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$75 for $99 Certificate
Julie P. said: "A great experience! We visited four excellent wineries during the course of the tour, most of which we would not have discovered otherwise. The…" read more »
25 reviews for Audelssa Estate Winery
25 reviews in English
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Review from Glenn G.
10/14/2011 6 photos
Before I set out on my 2011 Wine Country expedition, I consulted with Jennifer CP, one of the warmest, funniest, most knowledgeable Yelpers I've had the good fortune to encounter in my travels to date. A lover of red wines in general and red wine blends in particular, Jennifer gave me some fabulous suggestions for tasting rooms to visit, including Audelssa Estate Winery. Jennifer and I don't always agree on everything, but when she talks about wine, she gets my full attention - I made an appointment for a Salon Tasting ($40 per person) at Audelssa.
On a flawless summer Saturday afternoon, we arrived at Audelssa Estate Winery's new tasting room in the historic Poppe Building in "downtown" Glen Ellen. We were met by Greg Nemrow, Audelssa's Hospitaltiy and Events Director. He showed us around the main tasting room http://www.yelp.com/bi..., and then led us to the private "VIP" tasting room http://www.yelp.com/bi... where a beautiful table had been set for our tasting experience. Each place was set with a variety of artisanal cheeses, along with bread, fruit, cold cuts, crackers, and water to clear our palates. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Over the course of the next hour, Gary poured some amazing wines, while narrating and explaining the history and composition of each. He also pointed out which of the foods in front of us would optimally pair with the wines we were drinking. The combination of Gary's eloquently shared expertise, the setting, the food, and of course, the Audelssa wines made for a uniquely memorable experience that I would highly recommend to anyone; I enjoyed it immensely! http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Now, for those of you interested in my impressions of Audelssa's wine, Here's the nitty gritty on the vino Gary poured for us:
First up was their 2009 Sonoma County Chardonnay. A great opening pour! It had flavors of pineapple, baking spices and stone fruits. A very pleasant Chardonnay, but at $28 a bottle, more expensive then a red wine aficionado like me is willing to pay for a white wine. On to the reds!!
Our first red was the 2006 Alder Springs Vineyard Merlot. Merlot is more often than not a "fruitcake" wine in my book - something that you receive as a gift when people visit, then turn around and give to someone else instead of drinking. However, this one was surprising good, with an excellent color, and a strong, earthy character of it's own.
Next up was the 2006 Zephyr GSM. Audelssa's homage to the wines of Southern Rhone, this one is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. A medium bodied wine with excellent legs and the taste of pinot-like tangy red fruit; it's tasty, with a berry palate - I really liked this one, and bought a bottle for $60.
A distinct surprise was in store for me with our next pour, which was Audelssa's "flagship" blend, the Summit; a proprietary mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. We tried the 2005, 2007, and the 2008, and I was amazed to note that my favorite of the three wasn't the oldest or the youngest; it was the one in the middle (shades of The Three Bears!) All three Summits were good enough to be more than serviceable, but I found the 2007 superior in color, depth, and complexity. Both the 2007 and 2008 are priced at $52 a bottle; I bought the 2007.
Last, but decidedly not least, we tried both the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and Audelssa's 2007 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines are excellent examples of my favorite varietal, but for me, the Reserve isn't outstanding enough to justify the $90 a bottle price tag. At $40 a bottle, the non-reserve Cabernet really hit my sweet spot. It's approachable, without rough edges; despite it's relative youth, the tannins are almost silky, and it has more than a hint of mocha and cherries. This wine could be enjoyed now if decanted for several hours, but I expect it will really open up and come into it's own with three to five years of cellaring. I bought a bottle, and will BOLO for a discount distributor.
All told, a totally outstanding five star wine tasting experience!Listed in: "It was the best of times...", California Wineries
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Review from Sarah L.
8/31/2011
We had a really nice experience here. My boyfriend's aunt and uncle came here when they first opened and had such a good time that he recommended we all go here while we were in Sonoma. This is more of a tasting room; they purchase their grapes from a vineyard, but they do make their own wine, which is reasonably priced from $28 and up. The tasting is $15 for 6 wines, amounting up to a glass or so in volume. The price for the wine tasting is discounted if you purchase a bottle. The ambiance is warm, with a small bar area, a living room with comfortable leather couches, and a separate room for larger parties. We found our hosts to be extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their craft. While I didn't purchase any wine, I found a few that I liked, including a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve ($90) and a peppery 2008 Zinfandel, Napa Valley ($52).
Credit cards are recommended; their local bank has odd hours so they might not have change on hand. A few parking spaces are available in a small lot next door. -
Review from Mark A.
