The Hilltop Winery

California to France: Two Great Venues on The Hilltop!

On Tuesday, December 10, 2013 The Hilltop Winery, once again hosted the wayward relative from the East Coast, and you know the deal, he brought the old and some new folks to enjoy the latest grape to hit the market (the old timers know who you are).

And obviously, they got carried away and went deep into the cellar, and with the Sommelier's permission, were allowed to pull some incredible wines from around the world dating back to 1979.

The evening also reunited the wayward relative with Monrose Catering. Thank you Richard and your staff for taking care of us again with an excellent selection of appetizers for all to enjoy!

Mav was the bomb with her incredible chocolate flour-less tart/cake. I'm not sure what it was or where it came from but it was delicious!

From a Ph.D. on the East Coast to a Ph.D. on the West Coast, "while the economy may go up and down, a visit to The Hilltop Winery is always an up day!"

So from all the East Coast folks Mike, all we can say is thank you for allowing us to enjoy the following wines from your cellar.

White

2011 Golden Slope Liquid Farms Chardonnay
2011 Four Liquid Farms Chardonnay
2012 Kobalt Sauvignon Blanc

Red

1979 Chateau Lafite Rothschild
1982 William Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1982 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (bottled 1986)
1986 Chateau LaGrange, Saint-Julien
1988 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1989 Clos du Bois Marlstone Vineyard
1994 Chateau Lynch Bages
1996 Araujo Syrah, Eisele Vineyards
2001 Fratelli Revello Barolo, Vigna Giachini
2002 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
2003 Clarendon Hills Merlot, Brookman
2005 Hunnicutt Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2008 Arns Syrah, Napa Valley
2011 Bjornstad Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Port

1983 Dow's Vintage Port

For pictures of the evening swirl click HERE.

"I Should Have Drank It By Now" Party

On Saturday, August 17, 2013 The Hilltop Winery hosted two-dozen of their friends and family in an effort to thin out the cellar of bottles of wine that should have already been consumed.

Everyone did their best to thin out the 4,000+ bottles that are housed in a cellar, on top of a hill, buried in a backyard!

The outdoor wood fired pizza oven was once again a major hit with the attendees. Pizza’s made to order was a nice touch to a perfect evening of wine and fellowship.

The sunset was spectacular and we have the pictures to prove it!

The following wines were tasted:

White

1991 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay
1997 Batar Agricola Querciabella
2005 Chassagne-Montrachet
2006 Staglin Chardonnay
2006 Jayson Chardonnay
2006 Les Corbins Meursault
2007 Macon-Chaintre White Burgundy (two bottles)
2008 Bjornstad Chardonnay
2008 Hubert Lamy Saint Aubin
2009 La Follette Chardonnay, Sangiacomo Vineyard
2009 Luis Felipe Edwards Chardonnay

Rose

2005 Stagliano Rosato di Sangiovese (three bottles)
2011 Bandol La Bastide Blanche

Red

1974 Sterling Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
1985 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon
1985 Chateau Olivier Graves Leognan
1986 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
1987 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1988 Chateau Bouscaut Pessac-Leognan
1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Bosquet des Papes
1990 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1994 Talley Pinot Noir
1994 Maya
1995 Chateau Marguex, Premier Grand Cru Classe
1996 Rubino della Plazzola
1997 Turkey Flat Shiraz
1998 Spottswode Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2000 Maya
2001 Serpico Del Feudi Di San Gregorio
2003 Duckhorn Merlot, Napa Valley
2003 Clos du Val Pinot Noir, Carneros Vineyard
2003 Fess Parker Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County
2007 Pets Petite Sirah
2007 Roc Du Bel Air Bordeaux Superieur
2008 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert Wine

2005 Chateau De Cosse, Sauternes

For a complete slideshow of the event go HERE.

7th Annual West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner

On Thursday, July 18, 2013 The Hilltop Winery hosted 26 Institute staff, faculty and volunteer wine enthusiasts to a great wine tasting event.

We even worked with the local chamber of commerce to make sure the weather was as great as the wine. And it was a chamber of commerce kind of day!

This year we had a dozen newbies to the hilltop. The other 14 (and you know who you are) are seasoned veterans who made the annual pilgrimage, once again, to the hilltop. We enjoyed the following wines:

White

2009 Luis Felipe Edwards Chardonnay

2011 Muirwood Chardonnay

2011 Rombauer Chardonnay

2012 Natalie Brander Cuvee Chardonnay

Red

2003 Araujo Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain

2003 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

2003 Frasier Cabernet Sauvignon, Momento

2003 Hunnicut Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Staglin Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Surh Luchtel Cabernet Sauvignon

And once again, our special guest and faculty member Brian Baker from Chateau Montelena Winery brought three special bottles to taste.

