Hello-
I picked up another case of the Alban
Central Coast Syrah,
if you wanted more and got turned down or if you just figure
you missed it, you got another shot. This is $43.95 - ($39.56
with a mixed case discount)
Also found another case of the Syncline Roussanne from
Alder Ridge!! This is awesome stuff and one that has really impressed
anyone who has tasted it! This runs $25.95 - ($23.36 with a
mixed case discount)
2005 Schoffit Lieu-Dit Harth Cuvee Caroline Alsace Gewurztraminer
This is an incredible Gewurztraminer! Complex, earthy and savory.
Rich nutty, apricots, lichti, caramel, brown spice, brown
stems, petrol, white pepper. Very thick and viscous, full
bodied, has an ever so slight hint of residual sugar or at
least sweet fruit that plays very nicely off of a slight
edge of bitter stemminess. While the fruit is full and rich,
the other complexities really make this wine the outstanding
wine it is. $22.95 - ($20.66 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Adelaida Glenrose Vineyard Paso Robles Roussanne Grenache
Blanc
43% Roussanne, 57% Grenache Blanc. I have to say that this
is probably my favorite wine from Adelaida, regardless of color.
This is INTENSE STUFF. Very rich and leesy, it shows some very
tasty up front fruit that reveals white and yellow peaches
and mandarin orange along with some nutty vanilla notes and
hints of citrus pith. Large structure for a white wine, showing
good fruit/acid balance and even a hint of tannins, very viscous
and thick on the palate and loads of concentrated flavor. This
seems dominated by the Roussanne right now, though the orange
character comes from the Grenache Blanc. Simply delicious!
$22.95 - ($20.66 with a mixed case discount)
2006 Tensley Camp 4 Vineyard Santa Barbara Blanc
60% Grenache Blanc, 40% Roussanne. This wine is doing exactly
what it did last year. Early on it is dominated by some really
intense Grenache Blanc, showing a ton of mandarin orange,
vanilla and even hints of melon, while the Roussanne picks
up the finish and shows some nutty, leesy qualities to it.
This is a very thick and viscous wine. The real trick with
this wine is how much it will improve in the bottle because
the Roussanne will continue to pick up depth and add a ton
of complexity over the next year. This is really nice now
but it is going to be great and unfortunately it will be
gone by the time I can prove it. $27.95 - ($25.16 with a
mixed case discount)
2005 Dara Larner Vineyard Santa Ynez Syrah
I've tasted this wine a few times now and I don't think I have
seen a wine improve this much over the course of three months
as I have with this. This is an impeccably balanced wine.
It's pretty much seamless on the palate and I would call
this a screaming deal. It is silky smooth yet full bodied
and rich, it shows classic roasted blackberry fruit that
shows some slight pomegranate with espresso, smoked meats
and some mild brown spices. Structurally, it is very well
integrated with very smooth, silky tannins and moderately
crisp acids. If you haven't bought any Dara yet, you are
missing the boat. Folks, this price is so low, it's a joke!
$22.95 - ($20.66 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Harrison Clarke Santa Ynez Grenache
Very pretty, femininely styled Grenache. A tad forward now
but overall has an excellent balance that could use about
a year of cellar time before really beginning to show it's
best. Only 10% new French oak with 50% whole clusters, this
shows mostly dark raspberry and strawberry fruits with tea
leaf, smoked meats and some earthy mineral notes. Bone dry
finish, nicely structured. $23.95 - ($21.56 with a mixed
case discount)
2004 Bella Lily Hill Dry Creek Valley Sonoma Zinfandel
90% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah. Once again, this is really
a nice zin! Extremely smooth and broad in your mouth, it
shows a hint of bright zinberry with a good dose of blackberry
fruit which is followed by some dark loamy earth, cocoa,
coffee, some charred smoke and hints of caramel, pretty rich
stuff without coming off as over the top, nicely structured
with hints of tannins and moderately crisp acidity, there
is a grainy minerality that adds a lot to the texture and
really helps to broaden the palate out. $29.95 - ($26.96
with a mixed case discount)
Hello-
2005 Paul Lato Larner Vineyard Santa Barbara Syrah
Awesome wine, one of the best Larner Syrahs I have ever tasted.
Extremely well balanced, full of dark berry fruit, espresso
and some loamy, earthy character. Rich and intense but smoothly
proportioned. You think the Pinots are limited? This
is EXTREMELY LIMITED!! I was told that only two or three retailers are
even getting any of this! I'm starting out with a 3 bottle
per person limit and I'll let anyone who wants more wait
on a first come, first serve basis. $49.95 - ($44.46 with
a mixed case discount)
2004 Quinta Vale D. Maria Douro Red
This is STUNNING STUFF! Rich blackberry and creme de cassis
with a strong herbal character that is rich in licorice.
Black tealeaf, cocoa, smoke, char, graphite and loamy earth
are also there. The structure is fairly large with some moderately
mouth drying tannins and slightly elevated acidity. I took
a bottle of this home and was floored. It was great when
I just tasted it the first time but the development of the
course of a whole evening was phenomenal. It started out
really structured and tight, after a couple of hours the
interplay between the herbal notes and the fruit was insane.
It became extremely richly textured and the fruit sweetened
up in a great way. I am a HUGE fan of this wine! $42.95 -
($38.66 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Lagier Meredith Mount Veeder Napa Syrah
This has long been a favorite producer of mine. Steve Lagier
and Carol Meredith are super serious about this LONE project
of theirs. They make one wine from one grape from a single
vineyard. It is ALWAYS complex and thought provoking. This
years is darkly colored with intense concentration that showcases
some rich blackberry and cassis fruit, along with pepper,
espresso and some leesy brown spices. This is a big and structured
wine and yet shows some real finesse with great fruit/acid
balance and a smooth texture. $51.95 - ($46.76 with a mixed
case discount)
So, the deal on the Saxum is that these is not from a wholesale
purchase. There is NOT much of it, a few bottles of each. I
don't really like to sell wine at this kind of markup but there
is really not much I could do about it. The demand on this
winery has become HUGE. I consider myself a friend of Justins,
he is certainly a friend of mine, and I still can hardly get
any of it direct. Sad but true. Good for him though, he is
HUGELY popular! These two wines are not allocated. First person
who wants them all, gets them all!
2004 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles Syrah
85% Syrah, 12% Grenache, and 3% Mourvedre, there are 500 cases
of the 2004 Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard. It possesses
a saturated ruby/purple color along with tight, restrained
aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, and flowers, good
acidity, fleshy, full-bodied flavors, and fine elegance,
delicacy, and finesse ... rare for a wine of this size and
intensity. It will drink well for 10-12 years. Parker 93
$99.95 - (Sorry, No mixed case discount)
2005 Saxum Broken Stones Paso Robles Syrah
74% Syrah, 24% Grenache, and 2% Mourvedre aged in 500 liter
French oak pungeons) reveals great purity of fruit along
with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and blue, red, and black
fruits, a structured, tannic mouthfeel, full-bodied density,
and good freshness as well as depth. It should drink well
for 7-8 years. Parker 92-95 $69.95 - (Sorry, No mixed case
discount)
Hello-
2003 Fiddlehead 728 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
Pretty and smooth styled. Very aromatic and floral, shows black
cherry, raspberry, plum, cola, forest spice and a hint of
earth. Extremely well balanced with some nice crisp acidity
on the finish. Not as earthy as the Lollapalooza. Drinking
very nicely right now! $35.95 - ($32.36 with a mixed case
discount)
2003 Fiddlehead Lollapalooza Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
Six clones (Pommard 4 & 5, Dijon 113, 115, 667 & 777)
and three rootstocks (101-14, 3309 and 110R), I have tasted
this at the winery but did not take any notes other than "Buy
This"! This is pretty much ALWAYS superb stuff. This is
a BIG Pinot that is full of savory, earthy character. Some
density and depth to the palate. It is a little texturally
soft and smooth up front but then builds into a crisp, mineral
finish. Great balance!! OK, on top of this, James Laube trashed
it so this is your chance to realize you have a better palate
than he does!! I have tasted it, he is nuts, I have also talked
with a number of others who have tasted it that agree with
me and I also did an exhaustive internet search and pretty
much found total agreement with me on this wine. 8-) $49.95
- ($44.96 with a mixed case discount)
2006 Fiddlehead Rose of Pinot Noir
This is a superb Rose!! Crisp and zippy, rose petals on the
nose, it shows wild strawberry fruit with pomegranate, passionfruit
and hints of mineral. The thing that has really impressed
me with this Rose is when I have put it up against some really
serious Roses from Burgundy. This one fits right in there
with the best. This goes down easy, like a good crisp Sauvignon
Blanc. If you haven't talked yourself into trying a Rose
lately, this is a great one to start with. $16.95 - ($15.26
with a mixed case discount)
2005 Fiddlehead Goosebury Sauvignon Blanc
This is one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs in all the world.
