My favorite wine is always the one I am drinking. Yes, that's pretty much how passionate about wine - about life - I am. My favorite friend is the one I am walking with. My favorite gig is the one I am working. My favorite food is the one I am eating. I love with blind intensity, make no mistake.

For years, my favorite Napa Valley vintner was Joseph Phelps, who still remains at the ceiling of greats, where exceptionals rise to the top, equally extraordinary in their respective fields, no longer comparable to another. But this year, my sipping sites shifted to the integrity and character of Robert Sinskey's vineyards.

I choose my favorite wines by flavor, as any enthusiast should. After all, I am the only one who knows what I like. I first experience the visual, scent and flavor profile of a wine and then I learn about the vineyards, the wine maker, the business ethics. And yes, once in a while, there are vintners with such integrity and heart that the wine actually tastes even better having learned about them. Robert Sinskey wine's please on all levels.

Robert Sinskey says"Conventional farming is about conquering nature. Organic and biodynamic farming is about striking a deal with nature - taking the time to get to know what the land wants and what the rhythms of nature are, instead of opposing our will on nature". Certified as organic farmers since 1991, the Carneros vineyards are also certified biodynamic, which is a very serious undertaking for any farmer to uphold. The Robert Sinskey philosophy on natural farming methods is based on their experience of being able to raise healthier and more flavorful wine grapes, which I raise a glass in cheer to.

When I began wine tasting I was excited about grapes. I would say "I like Reisling" or "I like Pinot Noir". After I learned how many different ways a grape varietal can be produced, depending on region and vintner, I began having a taste for specific vineyards. Now I would say "I like Chateau St. Jean" or "I like Palamina". Now my tastes are honing in on vintages and growing practices. But what I learned from paying attention to vintners was what turned me on about a specific vineyard's wines was tasting a character or note across the board for that vineyard. LIke the wine maker her/himself has such taste that I get it in each varietal, each vintage they bottle. Robert Sinskey's wines character is defined with a rush of immediate welcoming and then a whirlwind of secret memories from a life never lived, ending in one fond dream to clearly focus on. And that's how I feel about the wine.

The tasting room, with it's magnificently high ceilings, is cool and underheated (like Napa and good wine both should be!). Bring your sweater. The pourer impressed me and knew what a vegan was, helping me pair our tastings with olives and almonds, rather than the suggested cheeses and fancy sausages (contradiction in terms). Outdoors one will see biodynamic food gardens growing right up next to the building and a gigantic wall of solar panels providing 75% of the winery's energy needs. The wine of note this season is certainly the 2006 Cab Franc. Rich and royal in color and well structured - I would like to see more Cab Frac on tasting lists from Napa. I really like this grape! Round and never aggressive, somehow the 2006 is still filled with specificity. I'm tasting an outstandingly distinct Napa wine and it just gets better when I learn how much care is put into the soil, the working conditions and energy sources. Robert Sinskey brings brave varietals to Napa Valley and at this point in my single sited intensity, it seems I could favor these welcomingly mysterious wines for years with a childlike "oh, my goodness" after every sip.

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