1985 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled

1990 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled

1999 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled

We couldn't help ourselves and then we did a see something, pull something! These wines were added to the list of magnums we took to Sam's by the Beach.

1970 Barolo Marcheri de Barolo

1979 BV Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled

1989 Chateau Lynch-Bages Bordeaux

1993 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon

Now it was finally time to pull the magnums and head off to our favorite restaurant, Sam's by The Beach in Santa Monica, CA with proprietor Sam Elias. He always takes great care of us each year.

The Magnums lifted from the cellar and taken for a ride to Sam's included:

1993 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum

1996 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum

2007 Domaine de Saint Siffrein Chateauneuf-Du-Pape (Magnum - two bottles)

2007 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Magnum

Sam and his incredible staff served us a wonderful three course meal that complimented the wines.

As the evening came to a close we said our goodbyes, piled into our cabs, headed back to the hotel, and were off to LAX airport in the morning.

For a complete slideshow of the event click HERE.

Institute All Stars

On Tuesday, July 16, 2013, The Hilltop Winery hosted the Institute All Stars for a wine reception and pizza party while enjoying the view and the Baseball All Star Game being played in New York.

It was a quick trip and a prelude to our upcoming Annual Institute Wine Reception and Dinner this coming Thursday.

The following wines were tasted along with some great wood fired pizza’s:

White

2010 Aubert Chardonnay
2010 Julien ColloVray Chardonnay
2012 Realm Sauvignon Blanc

Red

1988 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
1998 Araujo Eisele Syrah
2003 d'Arenberg Shiraz
2005 Alto Moncayo
2005 Pahlmeyer

For a slideshow of the afternoon and evening event click HERE.

WPO Wine Reception

On Saturday, February 9, 2013, The Hilltop Winery hosted 19 wine enthusiasts from Canada and the United States. They even let a few locals in, as well as, their brother-in-law from Washington they can't seem to get rid of - get over it!

The reception started with a selection of Chardonnay's, we then proceeded to the backyard for a quick picture or two of the sunset and then immediately ran to the cellar where the fun began on pulling some reds.

Let's not forget to mention our caterers who were fantastic, Monrose Catering Company based out of Malibu delivered on the promise of an exquisite evening of hors d' oeuvres.

The following 25 wines were consumed.

White

1995 Kistler Russian River Chardonnay
1996 Chassagne-Montrachet Burgundy
2004 Alsace Riesling
2005 DR Stephens Chardonnay
2007 Staglin Chardonnay (two bottles)
2009 Ramey Sonoma Coast Chardonnay (two bottles)
2010 San Simeon Chardonnay (two bottles)
2011 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay

Red

1984 Shafer Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Hillside Select
1985 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
1989 Caymus Special Select Cabernet Sauvignon
1991 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Blend
1994 Dunn Vineyards Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
1994 Maya Cabernet Sauvignon
1996 Eisele Vineyards Syrah Araujo
1999 Eagle Rose Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
2000 Constant Cabernet Sauvignon
2000 Downing Family Zinfandel
2002 McWilliams Cabernet Sauvignon (Australia)
2002 Muga Rioja Unfiltered (Spain)
2004 Alto Moncayo Garnacha (Spain)
2007 Stagliano Sangiovese

For a slideshow of the evening event click HERE.

A View From The Hilltop

On February 8, 2013, The Hilltop Winery welcomed me back for a quick visit and dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Casa Nostra.

We began the tasting at the house with the Chardonnay and moved on to the Petite Sirah from Howell Mountain. We took the Zinfandel to dinner.

Tasting details on the wines:

2003 Downing Family Vineyards, Zinfandel, Oakville, Napa Valley, CA
2007 Retro - Petite Sirah, Howell Mountain
2009 Ramey Chardonnay, Hudson Vineyards

For a few pictures of the wines and a view from the hilltop click HERE.

Chamber Hilltop Wine Reception

On September 25, 2012, The Hilltop Winery held a special wine reception for their friends in the chamber industry. The format was - see something, pull something!

The following bottles of wine were tasted throughout the afternoon and evening with the exception of:

The Pedestal and Feather Magnums;

The Araujo Syrah;

The HDV Chardonnay; and

The LaFollett Chardonnay.

...they were properly packaged and taken to dinner at Sam’s by the Beach, one of our favorite boutique restaurants in Santa Monica, CA.

Thank you Mike and Mav for a wonderful wine tasting afternoon!

