• Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Exceptional Red,  Merlot,  Napa,  Petit Verdot,  Petite Sirah

    Exceptional Red

    Clos Du Val 2011 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Clos Du Val, French for “small vineyard estate of a small valley,” was founded in 1972 in the now legendary Stags Leap District of Napa Valley by Franco-American entrepreneur John Goelet. After a worldwide search to purchase vineyard properties from which to craft world-class wines, 150 acres in Stags Leap and 180 acres in Carneros were chosen, solidifying Clos Du Val’s iconic stature and formidable place in Napa Valley history. Today, Winemaker Kristy Melton, handcrafts wines to reflect the classic style, finesse and grace Clos Du Val is known for. The Three Graces, Splendor, Mirth and Joy have adorned Clos Du Val’s labels…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Cellar Selection,  Merlot,  Paso Robles

    Cellar Selection

    Justin 2011 Isosceles In 1981, Justin Baldwin purchased 160 acres in Paso Robles, with the aim of crafting wines that belong in the company of the finest in the world by making world-class Bordeaux-style blends.  Rich in limestone, the soil of Paso Robles produces grapes with intense flavor and great structure, making it a perfect location for JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery.  Limestone “stresses” the vines, producing grapes that fully express their varietal character. Rich dark purple color with aromas of black fruit, spice and a whiff of dusty chocolate.  The wine is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc that spent 24 months in new…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Cellar Selection,  Napa,  Petit Verdot

    Cellar Selection

    Silver Oak 1998 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon When Raymond T. Duncan first visited the Napa Valley in the late 1960s, he was taken by the region’s rugged beauty.  He was also wise enough to understand the potential of the fledgling wine industry.  In the 1970’s, he began to buy land in both Napa and Alexander Valleys with the goal of planting vineyards. But with his home and business in Colorado and no viticulture expertise of his own, Ray approached Justin Meyer, whom he had met through mutual friends, and asked him to plant and manage the vineyards.  Then working at Christian Brothers, Justin agreed with one condition: in addition to managing…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  Exceptional Red,  Merlot,  Washington State

    Exceptional Red

    Mullan Road Cellars 2012 Columbia Valley Red Wine Blend Dennis Cakebread, from the renowned Napa Valley winery, Cakebread, ventured into Walla Walla Valley, Washington State, for a Bordeaux style blend of grapes, launching Mullan Road Cellars, a wine made from grapes purchased from Walla Walla’s Seven Hills vineyard.  This is Cakebread’s first step into what could evolve into a full-fledged winery.  Time will tell if the project gets legs. Pouring a glass, the color was a very deep Ruby red, with noted aromas of dark fruit and sweet spice.  On the palate, the blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc, showed ripe dark fruit, blackberries and…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  Cellar Selection,  Merlot,  Petit Verdot,  Washington State

    Cellar Selection

    Andrew Will 2008 Champoux Red Andrew Will began in 1989 with a simple building (10×60), that is still standing today, where they made their first five vintages for a total of 2000 cases.  They loaded 2 trucks (that’s all they had) and moved to Vashon in 1994 and within an hour became ready for the 1994 harvest.  They harvest fruit from several areas, this wine was from Champoux vineyards, one of the first two vineyards used by Andrew Will. Opening a bottle of the 2008 Champoux, which is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, I notice deep ruby color with a bouquet of aromatic…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Exceptional Red,  Merlot,  Sonoma

    Exceptional Red

    Beringer 2010 Knights Valley Caberinet Sauvignon Beringer Vineyards roots date back about 140 years ago when Jacob Beringer sailed from his home in Mainz Germany to New York. After arriving in the “new world”, Jacob heard that the rocky hillside soil and fertile valley floor of Napa Valley resembled that of the vineyards back home in Germany. Jacob, and his brother Frederick, headed for Napa and purchased 215 acres of land in 1875, becoming one of the first wineries in Napa. A lot of time has passed and Beringer has perfected its craft of making fine wines, balancing time-tested traditions with modern technology, resulting in a portfolio of admired vineyards,…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Exceptional Red,  Merlot,  Napa,  Syrah

    Exceptional Red

    Hall 2010 Napa Valley Merlot Kathryn Walt Hall is the proprietor of Hall Wines and has been involved in the California wine industry since her family first purchased a vineyard thirty years ago. She has had a distinguished career as a successful businesswoman, community activist, and most recently as the United States Ambassador to Austria. Kathryn Hall and her family have been grape growers in Mendocino County since 1972. The Walt family owns 63 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc in the Redwood Valley and has sold their grapes to such wineries as Fetzer, Parducci and Beringer. Kathryn managed the family vineyard from 1982 to…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Cellar Selection,  Malbec,  Merlot,  Napa

    Cellar Selection

    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…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Cellar Selection,  Merlot,  Napa,  Petit Verdot

    Cellar Selection

    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…

  • Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Malbec,  Merlot,  Napa,  Weekend Selection

    Weekend Selection

    Faust 2006 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…