Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2012 Not long ago I went to a tasting and tried the Tenuta San Guido wines. They offer three noteworthy reds, the famous Sassicaia and two additional labels; Guidalberto and LeDifese. LeDifese, their lower priced wine, is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend and has been produced by the winery since 2003 and is an excellent offering. Their second label to Sassicaia is Guidalberto. Mario Incisa, creator of Sassicaia, was inspired by his great-uncle Leopoldo Incisa della Rocchetta and motivated by his great great grandfather Guidalberto della Gherardesca, pioneer of modern agriculture, explains the choice of the name and creation of a new wine in 2000, Guidalberto.…
-
-
Spring Mountain Elivette 2009 Spring Mountain Vineyard is an 845-acre estate on the eastern slopes of Spring Mountain in Napa Valley. Only 225 acres of the estate are planted to vine, representing 135 discrete hillside vineyard blocks with many soil types, exposures, and microclimates. A substantial portion of the vineyard is planted in densities of over 4,000 vines per acre and trained to the ancient “gobelet form”, a vertical method invented by the Romans. Originally four contiguous 19th century vineyards, Miravalle, Alba, Chevalier and La Perla are now one vineyard producing exclusively estate grown wines. I wanted a special Cabernet so I reached for Spring Mountain Vineyard’s Elivette 2009 Cabernet…
-
Benziger 2005 Tribute A while ago I attended a wine tasting featuring Benziger Wines hosted by my favorite wine shop, Stew Leonard’s Wines. Kathy Benziger poured some of her Family’s wines. They were outstanding, but let me tell you something about the Benziger Winery. To begin with, Benziger’s entire portfolio of wine is certified sustainable, organic or Biodynamic. Not because they want to be known as “the green winery,” but because their experience has shown that great wine has green values, good for the earth and the vine, good for the farm worker and the farmer, and good for the customers. Benziger has been growing grapes on Sonoma Mountain for close to…
-
Chateau d’Armailhac 2009 The existence of Château d’Armailhac dates back to the late 17th century, as evidenced in a land register from 1680 which mentions the brothers Dominique and Guilhem Armailhacq, owners of parcels of land in Pauillac. Another land register from 1750 notes that their descendants have “planted with vines” the family estate, covering 15 to 16 hectares (37-39 acres). By the end of the 18th century the estate has grown to 52 hectares (128 acres) but the brokers of the time describe its wine as “disappointingly thin”. Throughout the following century, Mouton d’Armailhacq’s owners work unceasingly to improve its quality, using techniques such as topping-up, running-off, barrel disinfection…
-
Grgich Hills Estate 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Grgich Hills Estate is an iconic Napa Valley winery, consistently producing wines of the highest quality. Vintners Hall of Fame inductee Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first earned world-wide recognition when the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay he crafted won the 1976 Paris Tasting, beating the best of France and revolutionizing the wine world. Mike then partnered with Austin Hills to open their family owned and operated winery in 1977. Committed to natural winegrowing and sustainability, Grgich farms five estate vineyards without artificial pesticides or herbicides, rely on wild yeast fermentation and use passion and art to handcraft food-friendly, balanced and elegant wines. I just found this…
-
Chateau Gloria 2008 Saint-Julien Created by Henri Martin, Chateau Gloria, is the only one of its kind as this 50-hectare vineyard was put together piece-by-piece over a number of years, through the purchase of plots exclusively from grands crus classified in 1855. The origin of the terroirs, the care taken over the growing and the vinification all help to explain its world-renowned quality. A vineyard covering 50 hectares, with an average vine age of 40 years, spread across three areas, in the middle of Beychevelle and then in the west and the north of the appellation (bordering Pauillac) on soil made up of Gunzian gravel covering a layer of clay…
-
Chateau De Sales 2009 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…
-
Chateau Canon Clos Canon 2009 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Chateau Canon can trace its modern history, which began in 1760 when it was Jaques Kanon, a privateer who made his fortune capturing English ships for Louis XV. In 1996 the world famous Fashion House Chanel purchased the Chateau and initiated a period of investment and renovation. Chateau Canon was managed by John Kolasa who also managed the Wertheimer’s other Bordeaux property located in Margaux, Chateau Rauzan Segla until 2015. Much of the progress in the wines, vineyard and cellars of Chateau Canon was due to multiple decades of work and effort from the team of Chateau Canon, which was headed by John…
-
Chateau Les Trois Criox 2010 Rouge The family of Patrick Léon always dreamed to make their own wine. Their dream became a reality in June, 1995 when the beauty of landscapes called them to a place called ” The Three Crucifixes “. Chateau Les Trois Criox, Three Crucifixes for three children (see top of wine label), a nice symbol to make a reality of this dream. Patrick LÉON is associated with some famous wines of Alexis Lichine, Rothschild, Opus One in California and Almaviva in Chile. The Castle of The Three Crucifixes, where a 1712 engraving in the stone of an arch in the cellar, manifests the rank of the…
-
Faust 2012 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Interesting to learn that Faust, the wine, celebrates a legend which has inspired many great minds, among them the German poet Goethe, from whose masterpiece they draw inspiration. In Goethe’s most famous work, the aging scholar Dr. Faust barters his soul in the afterlife in exchange for another chance at youth. He gets his chance, yet ultimately his soul is saved by love. Faust is indeed the fruit of renewed passion for Agustin Huneeus, though Mephistopheles has not yet appeared to claim his soul. The underlying premise for all of the wines he has ever produced has been that great wines must be a reflection…