I had this in before, early in the year and have been waiting
for the 06 to come out but I couldn't resist another case
of this while I wait. Very crisp and full of chalky minerals,
gooseberry, lychee, fennel and mixed citrus. Very full and
rich, some whole clusters for added complexity. A little
pricey but truly remarkable stuff. I put this in the upper
echelon of California SB's along with the Rochioli and Margerum
Voglezang. $29.95 - ($37.76 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Barrel 27 Head Honcho Santa Barbara Syrah
Barrel 27 is a joint project involving McPrice Myers
and Russell From. The each have their own wineries,
McPrice owns one with his name and Russell owns Herman Story.
This is the
first reserve Syrah from Barrel 27. It combines a selection
of the very best barrels from Barrel 27’s Central Coast
Syrah with some small Syrah lots from McPrice Myers Wine
Co and Herman Story Wines blended together. This is some
dark Syrah! It shows a lot of shifting fruit flavors from
blackberry and plums to black cherry, cassis and raspberry,
it also shows some smoked bacon, peppercorn, dark chocolate,
lavender and brown spice. This is actually a pretty amazing
wine, especially at this price!! Screaming deal!! $22.95
- ($20.66 with a mixed case discount)
I don't have tasting notes on the new McPrice Myers wines
yet. I'll have them in early May when I get back from Hospice
du Rhone but I have the wines already, in very limited amounts.
I will add that I have been very impressed with the wines from
McPrice Myers for the last couple of years. He is producing
some full bodied yet elegantly crafted wines that are sold
at an extremely good price for the quality in the bottle. Consider
these a pre-release with notes to follow!
2005 McPrice Myers Beautiful Earth Paso Robles Syrah
$26.95 - ($24.26 with a mixed case discount)
2005 McPrice Myers Colson Canyon Santa Barbara Syrah
$26.95 - ($24.26 with a mixed case discount)
2004 McPrice Myers Les Galets Syrah
I had this in before and sold it out very quickly. This is
Laetitia Vineyard fruit from a small parcel located very
close to Alban Vineyard. This is awesome stuff, super rich,
fully flavored. Dark blackberry fruit with anise, espresso
and cocoa. Roasted character. I only got one more case and
some walk-in traffic is already picking away at it! $28.95
- ($26.06 with a mixed case discount)
2005 McPrice Myers L'Ange Rouge Santa Barbara Grenache
I did taste this one, it is a pretty big Grenache, it shows
some game and smoke with forest spice, fruit is pretty intense
with wild strawberry and cherry followed by some herbal notes.
hints of cocoa and brown spice. Riper than last years but
really needs some time to show it's best. It's full bodied
and intense. Pretty classic Grenache in an extreme Pinot
Noir style. Good acidity, lots of spice. Intense flavors $29.95 - ($26.96 with a mixed case discount)
NV Gaston Chiquet Cuvee de Reserve Brut Champagne
Disgorged in 2005. I have not found the recent notes on this
though my rep had it down as receiving a 92 point score from
Parker. Last years received a 93 point rating and this is
it's note: Its intricate aromas display creamed toast, notes
of vanilla, minerals, and poached pears. Concentrated, impressively
deep as well as rich, this powerful Champagne coats the taster’s
palate with loads of spice-laced white fruits and toasty
almonds. Importer: Terry Theise Parker 92 Points $49.95 -
($44.96 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Domaine des Lises Crozes-Hermitage
This is very cool stuff. The winemaker is Maxime Graillot,
son of the famous Alain Graillot. Crozes-Hermitage is the
lower lying region that surrounds Hermitage Hill. While typically
not as big or robust as those from Hermitage, they are still
very nice, dark wines. They are also considerably cheaper
than those from Hermitage! When I saw this wine, it was very
exciting, as the Graillot wines have always been a favorite
of mine from Crozes-Hermitage. This wine is no exception,
crafted fairly similarly to his fathers wine. I took one
of these home with me the first night and drank it over two
days. It is terrific wine. Very darkly colored, rich roasted
blackberry and black currant fruit that shows a bit of lift
into the pomegranate side on the finish. Also shows bacon,
espresso, graphite, iron rich minerality, mild char and some
herbs with hints of lavender and anise. Medium weight with
a long crisp finish and moderate smooth tannins. Alcohol
is 13%. $24.95 - ($22.46 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Alban Central Coast Syrah
Won't get a chance to taste this, I'm just thrilled to get
my foot back in the Alban door. The rumor I hear is that
this is the LAST Central Coast designated Syrah that Alban
is making. All the rest of his Syrahs are pushing the $80
mark it seems, so this is the last time you will likely see
a Syrah from him at this low of a price. Sad but true! Only
got a single case and then it's gone! $43.95 - ($39.56 with
a mixed case discount)
2005 Alban Estate Edna Valley Viognier
Parker Note: Possibly the finest Viognier
John Alban has yet produced, the 2005 exhibits an intense
perfume of apricots,
honeysuckle, and assorted tropical fruits. It reminded me
of Guigal’s Condrieu La Doriane because of its good
underlying acidity and fabulous texture as well as length.
This beauty should drink well for 2-3 years. 91-94 Points
$37.95 - ($34.16 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Bramare Mendoza Argentina Malbec
Killer stuff! This is a Paul Hobbs wine, that comes from the
same vineyard as his much heralded Cobos Malbec. This wine
is from some slightly younger vines. They are ONLY 40 to
60 years old vines!!! I tasted them BOTH side by side and
liked this one better. It tasted more balanced with less
apparent oak. Not really sure if it has less oak, it just
tasted that way. As you might expect, this is super richly
flavored and textured. Typical Paul Hobbs wine. It shows
loads of dark character that includes black cherry, dark
plum, graphite, loamy earth, coffee, cocoa. Large but very
smooth tannins and excellent fruit/acid balance. I don't
usually jump into these more expensive wines but once in
awhile I find something that really blows me away and this
one does do that!! I only got six of these! $87.95 - ($79.16
with a mixed case discount)
I also have a number of highly sought after
Washington wines. These are killer wines that routinely get
ratings in the mid
90's!
If I have any left I will look up some notes
and ratings as they come out and let you know. They will
likely disappear
before that however.
2004 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Red Bordeaux Blend
$59.95 - ($53.96 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Andrew Will Ciel du Chevel Red Bordeaux Blend
$59.95 - ($53.96 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Delille Harrison Vineyard Red Bordeaux Blend
$68.95 - ($62.06 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Delille Chaleur Vineyard Red Bordeaux Blend
$68.95 - ($62.06 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Leonetti Estate Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
$79.95 - ($71.96 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Leonetti Estate Washington Merlot
$79.95 - ($71.96 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Leonetti Estate Washington Sangiovese
$65.95 - ($59.36 with a mixed case discount)
Hello-
I have a number of new Rhones! Mostly Syrahs, with some blends
and a couple of awesome new Grenaches as well. A number of
new brands here and a few imports that are real standouts!