1/26/2012
Audelssa gets 4 stars for having the best wine flight I could find there; 6 for $15. The downside was the server wanted to talk more than I wanted to listen but the quality of the wine was great and I did learn more than I expected. This is a boutique winery and you have to join the club to buy wines, I think. Again, I was trying to catch the game on TV between listening to something about grapes and elevation. Next glass please server guy. Anywho, after it was over, I felt that I got a good deal tasting some great wine. And the place is very nice and modern inside. Just distract yourself if you get talked to too much.
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Review from Frenchie B.
San Diego, CA
1/5/2012
We are always looking for that hidden gem of a wine. If you are the wine lover looking for wines that can only be bought from the winemaker or to join another wine club, you've come to the right place. We found those gems here at Audelssa. It was our first winery of the day, and it set the bar high!
We tasted many of the wines that Glenn G. tasted, and they were all good. They make their Chardonnay in a Chablis style with wild yeast, so its not your CA style Chard and that is a great thing. You can actually taste the character of the fruit.
We are not wine snobs nor are we the types that visit the large wineries where we can buy their bottles at the store. However, we appreciate a really good wine. We like big bold reds, and Audelssa wines do not disappoint.
Our favorite was the 2008 Summit bordeaux style blend. We also tasted the 2007 which isn't usually poured. It was also VERY good, but we liked the 08 blend with the characteristics coming from greater Merlot % and a healthy dose of Cab Franc in this vintage.
Finally, the tasting room experience was nice, when we first walked in, it was pretty busy, but Jeff came over and was friendly and attentive. After most of the people left, he took the time to talk to us about the wine and winemaking.
No snooty attitude here! -
Review from Eric B.
Updated - 2/15/2011
Audelssa's Tasting Room has moved down the road to the historic Poppe Building in "downtown" Glen Ellen at 13750 Arnold Drive. It's a beauty! This elegant and beautiful 1000 square foot space features a central living room, a wine bar, and a separate room for VIPs and special events. I thought that the previous tasting room was nice, but Audelssa has really upped their game with this facility.
Gayle and I stopped in last Sunday. We're members of the Audelssa's Wine Club and I had been remiss in picking up my "subscription". And after a relaxed and friendly tasting at the bar, we added a few bottles to our order. And the specialty chocolates with a touch of Cabernet sealed the deal. In addition to Gayle, you can't help but be amazed at some of the "Reds" that you'll find here.Listed in: Gayle, Wedding Venues, Wine, Marin-Sonoma-Mendocino Coast
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/12/2009
Gayle and I drove up to Glen Ellen today to pick up our Spring wine club selections. It's probably… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer C P.
San Francisco, CA
Q: How do you know when a wine is good?
A: When you personally like drinking it.
People ask me that question all the time and my answer stays the same. The stuff in the bottle. . . drink it. If you like it, buy it so you can drink more. Pretty simple.
No, seriously. If you cut the crap and the faux snooty stuff I see so many put on when in Wine Country, you get to the heart of the matter - the thing these many great wineries work so hard for. I do all kinds of things to "investigate" when tasting a wine. . . if I am going to be spending more than $100 a bottle to buy what I am tasting. Most wines under $100 a bottle only require a sip and you will know right away if you like it - or you don't.
Simple.
While having dinner at Sante, one of my favorite servers called Morgan helped me with my wine selection in the sommelier's absence. Instead of my usual "go-to" favorite '02 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvingnon to go with my dinner, he steered me to a winery I have never heard of before, Audelssa.
I agreed to have the '06 Cabernet Sauvingnon Reserve at about the same price as the '02 Montelena. I was concerned that the Audelssa was not going to be mature enough to satisfy me. I was shocked when I tasted the 06 - it was perfectly mature. Morgan shared what he knew about the wine maker and the winery throughout my dinner before encouraging me to check it out or have Eric, the sommelier take me there.
That is what motivated me to visit the Audelssa tating room.
Audelssa just finished construction on their new off site tasting room away from their high altitude winery two weeks ago. The tasting was friendly and unrushed. The tasting room was pretty quiet when I popped in which was perfect for me because I need quiet to really taste wine. I enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvingnon again. They surprise me with their ability to produce young wines with silky tannins that drink like a more mature wine. I did not like the blends so I will continue to stick with Opus One, Cain Five, and Imagery's Tusca Brava and Pallas Estate Red.
I walked away with 4 bottles from '05-'07. I can't wait to uncork the magic.
Audelssa is a wonderful addition to my impressive home wine cellar.
The proof is in the bottle. Audelssa delivers.Listed in: Next Stop . . . Wine Country!
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Review from anderson v.
Sonoma, CA
12/14/2010
Hey! I'm over at the Costco in Santa Rosa, and what do I find?
Yup...only my favorite Sonoma Valley Cab -- Audelssa. I was blown away, so we stocked up for the holidays.
