italian and New American themes in St. Petersburg, Florida
FarmTable Kitchen Casual Cal-Italian cuisine and chef tables in St. Petersburg, Florida
Fleur de Lys Lavish French-Californian by Hubert Keller in San Francisco, California
Gaia Restaurant Organic and sustainable concept in American Canyon, California (Renamed Table 29 Bistro and Bar)
Greystone CIA Restaurant CIA School restaurant formally called Wine Spectator now GateHouse in Calistoga, California
The French Laundry French-American fine dining restaurant in Yountville, California
Wipeout Bar and Grill Surf shack theme with California and Mexican cuisine in San Francisco, California
Wolfgang Puck Celebrity Chef’s California cuisine and fine dining chain; reviewed in Orlando, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
A Few New World Favorites:
New World wines are those wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe and the Middle East, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, United States (California, Florida, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State,Virginia),Thailand, and Uruguay.
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Yearly tasting event at Hyde Park
Sydney, Australia
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Wine and food tour
Cape Town, South Africa
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A tour of food and wine from a 2015 tour in Oregon wine country
Dundee, Willamette, Oregon
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Some Old World Favorites:
Old World wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. These countries include Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Moldova, Morocco Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey.
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Wine tours and restaurants
Bordeaux, France
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A tasting of the Vougeot AOC, caves, and the Hospices de Beaune
Burgundy, France
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Sancerre wines
Loire Valley, France
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Bottle Prices
(excluding taxes)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major wine countries and connoisseur’s**
Currency rates in the top wine-producing & wine purchasing countries:
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Price Chart :
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2007-2014 Cabernet (750 ml)
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$$
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€€
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New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
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$$$
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South African Rand (ZAR)
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RRRRR
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Ma(i)sonry Vineyard:
6711 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Tasting Room Information:
Website:
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Tasting room:
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+01 707-944-0889
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Email:
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Tasting Room Hours:
Pacific Standard Time (GMT, Zulu, or UTC-8:00)
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Monday - Sunday:
10:00 am - 4:30 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for
Ma(i)sonry Wine:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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High-End Japanese Steakhouse
San Francisco, California, USA
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Prohibition-themed New American cuisine Restaurant - password required
Tampa, Florida, USA
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Bistro w/Southern & Lowcountry cuisine
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Other Ma(i)sonry Pictures:
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| Ma(i)sonry / Property |
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| Ma(i)sonry / Symbol |
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| Ma(i)sonry / Wine Table |
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.”
- David Auerbach
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
