There’s honestly nothing like tasting wines across various decades in a single afternoon. Even better when you can compare wineries, varietals, winemaking philosophies, and learn their wines evolve over time.

That’s exactly what The Yount Room pulled off with their 3rd Annual Retrospective Tasting on Saturday, June 13th.

It was the kind of event that reminds you partnerships/joint memberships are the best way to a) enjoy a variety of wines, b) allows for flexibility during tastings and c) offers maximum convenience. Even better, the tasting room is situated in walkable downtown Yountville.

Where It Happened

Tucked into a private area directly behind Bottega, the event struck the right balance of being intimate enough to talk with the people pouring your wine, while flowing well onto the patio where the live music kept the ambiance.

It felt as though many attendees were members of The Yount Room with how conversations, smiles and laughs filled up the tasting area. This translated to no rushed pours or stuffiness — just good wine and the people who made it, which is really the whole point.

What we really enjoyed was a seamless check-in process, followed up immediately by a pour of 2025 Rose of Pinot Noir. It was a refreshing splash to prep & cleanse the palette throughout the event.

The Lineup:
Three Wineries,
Three Wines,
Three Decades,
One Throughline

Three Napa Valley producers poured side by side, each bringing a vertical that told its own story of how a vineyard site evolves with age:

Cornerstone Cellars brought a four-wine flight anchored by their Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon across three vintages — 1995, 2001, and 2012.

The 2001 stood out with cedar and blueberry on the nose and a long, fruit-forward finish, while the 2012 layered in cocoa and ripe fruit for one of the more complex pours of the day.

Conn Creek Winery showed range with a 1995 Limited Release Cabernet, a 2003 Los Carneros Cabernet (which we were surprised since it’s predominantly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), and a 2016 Spring Mountain Cabernet — moving from a soft, ripe-fruited 1995 to a riper, sweeter 2016 that showed just how differently the same grape can express itself a decade apart.

Cain Vineyard & Winery closed the lineup with verticals of their flagship Cain Five from Spring Mountain — a rare 1.5L 1993, a 2007, and a 2014.

The 1993 brought a beautiful floral nose with smooth tannins, but it was the 2014 Cain Five that stood out most: cool fruit character with tannins that were both smooth and remarkably long. If there was one pour worth lingering over, this was it.

Meeting the People Behind the Bottles

The format was walk-around style — all three tables open at once, so you could move between wineries at your own pace rather than sitting through a scripted flight.

Winemakers and winery staff were on hand throughout, which made the difference between tasting a wine and actually understanding it. Getting to ask questions directly about a 1993 vintage, in front of the person who can speak to how that vineyard has changed since, is the kind of access that doesn’t come around often.

Wood-Fired Pizza and a Patio Built for Lingering

Between pours, a wood-fired oven turned out fennel sausage, mushroom, and margherita pizzas — simple, well-executed, and exactly what a long tasting afternoon calls for.

Add in live music on the outdoor patio, and the whole event had the feel of a backyard gathering rather than a formal tasting room appointment.

The servers also did a great job of picking up plates, having pizzas and cutlery replenished before getting too low, smiling, and creating a familial ambiance.

The Details

• When: 11am–1pm, Saturday, June 13th
• Where: The Yount Room’s private space, across from Bottega in Yountville
• Access: Two complimentary tickets for The Yount Room club members; $50 per ticket for non-members. Limited 80 spots
• Wine Purchase: Available on the spot, or to ship at a later time

Final Take

Retrospective tastings like this one are a reminder that wine rewards patience — both the vineyard’s and yours.

Tasting a 1993 Cain Five next to its 2014 successor isn’t something you get to do at a standard tasting room visit, and pairing that experience with wood-fired pizza, live music, and direct access to winemakers is what made this feel less like an event and more like an afternoon well spent.

If The Yount Room runs a 4th Annual next year, it belongs on your calendar. We’re likely to return, this time as potential club members to