A tiny little estate winery, Audelssa doesn't make much more than a few hundred cases of each varietal, but apparently they had a lot of '06 cab and looked for a place to retail it. Costco had the good taste to pick it up and that speaks volumes for their buying so I give them huge props too.
But it's Audelssa who makes the stuff. And the stuff, is realllllly good. -
Review from Matt M.
Atlanta, GA
6/1/2010 4 photos
Located far up the western slope of Mt. Veeder. A visit up to Audelssa begins and ends with the incredible view. Standing in the vineyards, the southern view starts with the famous Monte Rosse vineyard just below, and extends all the way across the San Pablo Bay to the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. The western view is of the entire Sonoma Valley floor. In an area not short of spectacular views, this really stood out.
We did a quick overview of the vineyard and history of the property. The Shaefer family developed the vineyards in the early 1990's, and their wine was originally made by Richard Arrowood at his winery on the valley floor below. Winemaker Erich Bradley, who worked at Arrowood, eventually started to work with the Shaefer's, developing a program completely customized to fully express the estate's Sonoma Valley/Mt. Veeder terroir. I tasted through their current releases at the tasting bar overlooking the vineyard.
The wines were all very good to excellent. Standing out were the Estate Cabernet and the Tempest Syrah. Quality wines priced very fairly. -
Review from James L.
4/21/2011 4 photos
This place was a small tasting room that felt like i was in the living room of my own house. There was comfy couches and table seating. Our group had a large party so the wine tasting was buy 1 get 1 free which was only $15 for a couple. Also they provided free cheese / crackers / and grapes to go along with our wine tasting. There was also a television that was playing an NBA playoff game. This is a good place to start off your winery excusion because its so comfy that you can talk about what your plan is for the rest of the day. The customer service was also friendly and help here.
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Review from Christine T.
Pleasanton, CA
11/30/2007
*3.5 stars*
Visited only the tasting room. The staff during the Holiday Open House were super friendly, if just a tad bit too friendly since they made it a point to chat it up with everybody, which in turn led to a long line out the door for the tastings.
I look forward to a winery tour the next time around. Also, next time I will try not to hit so many tasting rooms to avoid the wine palate overload. -
Review from Teri B.
Vallejo, CA
4/21/2007
We enjoy a winery that is so user friendly (you don't have to be a wine snob know-it-all)...
go, see, do, taste and enjoy the Valley! -
Review from Joseph M.
Berkeley, CA
9/13/2009
Audelssa makes good wines, and knows how to price them. That is to say, they have wines that taste like they are $50-90 bottles of wine . . . and they're priced at about $50-90 a bottle. They are all very well balanced, clearly made from very high quality fruit (almost all from hillside vines, they say), and with a great deal of care (e.g., hand-sorted grapes).
I have always thought it a bit odd that the American wine industry produces primary single-varietal wines rather than blends. There's so much more you can do with blends, mixing the strengths and weaknesses of the different grapes available. But then in visiting someplace like Audelssa you realize what is possible for Zinfandel or Cabernet just by itself, and that everyone else is just trying to do it for a lower price point and failing. Audelssa's reserve Cabernet ($90) will, for the time being, serve as my own benchmark for what can be done with that grape, even though I didn't have that kind of money to spend on a bottle to take home. The Zinfandel (about $50) was similarly striking.
There's some wines that are less --$25 was the least, I think, I walked out with a $45 blend--but it's hard to buy the lesser ones when you've just had the really good stuff. -
Review from Tina L.
Boston, MA
1/23/2010
Audelssa, you are now home to my favorite wine! The Summit knocked my socks off - I wish I didn't live in such a hard state to get wine shipped to for a reasonable price.
Summit is a blend of Cab Savignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec, & Petit Verdot. Oh...how I love a nice blend, and the winemaker at Audelssa sure knows how to blend!! I wish more winemakers would do more experimenting and do the same!!
I can't remember who recommended this place, but I am forever in his debt. It was easy to find, and close to where we were headed to pick up lunch. I am so glad I was turned onto these wines!! -
Review from Jon W.
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Review from Chris C.
Union City, CA
3/22/2007
Came to Audelssa-Navillus Birney Tasting room as part of the Heart of Sonoma Valley Barrel Tasting Event. Audelssa just recently bought out Navillus Birney and they are in the process of combining both Wineries. They just built a new tasting room located in downtown Glen Ellen. You have to look for it otherwise you'll miss it. It's a small tasting room, but nicely well done. Kinda of have a Spanish meets Napa Valley vibe to it. It turns out that this place was one of the better wineries. Both the Red and White I would rate as above average. The food pairing was excellent that weekend. The cheese went well with the white wine, the mushroom soup was great, the beef matched well with the red, and everyone was excited about the dessert and the Chocolate Wine that everyone liked.
