I’Avi Arrufi Vi de guarda 2008 L’Avi Arrufi is an estate-bottled wine made by Celler Vinos Piñol with organically grown grapes in the high elevation region of Terra Alta, located south of Barcelona. The Piñol family has been wine growers for four generations. L’Avi Arrufi means, “Grandfather Arrufi,” the man who founded Celler Piñol in 1945. Today, less than 800 cases are produced of one of the family’s most distinctive wines, made from organically grown vines over seventy years old. L’Avi Arrufi is “liquid geography,” a wine that sings the special music of Terra Alta’s terroir composed of phrases and notes of the specific flavors of the Mediterranean climate. The…
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Achaval Ferrer Quimera 2009 It began in 1998 when a group of Italian and Argentine friends came together to make a dream a reality, bringing Argentine wine to the global marketplace. Argentina is regarded as one of the dynamic regions in the world. Only 4 countries produce more wine than Argentina. Significant investments in technology have improved the winemaking production in the past several years, with many premium quality wines, Achaval Ferrer Quimera among some of the best. I had this gem at a restaurant on Cape Cod, and each October, the restaurant marks down all of their wines 50%, below retail! Dark red with aromas of dark red fruits,…
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Capanna Brunello Di Montalcino 2008 The Capanna Farm, owned by the Cencioni family since 1957, is situated north of Montalcino in the Montosoli area, which has always been considered one of the best ”crus” of Brunello. An area of about 30 acres is cultivated as a vineyard, and the other 28 acres as an olive-grove. Its magnificent position and the stony soil, together with the dry and airy climate, allows Capanna to produce a Brunello wine that is graceful and elegant, suitable for a long maturing process. Went to a restaurant on the Cape, Barley Neck Inn, which offers half price wines during the month of October. They have a…
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Fess Parker Sta. Rita Hills 2014 Parker West Chardonnay The final installment of my recent trip to CA to visit my first born child and celebrating her birthday. We wanted to taste some great wines that cannot readily be obtained back east, so we visited Fess Parker Vineyards. Family run winery established in 1989 by the late Fess Parker. Fess is best known for his portrayal of the frontiersmen Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone during the 1950’s and 1960’s and made him a legion among millions of adoring fans. Fess Parker was originally from Texas, attended the University of Texas and did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy…
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Babcock Radical Pinot Noir 2013 Another installment of my recent trip to CA to visit my daughter to celebrate her birthday. We wanted to taste some great wines that cannot readily be obtained back east, so we visited Babcock Winery in Santa Barbara. Babcock Winery and Vineyards was established in 1978 when Mona and Walter Babcock purchased a 110 acre property on Highway 246 between Lompoc and Buellton in the western Santa Ynez Valley. At the time, the Babcocks were in the restaurant business, as they are to this day, being the proprietors of the legendary Walt’s Wharf in Seal Beach California. At the time of establishing the vineyard, he…
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The Hilt Vanguard Pinot Noir 2013 I recently took a trip to CA to visit my daughter to celebrate her birthday and wanted to taste some great wines I cannot readily get back east. We also visited Jonata Winery in Santa Barbara, sister winery to The Hilt. The Hilt makes pinot noir and chardonnay from California’s well–known coastal winegrowing regions of Santa Barbara County’s Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley AVA’s. Their wine growing philosophy employs practices that enable grapes to show full transparency of site, which is key to The Hilt’s philosophy. Within this framework, The Hilt ferments two distinct styles of wine; The Old Guard and The…
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Jonata Fenix Red Wine Santa Ynez Valley 2007 I recently took a trip to CA to visit my daughter to celebrate her birthday and wanted to taste some great wines I cannot readily get back east. We visited Jonata Winery in Santa Barbara. In a word, WOW! The name Jonata pays homage to the 1845 Spanish land grant, Rancho San Carlos de Jonata. At the time the land grant covered a large part of the Santa Ynez Valley. Today’s Jonata is at the heart of the former land grant. The Jonata name was borrowed by the first pioneers from the local Chumash Indian and means “tall oak”. One of the…
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Au Bon Climat Nielson Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 I took a recent trip out to CA, and in particular to taste some of the wines in Santa Barbara County. My next several posts will be some notes from my trip. My first stop was Au Bon Climat. Jim Clendenen, the “Mind Behind” Au Bon Climat since 1982, creates internationally acclaimed Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Jim has other projects of passion that allow him to make artisan, small lots of distinctive wines from a wider spectrum of grape varietals under different brands. Jim Clendenen was born in Akron, Ohio in the 1950s. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara,…
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Caymus 2012 40th Anniversary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Third Coravin Tasting) In 1971 Charlie Wagner and his wife Lorna Belle Glos Wagner asked their son Charles (Chuck) Wagner, who had just graduated from high school, if he would be interested in joining them in starting up a winery. If Chuck declined the offer, Charlie and Lorna were planning to sell out of their ranch in Napa Valley and move to Australia. Chuck accepted his parents’ offer to launch the winery, Caymus Vineyards. The Wagners produced their first vintage in 1972, consisting of 240 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. Since then, Caymus has focused their efforts in the production of quality…
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Lynmar Estate Quail Hill Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir 2012 Lynn Fritz first purchased Quail Hill Ranch and Vineyards in 1980, drawn to the maritime climate and the authenticity of the rolling Russian River vineyards. The property has some of the oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines planted in the Russian River Valley. The grapes from these early vines were bought by Tony Soter and Merry Edwards to make wines considered to be some of the best in the Russian River Valley. Lynmar began a small winemaking activity in the early 1990s and produced small amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which were extremely well received. Over the next 35 years,…