This is ONLY
Rhone reds in this newsletter!
2004 JC Cellars Rockpile Haley's Reserve Syrah
I don't get to taste this wine at this point. It's highly allocated
and I have been extremely impressed whenever I have been
able to taste it in the past. I ONLY got six of these! The
following note is from Robert Parker:
Consistently one of my favorite JC Cellars wines is their Syrah
Rockpile Vineyard. The 2004, 100% Syrah aged in French oak,
boasts an opaque black/purple color as well as a gorgeous nose
of blackberry liqueur intermixed with melted licorice, smoked
meats, acacia flowers, and a talcum powder-like, stony minerality.
Powerful (15.3% alcohol) with superb underlying acidity and
layers of richness, this is a blockbuster Syrah that should
drink well for a decade. Kudos to Jeff Cohn for another brilliant
line-up. 93 Points
$46.95 - ($42.26 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Vino V White Hawk Vineyard Syrah
This is amazing stuff!! I really cannot speak highly enough
about this wine and this winemaker. I got things a little
confused with my comments about Michael Meagher in my last
email. I said that he had worked at Ojai for two years, following
a long stint with Mount Eden. That was a mistake, he worked
at Ojai for FOUR YEARS following the Mount Eden gig. I was
lucky enough to have a bottle of the current 2004 Vino V
Clos Pepe Pinot Noir opened for me last week and have to
say that it was truly outstanding. My comments right after
tasting it: Wow, this stuff is really dark in flavor, but
not due to oak, the berry fruit is like black raspberries.
It has calmed down just enough so it is not quite as tight
as I remember it. This is clearly one the best SRH Pinot
I have tasted and that is saying a lot!!. Vino V's blocks
of this Syrah come from the upper reaches of White Hawk Vineyard,
which is basically a big sand dune, so drainage is excellent.
He used 100% Estrella River clone and put it into 33% new
French oak for 21 months. He racked it ONLY twice, once at
12 months and again at bottling. It has a great floral nose
with hints of violets along with black and blue fruits. The
palate shows blackberry, dark plums and pomegranate along
with espresso and brown spices. While it is intense and concentrated
with a tightly focused core, it still has great fruit and
is even a bit lush in style. There is some crisp acidity
on the finish and the tannins are slightly chalky and fine
grained. Killer stuff! $41.95 - ($37.76 with a mixed case
discount)
2004 Eric et Joel Durand Emprientes Cornas
This is a somewhat elegantly crafted Cornas. Not as rustic
as some can be. 100% Syrah. Still full bodied with some floral
notes on the nose, this is a bit high toned with dense blackberry
and pomegranate fruit, smoke, bacon, hints of graphite, some
herbal notes and a stony earthy minerality. Great acid/fruit
balance. Fine to moderate tannins. This is a little reminiscent
of the wines from Cote Rotie to me. $39.95 - ($35.96 with
a mixed case discount)
2004 Bassetti Vineyard Madolyn Paso Robles Syrah
In 2004 Bassetti switched it's winemaking base from Garretson
Wine Company to Denner. I think the finished wine shows a
bit less ripeness than his 2003 showed, which by the way
is drinking terrific right now!! Just had one awhile back
and it is really coming into it's own. Anyhow, this wine
shows the trademark black loamy earth that I always get from
the grapes in this vineyard. Blackberry, cassis, espresso,
cocoa and anise to go along with that black loamy earthy
minerality. The tannins are apparent but not mouth drying
and the fruit/acid balance is near perfection. Good concentration
of flavors. For those of you new to the list, this Vineyard
was planted by John Alban, it is the western most vineyard
in Paso Robles that is producing on a regular basis. I heard
of one vineyard that was planted west of here, but I also
heard that nothing took root and it is going to need to be
replanted. So for now, this seems to be the western most
vineyard in Paso!! $37.95 - ($34.16 with a mixed case discount)
2003 Graves Paso Robles Syrah
Hillary Graves is someone you want to know about. She is growing
some great fruit in Paso Robles. She supplies Mourvedre to
Linne Calodo and Tempranillo to Villa Creek. Her vineyard
is located in the foothills right above the Templeton Gap.
She also buys some grapes from a nearby vineyard for some
of her wines. This Syrah is composed of 100%
Estrella Clone from this nearby vineyard. This wine is full
of intense blackberry and dark plum with coffee, cocoa and
some earthy minerality. Just slightly jammy and very nicely
structured. She mostly used 1 year old French oak from Bootes,
I have a couple bottles of the 2002 left as well. I put it
on the floor and it almost disappeared before I could write
about it! The 2002 is clone 877. $33.95 - ($30.56 with a mixed
case discount)
I wanted to talk a little bit about Dry Stack Vineyard.
First off, what the heck is a Dry Stack?? It's a way of
building a short wall with rocks that doesn't use any
form of cementing
to hold it together. You see them in rocky farm country
regions. When the Youngs bought these vineyards and
started developing
them, they ended out with a ton of rocks in a pile and
decided to create a bunch of these short "Dry Stack" walls
as a way of dealing with their removal. It was probably
a lot cheaper than paying for them to get dumped somewhere
else! The vineyard, located in the Bennett Valley, was planted early
in 2001 after a year of development . They have planted Syrah,
Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier and a little
bit of Petite Sirah.
This is from the Dry Stack Vineyard website:
Bennett Valley has some unique physical characteristics that
make it particularly suited to cool climate red varieties like
Pinot, Merlot and Syrah. The gap between Sonoma Mountain and
Taylor Mountain on the western edge of the valley through which
Grange Rd/Crane Canyon Rd passes is called the Crane Canyon
Gap. It is a major access point for cool marine air and fog
from the Petaluma Valley to enter Bennett Valley.
The Crane Canyon Gap and to a lesser extent the Santa Rosa
Plain provide a strong marine influence to Bennett Valley making
Bennett Valley as cool as the coolest parts of Russian River
despite being further inland.
In fact, Bennett Valley is such a unique environment that it
is now its own appellation. Peter and Marie Young were a signatory
to the AVA application.
2003 was the first real year for production and they sold
fruit to a number of wineries, including Pax, DuMOL and Lewis
Cellars. The results have been outstanding and demand for these
grapes have increased a great deal. Eric Kent, Broc, Copain,
Bevan and Owl Ridge are just some of the new wineries who will
be getting fruit this coming season. I currently have some
of the new wines from Eric Kent and Broc. Both are outstanding
producers
2004 Eric Kent Dry Stack Vineyard Bennett Valley Syrah
Ever so slightly reductive nose, there is a slightly sauvage
like character to this wine. Very dark in color, this wine
is is intense and concentrated with blackberry, dark plum
and pomegranate fruits along with espresso, tar, smoked aged
meats, loamy earth and minerals. The savory characteristics
are balanced with the fruit. Full bodied with moderate, smooth
tannins and a nice level of acidity on the finish. Complex!!
This is just great stuff! $33.95 - ($30.56
with a mixed case discount)
2004 Broc Cellars Dry Stack Vineyard Bennett Valley Grenache
85% Grenache with 15% Syrah, this shows raspberry framboise,
cassis and currants with cocoa, loamy earth and clove spice.
