Goldwater 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Goldwater Estate, Marlborough New Zealand, was established in 1978 by Kim and Jeanette Goldwater when they pioneered wine growing on Waiheke Island. Using traditional winemaking techniques together with modern technology and the finest French oak, the Goldwater’s produced handcrafted wines with vibrant fruit characters, harmonious balance, elegant structure and exceptional concentration. Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc is selected from vineyards in the Wairau Valley. These vineyards produced fruit with the vibrant flavors that epitomize top quality Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Careful canopy and yield management, including leaf plucking and shoot thinning, further enhanced the fruit quality. The fruit was processed in the Marlborough winery. It was cool fermented in…
-
-
Groth 2012 Napa Sauvignon Blanc In 1981, Dennis and Judy Groth purchased 121 acre parcel in Napa known as the Oakville Vineyards, in the heart of the Oakville Appellation. In fact at that time some of their grapes found their way to Silver Oak and other notable Napa wineries. Between 1999 and 2003, almost 50% of their vineyard was replanted and in 2006 they rebuilt the barrel cellars, crush and fermentation areas. The Groth 2012 Sauvignon Blanc was produced from grapes grown in various microclimates of the Napa Valley, 97% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Semillon. The warmer Napa Valley microclimates produces grapes that result in wines with a lush, full…
-
Marco Felluga 2010 Molamatta Collio Bianco More than a century has gone by since the first Felluga’s history (Marco’s Great-grandfather) started making wine. Isola d’Istria, on the coast, was the production point of origin of Malvasia and Refosco. The Great War had just finished and it was a happy destiny that made the family set foot in Grado, on the other side of the Gulf, and then in Friuli. Only a handful of kilometres, but the scenery changed radically. It was here that Giovanni’s second to last son, Marco, as his grandfather before him, discovered, fell in love with and chose to live in that area called Collio which has…
-
Vietti 2010 Nebbiolo Perbacco I recently reviewed Vietti 2011 Barbera D’Alba Tre Vigne and talked about the history and roots of the Vietti Winery dating back to the 19th Century and how Mario Vietti, in 1919, made the first Vietti wines, see my July 1, 2014 review. I was very impressed with the Barbara, I decided to delve deeper into Vietti’s wine offerings. Also in the July 1, 2014 review, I described how the winemakers, in 1970, began to update their wine labels through their friendship and support of local artists and continues today. Opening a bottle of the 2010 Perbacco, which is 100% Nebbiolo grapes, that come from eight…
-
Grgich Hills Estate 2010 Napa Chardonnay 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 world.…
-
Marqués de Murrieta 2007 Rioja Reserva I recently reviewed Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta’s Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2005, see my June 27, 2014 Cellar Selection review, which is their outstanding flagship wine made only in exceptional years. Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta was founded by Luciano Francisco Ramon de Murrieta in 1852. He spent his youth in Peru and then moved to London. In 1844, Luciano settled in Spain and decided to make wine. In 1878, he purchased the 300-hectares Ygay Estate in the Rioja Alta. Queen Isabel II made him Marquesado de Murrieta; and so the estate of Marqués de Murrieta was born. In 1983, Bodegas Marqués de…
-
Patz & Hall 2012 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay I recently reviewed Patz & Hall 2011 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, see July 22, 2014. I thought the wine was impressive, but in 2012 the growing season was longer and cooler allowing the winemaker to pick the fruit at the peak of ripeness. As luck turned out I was eating dinner at Delmar restaurant in Chatham, MA, on Cape Cod, and their wine list had Patz & Hall’s Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, but listed the 2011 vintage. I asked the bartender Tim to root around and see if they might have the 2012 vintage. Eureka, Tim came back with a 2012 Dutton Ranch. Founded by…
-
Stags’ Leap Winery 2012 Napa Chardonnay Stags’ Leap Winery, (note the placement of the apostrophe), produces the Chardonnay I will review today. The use of “Stags Leap” may be confusing. Another nearby winery named, “Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars” produces excellent wines as well, also note the placement of that apostrophe. Lastly, there is the Stags Leap District, which is the name of the appellation where the two aforementioned wineries are located. The Stags Leap District (no apostrophe) is renowned for producing outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, is located between the Napa River and the Stags Leap Palisades. One of California’s earliest wine estates, a unique terroir and ideal microclimate support…
-
Pio Cesare 2009 Barolo The Pio Cesare Winery was founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio. He was one of the very first wine producers to believe in the great potential and quality of Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and in the other great wines of Piemonte. Cesare Pio in the second half of the 1800s, was among the very first winemakers to produce these wines with a philosophy that was dedicated to the terroir and the strictest quality of the wine. For five generations, the Pio Cesare family has been producing traditional Piemontese wines in its ancient cellars, located in the center of the town of Alba. The cellars walls date back…
-
Byron 2011 Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley In 1984 Ken Brown founded Byron, with a plan to produce spectacular Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County. The good news at that time was that Chardonnay produced on Santa Barbara had established a solid reputation for its tropical, buttery offerings. The Santa Maria Bench – Byron’s home – is less than 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean allowing for cool ocean air to sweep through. Note: Bench is a geographical term meaning the shoulder of a mountain. It’s that part of the hillside where the steep incline begins its rise, and in Byron’s case, roughly 500 – 800 feet above sea…