Vignalta 2009 Arqua Colli Euganei Rosso We decided to have dinner at my absolute favorite restaurant again, Pasta Nostra, located in historic South Norwalk, CT (or “SoNo” as it is referred to). Owned and operated by Chef Joe Bruno, Pasta Nostra, located in a cozy storefront, offers a variety of pasta, fish and meat dishes, hand crafted with the highest quality of ingredients. As I have commented previously, Pasta Nostra has an exceptionally fine wine list at very reasonable restaurant prices. This time we decided to try Vignalta’s Arqua 2009 Colli Euganei Rosso. Vignalta was founded by Lucio Gomiero in 1980 who proclaimed that he could produce wines as good…
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Flora Springs 2010 Trilogy Napa Today I am going to discuss Flora Springs 2010 Trilogy, which is their Signature red wine. Over 30 years have passed since Jerry and Flora Komes first stepped foot on to the historic Flora Springs estate in search of a place to “kick off their boots.” It’s hard to imagine now, but the majestic stone cellar of Flora Springs was once an abandoned “ghost” winery. It was Flora who saw the magic hidden behind decades of neglect, over-grown ivy, and shifting rock walls. The property’s winemaking roots date back to the 19th century, but it’s been the work of Jerry and Flora’s children, John Komes and…
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Merry Edwards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Warm weather is finally arriving so it’s time to pop open a Sauvignon Blanc, but not just any Sauvignon Blanc, let’s kick off the summer with one of the best. 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. For the next decade, Merry consulted for numerous wineries, large and small, in Oregon and many diverse appellations of California. In 1997, family and friends joined Merry to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus…
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Ridge 2011 Sonoma Three Valleys Ridge Vineyards history begins in 1885 when Osea Perrone, a prominent Italian doctor in San Francisco, purchased 180 acres of land near the top of Monte Bello ridge. Perrone terraced the slopes, planted vineyards and constructed the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage in 1982. In the 1940’s, William Short purchased the abandoned winery and vineyards just below Perrone’s property and planted new vines. From there a number of partnerships were formed with the surrounding vineyards, mostly by individuals with Stanford Research Institute credentials, up until 1986 when the Japanese pharmaceutical company Otsuka became the owners. The Ridge team is still more like a…
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Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2011 Pinot Noir Hamilton Russell Vineyards is one of the most southerly wine estates in Africa and one of the closest to the sea and is located in the beautiful, cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellation, just behind the old fishing village of Hermanus. The estate specializes in producing highly individual, terroir-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Founder, Tim Hamilton Russell purchased the undeveloped 170 hectare property in 1975. His son, Anthony, purchasing property in 1994, focused their efforts on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay only and registered Hamilton Russell Vineyards as an estate, committing to work only with grapes from their terroir. Extensive soil research initiated in 1994 identified…
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Sonoma-Cutrer 2012 Russian River Ranches Chardonnay Recently I commented on Sonoma-Cutrer 2010 Russian River Pinot Noir (see March 7, 2014 post) and described that I first became acquainted with Sonoma-Cutrer during a Sonoma wine tasting event in the 80’s and met Brice Cutrer Jones. When I tasted his Chardonnay, in a word, outstanding, one of the best I have tasted, but that was a while ago. The Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay was my “go-to” Chardonnay until about the time Brice Cutrer Jones was no longer associated with the winery. In 1999, Brown-Forman, the Kentucky-based drinks giant acquired Sonoma-Cutrer, and 2 years later fired Brice Cutrer Jones. Since Brice’s departure,…
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Joseph Phelps 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery founded in 1973 when Joe Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena, the Stags Leap District, Oakville, Rutherford, Oak Knoll District, Carneros and South Napa Valley. In 1999, the Phelps family added 100 acres of vineyard property near the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where Phelps now grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Phelps is best known for its flagship Napa Valley blend of red Bordeaux varietals first produced in 1974. The blend known as “Insignia” is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking. Over the years, Phelps’ goal was to have its…
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Renieri – Brunello di Montalcino 2006 Riserva I met the wine maker Marco Bacci, of Bacci Wineries, at a private wine dinner in the home of a large New England wine merchant. We tasted several of Marco’s wines that night. His vineyard is high in altitude with iron rich soil, located in the southern part of Montalcino. Most of his wines are reasonably priced as he told me “his focus is to produce the best possible fruit”. The Riserva I opened recently was one of Marco’s pricier offerings, but well worth it. 100% Sangiovese, the principal grape, was aged in French Oak for 24 months which gives the wine both…
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Niebaum Coppola 2001 Rubicon Various holidays always seem to creep up and recently my brother-in-law Steve came over for dinner and brought a wonderful bottle of wine from his cellar, a Niebaum Coppola 2001 Rubicon. Rubicon is the image of what was once the historic Inglenook property located in the heart of the western Rutherford Bench in Napa Valley’s prime Cabernet Sauvignon appellation. In 1975, Francis and Eleanor Coppola purchased a majority of the Inglenook Estate and introduced the Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery with the plan to revitalize its Cabernet heritage. In 1978 Coppola’s plan became a reality and launched the first Rubicon vintage that became the Winery’s flagship wine. Much…
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David Bruce 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir The David Bruce Winery was founded in the remote Santa Cruz Mountains in the early 1960’s and was one of the first of a new generation of wineries that would lead a modern resurgence of premium winemaking in the region. A young dermatologist, David Bruce, discovered wine while a medical student. After completing his medical residency, David Bruce purchased 40 acres of land above the fog-line in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He cleared the land (by himself) and planted the vineyard (also by himself). During the 1960’s there were only a few working wineries in the region. In the first 25 years of…