Merry Edwards 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir One of California’s first woman winemakers, Merry Edwards began her career at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1974. She went on to become the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek in 1977 and remained there until 1984. In 1997, family and friends joined Merry to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus on producing Pinot Noirs with a sense of place from Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Living her dream, she and her husband, Ken Coopersmith, now manage five estate vineyards: Coopersmith, Cresta d’Oro, Flax, Georganne and Meredith. They maintain collaborative relationships with several other dedicated growers to supplement…
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Marchesi De’ Frescobaldi 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Castelgiocondo The history of the Frescobaldi family begins around the year 1000, during the same time period as the birth of the banking industry of Medieval Florence. The Frescobaldi’s quickly became the absolute protagonists of political and economic life earning them the right to the title “Treasurers to the English Crown”. The family’s start in wine production is documented at the beginning of the year 1300 at the historic estate of Tenuta di Castiglioni in Val di Pesa, southwest of Florence. From the beginning, the family has demanded that their wines be of quality and that they reflect the uniqueness of their…
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Martinez Lacuesta 2005 Reserva Félix Martínez Lacuesta, obtained a law doctorate from the University of Madrid, founded the bodega in 1895, at 21 years of age, together with his brothers. He was the first president of the National Society of Winemakers and Associated Industries and he directed the La Rioja Wine Syndicate. In 1909 Don Félix Martínez Lacuesta was granted a registered trademark “Martínez Lacuesta” for all types of wine, one of the oldest trademarks in Spain. Fast forward to 2009 where the company’s director Don Luis Martínez Lacuesta completed a new bodega in Haro, on a piece of land called Ubieta, that has been in operation since 2010. Opening…
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Cakebread Cellars 2012 Two Creeks Pinot Noir Recently I commented on Cakebread’s Chardonnay, a real gem, so I wanted to dive farther into their wine offerings. 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. In 2013, Cakebread Cellars celebrated their 40th harvest, and the second generation of winemaking, however in 1994, Cakebread made their first Pinot Noir, and in 1995, the family purchased a 60-acre former apple orchard in Anderson Valley near Boonville and began developing this vineyard…
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Rombauer 2009 Carneros Merlot I recently commented on the Rombauer 2012 Carneros Chardonnay, see Sept. 30, 2014 review, and indicated that Koerner Rombauer was born and raised in Southern California, later became a commercial pilot with Braniff until the airline ceased operations in 1972, moved his family, two horses, and five dogs from Dallas to the Napa Valley, where they purchased 40 acres of hilltop land on the Silverado Trail, near St. Helana. What was interesting was that the Rombauer’s had no intention of starting a winery. They did, however, have a great appreciation for the role of wine in the fine dining experience. Koerner’s great aunt Irma Rombauer was…
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Matanzas Creek Winery 2010 Merlot Sonoma 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 viticultural 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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Ramón Bilbao 2005 Gran Reserva Bodegas Ramón Bilbao was founded by Ramón Bilbao Murga, an experienced wine trader who had been selling wine since 1896 from premises at Calle Las Cuevas in Haro. Ramón Bilbao was a forward-looking grape grower; a pioneer in the art of ageing. The winery was handed down from one generation to the next until the year 1966, when Ramón Bilbao Pozo, the last of the descendants, died. The business was converted into a corporation with new shareholders. New facilities were built, also in Haro. The new company wished to continue the work of its founder, Ramón Bilbao, and concentrated on making aged wines. The family…
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Roederer Estate Sparkling Anderson Valley Brut N.V. Roederer Estate is the first California sparkling wine to be produced by Champagne Louis Roederer, further building upon a 200-year tradition of fine wine making from this family owned company. Roederer’s unique winemaking style is based on two elements: complete ownership of its vineyards and the addition of oak-aged reserve wines to each year’s blend or cuvée. The Roederer Estate is located 125 miles north of San Francisco near the Mendocino Coast, and since 1982 began developing its own vineyards and crafting wines. The Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut made its debut in October 1988. Anderson Valley offers a climate of warm days…
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Girard 2012 Chardonnay Russian River Thirty years after first planting its vineyards, Girard continues to produce wines reflecting the quality that has made Napa Valley the most famous New World wine-growing region in the world. Today, Girard is experiencing a rebirth of sorts as longtime California vintner Pat Roney purchased the winery shortly after the new millennium. Roney’s career in wine began as a sommelier at Chicago’s renowned Pump Room, where he worked during and after college. Later he returned to his native California and eventually he took up the reins of two wineries: first as president of Chateau St. Jean, and later as president of Kunde, both in Sonoma…
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La Rioja Alta S.A. 2001 Gran Reserva 904 On the 10th of July 1890, five Basque and Rioja families shared their passion for wine and founded “Sociedad Vinicola De La Rioja Alta” in what is known as the Haro Station District. La Rioja Alta, S.A. That day was the start of an ongoing searching for excellence that their descendants still pursue today. The company changed its name to “LA RIOJA ALTA” in 1891, and in 1941 the company took on its present name, LA RIOJA ALTA, S.A. A year later, chairman of the board, Leandro Ardanza Angulo, the renowned brand name, “Viña Ardanza”, was registered. To give you a little…