Trefethen 2013 Chardonnay Constructed in 1886 by a Scottish sea captain, Hamden McIntyre, the winery was originally known as Eshcol. McIntyre designed it as a gravity-flow system: a horse-drawn winch brought grapes to the third floor of the three-story structure for crushing; gravity carried the juice to the second floor for fermenting; and, eventually, the wine descended to the first floor for aging. Eshcol was among a number of wineries McIntyre designed during this period; the others were Greystone (now The Culinary Institute of America), Far Niente and Inglenook. During the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Napa Valley was a thriving viticultural community with nearly 140 wineries. However, in…
-
-
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…
-
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…
-
B.R. Cohn 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Silver Label Founded by Bruce Cohn in 1984, B.R. Cohn Winery is located in the heart of Sonoma Valley. Bruce Cohn bought the land now known as Olive Hill Estate Vineyards in 1974. The small family operated winery is surrounded by the 90-acre Olive Hill Estate Vineyards, where soils warmed by underground natural hot springs and gentle ocean breezes create a unique microclimate resulting in ideal growing conditions for outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon. This Silver Label offering from founder Bruce Cohn, who (for us older rockers) managed the Doobie Brothers, one of my favorite groups of the 70’s. Mr. Cohn, when not managing the Doobie Brothers,…
-
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,…
-
Belle Glos 2014 Las Alturas Pinot Noir Owner/winemaker, Joe Wagner chose the name Belle Glos (pronounced “BELL GLOSS”) to honor his grandmother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner. Lorna was a co-founder of Caymus Vineyards, an inspirational figure to Joseph and an avid lover of Pinot Noir. Belle Glos produces Pinot Noirs produced from California’s noteworthy coastal wine-growing regions. While each vineyard location lies near the Pacific Ocean, the climate differences are significant, varying with the amount of fog, wind, sunlight, and soil type at each site. Each Vineyard Designate is crafted to distill the purest essence of the locale into elegant expressions of California Pinot Noir. As a fifth generation Napa Valley…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Loring Wine Company 2010 Russell Family Vineyard Pinot Noir The Loring Wine Company is a boutique winery located in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands. I met Brian Loring a few years ago at a private tasting and literally walked past his pricey screw top bottle until I engaged in a conversation with him. His philosophy on making wine is that the fruit is first and foremost. What happens in the vineyard determines the quality of the wine, that’s why he is extremely picky when choosing vineyards to source grapes. Not only is Brian looking for the right soil, micro-climate, and clones, he is also looking for a grower with the same…
-
Sequoia Grove 2012 Chardonnay Who would have guessed Napa Valley, a small pioneer community established during the gold rush days would flourish into one of the most prestigious wine growing regions in the world today? Surrounded by its purple hued mountains, Sequoia Grove Winery sits on 22 acres right in the heart of the valley floor in a region referred to as the “Rutherford Bench”. Here the alluvial soil, rich in minerals, combined with the fog from the bay, mingling with the warm inland temperatures create the ideal location to produce fine wine. Michael Trujillo, the Director of Winemaking and President, has been with Sequoia Grove since its beginnings joining…