Clos Du Val 2011 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Clos Du Val, French for “small vineyard estate of a small valley,” was founded in 1972 in the now legendary Stags Leap District of Napa Valley by Franco-American entrepreneur John Goelet. After a worldwide search to purchase vineyard properties from which to craft world-class wines, 150 acres in Stags Leap and 180 acres in Carneros were chosen, solidifying Clos Du Val’s iconic stature and formidable place in Napa Valley history. Today, Winemaker Kristy Melton, handcrafts wines to reflect the classic style, finesse and grace Clos Du Val is known for. The Three Graces, Splendor, Mirth and Joy have adorned Clos Du Val’s labels…
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Emeritus 2009 Don’s Block Russian River Valley Pinot Noir I’m back again this week with another truly outstanding, limited release wine, from Emeritus. In 1999 Emeritus was born when Brice Cutrer Jones closed on the purchase of Don and Marcia Hallberg’s prime apple orchard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. The 115–acre parcel, the Hallberg Ranch, is located two miles north of Sebastopol, on both sides of the Gravenstein Highway and directly on the Gold Ridge, the ten-mile long ridge that bears the name of the predominate soils of the area. The wine I am commenting on today was made in honor of Emeritus’ first winemaker Don…
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Emeritus 2009 William Wesley Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir In 1999 Emeritus was born when Brice Cutrer Jones closed on the purchase of Don and Marcia Hallberg’s prime apple orchard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. The 115–acre parcel, the Hallberg Ranch, is located two miles north of Sebastopol, on both sides of the Gravenstein Highway and directly on the Gold Ridge, the ten-mile long ridge that bears the name of the predominate soils of the area. Emeritus Vineyards also owns two small parcels in the true Sonoma coast near Annapolis at an elevation of 900 feet. Named the William Wesley Vineyard, this site offers a different flavor…
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The Calling 2012 Russian River Valley Chardonnay When Jim Nantz and Peter Deutsch met, they discovered they had both found success by pursuing a calling in life. For Jim, that calling was to unlock the voice within, eventually calling the greatest sporting events of his generation. For Peter, it was transforming a small family business into one of the most prestigious wine companies in the world. Inspired by their mentor fathers and guided by their common values, the two found a new calling: a partnership to produce hand-crafted wines that bear the standard of excellence and style that are the hallmarks of these two men. The Calling. The 2012 vintage…
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Feudo Maccari Saia 2011 Nero D’Avola Antonio Moretti, owner of Tenuta Sette Ponti and Poggio al Lupo in Tuscany, along with his daughter, Monika, established Feudo Maccari in 2000. This 250-acre estate was assembled from numerous owners and more than 50 separate plots on the southerly hillsides near the town of Noto, Sicily. Vines existed in some parcels, and others were planted to the native Nero d’Avola and other selected red grape varieties. The wine is a brilliant deep ruby color with aromas of complex red and blue fruits. The palate shows plenty of fruit, raspberries and blueberries, a hint of dark plum with a touch of exotic spice made…
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Ferrari-Carano 2012 Siena The Ferrari-Carano Winery was founded in 1981 by Don and Rhonda Carano and is located in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. If you enjoy pairing food with wine, be sure to visit the Ferrari-Carano website where Rhonda has a number of recipes. So if you are adventurous and have a passion for good food and wine, then try some of her recipes. I opened the 2012 Siena, which is a blend of Sangiovese, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep Ruby color with aromas of red and black fruits and spicy notes. The palate shows the fruit well as berries and cherries take over with almost a jammy…
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Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2010 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is considered by many one of the “first growths” of Napa and produces celebrated collectible wines from the historic Stags Leap District. The winery was founded in 1970 at the time Napa Valley was undergoing a rebirth after the lingering effects of prohibition. During the mid-60’s there were less than 20 wineries at the time this new enthusiasm was entering Napa Valley. The distinguishing event that put Napa on the map was the famous 1976 Paris Tasting “Judgment of Paris” (click on for Wikipedia link) when their 1973 Cabernet S.L.V won the event. At this point I would…
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Shafer 2009 Napa Merlot Shafer Vineyards traces its beginnings to 1972 when John Shafer left a 23-year career in the publishing industry and, with his family, moved to the Napa Valley to pursue a second career in wine. After purchasing a 210-acre estate in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District, the Shafer family faced the arduous task of replanting the existing vineyards, which dated to the 1920s, and terracing the steep and rocky hillsides, eventually expanding vineyard acreage to its current 50 acres. From a modest beginning of 1,000 cases in 1978, the winery has grown steadily until reaching its present size of 32,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and…
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Sonoma Cutrer Russian River 2012 Pinot Noir Pinot Noir is a demanding grape and only grows well in the right conditions, climate, soil and proper care, perhaps that is why the grape is favored by most. Pinot Noir, the Nobel grape from Burgundy, comes from a region in France known for crafting coveted wines made from this grape varietal. In addition, the Champagne region in France, uses Pinot Noir, which is the main grape used in crafting their sparkling wines. There are other areas that Pinot Noir has been grown successfully, such as Oregon, New Zealand and of course California. In fact Oregon makes some outstanding Pinot Noir’s and I…
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Pascal Doquet Blanc de Blancs Champagne Completely independent since 2004, this vineyard, consists of 8.66 hectares, the winery continually searches for healthier and more environmentally friendly farming methods of the terroir and the consumer without constraint. Since 2004, the brand sells under the name Pascal Doquet Mesnil Grand Cru and developed a vineyard that evolved to an organic viticulture. This is another Champagne with the words “Récoltant Manipulant” or “RM” on the bottle label, again meaning that the grapes are grown on the Estate, the Champagne is produced at the Estate and the Champagne is bottled at the Estate. The grower has full control over the quality of the wine…