Very full bodied and richly textured with moderate smooth
tannins and a slightly crisp acidity. Chris Brockway is the
owner/winemaker here. He apprenticed with Jeff Cohn of JC
Cellars. This is in that style. Very large stuff but not
over the top. He keeps the alcohol at 14.8%, hand picks everything,
uses 80% destemmed fruit, French Burgundy barrels of which
30% are new. I think he is well on his way to being well
known! $31.95 - ($28.76 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Broc Cellars Dry Stack Vineyard Bennett Valley Syrah
90% Syrah with 9% Petite Sirah and 1% Grenache, super concentrated
stuff!, very rich and intense with jammy blackberry fruit,
anise, loamy earth, coffee, cocoa and hints of tobacco. Thickly
textured, very full bodied. This is a BIG wine!! But once
again, it is NOT completely over the top. It really carries
through with a consistent mid-palate and a long finish. This
is impressive stuff!! $31.95 - ($28.76 with a mixed case
discount)
2004 Ampelos Cellars Gamma Santa Rita Hills Syrah
This is Ampelos' first estate Syrah! Dark purple! Black raspberry/berry,
chocolate and sweet almonds with white pepper and cloves.
Made from the same section of vines as those used by Samsara
and Jaffurs. There is ONLY four barrels of this wine!! They
used one French Sirugue barrel and one hybrid barrel which
had American staves and French heads along with two older
neutral barrels. This is a bit high toned as well. Moderately
crisp with smooth tannins. Very well balanced. $31.95 - ($28.76
with a mixed case discount)
2005 Yann Chave Le Rouvre Crozes Hermitage
Boy, this is a really cool wine!! There is a lot going on here,
complex stuff, very expressive nose with violets, earth and
black fruit, palate shows blackberry, cassis and pomegranate
with bacon, black olives, pepper, espresso, graphite, dark
chocolate, tobacco and roasted herbs du Provence, This starts
out a little round up front but quickly shows more high toned
character where it finishes with some crisp acidity. The
Le Rouvre was formally called the Tete de Cuvee. It comes
from a section of the vineyard with 50 year old vines. Crozes
Hermitage is located around Hermitage Hill, with most of
the plantings in the northern area above Hermitage. Yann
Chave's wines are kept only in large demi-muids. He doesn't
use the typical barrels that we are used to here. He wants
to showcase the texture of the wine and NOT OAK! Parker has
not rated this wine yet but Tanzer has and he gave
it 90-93 points!! Anyone who knows Tanzer, knows that a score in the
high 80's is excellent and anything above that is superb!
$28.95 - ($26.06 with a mixed case discount)
2003 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant Rouge CA Rhone Red
35% Mourvedre, 32% Syrah, 26% Grenache and 7% Cinsault. This
is BY FAR the nicest Le Cigare Volant Rouge that I have EVER
TASTED. In the spirit of just being honest, I've never liked
this wine in the past. It never did much for me. Always seemed
kind of light and uninspiring, so I was kind of surprised
how much I liked it. It showed a ton of dark fruit with blackberry,
dark cherry and hints of strawberry along with some dried
herbs, chocolate and earth. Dense and chewy without being
over the top in the slightest. This is balanced stuff!! and
a VERY NICE Rhone blend. $26.95 - ($24.26 with a mixed case
discount)
2004 Skylark Mendocino Grenache
89% Grenache from Eaglepoint Ranch with 11% Syrah from Stagecoach
Vineyard. Floral and fleshy, there is a chewy, plump mid-palate
in this Grenache, full of bright raspberry fruit with dark
chocolate, pepper, mild char, earthy forest spice and some
hints of brown spice. There is a soft, smooth section in
the forward palate that gives way to some crisp acidity on
the finish. Medium full body. Beautifully crafted! This is
a collaboration between the John Lancaster and Robert Perkins,
who have run the wine program at the acclaimed Boulevard
Restaurant in San Francisco! This is terrific stuff and a
really fair price. $23.95 - ($28.76 with a mixed case discount)
2003 Domaine Saint Damien Les Souteyrades Gigondas
Wow, this stuff is impeccably balanced. Silky and plush on
the palate with intense fruit of red cherry and raspberry
followed by smoky lavender rich dried herbs, anise, cardamom
and some floral aspects, fairly complex, the fruit is just
gorgeous, this is NOT a RUSTIC Gigondas, it's very pretty.
Drinking exceptionally well. It is also not over ripe!! $22.95
- ($20.66 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Casa Barranca Harmon Vineyard Santa Barbara Syrah
This is a great value. The winemaker here, William Moses, is
a friend of Michael Meagher, who suggested he come by and
taste his wines with me. Great lead and thanks to Michael.
These are really well made wines. The Syrah sees only 10%
new oak and stays for 24 months before being bottled. This
is just amazing. They could sell it for a LOT MORE!! Full
of blackberry fruit with smoked meats, char, cocoa, espresso
and anise. Rich and intensely flavored! Full bodied and very
well balanced. Trust me, the prices are going to sky rocket
on this stuff! I have a Bordeaux blend and a Pinot Noir that
are equally delicious and similarly priced. I'll get to these
ones in another email! $16.95 - ($15.26 with a mixed case
discount)
2005 Mourgues
du Gres Terre d'Argence
I am an ardent Mourgues du Gres fan. So far, I have liked everything
I have tasted from these guys. All their wines are impeccably
balanced, smooth, lush and elegantly crafted. So far, they
have ALL BEEN SCREAMING DEALS. While this is the most expensive
one I have brought in to date, it is still priced ridiculously
low. First off, let me point out that this is predominantly
a Syrah blended with some Grenache. It shows blackberry and
blueberry fruits with espresso, graphite, garrigue, a little
charry toast, tar and some earthy, loamy minerality. It has
a dark edge to it along with some admirable concentration.
Silky on the palate with fine tannins and a hint of crispness.
SCREAMING DEAL ALERT!
$16.95 - ($15.26 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Azul
Profundo Cachapoal Valley Chile Syrah
Wow, this is the best Chilean Syrah I have EVER tasted! Very
clean and well made. Full of roasted blackberry fruit with
espresso and a hint of char. Full bodied wine that is deftly
balanced, comes off as smooth and elegant while maintaining
depth and intensity. If you ever wanted to try a Chilean Syrah,
this is a good one! $16.95 - ($15.26 with a mixed case discount)
Hello-
I have a bunch of new Pinots, this is going to be a bit of
a long email. Sorry about that but I really want to get this
stuff out there. There are a few more coming, but I will wait
to report on them later!! This is a lot!
This is ONLY Pinot Noirs in this newsletter!
2005 Hug Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Pinot
Noir
I love this stuff! IMHO, better than last years. Good story
about last years. I went to a BYO Pinot Noir tasting up in
Paso Robles. There were around 40 to 50 people attending.
Lots of great Pinots. Marcassin, Rochioli, Williams-Selyem,
Martinelli, etc. etc. (Pardon my spelling, I'm not looking
them up). Last years wine was one of the best at that tasting,
according to a number of people attending. Anyhow, my point
is that last years was terrific and this years is even better!!
Great aromatics, some floral, palate shows black raspberry,
cola, forest spice, earth and truffles. Rich and fairly full
bodied. Some hints of ripeness but within a nice balance.
Complex and delicious! $39.95 - ($35.96 with a mixed case
discount)
2005 Hug Cedar Lane Arroyo Seco Pinot
Noir
Arroyo Seco is located within Monterey County very near to
the Santa Lucia Highlands area that has been made famous
by vineyards such as Garys' and Pisoni. I think this sub-region
is on the fast track too. Some of the wineries making some
outstanding wines from this region include; Carmel Road,
Marilyn-Remark, Michaud, Chalone, Mer Soliel, Morgon and
Silver Stone. This wine is lighter in body than the Ontiveros,
it shows a more delicate fruit character with red raspberry
and strawberry, light forest spice and a hint of white pepper
and cardamom. Bright and pretty with excellent balance. $24.95
- ($22.46 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Hug Central Coast Pinot
Noir
Tasty stuff, nice fruit with raspberry, blueberry and hints
of strawberry, some forest spice along with hints of various
brown spices. Some round character to the mid-palate, it
comes off as very nicely balanced with some hints of chewy
ripeness, not over the top in the slightest. Easy drinking
and a good price! $20.95 - ($18.86 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Alta Maria Bien Nacido Pinot
Noir
OK, this is a very cool project. This is a project of James
Ontiveros and Paul Wilkins. For those of you who don't know
these two, James is a 9th generation local, whose family
actually owned much of the land that Bien Nacido was located
on. He owns the adjacent vineyards, named after him, called
Ontiveros Vineyard. He is also the manager of Bien Nacido
Vineyard and controls sales to the wineries! You could imagine
that he just might be getting some really good fruit here!!
