Joseph Phelps Vineyards 2016 Insignia; 2013 Insignia; 2006 Insignia I recently wrote about Joseph Phelps Vineyards having its roots dating back to 1973, and reviewed some of their wines I tasted on my Napa trip. While many of the early Joseph Phelps wines were made with grapes from the Home Ranch in St. Helena, Joe also sourced fruit from outside growers. But as the winery continued to grow and he traded earlier efforts in Riesling and Chardonnay for Cabernet, Merlot and other red Bordeaux varieties, he began acquiring vineyard land in the Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, and Oak Knoll District AVAs. These vineyards became important sources of Insignia and…
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Occidental Freestone-Occidental Pinot Noir 2017 Steve Kistler, founder and winemaker of Kistler Vineyards for 37 years, has established a new pinot noir brand “Occidental” which is owned and operated by the Kistler family. Occidental built a state-of-the-art winery on a ridge top next to the Bodega Headlands Vineyard overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and was completed in August of 2013 just in time for the harvest. Occidental makes very small quantities of Pinot Noirs, from select vineyard sites and are allocated to their Mailing List members. If you want to grab a few of these gems, click this Mailing List Link to join! Medium Ruby color with rich sweet red fruit…
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Chateau Phélan Ségur Saint-Estèphe 2016 In 1805, Daniel Phelan, an Irish wine broker, acquired le Clos de Garamey, located in Saint-Estephe. The acquisition was followed in 1810 by the purchase of the Segur de Cabanac estate, creating a magnificent wine-producing domain that remains practically unchanged today. Bernard Phelan, upon his death in 1841, left this vast estate, known as Chateau Segur de Garamey, to his son Frank. Frank devoted his life to promoting the renown and improving the quality of the wines produced on his property, and at one point became the mayor of Saint-Estephe, holding the post for thirty years. Since 1985, Xavier Gardinier has been running the vineyard…
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Shafer Vineyards 2015 Napa Valley Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Continuing on with my Shafer Vineyards visit, see my November 6, 2019 & December 20, 2019 reviews of 4 of their outstanding wines together with some of its history. Keep checking back with SippingFineWine.com as I recently made a trip to Napa during 2019 harvest, visited several wineries, tasted some great wines, and met some outstanding individuals. I’ll continue to report on my discoveries. Today I’ll discuss Shafer’s signature wine, Hillside Select, sourced from the slopes of an amphitheater-like structure of thin soil and rock, where thanks to a series of knolls and outcroppings some vineyard blocks receive southeastern sunlight, while…
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Shafer Vineyards 2017 Napa Valley TD-9 2016 Napa Stags Leap District One Point Five Continuing on with my Shafer Vineyards visit, see my November 6, 2019 review of their 2017 Napa Carneros Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay and 2016 Napa Relentless together with some of its history. Keep checking back with SippingFineWine.com as I recently made a trip to Napa during 2019 harvest, visited several wineries, tasted some great wines, and met some outstanding individuals. I’ll continue to report on my discoveries. Shafer Vineyards also has a “Mailing List” you can join in order to purchase their wines and also get on the waiting list on…
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Caymus Vineyards 2017 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Special Selection Napa Cabernet Continuing on with my Caymus Vineyards visit, see my November 8, 2019 review of their 2017 Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay, 2017 Mer Soleil Reserve Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir and 2017 Emmolo Napa Merlot together with some of its history. The Wagners produced their first vintage in 1972, consisting of 240 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. Since then, Caymus has focused their efforts in the production of quality Cabernet Sauvignon. Current production is about 65,000 cases. Caymus Vineyards has a “Wine Shop” offering their exceptional wines directly from the winery. I recommend…
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Elyse Winery 2016 GlenLyon Vineyard Sonoma County Syrah; 2014 York Creek Vineyard Napa Petite Sirah Continuing on with my Elyse Winery visit, see my November 1, 2019 review of their 2018 California Rose & 2015 Sonoma County Chardonnay and November 15, 2019 review of their 2014 Korte Ranch Vineyard Napa Zinfandel, 2014 Morisoli Vineyard Napa Zinfandel &2014 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Zinfandel together with some of its history. After thirty years of stewardship, Ray and Nancy decided that it was time to retire. What began as a casual conversation over dinner evolved into the next chapter for Elyse Winery. In October 2018, Ray and Nancy Coursen sold Elyse Winery…
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Spring Mountain Vineyard 2008 Elivette 2005 Elivette Continuing on with my Spring Mountain Vineyard visit, see my November 12, 2019 review of their 2006 & 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and its history. Spring Mountain Vineyard is an 845-acre estate on the eastern slopes of Spring Mountain in Napa Valley. Only 225 acres of the estate are planted to vine, representing 135 discrete hillside vineyard blocks with many soil types, exposures, and microclimates. A substantial portion of the vineyard is planted in densities of over 4,000 vines per acre and trained…
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Joseph Phelps Vineyards 2016 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Pastorale Vineyard I recently wrote about Joseph Phelps Vineyards having its roots dating back to 1973, see October 25, 2019 review of Joseph Phelps 2016 Napa Sauvignon Blanc & 2016 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay Pastorale Vineyard. While many of the early Joseph Phelps wines were made with grapes from the Home Ranch in St. Helena, Joe also sourced fruit from outside growers. But as the winery continued to grow and he traded earlier efforts in Riesling and Chardonnay for Cabernet, Merlot and other red Bordeaux varieties, he began acquiring vineyard land in the Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, and…
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Silver Oak Cellars 2012 & 2015 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon I recently wrote about Silver Oak Cellars having its roots dating back to 1972, see October 18, 2019 review of Silver Oak 2014 Napa Cabernet. Over time, Silver Oak continued to acquire vineyard land, including the Red Tail and Miraval Vineyards in Alexander Valley and the Soda Canyon Ranch and Jump Rock in Napa Valley. The winery also developed close relationships with longtime growers in both appellations. The result is that both the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon are blends, made from grapes grown in both wineries’ estate vineyards as well as…