Andrew Murray 2012 Santa Ynez Valley Watch Hill Syrah Andrew Murray fell in love with the emerging Rhône varieties, Syrah and Viognier, in the late 1980’s while traveling through France’s Rhône Valley. Leaving his UC Berkeley paleontology studies behind, he pursued his new mistress, Syrah, with an internship in Australia. His three-month tryst evolved into a 15-month romance with the famed Australian Shiraz. Returning to the states, he earned a bachelor’s degree in viticulture and enology from UC Davis’ renowned wine program, then founded his eponymous Santa Ynez winery and vineyard. Deep Ruby, almost inky, with concentrated aromas of dark fruit. The wine explodes with red fruit on the palate. …
-
-
Cade 2007 Napa Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon In 2005, John Conover, Gavin Newsom and Gordon Getty founded CADE Estate Winery on Howell Mountain as a complement to the valley floor terroir of PlumpJack Winery. Like PlumpJack, CADE takes its name from Shakespeare, who used the term to refer to the wine casks or cades used to transport wine from Bordeaux to England in Elizabethan times. Deep red with concentrated aromas of black fruit and subtle spice. The palate is focused on dark fruit, mostly blackberry and black cherry, with a light touch of oak, leather and chocolate. Elegant wine with a lingering finish. Nice! Cheers!
-
Château La Nerthe 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château La Nerthe was born in the 12th Century around the time vines were first planted in the stone-strewn soil of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (literally the “Pope’s new castle”), the place the pontiffs chose for their summer residence when the papel court relocated to Avignon. The historic domains of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château la Nerthe, has always been graced by the attentive care of its successive owners: men of firm conviction, aristocrats, and notable experts on Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Marquis Tulle de Villefranche, Commandant Joseph Ducos and La Famille Richard, have all contributed to the reputation for excellence that La Nerthe has acquired and maintained. Pouring a glass of this ruby…
-
La Cartuja Priorat 2013 La Cartuja is a unique wine produced in the Priorat region, one of the most prestigious appellations in Spain. Priorat is special due to the unmistakable mineral identity that the licorella (volcanic Slate) imparts in its wines. When you taste a Priorat wine, you are not only tasting a grape but also a place. The mineral flavors of the place overpower the natural flavors of the grape. La Cartuja was born in 2007 with the objective of bottling a special wine that is able to capture the mineral identity of this unique territory. A second objective with La Cartuja was to make a Priorat that approachable…
-
Muga 2005 Gran Reserva Prado Enea Since the XVII century, the Muga family has been linked to the wine world and to the area of Rioja. Fast forward to 1932 when Bodega Muga winery was founded and today the winery operates with the same principals it did almost 100 years ago. Muga also has its own cooperage and is able to control the right touch of oak desired in its offerings. Opening a bottle, which I let sit for about an hour, the color was a glistening bright ruby. The nose was clean with plenty of ripe red and black fruit with a touch of spice and herbs. The wine…
-
Grgich Hills Estate 2009 Late Harvest Violetta Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first gained international recognition at the celebrated “Paris Tasting” of 1976. Then, in a now-historic blind tasting, a panel of eminent French judges swirled, sniffed, and sipped an array of the fabled white Burgundies of France and a small sampling of upstart Chardonnays from the Napa Valley. When their scores were tallied, the French judges were shocked: they had chosen the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, crafted by Mike Grgich, as the finest white wine in the world. Mon Dieu! The results stunned the international wine establishment and immediately earned Mike a reputation as one of the greatest winemakers in the…
-
Andrew Will 2008 Champoux Red Andrew Will began in 1989 with a simple building (10×60), that is still standing today, where they made their first five vintages for a total of 2000 cases. They loaded 2 trucks (that’s all they had) and moved to Vashon in 1994 and within an hour became ready for the 1994 harvest. They harvest fruit from several areas, this wine was from Champoux vineyards, one of the first two vineyards used by Andrew Will. Opening a bottle of the 2008 Champoux, which is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, I notice deep ruby color with a bouquet of aromatic…
-
Shafer 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select Shafer’s signature wine, Hillside Select, is sourced from the slopes of an amphitheater-like structure of thin soil and rock, where a series of knolls and outcroppings some vineyard blocks receive southeastern sunlight, while others receive southern or western exposures. Each afternoon cool breezes from San Francisco Bay (located about 18 miles to the south) channel into the box canyon. The consistent see-saw of daytime heat and evening chill retains acidity within deeply ripened fruit, resulting in a wine of exquisite balance. On this remote site, Cabernet Sauvignon vines prod their roots through thin volcanic soil before meeting weathered bedrock below. With the hillside’s quick…
-
Muga 2009 Reserva Unfiltered Since the XVII century, the Muga family has been linked to the wine world and to the area of Rioja. Fast forward to 1932 when Bodega Muga Winery was founded and today the winery operates with the same principals it did almost 100 years ago. Muga also has its own cooperage and is able to control the right touch of oak desired in its offerings. Opening a bottle, which I let sit for about an hour, the color was a glistening deep ruby. The nose was clean with plenty of ripe red and black fruit with a touch of spice. The wine is made from 70%…
-
Fratelli Alessandria 2005 Barolo Monvigliero Fratelli Alessandria produces wines only from their own grapes and continues to manage the winery as a family run operation. Fratelli Alessandria is owned by Gian Battista together with his wife Flavia, his brother Alessandro and his son Vittore. Together they proudly carry on their ancestors’ tradition and passion for wine making. Gian Battista’s belief is that “A great wine comes from a great vineyard”, and he personally takes care of the vineyards. Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero has been aged for at least two years in oak and six months in the bottle before release. The Nebbiolo grapes used in this vintage comes from vines…