;-) That's a hint folks. On top of it, this is a great price
for a top notch Pinot! OK, that's not all. Paul Wilkins is
the ex-assistant winemaker from Alban Vineyards. He was Johns
right-hand man for years and is one incredible winemaker
himself! This is one hell of a great team. $33.95 - ($35.96
with a mixed case discount)
NOTE: SOLD
OUT I have a couple of bottles of the 2004 Native 9 left
but not enough to put a note out.
They're frontline price is $50.95 Sorry, it sold before I could write this!
2005 Paul Lato Duende Gold Coast Vineyard Pinot
Noir
Not a lot I can say about these wines that hasn't been said
before. Super tiny amounts produced, not much of it gets
around. Mostly restaurants and just a small number of retail
shops. This wine is extremely well balanced. All about finesse
and beauty. This is a Pinot lovers wine. If you aren't a
Pinot Noir fan, don't even bother. If you are a fan of Pinot,
you'll want this. Delicately balanced raspberry fruits with
earthy underbrush and forest spice. Moderately crisp. Very
clean whole berry style.
SOLD OUT Two Bottle Limit
$49.95 - ($44.96 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Paul Lato Suerte Solomon Hills Pinot
Noir
More forward than the Duende. More raspberry and strawberry
character. A little fleshier but still full of earth and
spice. Not much of this stuff either! Paul's following is
getting bigger but his production level is not catching up
yet. I could only get a small amount of each. This bottle
will be more approachable young than the Duende is, but could
also use a bit of time in the cellar to really show all it's
stuff. SOLD
OUT Four
Bottle Limit $49.95 - ($44.96 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Cargasacchi Santa Rita Hills Pinot
Noir
Tightly wound with bright fresh cut strawberry/raspberry fruit
and a fair amount of forest spice. This is a somewhat lightly
colored Pinot. It is fairly crisp, the structure really brightens
up the character of the fruit. Great balance, needs a little
time to fully integrate. Peter is one of the most passionate
viticulturalists that I know!!
$39.95 - ($35.96 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Vino V Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot
Noir
Michael Meagher is still new to most people, this is his first
vintage making his own wines but he had worked for around
11 years as an assistant at Mount Eden Vineyards under Jeffrey
Patterson followed by around 4 more years at Ojai Vineyards
under Adam Tolmach, before heading off on his own. That is
a pretty impressive resume! His wines remind me a great deal
of the wines from Ojai Vineyards. They are large, concentrated
and tightly wound. This one is really no exception. It is
made entirely of clone 115. It spent 19 months in barrel
with 33% new French oak. Intensely flavored and very concentrated
yet it retains an elegance. It has the expected dark berry
fruits that you get from Clos Pepe Vineyard, along with some
underbrush, spice and hints of earth. WOW, just opened a
bottle of this after I sent out the email. This stuff is
really dark but not due to oak, the berry fruit is like black
raspberries. It has calmed down just enough so it is not
quite as tight as I remember it. This is clearly one the
best SRH Pinot I have tasted and that is saying a lot!!. $44.95
- ($40.46 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Presidio Artistic License Estate Santa Barbara Pinot
Noir
There is a strong savory element to this wine. It is bigger
and more concentrated than the Estate Pinot. Darker cherry
fruit, cola, cocoa, underbrush, forest spice, minerals and
earth. Earthy and balanced are what come to mind as the defining
character of this Pinot. Nicely structured, tight and complex,
could use some time in the cellar.
$37.95 - ($34.16 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Presidio Estate Santa Barbara Pinot
Noir
This is the screaming deal of this email. Presidio Vineyard
is located right outside the western flank of the Santa Rita
Hills AVA. Doug Braun is the winemaker/owner. He has about
30 acres of vineyard here. It's a beautiful spot on south
facing slope overlooking the Santa Rita Valley. This wine
is very well balanced, it shows cherry and raspberry fruit,
forest spice and cola along with a little leather and toast.
Medium bodied with soft tannins and some crisp acidity. Hard
to argue with the price at
$19.95!! - ($17.96 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Lane Tanner Santa Barbara County Pinot
Noir
Pretty fruit, alcohol is lower than normal at 13.5%, which
is pretty darned good for this wine. Crisp, clean and tasty.
Just a tiny hint of Syrah was added to put a little body
into the mid-palate. Easy drinking, pretty wine at a great
price for Santa Barbara Pinots these days at $22.95 - ($20.66
with a mixed case discount)
2005 Frederic Magnien Graviers Bourgogne Pinot
Noir
This is a bit new world in style, this is an entry level wine
from Magnien. It is ripe and fleshy, with forward, silky
fruit that shows fresh raspberry and cherry with a hint of
earth, smoke, forest spice and graphite. Some earthy mushroom
character on the finish. Reminded me of a mid level wine
from Melville of perhaps something from Russian River Valley.
Another very pretty wine. $22.95 - ($20.66 with a mixed case
discount)
2003 Akarua Central Otago Bannockburn New Zealand Pinot
Noir
This is awesome stuff! Again!! Dark and rich with dark cherry
and black raspberry fruit, fresh crushed berry character,
silky, velvety texture. Violets on the nose with hints of
earth and forest spice as well as mild suggestions of truffles
and mushrooms. The fruit reminds me a bit of a lush Pinot
from Russian River Valley. Beautiful stuff!! It is rich and
round yet finishes with some crisp, bright acidity. The flavors
are intense! $37.95 - ($34.16 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Isabel Marlborough Pinot
Noir
Tightly wound and zippy, similar to their Sauvignon Blanc in
that regard. Raspberry and tart cherry with a fair amount
of earth, resinous forest spice, smoky char, minerals and
cocoa, crisp and light to medium bodied. It's a bit lean
in body but it packs a lot of flavor intensity. According
to a conversation I had with the owner of this winery, they
are the last family owned winery in Marlborough! All the
rest are corporate owned! That amazed me. $26.95 - ($24.26
with a mixed case discount)
2005 Loring Brosseau Vineyard Pinot
Noir
Wine Spectator: Tightly wound and compact, with taut, intense
mineral, blueberry and blackberry flavors that are closed
in and need time in bottle. Firmly tannic on the finish.
Drink now through 2011. 90 Pts
Pinot Report: Medium ruby purple color; deep, earthy, dusty
cherry aromas; deep, complex, dusty cherry flavors with earthy
notes and a bit of tannin; good structure and balance; long
finish. An earthier style, this Pinot nonetheless has nice
cherry flavors. Great for an earthier pasta or meat dish. 92
Pts
Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Good bright, deep red.More complex aromas
of red berries, smoke and earth.Rich, ripe and sweet, with
blueberry, raspberry and spice flavors nicely framed by harmonious
acidity.A step up in thickness and chewiness from the Keefer
Ranch. But this also finishes with good brightness and energy.
89 Pts
$44.95 ($40.46 with a mixed case discount)
2005
Loring Rancho Ontiveros Pinot Noir
Pinot Report: Medium ruby purple color; concentrated plum and
black cherry aromas; rich, ripe, juicy black cherry and plum
flavors; silky texture, sweet oak; good structure and balance;
long finish. Delicious, juicy fruit and incredible balance
make this a terrific Pinot to sip on its own. 95 Pts
Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Good medium red. Very reduced nose offers
aromas of cassis, kirsch, smoke and tobacco. Big and rich on
the palate, with a penetrating sweetness to the dark cherry
and blackberry flavors, thanks to ripe, firm acidity.Plenty
of volume and structure here, but this pinot needs time. Finishes
chewy and long, with sweet fruit. Richer than its 13.2% alcohol
would suggest. 89+ Pts
$44.95 - ($40.46 with a mixed case discount)
Hello-
I've had a couple of people tell me that they are having trouble
seeing the formating within my current newsletter emails. On
top of that it appears that the formating may be setting off
some SPAM filters and may be resulting in my emails getting
stripped from some systems before anyone even sees it. ?????