White

1995 Kistler Cuvee Cathleen
2006 HDV, Chardonnay
2009 Copain Chardonnay
2009 LaFollette, Chardonnay

Red

1982 Heitz Cellar, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1984 Insignia, Joseph Phelps Vineyards
1986 Cain Five, Napa Valley
1986 Chateau Lagrange, Saint-Julien
1986 Groth, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1989 Chateau Lynch Bages, Pauillac
1989 Brander Bouchet, Santa Ynez Valley
1990 Chateau Pichon Longueville, Pauillac
1993 Von Strasser, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
1994 Talley, Pinot Noir
1995 Araujo, Syrah, Eisele Vineyard
1998 Dunn Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
2003 Raymond, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St. Helena
2006 Surh Luchel, Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
2006 Pedestal (Magnum), Merlot, Columbia Valley
2006 Feather (Magnum), Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
2008 Alto Moncayo, Veraton, Garnacha
NV, Barbi, Brunello, di Montalcino

For a complete slideshow of the wine tasting go HERE.

6th Annual West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner

On July 12, 2012, we held our 6th Annual West Wine Reception at The Hilltop Winery. And of course, we finished with our annual dinner at Sam’s by the Beach with our good friend Sam.

What a special evening. Upon arrival on a hot and humid day in Los Angeles, we started off with a quick cup of Sangria. Attendee choice:

Traditional Red Sangria
Strawberry Mojito Sangria

After a quick taste, we moved on to our official wine tasting. The following three conducted tastings were incredible.

First Conducted Tasting:

10 Year Old California Cabernet Sauvignon

2002 Araujo, Eisle Vineyard
2002 Dunn, Howell Mountain
2002 Dunn, Napa Valley
2002 Staglin, 20th Anniversary
2002 Dalla Valle
2002 Chateau Montelena
2002 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley
2002 Brander

Second Conducted Tasting:

A comparison between 2000/2001 Barolo and 2006/2009 Barolo

2000 Marchesi di Barolo
2001 Stefano Farina
2001 Fratello Revello
2001 Paolo Scavino
2006 Argiano
2006 Camigliano
2009 Lughere di Frassinello

Third Conducted Tasting:

Chardonnay

1996 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
2001 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
2006 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
2009 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay

Cabernet Sauvignon

1999 Chateau Montelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled
2002 Chateau Montelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled
2009 Chateau Montelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled

For a slideshow of the evenings event go HERE.

California in February

On February 10, 2012, I visited The Hilltop Winery and had the opportunity to watch my sister-in-law and niece run the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run.

They both did exceptionally well placing high in their age brackets.

After the race we visited Empress Pavilion, a dim sum house, and enjoyed some great food with great friends. Yes, that’s me eating chicken feet. They tell me it’s a delicacy. I don’t know about that, but never again! And I thought peer pressure was a thing of the past for me.

Well, the trip wouldn’t be complete without visiting the cellar and pulling a few bottles. On this trip we tasted the following at a private dinner party:

1990 St. Francis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County
1991 Opus One, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1993 Von Strasser, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2004 Realm, The Tempest, Napa Valley
2006 Alto Moncayo, Garnacha, Spain

What a night! Good food, great family and friends and some incredible wine!

For the slideshow of the events click HERE.

Last Day and Final Sunset on the Hilltop

On January 9, 2012, my last day of sunsets and views at The Hilltop Winery for at least a month, we broke out a bottle of 2008 Ramey Claret, Napa Valley.

It was an incredible bottle of wine and the sunset is etched in my mind forever!

For more information on Ramey Wine Cellars click HERE.

For a slideshow of the final sunset click HERE.

Sunset on the Hilltop

On January 8, 2012, the sunset was beautiful and especially so with a nice glass of Chardonnay.

For the slideshow of the sunset click HERE.

The Hilltop and Alma’s 75th

On January 7, 2012, I had the opportunity to slip over to The Hilltop Winery after a west coast business trip to celebrate my mother-in-laws 75th birthday.

Oh, and of course, I had to taste a few selections from the cellar including a:

2003 Raymond, Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
2004 Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

With those two wines and the views from The Hilltop Winery what could be wrong in the world, all is good!

For the complete slideshow of the entire evening with friends click HERE.

Jared on the Hilltop

On July 31, 2011, we celebrated Jared’s last road trip with the team in Pennsylvania.

At our traditional Thursday night dinner we presented him with a special slideshow (see below) of his past five trips to The Hilltop Winery for the annual West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner event.

At this dinner, we enjoyed a Feather (Randy Dunn) and Pedestal (Michal Rolland) - two wines we first tasted at The Hilltop Winery the previous year.

These two wines have an interesting background. Basically, they’re made from Washington State Columbia Valley grapes by famous winemakers from other parts of the world (Randy Dunn from Dunn Vineyards - Feather and Michal Rolland from Pomerol winery Le Bon Pasteur - Pedestal).

Good luck Jared in your new gig!

For a complete slideshow of the past five reception and dinners with Jared and friends click HERE.

