Have you ever known about a winery of great repute, but not had the opportunity to visit or try their wines? Such was the case for us with Flora Springs Winery. We’d known of them for some time, seeing the name on Social Media, in advertising, and even on store shelves. Yet for whatever reason, despite knowing Flora Springs’ reputation as a high quality Napa wine producer, we’d never purchased or tasted the wines. That all came to an end, quite happily, when we received an invitation to sample and review the newest release Flora Springs’ two flagship wines: Trilogy and Soliloquy.
Bonus! Read on to receive a coupon code for a 10% discount on your Flora Springs order, good through March 4, 2022!
The following wines were provided as media samples for review. All reviews, descriptions, and opinions are our own. We received no additional compensation.
The Flora Springs legacy began in the late 1800’s, when grapes were planted on what would later become the winery estate. The estate property has deep ties to Napa wine royalty. Originally built in 1885, the first winery on the property was the Charles Brockhoff Winery, which operated for more than 20 years, until Prohibition shut it down. Abandoned and in disrepair, the site considered a “Ghost Winery” saw new life in the 1930’s when Louis M. Martini purchased the property. Though Martini used the winery building mostly for storage, and not production, he lived in the estate house until his death in 1974. Finally, in 1977 Jerry and Flora Komes purchased the estate and resurrected the winery. Flora Springs Winery was established in 1978, and wine production resumed. That same year, their son John began fully renovating the stone winery building, completing the job in 1980. John and his wife, Carrie, now live at the property.
The first vintage of the flagship red wine, Trilogy, was in 1984. The current release, the 2019, is the 35th anniversary vintage. A Bordeaux-style red blend, Trilogy started out as a three varietal blend, but has since evolved to include other Bordeaux grapes. The 2019 Trilogy is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Malbec. The wine aged for 18 months in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels. Well structured and age-worthy, the 2019 Trilogy is fantastic now (as you will read in a moment), but has cellar potential for at least 15 years.
Soliloquy is Flora Springs’ flagship white wine. Named for the winery’s proprietary Sauvignon Blanc clone, which was certified in the late 1980s, the first vintage released was the 1989. The current release is the 2020 vintage. For those who recall, 2020 was another year of disastrous wildfires in Northern California’s wine regions, causing damage and smoke taint to many vines and hanging fruit. For this reason, the Soliloquy 2020 is one of the few wines of this vintage that Flora Springs will release. The 2020 is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Malvasia, which spend seven months in a combination of concrete egg tanks and French oak barrels.
On to the tasting! With such history and reputation of quality, we could hardly wait to open these wines. Here is what we thought of them when the time was right. Of course, we went with the white wine, first!
Flora Springs Soliloquy 2020
Clear golden color. The nose is delightful, with stone fruit and citrus. On the palate, subtle pineapple and tropical fruit, with lemon lime, peach, and apricot. Surprisingly soft mouthfeel, with balanced, lively acidity. Medium finish of citrus fruit. An excellent wine for sipping on a warm (74F) winter’s day. Food pairing: seafood, light chicken dishes.
(SRP $50)
Flora Springs Trilogy 2019
Opaque, inky garnet, almost black. Aromas of ripe blackberry, black cherry, plum, and toasty oak. On the palate, big, juicy blackberry and cherry, with vanilla, caramel, and hints of leather and oak. Rich, full body. Tannins are soft and smooth, with medium acidity. This is a big, bold wine that wants a grilled steak or lamb chops. The finish is smooth, with ripe blackberry jam, plum, and milk chocolate notes.
(SRP $85)
For such luscious and delicious wines, you’ll want a special occasion to open them. A special offer wouldn’t hurt, either.
As luck would have it there are two such special occasions coming up in the next few days:
- Friday, February 18, 2022 is National Drink Wine Day! Wait, you thought everyday was national drink wine day? So did we. But why not celebrate anyway?
- Saturday, February 26, 2022 is Open That Bottle Night. The event created by Wall Street Journal journalists, Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, to encourage people to open bottles of wine they’ve been holding for an unspecified special occasion that may never come.
What better reasons to buy and open some special bottles, like the Flora Springs Trilogy 2019 and Soliloquy 2020? Need more incentive?
Special Offer Time! Head over to the Flora Springs online wine shop and make your selections. Enter the coupon code CHEER55 at checkout to receive 10% off your order! Offer valid through March 4, 2022, so act fast! You will be very happy you did!
Cheers!
- By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
- Photos by Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
Appetite for Wine 