Two Hands 2013 Gnarly Dudes Shiraz In the last posting I mentioned that I recently went to a 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 two of his wines and today I will talk about Gnarly Dudes. In a few days I comment on his last I wine tasted. Two Hands Wines was founded in early 1999 by Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz. Michael’s hand, on the logo, is the one on the left. From the outset, Two Hands set out to be…
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I recently went to a private wine tasting where one of the Founders of Two Hands Wines, Michael Twelftree (pictured above) opened four of his wines and provided some in depth commentary on those wines and his winery. I will review two of his wines today and the other two I will make some comments my next two reviews, in a few days, keep a look out! Two Hands 2014 Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon The idea for Two Hands was born in September 1999 when founders Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz sat at a friend’s engagement party and decided it was time to make their own wine and market it on…
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Penner-Ash 2012 Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir Penner-Ash Wine Cellars embodies the spirit and passion of a small producer focusing on Pinot Noir in the northern Willamette Valley, Oregon. After working for some of Napa’s premier wineries and Rex Hill Vineyards in Oregon, winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash and her husband, Ron, started Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in 1998. In the winery, the focus is on small-lot indigenous yeast fermentation with extended cold soaks to extract a rich, fruit-focused, textured mouth feel. Each lot is treated individually and depending on the outcome, either blended into their reserve quality Willamette Valley Pinot Noir or bottled separately as a vineyard designate. The Penner-Ash Winery was completed in…
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Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2013 The Wente Vineyards story began in 1883, when German immigrant, C.H. Wente made the voyage to America with the dream of creating a better life. After studying winemaking under Charles Krug in Napa Valley, he immediately knew he had discovered a passion and focus amongst the vineyards. He soon met and married Barbara Trautwein, and they moved to the Livermore Valley to pursue his new career. Unlike others of the time who started wine businesses as a hobby, C.H. Wente made his pursuit a lifelong commitment. His original 47 acres quickly grew to 200 acres before the constraints of Prohibition hit. To his seven…
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Faust 2013 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Interesting to learn that Faust, the wine, celebrates a legend which has inspired many great minds, among them the German poet Goethe, from whose masterpiece they draw inspiration. In Goethe’s most famous work, the aging scholar Dr. Faust barters his soul in the afterlife in exchange for another chance at youth. He gets his chance, yet ultimately his soul is saved by love. Faust is indeed the fruit of renewed passion for Agustin Huneeus, though Mephistopheles has not yet appeared to claim his soul. The underlying premise for all of the wines he has ever produced has been that great wines must be a reflection…
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Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir 2012 In 1977 David Graves and Richard Ward, both UC Davis graduate students met in brewing class. In addition to sharing a passion for brew, they also had a passion for Burgundies. In 1978 they began working the Napa harvest at Chappellet and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. In 1981 David and Dick founded Saintsbury and began focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The winery’s namesake honors George Saintsbury (1845-1933), literary historian and oenophile. Vivid ruby red, with a bouquet of dark red fruit and spicy aromas. On the palate ripe fruit flavors of cherries, plum and dried red berries, slight earthy and mineral taste. Aged for…
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Solar De Castro Vendimia Seleccionada 2009 The winery’s oldest reference dates back to 1888, year in which Vicente Domeco de Jarauta presented a wine in Barcelona’s world-wide exhibition and won an award. In 1995 José Vicente Domeco de Jarauta built a modern winery where he begins to make commercial wines, and later in 2005, he created Winery Domeco de Jarauta on the occasion of the incorporation. his son Jose Vicente Domeco de Jarauta, who after studying enology in San Sadurni D’Anoia (Penedés) joined the family business creating a winery where its primary target was combining tradition, quality and innovation. A blend of 80% Tempranillo 20% Garnacha with 12 months of…
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Terrabianca 2007 Campaccio Toscana Red In the medieval times, Podere Terrabianca found itself in the ambiguous situation of being situated in the part of the countryside under the rule of Florence and, at the same time, also in the diocese of the Bishop of Siena. The very first documents mentioning its presence, dated 1085, describe it as being a country estate as, in fact, its name clearly implies. Today the winery Terrabianca is located at the heart of the Chianti Classico region, in the middle of Tuscany, 12 km from Siena and 50 km from Florence. The soil which consists of layers of chalk, sand and clay from the palaeozoic…
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Cakebread Cellars 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cakebread Cellars was founded, in 1973, by Jack and Dolores Cakebread and they have an enduring commitment to quality, their belief is that life’s occasions are elevated by good people, good food, and good wine flows through everything they do. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is a blend of Grapes: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. In 2013, Cakebread Cellars celebrated their 40th wine harvest, and the second generation of winemaking. Today, the winery owns 13 sites totaling 982 acres, 460 of which are currently planted. The Cakebread Website is full of interesting information and loaded…
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Solaria Patrizia Cencioni Brunello di Montalcino 2003 The Azienda Agricola Patrizia Cencioni is a family owned and run winery that is located on the southeast slope of the Montalcino hillside. The property is almost 50 HA of which 8ha are vined growing DOCG Brunello. The vines were planted in 1989, the year Solaria was founded; though its origins go back to the family estate created in the 1950’s by Giuseppe Cencioni, one of the founders of the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino. With Solaria, the estate has vastly improved thanks to the considerable family experience and the entrepreneurial ability of the owner Patrizia Cencioni who adds a feminine touch! A…