Taittinger Nocturne Champagne When Pierre Taittinger first discovered the Champagne region, he was a young liaison officer during the first World War. It was thanks to his passion for wine and gastronomy that he returned several years later and, with his brother-in-law, invested all his energy into the development of a burgeoning champagne business. Since 1932 Champagne Taittinger has grown and taken its place among the great Champagne houses, commanding a bold innovative style particularly influenced by Chardonnay. Having bought back the family business in 2006, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger has surrounded himself with a team that is both young and bound together by a spirit of attainment and permanence. His daughter…
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Matanzas Creek Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Naturally defined by the three mountain peaks that envelop it, Bennett Valley existed for many years in quiet obscurity – bountifully sustaining an agricultural community that had all but forgotten the valley’s pre-prohibition vinicultural roots. It wasn’t until 1977 with the founding of Matanzas Creek Winery that the area’s winemaking potential was once again unearthed. But Matanzas Creek didn’t just breathe new life into the area, it helped revolutionize the entire industry and, in the process, put Bennett Valley back on the map. And now, over thirty years after the release of its first vintage, Matanzas Creek stands at the forefront of California viticulture.…
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J. Davies 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District The Davies family, proprietors of Schramsberg Vineyards in Napa Valley, produces still wines from the historic Diamond Mountain vineyards purchased in 1965 and replanted to Bordeaux varietals beginning in 1994. The wine is named in honor of patriarch Jack L. Davies, who along with his wife, Jamie, revived the Schramsberg property and established the preeminent American sparkling wine house more than four decades ago. A creation of the next generation of the Davies family, the J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon is the product of an intimate knowledge of a place and a passion to create a delicious red wine. Opening a bottle of…
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Bastion De L’Oratoire Chanson Viré-Clessé 2014 Roots that stretch over several centuries, the history of Chanson is closely tied to the history of France. It perfectly reflects the evolution of the country through 260 years of existence. Every man and women who proudly bared the colors of Chanson over the centuries shared and still share a profound respect for the earth, the vine and the wine, and going on today. Gilles de Courcel and Jean-Pierre Confuron, pure Burgundians, took over from the Chanson family in 1999. Both are ardent supporters of an integrated viticulture, deeply respectful of the terroirs. The respect of vine, combined with precise and meticulous vinifications, aim…
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Patz & Hall 2013 Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir Patz & Hall was founded in 1988 by four individuals; Donald Patz, James Hall, Anne Moses and Heather Patz. Together, they have turned Patz & Hall into one of California’s premier wineries, with a renowned portfolio of single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. The seeds for Patz & Hall were planted in the 1980s when assistant winemaker James Hall and national sales manager Donald Patz struck up a close friendship while working together at Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards. The two discovered a mutual enthusiasm for a rich and compelling style of wine made by applying traditional winemaking techniques to fruit from…
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Batzella Bolgheri Tam 2009 Located in Bolgheri, on central coast Tuscany, the Batzella Winery Estate was founded in 2000 by Khanh Nguyen and Franco Batzella. The commitment of this husband-wife team is to make elegant and genuine wines, with a personality that expresses the best of their terroir. The Bolgheri area is enchanting, surrounded by soft rolling hills and by the Tyrrhenian sea. Its soils and micro climate are perfect for the Cabernet varietals, by now considered local to Bolgheri, to reach full maturation, resulting in wines that can be distinctively elegant. In this land, the Batzellas are pursuing their passion: to find that elusive harmony between elegance and power…
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Jordan Chardonnay 2013 In 1972, Tom and Sally Jordan, a young couple from Colorado who shared a passion for French food and wine, followed their hearts to California’s wine country. When the two married in 1959, they dreamed of being vintners together. They drank virtually only French wines, enjoyed French food that Sally diligently learned to cook, and traveled throughout France, wining and dining their way through every region. In the 1950s there weren’t any restaurants of note in their home town of Denver, so the Jordans either traveled abroad or entertained at home for culinary experiences. The two knew a winery would one day be in their future, but…
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Matanzas Creek Winery 2014 Sonoma Chardonnay Naturally defined by the three mountain peaks that envelop it, Bennett Valley existed for many years in quiet obscurity – bountifully sustaining an agricultural community that had all but forgotten the valley’s pre-prohibition vinicultural roots. It wasn’t until 1977 with the founding of Matanzas Creek Winery that the area’s winemaking potential was once again unearthed. But Matanzas Creek didn’t just breathe new life into the area, it helped revolutionize the entire industry and, in the process, put Bennett Valley back on the map. And now, over thirty years after the release of its first vintage, Matanzas Creek stands at the forefront of California viticulture.…
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Beringer 2010 Knights Valley Reserve Caberinet Sauvignon Beringer Vineyards roots date back about 140 years ago when Jacob Beringer sailed from his home in Mainz Germany to New York. After arriving in the “new world”, Jacob heard that the rocky hillside soil and fertile valley floor of Napa Valley resembled that of the vineyards back home in Germany. Jacob, and his brother Frederick, headed for Napa and purchased 215 acres of land in 1875, becoming one of the first wineries in Napa. A lot of time has passed and Beringer has perfected its craft of making fine wines, balancing time-tested traditions with modern technology, resulting in a portfolio of admired…
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Two Hands 2013 Bella’s Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz This is the final installment from the private wine tasting where one of the Founders of Two Hands Wines, Michael Twelftree opened four of his wines and provided some in depth commentary on his wines and his winery. I already reviewed three of his wines and today I will talk about Bella’s Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz. Michael was generous enough to have his picture taken with me, see below. Michael is the “good looking one” on the left! Michael thank you for spending time and sharing your vast knowledge of wine! As I previously commented, Two Hands Wines was founded in early…