Silver Oak Cellars 2012 & 2015 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon I recently wrote about Silver Oak Cellars having its roots dating back to 1972, see October 18, 2019 review of Silver Oak 2014 Napa Cabernet. Over time, Silver Oak continued to acquire vineyard land, including the Red Tail and Miraval Vineyards in Alexander Valley and the Soda Canyon Ranch and Jump Rock in Napa Valley. The winery also developed close relationships with longtime growers in both appellations. The result is that both the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon are blends, made from grapes grown in both wineries’ estate vineyards as well as…
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Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2014 In 1900, at age 13, Louis Martini emigrates from his native Genoa, Italy to the U.S., where he joins his father, a fisherman, in San Francisco. In 1906, Louis makes his first wine alongside his father, who wisely sends him back to Italy to hone his craft and study winemaking at the university in Alba (Piedmont). In 1911, Louis returns to CA where he makes his first martini wine. In 1922, Louis forms the L.M. Martini Grape Products Company, producing sacramental and medicinal wine in the Prohibition-era. In 1933, Louis puts down roots in Napa, one of the original 5 wineries founded…
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Copain “Tous Ensemble” Alexander Valley 2014 Chardonnay Copain Wines is perched on a hill overlooking the serenely beautiful Russian River Valley. Winemaker Wells Guthrie discovered early on that his taste in wine gravitated toward Europe in general and France’s Rhône Valley in particular. So much so, he picked up and moved with his new bride to the region to learn from the best. For two years, Wells apprenticed for esteemed winemaker and living legend Michel Chapoutier in France’s Rhone Valley. During that time, Wells was deeply inspired by the traditions and practices of French winemaking, not to mention the European attitude that wine is an essential part of life. At…
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Stonestreet Bear Point 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon In the autumn of 1989, Jess Jackson acquired the Zellerbach winery and renamed it in honor of his late father, Jess Stonestreet Jackson. Stonestreet quickly garnered international acclaim for their powerful reds and luscious whites. Today, Stonestreet wines are undergoing a transformation, using fruit from Alexander Mountain Estate and new winemaking techniques. Alexander Mountain Estate, with lean, well-draining soils and cooler temperature, produces fruit with smaller berries and more intense color and flavor. Stonestreet is dedicated to fulfilling the promise of Alexander Valley’s exceptional and distinctive vineyards. Traditional, Old World methods of hand harvesting, small barrel lot production, native yeast fermentation and bottling each…
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Stonestreet Monument Ridge 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Ranging in elevation from 400ft to 2400ft, Stonestreet Estate Vineyards stands as the one largest and most extensive mountain vineyards in the world. Towering high above the Alexander Valley in the Mayacamas Mountain Range, Stonestreet Estate defies all previous conceptions of winegrowing. Single vineyard blocks are aligned in every imaginable spot on the compass, with peaks, valleys and ridges creating a broad spectrum of varied facings and elevations. Winegrowers throughout history have looked to high elevation sites with impoverished, rocky soils to produce richly concentrated wines of character. Mountain vineyards are notoriously difficult to farm, and Stonestreet Estate is no exception. The Estate’s myriad…
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Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 In 1972, Tom and Sally Jordan, a young couple from Colorado who shared a passion for French food and wine, followed their hearts to California’s wine country. When the two married in 1959, they dreamed of being vintners together. They drank virtually only French wines, enjoyed French food that Sally diligently learned to cook, and traveled throughout France, wining and dining their way through every region. In the 1950s there weren’t any restaurants of note in their home town of Denver, so the Jordans either traveled abroad or entertained at home for culinary experiences. The two knew a winery would one day be in their future,…
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Stonestreet 2009 Monument Ridge Ranging in elevation from 400ft to 2400ft, Stonestreet Estate Vineyards stands as the one largest and most extensive mountain vineyards in the world. Towering high above the Alexander Valley in the Mayacamas Mountain Range, Stonestreet Estate defies all previous conceptions of winegrowing. Single vineyard blocks are aligned in every imaginable spot on the compass, with peaks, valleys and ridges creating a broad spectrum of varied facings and elevations. Monument Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a handful of blocks situated on the spine of the primary mountain crest that runs through the estate. These blocks are blended to personify the ridgeline, which is comprised of a…
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Ferrari-Carano 2009 Mountain Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 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 2009 Mountain Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and noticed a deep Ruby color with subtle aromas of black fruits. The palate shows dark berries and cherries, somewhat complex with the presence of firm tannins. The wine is aged in French…
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Silver Oak 2010 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon I recently wrote about Silver Oak Cellars having its roots dating back to 1972, see January 6, 2015 review of Silver Oak 1998 Napa Cabernet. Over time, Silver Oak continued to acquire vineyard land, including the Red Tail and Miraval Vineyards in Alexander Valley and the Soda Canyon Ranch and Jump Rock in Napa Valley. The winery also developed close relationships with longtime growers in both appellations. The result is that both the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon are blends, made from grapes grown in both wineries’ estate vineyards as well as growers’ vineyards in both regions. The…
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Lancaster Estate 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley In 1995, Lancaster Estate debuted following the acquisition of Maacama Creek Winery and its estate vineyards. Over the next two decades, from their 53 estate acres, micro-farmed in small vineyard blocks, they produced limited release Bordeaux styled wines, each with its own expression. Their 53 hillside-acres of vineyards are located in the eastern hills of southern Alexander Valley, at the joining together of the Chalk Hill and Knights Valley appellations. The valley is emerging as a leading location for producing Bordeaux style Cabernet-based blends to rival the finest from the Napa Valley. Color of this wine is a very deep dark red with…