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…
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Nickel & Nickel 2013 Chardonnay Truchard Vineyard Nickel & Nickel winery, located in Oakville, Napa Valley, produces 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines that express the distinct personality of each vineyard. Established by the partners of Far Niente in 1997, Nickel & Nickel is focused on producing single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the appellation’s most significant AVAs. A small collection of single-vineyard Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah complements the portfolio. Construction of a cutting-edge winery facility housed within a vintage 1880s farmstead was completed in the summer of 2003, when the winery officially opened to the public. Truchard Vineyard lies in the heart of Carneros, prized for its rolling hills, sun…
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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…
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Frank Family Vineyards 2010 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon First constructed as the Larkmead Winery in 1884, the building was refinished with native sandstone from the nearby hills in 1906 and still stands tall today. The massive stone edifice is considered an archetype of California’s wine country; it appears on the National Register of Historical Places and is listed as a Point of Historical Interest in the state of California. The Frank Family Vineyards focuses their energies on making superb wines, producing Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Petite Syrah and several distinctively different Cabernet Sauvignons. I just found this 2010 in my Cellar and thought I would pop the cork. I noticed…
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Chateau Palmer 2006 Alter Ego In 1938, four Bordeaux families – Sichel, Mähler-Besse, Ginestet, and Miailhe – all active in the Bordeaux fine wine trade – joined together to buy Palmer and restore it to the rank it deserved. Two of these families have since left the estate, leaving the Sichel and the Mähler-Besse families at the helm. Since their acquisition of Château Palmer, the families of shareholders have applied single-mindedly the key principles that contributed to the prosperity of this great wine: authenticity, quality and constancy. Originally from the Netherlands, the Mälher family were successful in the textile and the wine business. Having settled in Bordeaux with his wife…
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Stonestreet 2009 Monument Ridge 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. Monument Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a handful of blocks situated on the spine of the primary mountain crest that runs through the estate. These blocks are blended to personify the ridgeline, which is comprised of a…
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Renato Ratti 2009 Barolo Marcenasco In 1934 Renato Ratti is born. After studying enology in Alba he “emigrates” to Brazil where he is put in charge of the production of Vermouths and sparkling wines for Cinzano of Sao Paolo. The experiences gained operating in such a vast, and challenging country as Brazil will prove fundamental in the development of an innovative outlook, one that will characterize his later work back in the hills of Piedmont’s Langhe region. In 1965 Renato Ratti returns to Piedmont and buys his first vineyard for the production of Barolo: a small plot in the historical zone of Marcenasco, right below the Abbey of L’Annunziata (Our…
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Bodegas Hermanos Pérez Pascuas Viña Pedrosa 2007 Reserva Bodegas Hermanos Pérez Pascuas, a Pioneer in Ribera del Duero, began activities in 1980, when three brothers, Benjamín, Manuel and Adolfo Pérez Pascuas, convinced of the excellent potential that lay in the vineyards owned by their father, Mauro, decided to initiate an ambitious project, to make one of the best wines in Spain and to carve a niche for it in the international marketplace. This is a family cellar which has focused on quality from its very beginnings, with hard work and intense dedication. Currently, 500,000 bottles are produced yearly and this limited production allows for strict controls of the whole winemaking process…
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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…
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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…