Honestly I am not sure what is going on. I've discussed it
with the software developer and have been assured that it is
not the email program.
What I plan on doing with my subsequent emails is revert back
to the old non-HTML method I was using and then place a link
on the website where the current, (and past few), newsletters
can be viewed.
OK, on to the wines! I'm still playing catch-up.
Well,
there is no doubt that some of the best Syrahs from California
are beginning to hit the stratosphere in pricing.
Alban, Pax, Kongsgaard and Sine Qua Non all come to mind. I'm
not really playing the cult game much at VWM but sometimes
you just got to go with it. I have loved the Pax wines since
he started making them. They are always very well defined wines.
More tightly woven than most other Syrahs I come across, these
are collector items. I get a very limited amount of wines so
I have to pass on that allocation to you.
There is a limit to one bottle of each per customer.
2005 Pax Cuvee Christine Sonoma County Syrah
$67.95 - ($61.16 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Pax Kobler Family Vineyard Russian River Valley Syrah
$70.95 - ($63.86 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Four Vines Bailey Vineyard Amador County Syrah
This comes from a vineyard site that is at 3000 feet, the highest
elevation vineyard in Amador County! I have to say that these
guys wines are just plain hedonistic and delicious! Full
throttle, in your face, fruit. Very dark blackberry, spice
and earth components. This is hedonism at it's finest because
it's not wine that is over oaked or super high in alcohol.
There is balance and sophistication to the palate while still
be extremely fruit forward and concentrated. This wine is
about FUN. Buy some and have some!
$23.95 - ($21.56 with a mixed case discount)
I also picked up more of their 2005
Four Vines Naked Chardonnay.
It is a killer deal at $10.95. Zero Oak! Huge body with gorgeous
fruit! A huge hedonistic every day quaffer!!
2004 De La Vigne Central Coast Syrah
This is a really cool wine!! This is the second label for Shadow
Canyon! It's very similar to their Shadow Canyon Estate Syrah.
It's from the estate vineyard too, only the main stuff from
2004 is all free run juice, with 40% new Taransaud French
oak, while this one is the lightly pressed juice with only
20% Taransaud French oak! On top of that they have added
a splash of Viognier to the mix. The result is that this
is a softer wine. It's a very well made, with a full body
and a wonderful balance. It is much more ready to drink now
than their Estate wines which are some of the biggest, most
structured, wines coming out of the region. This wine is
chewy and dense but without the huge tannic structure and
without the higher levels of oak. Gary Gibson is NOT going
to make this every vintage. He wants his Shadow Canyon Estate
Syrah to be a very full bodied, hugely structured wine. He
is very particular about what goes into that program. When
he doesn't feel like the fruit is giving him exactly what
he wants for the premium bottling, he is going to use this
label to release it at a much lower price. Flavor wise, very
similar to the high end stuff. It is still structured enough
to give you some pretty solid cellaring potential but it
is much more approachable in it's youth This is a killer
deal! $23.95 - ($21.56 with a mixed case discount)
2003 Bonny Doon California Le Cigare Volant
35% Mourvedre, 32% Syrah, 26% Grenache & 7% Cinsault
Honestly, I have to say that I have not been a big fan of Bonny
Doon's wines over the past decade. They seemed to have become
a very large production winery with most of their focus towards
making money and not making, small lot, premium wines. However,
Randall Grahm has since sold off his mass produced, lower end,
portion of his business and is re-dedicating himself to the
mid to higher level premium section of his line-up. For this
wine, it has typically been more dependent on the Grenache
fruit for the final blend, however with this vintage they opted
to use more Syrah and Mourvedre. This has resulted in a much
denser wine with more apparent concentration. Very nicely balanced,
it shows dark berry fruit with some hints of red berry, toasted
herbs, sage, mild tobacco leaf, black olive, leather, cocoa,
char, brown spice and pepper. This is a great value for what
is in the bottle! $26.95 - ($24.26 with a mixed case discount)
Hello-
I'll just say it! Gary
Burke is UNDER appreciated. He has
been growing some great fruit for years up in the Santa Maria
Valley, in the northern reaches of Santa Barbara. He's one
of those guys who has been around since the early 90's and
might be over looked at times. I'm here to tell you that if
you are over looking him, you are making a big mistake. He
has quietly been putting out some of the best Pinot Noirs and
Chardonnays in the region. He has also
been selling fruit to Paul Lato who has made some OUTSTANDING
wines from these grapes.
This is a great region and a great vineyard. Gary's Pinot's
all have an amazing intensity of flavor while not going over
the top. They are crisp and intense flavored without the over
ripe character that some people can end out with.
Along with these Estate wines, Gary has been purchasing some
Rhone varietals from a number of vineyards, including Larner
and Colson Canyon. He sells these wines under their own
label, that he calls Dara. This is the label that used to be called
Duo, but they had to change that name due to a conflict with
a winery from out of the country that was importing into the
states. I have two Dara wines from Larner Vineyard today, along
with a couple of his Pinot Noirs from Costa de Oro.
2005 Dara Larner Vineyard Santa Barbara Syrah
This is an extremely balanced Syrah that reveals a very savory
character with blackberry, pepper spice, leather, smoke and
a bit of loamy earth. Medium weight yet fairly well structured,
there is a slight reductive quality that will benefit from
decanting or extended aeration. Tasty stuff if balance and
finesse is your cup of tea. Reminds me a bit of his Grenache
from last year. Priced right. $22.95 - ($20.66 with a mixed
case discount)
2005 Dara Larner Vineyard Santa Barbara Grenache
This is a an absolutely fantastic Grenache!! One of the best
I have tasted from California. It's kind of a tweener because
on the one hand, it is fairly dark in nature and has really
intense flavors. You might be tempted to say it is pushing
the Syrah envelop, yet on the other hand, it has incredibly
crisp acidity and a bunch of that forest spice character
that will quickly bring to mind Pinot Noir. To me that is
the plural nature of Grenache in a nutshell. Usually I am
trying to decide which side of the equation a Grenache is,
the full, rich Syrah like Grenache or the pretty, balanced,
food friendly Pinot Noir like Grenache. I think this one
is on the Pinot Noir side of the coin but only by a little.
Overall this wine is very bright and juicy with flavors of
black raspberry, boysenberry and pomegranate along with charcoal,
smoke, cocoa, pepper, loamy earth and abundant forest spice
and minerality. It has a really dark core while the edges
are bright and tightly woven. It is very crisp on the finish
with moderate to light tannins. Structurally it is much like
a good Pinot Noir. I love this wine. If you are a Grenache
fan, this is a must have! $28.95 - ($26.06 with a mixed case
discount)
2004 Costa de Oro Clone 777 Gold Coast Vineyard Santa Maria
Pinot Noir
Not sure exactly why he bottled this single clone, other than
it knocked his socks off too!?! It reminds me a bit of the
reserve. It is very intense and has some really great forward
fruit followed by some solid structure and some forest spice.
