Chateau De Sales 2010 Pomerol Chateau de Sales, situated in the Right Bank appellation of Pomerol, is an estate with a long and prestigious history. Owned by the same family for over 500 years, the chateau is the largest in Pomerol with 47 hectares of vines. The soil of Chateau de Sales is characterized by an omnipresence of iron oxide, called “crasse de fer” locally, which gives the wine a distinct personality. The majority of aging for Chateau de Sales wines takes place in traditional concrete tanks, spending only 6 months in oak barrels, to preserve the wine’s qualities of freshness, fruitiness and terroir expression. Chateau de Sales has been…
-
-
Robert Mondavi 2013 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Robert Mondavi Winery, located in Oakville, CA, makes a number of outstanding and consistent quality wines and established his winery in 1966 with a vision to have his Napa Valley wines to be among the world’s finest. Robert Mondavi also believed his wines should reflect its “roots” and be a signature creation from a combination of the soil, climate and production techniques, both new and old, which transforms the grapes into a fine wine. Oakville Cab has an alluring dark purple, almost inky color with loads of blue and black fruit aromas. The wine is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc,…
-
Robert Mondavi Oakville BDX 2012 Robert Mondavi established his namesake winery in 1966 with a vision to create Napa Valley wines that would stand in the company of the world’s finest. He chose To Kalon Vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley as the home for Robert Mondavi Winery. This first-growth vineyard, located in Oakville, California, is renowned for producing some of the finest wines in the world. A special wine not produced every vintage, BDX presents a different expression of Oakville in a Bordeaux blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine sat on French oak (55% new) for 28 months. Aromas…
-
Chateau Fleur Cardinale Grand Cru 2012 Interesting!!!!…..The idea suddenly came to them late one evening just as they were about to fall asleep. It suddenly caught their imaginations. They mulled it over for a few minutes, but then decided no…it wasn’t realistic. Days later that idea was still in their minds. It just wouldn’t go away. They hinted at it to others, who smiled in approval. It was a daring idea perhaps, but there are times when you want to believe, and nothing will stop you. They decided to pursue it. It was Florence Decoster, the present owner, who first nurtured that idea and brought it to fruition in the…
-
Chateau Giscours 2012 Located in the heart of a beautiful 300-hectare estate, the 83-hectare Giscours vineyard is situated in the famous Margaux appellation. Though the estate was first mentioned in a document dating back to 1330, it was not until 1847 that Count de Pescatore laid the cornerstone of the remarkable chateau that now overlooks the vines. Giscours’ wines quality was confirmed by its inclusion as a third growth in the 1855 classification. The estate was purchased by Nicolas Tari after WW II. In 1995, the Chateau’s wine growing business was acquired by Eric Albada Jelgersma. The investment he has made in less than a decade mirrors his passionate commitment…
-
Chateau Latour Pauillac de Latour 2010 Chateau Latour is among the First Growth properties classified in the Bordeaux 1855 Classification. The estate is situated in the southern portion of Pauillac, bordering St. Julien and the Gironde estuary. Latour is considered one of the longest-lasting First Growths, reflecting its high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend is typically Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The fruit is grown in vineyards with notably high levels of gravel and an ideal southeastern exposure. Latour is typified by its concentrated fruit and complexity. Chateau Latour also produces a second wine called Les Forts de Latour and a third wine labeled simply Pauillac,…
-
Mt. Brave Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Mt. Brave pays homage to the pioneering spirit of those who settled the rugged terrain of Mt. Veeder during the 1800s and a tribute to the Wappo Indians, “The brave ones,” the original inhabitants of this special land they called home. Mt. Brave Vineyard was originally purchased in 1841, before the gold rush which forever changed California. Mt. Brave sits above the fog line, with morning sun warming the grapes each day. Soils are a sparse, gravelly loam. Nutrients and minerals are scant, resulting in tiny berries with concentrated and complex flavors. A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 4% Cabernet…
-
La Dame de Montrose 2010 Château Montrose overlooks the Gironde Estuary. In fact, the proximity of this vast body of water (called locally “The River”) is a major advantage. The estuary is responsible for maintaining a mild microclimate and toning down extremes of temperature. Helped by the presence of nearby marshes, it provides remarkable air conditioning in the summer while also compensating for the severities of winter. The large gravel found throughout the estate’s topsoil originated in mountains in the Massif Central and the Pyrenees. These pebbles absorb the sun’s heat during the daytime and release it at night. This is an important way of improving the maturity of the…
-
Far Niente Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 One of California’s oldest wineries, Far Niente was founded in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. The winery flourished until Prohibition, at which time it was abandoned and fell into complete disrepair. The stately stone shell of a winery was purchased in 1979 by Gil Nickel, as part of his quest to create a world class wine estate in the Napa Valley. During restoration, the original name, Far Niente, romantically translated to “without a care,” was found carved in stone on the front of the building, where it remains…
-
Chateau Lynch Bages 1995 & 2013 Although there are records of the Bages territory as far back as the 16th century, the history of wine production in the area really began in the 18th Century. From 1749 to 1824, the vineyard was owned by Thomas Lynch, the son of an Irishman from Galway who worked as a merchant in Bordeaux. Thomas Lynch managed the land wisely and produced high quality wines under the name of ”Cru de Lynch”. As part of the prestigious 1855 Classification, for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, his wine would soon be classified as one of the fifth growths. I recently went to a Private…