5th West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner

On July 14, 2011, we held our 5th Annual West Wine Reception and Dinner at The Hilltop Winery.

What a special evening. We did a vertical tasting of Silver Oak and a horizontal featuring Pinot Noir from 2005.

Check these out, we tasted:

1984 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1989 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
1995 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
1999 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
2002 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Then we started our 2005 trip around the Pinot Noir varietal:

2005 Demetria, Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley
2005 Pahlmeyer, Pinot Noir, St. Helena
2005 Sea Smoke, Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara
2005 Macphail, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
2005 Alcina, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
2005 Tandem, Pinot Noir, Sonoma County

Thanks to our family and friends at The Hilltop Winery for being such gracious hosts.

For the slideshow of the entire evening with friends click HERE.

The Hilltop Before Ojai

On September 24, 2010, Bill and I had the privilege of making a trip to The Hilltop Winery before our major conference in Ojai.

We were treated very well by our hosts and the following bottles were tasted before dinner at Casa Nostra.

1981 Pahlmeyer, Estate Bottled, Napa Valley
1995 Havens Bourriquot, Napa Valley Red Table Wine
1997 Araujo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley
2003 Pahlmeyer, Red Wine, Napa Valley

For a slideshow of the evening click HERE.

4th Annual West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner

On July 15, 2010, we held our 4th annual West Institute Appreciation Dinner at The Hilltop Winery.

We were treated to a vertical tasting of Chateau Montelena and a horizontal of 2000 wines from around the world.

In addition to that tasting, you’ll see by the pictures we also revisited the Dunn collection and tasted a Staglin for the first time.

The main attraction was the Chateau Montelena wines:

1988 Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
1997 Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
2000 Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
2002 Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon

At the dinner with Sam (Sam’s on the Beach) we had a Titus, Livingston and Staglin. Sam prepared us an incredible four course meal with exceptional customer service.

What a great evening!

For a slideshow of the entire evening with friends click HERE.

The Hilltop

On June 29, 2010, the Sweede family and a few special friends from work came to visit The Hilltop Winery.

Our time is always too short, but we made the most of the time we have with our friends.

Amongst the many wines we tasted the following stood out:

1990 Chateau Grand Mayne, Grand Cru Classe
2003 Surh Luchtel Mosaique, Red Wine, Napa Valley
2004 Staglin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley
2005 Alcina, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
2006 Kosta Browne, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

The weather was intense to say the least, sometimes you couldn’t see across the pool. That’s life when you’re up in the clouds, literally and figuratively speaking.

For more information on Alcina click HERE.
For more information on Chateau Grand Mayne click HERE.
For more information on Kosta Browne click HERE.
For more information on Staglin click HERE.
For more information on Surh Luchtel click HERE.

For a slideshow of the actual bottles tasted and the rest of the evening click HERE.

Wine Tasting on the Hilltop

On April 2, 2010, I had the chance to spend some special time with my friends Bill and Larry at The Hilltop Winery.

While we enjoyed tasting many wines from around the world, my three favorite wines were:

1990 Pahlmeyer, Napa Valley
1995 Araujo Syrah, Eisele Vineyard
1997 Niebaum Coppola Rubicon, Rutherford, Napa Valley

In addition, we were treated to a special tasting of a 1993 Chateau Pajzos Esszencia. What a treat!

For more information on Araujo Syrah click HERE.
For more information on Niebaum Coppola click HERE.
For more information on Pahlmeyer click HERE.

Check out the slideshow for the actual bottles and the rest of the evening HERE.

The Hilltop

On October 4, 2009, my friends Clint and Bill were able to join me with my friends at The Hilltop Winery for another great tasting of wines from around the world.

This night we tasted many wines from white to red but the two standouts for me were the Aubert Chardonnay and the Whispering Dove.

2003 Whispering Dove, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap Reserve
2005 Aubert, Chardonnay

For more information on Aubert wines click HERE.
For more information on Whispering Dove made by Stags Leap click HERE.

For a slideshow of the day click HERE.

3rd Annual West Institute Wine Reception and Dinner

On July 12, 2009, we held our 3rd Annual West Appreciation Dinner at The Hilltop Winery with our dear friends on the west coast.

This was the first year we did a theme when it came to the wine. We did a vertical of Dunn from Napa and Howell Mountain.

The actual wines we tasted were as follows:

1985 Dunn, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1990 Dunn, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
1995 Dunn, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
2007 Feather, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington State

Bill was our chairman this year and he brought his friend Perry. This was also the breakout of Jared and his new love affair with red wine.

Gary was our West Board chair and we were so glad he could join us for this annual tradition along with a couple of special friends, you know who you are, from the pictures.

For a complete slideshow of the evening click HERE.