There aren't many good Pinots at this price point! $28.95 -
($26.06 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Costa de Oro Reserve Gold Coast Vineyard Santa Maria
Pinot Noir
This is SUPER INTENSE stuff!! It really has it all, black raspberries,
cherry cola, good dose of forest spice, and hints of earthy
mushrooms and loamy earth. Some slight ripeness to the fruit
but rides a good edge that keeps the wine just open enough
while having some tightly knit fabric around the edges. It's
gone up a bit from the last vintage but it seems very worth
the fee to me. I do have some of the 2003's left in stock as
well. $41.95 - ($37.76 with a mixed case discount)
Another winery that is new to me and really knocking my socks
off is Jorian Hill. Ever heard of them?? Neither had I. They
recently bought an existing vineyard up in the Ballard Canyon
region of Santa Barbara. Then hired Bruno and what I had heard
at one point was Kris Curran. Not sure if she is still associated
with this or not. Anyhow, this is some killer fruit!
2004 Jorian Hill Santa Ynez Valley Syrah
This wine is blended with about 10% Sangiovese, though I am
not sure anyone could guess by tasting it, other than some
very interesting complexities. This is a dark inky purple
Syrah that shows both incredible intensity of flavors and
an impressive level of concentration. Flavors show blackberry,
cassis, coffee and cocoa along with some leather and hints
of tobacco and tar. There is some forward character to the
fruit but the structure is fairly apparent, especially on
the finish. My impression of this wine is that it could use
being laid down for a couple years at least. This is a very
impressive first effort for this winery. Price is extremely
hard to beat! $28.95 - ($26.06 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Jorian Hill Santa Ynez Valley Viognier
This is one of the best Viogniers that I have tasted coming
out of California!! Exceptionally well balanced and beautifully
crafted. The front end shows pretty fruit that reveals melon,
citrus and honeysuckle followed by hints of peach and apricot.
There is abundant, grainy, minerality in the finish. Fairly
crisp acidity, should be a more food friendly Viognier than
many CA versions I have tried. The clone used here was sourced
from Alban Vineyards.
This is a great value! $23.95 - ($21.56 with a mixed case discount)
Hello- It's been too long since I last wrote you all! Licensing and
the subsequent move took way too long but I am finally in the
new digs with all the wine put away. Computers are up and running
and I can start selling wine again. Yahoo!
Anyhow, even though I didn't get any new emails out, wine
kept coming in, so I have a lot to report on and it will take
a few for me to catch up.
I'm going to start with a handful of whites, starting with
a couple of Champagnes.
I've been
wanting to bring in some of the Therry Theise imports for
awhile
but never really got a good chance to taste them
before purchase because they didn't have a rep in my area.
They finally got someone who came by my shop and these are
the first couple for you to try. First off, I would like to
tell you a bit about the Champagnes that Therry Theise is importing.
They are kind of a unique concept. Most Champagnes that you
hear about are from what most people refer to as "Big
Houses". They are very large production operations where
grapes are purchased from a number of sources and blended over
multiple vintages to reach their final stage. These wines are
very consistent from vintage to vintage. The Theise Champagnes
are very small grower/producers who are making small lot, artisanal
wines that show the terroir of their vineyards. They have been
getting HUGE reviews from a number of sources.
NV Gaston Chiquet Traditions Champagne 375ml
45% Pinot Meunier, 35% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir
Dominated by a very fine Meunier, showing some nice spice elements
to go along with white fruit and floral aromatics that include
apple, pear and almonds. This is a refined Champagne with wonderful
balance of fruit, acid and minerality. I have them in half
bottles. Perfect for those mid-week holiday dinners! $21.95
- ($19.76 with a mixed case discount)
NV Billiot Rose
This is a very dry Rose. Topped with Pinot Noir that has been
aged for 10 years! Full of delicate floral aromas and hints
of lavender with flavors that show mild fruit of raspberries
and strawberries. Fairly bright in nature with crisp acidity
and a tight mousse. Some smoke and herbs to go along with
the fairly pronounced minerality. Very feminine and very
pretty!
$49.95 - ($44.96 with a mixed case discount)
The new Shadow Canyon wines are in! These are a big
step up from last years and those wines rocked!! There is less to
go around this year and on top of that, he has had a much
higher demand so my quantities are down. Get them while you
can! I tasted these during the Hospice du Rhone event last
year and was blown away by the quality.
2004 Shadow Canyon York Mountain Paso Robles Syrah
Gary is not an up and coming star in the Paso Robles region.
He already is one!! His wines have been solid for a few years
now and they just keep getting better and better. He seems
to capture the balance of the region better than 99.5% of
the winemakers here. This wine is powerful and intense, showing
deep blackberry liquer, cassis, cocoa, dark loamy earth and
tarry asphalt. Big structured wine, fairly tannic with some
moderately crisp acidity that kicks in on the finish. The
nose also shows some floral characteristics. Absolutely beautiful
stuff! Needs time! Wine Advocate: 92 $37.95 - ($34.16 with
a mixed case discount)
2004 Shadow Canyon Larner Vineyard Santa Barbara Grenache
For those of you who have not heard about this Grenache, it
comes from a unique clone of Grenache that is derived from
the Ventoux region of the Languedoc in France. It is a much
deeper, darker, version of Grenache than most people have
experienced. There are ONLY two wineries that have access
to these grapes in California!! It is very rare. Full of
rich dark berry fruits that show hints of liquer along with
licorice, pepper and graphite. Some minerality on the finish.
Still shows some granularity. Higher acidity than the Syrah.
Wine Advocate: 91 $37.95 - ($34.16 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Shadow Canyon Amila Central Coast Grenache-Syrah Blend
First year that he has made this. It's a blend of 75% Syrah
from his estate vineyard on York Mountain and 25% Grenache
from the Larner Vineyard. It's right in line with the other
two, showing very dark berry fruit with an edge of liquer,
dark loamy earth, licorice, graphite, charcoal. Along with
the black berry fruits there is some hint of red raspberry
fruits that lend a slightly higher toned character than you
will find in the straight Syrah. This one really showcases
an incredible balance and is beautifully structured. Hard
to best these. Gary Gibson is a master winemaker! I drank
one of these recently and it is superb! Wine Advocate: 92
$37.95 - ($34.16 with a mixed case discount)
2005 Shadow Canyon Larner Vineyard Santa Barbara Viognier
This is just a very pretty Viognier at an excellent price!!
What a screaming deal too! Rich yellow color with deep apricot/peach
fruit and a fair amount of spicy lees. Some earthy minerality
towards the finish. Fairly forward with some ripe character
but still full bodied with some tannic structure. Reminds
me a bit of the Viognier from Alban but at a much lower price!!
$18.95 - ($17.06 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Bassetti Vineyard Madolyn Paso Robles Syrah
This is really outstanding. Last years was a bit riper than
the 2004. This wine shows a lot more earthy character to
it. Deep, dark roasted blackberry fruit with dark loamy earth,
smoked meats, tar, toasted herbs, pepper spice and cocoa.
Full bodied, fairly rich, though it is still a bit tight,
not over ripe in the slightest. The tannins are slightly
mouth drying and granular/powdery. There is a nice fruit/acid
balance to this wine. For those who are not familiar with
this vineyard, it is one of the very most western vineyards
in the Paso Robles region. Barely a stones throw from the
beach in Cambria. It can be a challenge for this vineyard
to have enough heat/sun during the growing season to get
everything ripened adequately. This will often times result
in some really miniscule yields for the wines. Good for us
but hard for a vineyard to make a living with!! $37.95 -
($34.16 with a mixed case discount)
Hello-
2004
Palm Cellars Karen's Paso Robles Zinfandel
For those of you who like really BIG zins. This wine is
full of concentrated fruit with jammy blackberry and dark
zinberry,
then the French oak kicks in some toast, vanilla and
herbal notes. It's fairly ripe and certainly high in alcohol,
which
gives some impression of sweetness, but the fruit is
so intense that it easily carries the alcohol. It is also
structurally
pretty massive with slightly elevated acids and pretty
big chewy tannins. IMHO, this is a much better zin than
last
years and if you liked that one, you are going to love
this one. If you are looking for that somewhat light, perfectly
balanced zin that can take the place of Chianti, this
is
not the one for you. If you want super intense zinberry
fruit that leans to the dark side, this is the one! $27.95
- ($25.16
with a mixed case discount)
2004 Palm
Cellars Judy's Paso Robles Syrah
This Syrah is pretty stellar. It's huge but still showcases
a lot of black loamy, chalky, earthy minerality. Fine
ripe tannins support dark blackberry fruit, bakers chocolate,
coffee and mixed brown spices. Huge structure with moderately
grippy tannins and some apparent acidity. Needs some
time or at least a good decant to soften the young tannins. Long
finish! $34.95 - ($31.46 with a mixed case discount)
2005
Delille Chaleur Estate Blanc
This is a blend of 79% Sauvignon Blanc and 21% Semillon.