So here is how I rate Audelssa-Navillus Birney:
Tasting Room/Grounds: 3 Stars
Food Pairing: 4 Stars
Wine: 4 Stars
Extras (Special Wines and a Chocolate Wine): 4 Stars
This is how the smaller wineries without the grounds should compete, better tasting wine. Worth a stop in Glen Ellen and gets 3.75 Stars. -
Review from Marisa G.
San Mateo, CA
2/14/2010
Audelssa was supposed to be our second to last stop for the day. However, the ambiance was so bright and cheery and the wines were so good that we decided to stay here longer and end the day on a good note.
Audelssa's tasting room is not huge but you feel like you are in someone's dining room. One corner has couches for groups and there are also many tables with chairs for guests to sit and enjoy the wines. We got the $15 tasting that included 4 wines, which is a bit on the pricey side but the wines were so good that it was well worth the price. This is definitely a great place to stop in Sonoma if you want to avoid the crowds and drink fine wine in a warm, sunny tasting room.Listed in: Wine Country!
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Review from Erik K.
San Francisco, CA
11/27/2010
2007 cab is excellent. Just ordered 4 bottles for Xmas!
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Review from Jennette B.
Pittsburg, CA
7/7/2008
I think its great that they allow dogs in the tasting rooms. People that complain about dogs should realized that children are allowed too and they are much more sticky not to mention loud and destructive. We don't want you to leave your toddler in the hot car just as we don't want to leave our dogs - so lets all get along and enjoy some wine :)
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Review from Alice A.
7/7/2009
"Audelssa" stands for (Aud)rey, Ch(els)ea, and Melis(sa), the names of the three daughters of the owner (hope I got all the names right). I don't know how other people found this place, we were fortunate enough to "discover" it just by chance. I love the sophisticated balance of the fruit and acidity every wine on their list presents (and I am NOT just trying to sound like the people in the movie Sideways). I don't think their wines are too expensive for the quality, and tasting alone is a worthy experience.
Listed in: Wine bars and wineries
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Review from Andrew K.
San Francisco, CA
9/9/2009
I like going to a real vineyard. This felt like a passe Italian restaurant. The pours were generous and some of the wines were notable BUT they charge you the tasting fee even if you purchase a bottle. The true highlight are the grapes on the grape bushes next to the parking lot.
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Review from Elle D.
Newport Beach, CA
5/15/2011
This was our second wine tasting stop of the afternoon, and not one you would want to pass up. The atmosphere is very comfortable, offering a seating selection from cushy sofas, to small tables or tasting bar, and a more secluded room for larger groups. For people who don't often enjoy Chardonnay, we walked away with two reasonably priced bottles ($28). The cab blends were also very versatile and well priced. Overall, the experience was memorable, and we look forward to enjoying the many delicious bottles we were able to ship home for $5!
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Review from l c.
San Francisco, CA
6/14/2006
We happened upon the Navillus-Birney tasting room after seeing an ad for it in one of the free wine magazines all over Napa and Sonoma. It turned out to be the pleasantly surprising highlight of our day of tasting. I can actually say that every wine we tasted was awesome, with the highlights being the Chardonnay (and I'm not usually a big Chardonnay fan) and Pinot Noir. They also have a decadent Pinot Noir chocolate sauce that made me want to lick the container the sample came in. You should definitely stop by if you're in the area and check it out yourself...oh yeah, the tasting is free and the pours are HUGE!
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Review from Kelly N.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2009
Killer wines across the board... The first CA chardonnay that I've been excited about in a long time. A Cote-Rotie style Syrah called the Tempest was probably my fav. Excellent Cab based wines as well. Have yet to visit the estate but will update the review when I make it out there, it looks beautiful up on top of that hill!
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Review from Sherry B.
Gilroy, CA
9/19/2008
My sister-in-law works for a wine distributor, and we got to stay up at the winery itself this past week. Oh my gosh, the attention to detail that is put into these reds is phenomenal. We toured the fermentation room, and got a wine chemistry lecture from the oenologist Bill. The obvious love, care and dedication to making fabulous wines just sort of oozes out of the whole lot up there. The wines themselves are pricey, but I would say well worth it. If you join the wine club, you can get the tour up there too, plus lots of other cool things. Not being a total winy like my bro and his cute wife, I had no idea of the extent that chemistry plays in creating a gorgeous big red. I think I could enjoy chemistry class again if it had to do with wine. Anyway, loved the wines. Loved the people who run it. Would buy the wine.
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Review from John T.
Stamford, CT
11/30/2009 2 photos
This is a great winery... but people neglect to tell you that it's only about 5 miles from downtown Sonoma, but it takes 30 minutes to get up the mountain! ...Terrifying drive up (see photo), but well worth it. The wines are great, and the views are the best in the valley (see photos). They don't seem to have a strong grasp on what wines they are having the best success with (all reds), so they have a few blends, but a great experience and all the wines are worth the windy steep drive up.
