Mark Grace’s Favorite Winery: Fleury

According to owner Brain Fleury, the Fleury Estate Winery is “Mark Grace’s favorite”.  Yep, Brian says our own Arizona Diamondbacks announcer ‘Gracie’ and his family have been coming to Fleury for years! And who can blame him?

This boutique winery in the heart of the Napa valley is something special.  All of their wines are interesting and different, with selected bottles now being served at Bouchon, a top Napa Valley restaurant in Yountville. It’s great to see a small winery doing so well, especially given an economy  that has persistently brought disappointing numbers to so many in the business.

Fleury has taken full advantage of one of the powerful geographic characteristics of Napa Valley, the widely variable terroir. Fleury has properties on the valley floor, partially upslope, and near the top of Howell Mountain. This gives them the opportunity to pick from the best of each for excellent single vineyard wines and also for blends that just don’t stop.  And because these Napa areas support just about every grape, Fleury’s variety of wines is quite impressive for such a small operation.

Just about all of their wines are created using Malolactic Fermentation, making them smoother and with less acid bite than others. This applies to their reds and whites, giving them a classic California taste that is enjoyable with or without food. Even the wines from the rugged upslope areas are very nicely balanced and are a joy to experience.

One of the biggest reds, their “Old Wagon” is quite mellow overall but bursting with flavors. The dusty fruit-laced bouquet gives way to a very structured finish with tannins that slowly dissipate on the palette with an earthy finish. If you like seductive wines, the “Passionne” goes down like velvet and exhibits all the flavors that Napa Valley is known for, resulting in a very difficult to express flavor combination.

For those who like whites, be sure not to miss their Sauvignon Blanc with its distinctive floral bouquet with a hint of citrus and well-integrated finish. This is one of the few Sauvignon Blanc selections out there that will go with Lobster and drawn butter, nice.

Give them a call for availability to ship to Arizona (prices may also be an issue on some wines), or on your next visit to Napa Valley, stop by. If you want to sample some Fleury with a meal, make a reservation at Bouchon and ask the Sommelier for a food pairing recommendation for the Fleury wines that they have on their wine list.

Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com

View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.