It has a rich, creamy lanolin like texture with flavors
of figs,
pineapple, mixed citrus including lemon and grapefruit,
creme brulee and hints of smoke. It's a big wine but
excellently
balanced. It's really nice, soft in the front but then
the Sauvignon Blanc kicks in with some elevated acidity
to add
some zip. Pricey but worth the experience! $36.95 -
($33.26 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Delille
Doyenne Yakima
Valley Syrah
Extremely concentrated syrah. Killer nose! 3% Viognier
was added and it showcases some white peach, floral
and lavendar
notes that go along with the meaty, dark berry fruit,
black pepper, coffee and strong minerality. Nicely
structured. It is a bit on the hedonistic side but
shows some earth,
game and Herb de Provence complexities. Showy now
but it
has everything in proportion to be really killer
with a few years of age!! $47.95 - ($43.16 with a
mixed
case discount)
2004
Delille D2 Bordeaux Blend
Tightly focused with black cherry, berry, cigar
box and black pepper spices. Red earthy minerals
on the
lengthy
finish.
There is some silky texture but overall this is
fairly structured. One of the better D2's I've
had in years! $39.95 - ($35.96
with a mixed case discount)
2004 Villa
Creek Avenger Paso Robles Red Rhone Blend
65% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache. This
is probably the most jammy of the Villa Creek
offerings this year.
It shows dark blackberry fruit with some framboisey
character along with chocolate, coffee, slight
char,
mild floral
notes
and some chalky minerality. Chewy texture with
some slightly elevated acids that add a fresh,
crisp character
to the
mix. $26.95 - ($24.26 with a mixed case discount)
2004
Villa Creek
High Road James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles
Red Rhone Blend
Tightly allocated. This stuff is always the
bomb. Sourced from Saxums own vineyards. Made
with
45% Mourvedre,
30% Syrah and
25% Grenache. It shows floral aromas with blackberry,
cherry, anise rich herbs du Provence, saddle
leather and white
pepper spice. Firmly structured and amazingly
well balanced. As
Parker notes, this is sourced from some of
the best fruit coming off
of what he describes as "a true Grand Cru site".
Allocated to 3 bottles per person. $43.95 - ($39.56 with
a mixed case discount)
2004 Kenneth-Crawford Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills
Pinot Noir
Another stellar Pinot Noir from these guys! Made from 100%
Clone 115, gently destemmed and whole berry fermented. It is
a tightly focused wine with a ton of forest spice, it shows
some enticing floral aromas of cherries, rose petals, and lavender,
but there is also a darker side, a spicy, mushroom and earth
component along with more dark cherry flavors on the palate
that make the wine seem more serious. This is a serious, structured
wine that needs some bottle age to really show it's stuff.$46.95
- ($42.26 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Kenneth-Crawford Blue Fin Santa Ynez Syrah
These guys have a good story on why they named this Blue Fin,
but I will let you seek out their website if you want to
hear about it. This wine is a premium blend of some of their
best barrels from their best vineyards. It was barreled in
roughly one-third new French oak from Marsannay and Sirugue. The final grape blend was: 50% Larner Syrah, clones
383 and 174, 20% Purisima Mountain Syrah, Estrella clone, 20%
Stolpman Syrah, clone 3 and 10% Lafond Syrah, Estrella clone.
The nose has a core of dark fruits - blueberry, blackberry
and black cherry. There is also the telltale cool climate profile
with black pepper, earth, tobacco leaf and a slate-like mineral
component. At first this wine is sleek and mouthwatering, but
at its core is a rich fleshy texture that is certain to develop
and move more center stage as the wine evolves.
$32.95 - ($29.66 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Kenneth-Crawford Evans Ranch Vineyard Santa Rita Hills
Syrah
Awesome cool climate vineyard. To date, this is the nicest
Syrah I have tasted from this vineyard. That is the good part,
the bad part is the vineyard owner, seeing how good the fruit
is, decided to quit selling it to anyone!! Bummer because I
LOVE this stuff. It's a blend of Estrella and Clone 7. There
is slightly red fruit flavors on this than I remembered from
the last vintage. It shows some rich, dark blackberry fruit
along with red cherry and plum fruits. Followed with some loamy
earth, chocolate, anise, tar, herb and tobacco leaf components.
Pretty complex stuff, it is solidly structured with slightly
elevated acidity. Bottom line is, this stuff is really rare.
From what I understand, I am the only shop in Southern CA that
got any. It sold out through their direct sales with a small
amount released in the Northern CA market. $29.95 - ($26.96
with a mixed case discount)
Finally got some of the Terry
Hoage Vineyard wines!!! Yee
hah!! I've been asking for them since these folks bought the
vineyard from the Winchesters! This is a really awesome, limestone
rich, vineyard that's located on the west side of Paso Robles.
I've had the opportunity to tour the vineyard and it is FULL
of rolling limestone slopes. Justin Smith, from Saxum, has
been their vineyard and winemaking consultant, though they
have taken over most of the duties now. These are some really
LARGE wines! The alcohol is pretty high but the structure is
large and there is plenty of fruit to stand up to the alcohol.
You wouldn't want to serve these too warm however, serve them
at cellar temp and let them find their perfect temp in your
glass!! They poured for a group of us a few months ago up at
Hug Cellars and I was very impressed with both these wines.
These are very full bodied wines but they do show some complexity
on top of their massive fruit.
2004 Terry Hoage Vineyard The Hedge Paso Robles Syrah
Dark, ripe blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, smoke and licorice.
Super intense stuff, very rich, still a bit primary but starting
to show it's stuff. The potential here is obvious, it's just
so HUGE that it can be hard to see on first glance. This
is a wine for the Paso wine lover who loves the powerful
intensity and structure you can get from the region. 280
cases produced. $41.95 - ($37.76 with a mixed case discount)
2004 Terry Hoage Vineyards The 46 Paso Robles Grenache/Syrah
Dark black color, hints of violets with intense jammy flavors
of bright blackberries and framboise with chocolate, toast
and some earthy chalky minerality, highly extracted and fairly
ripe, yet it manages to show some lively acidity to go along
with the lush, smooth, soft tannins. 170 cases produced.
$37.95 - ($34.16 with a mixed case discount)
2003 Coya Oakville Napa Valley Malbec
This is amazing stuff. Extremely dark black in color. It is
full of blackberry, blueberry, smoke, graphite, cocoa, dark
loamy earth, char, tar and asphalt. It has power and grace
at the same time. Great balance, intense, rich flavors. The
tannins are just a bit muscular and the acidity is slightly
elevated, yet there is a sense of elegance and refinement.
This is an awesome wine!! Best American Malbec I have ever
tasted, by a long shot! Production: 300 cases. $38.95 - ($35.06
with a mixed case discount)
2003 Andrew Will Sorella Champoux Vineyard Columbia Valley
Bordeaux Blend
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc and
10% Petit Verdot
For those not familiar with this wine, it comes from a reserve
block of the Champoux Vineyard. This is one of the truly great
vineyards in Washington and this block has always showed |
