• California,  Cellar Selection,  Napa,  Sauvignon Blanc,  Semillon,  Sonoma

    Cellar Selection

          Quintessa Illumination 2013 Fascinated with making a white wine from Quintessa, Agustin Huneeus planted a small plot of Sauvignon Blanc at the estate in 2002. Illumination first emanuated from this little vineyard, its rays penetrating the palates of sommeliers, friends and guests who requested it for their own cellars. He now shares this limited production wine with kindred spirits seeking illumination via wines that express their place of origin. Agustin Huneeus celebrated his 80th birthday, at harvest time in 2013, with the release of the latest vintage of Illumination. I tasted Illumination at a recent wine tasting event hosted by Quintessa representatives and thought the wine was truly magnificent.…

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

    Cellar Selection

               Quintessa 2011 Quintessa, like all classic wines of the world, bears the same name as the vineyard from which it is made. In broad terms, Quintessa is a red meritage wine. Each year, it is a blend that can include some or all of the five varietals grown on the estate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenere. The vineyard’s diversity provides a wide stylistic options for the winemaker. Fruit from each component block of Quintessa is harvested, and upon completion of fermentation, each block of wine is aged separately for up to two years in french oak barrels in their caves. After this aging period the…

  • California,  Chardonnay,  Exceptional White,  Napa

    Exceptional White

    Groth 2013 Chardonnay Hillview Napa Valley In 1981, Dennis and Judy Groth purchased 121 acre parcel in Napa known as the Oakville Vineyards, in the heart of the Oakville Appellation. In fact at that time some of their grapes found their way to Silver Oak and other notable Napa wineries. Between 1999 and 2003, almost 50% of their vineyard was replanted and in 2006 they rebuilt the barrel cellars, crush and fermentation areas. The Groth 2013 Hillview Vineyard Chardonnay was produced from grapes grown only in the Hillview Vineyard in Napa Valley, 100% Chardonnay. The 2013 growing season matched that of 2012 and produced a banner crop producing grapes that…

  • California,  Exceptional White,  Napa,  Sauvignon Blanc,  Semillon

    Exceptional White

    Cakebread Cellars 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Cakebread Cellars was founded, in 1973, by Jack and Dolores Cakebread and they have an enduring commitment to quality, their belief is that life’s occasions are elevated by good people, good food, and good wine flows through everything they do. The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc was Cakebread’s 38th vintage from Napa Valley, and considered one of their best. The wine is a blend of Grapes: 87% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Sèmillon, and 4% Sauvignon Musqué. In 2013, Cakebread Cellars celebrated their 40th wine harvest, and the second generation of winemaking, and in 1995, the family purchased a 60-acre former apple orchard in Anderson Valley near Boonville and…

  • California,  Carneros,  Exceptional White,  Napa

    Exceptional White

    Ferrari-Carano Reserve Napa Chardonnay 2012 One of my absolute favorite California Chardonnay’s is the Ferrari-Carano offering from Sonoma County.  Today I will comment on their Napa Reserve 2012 vintage.  The Ferrari-Carano Winery was founded in 1981 by Don and Rhonda Carano and is located in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley.  If you enjoy pairing food with wine, be sure to visit the Ferrari-Carano website where Rhonda has a number of recipes.  So if you are adventurous and have a passion for good food and wine, then try some of her recipes. I opened the 2012 Napa Reserve Chardonnay and observed a clear golden yellow color.  The 2012 Napa Reserve Chardonnay…

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

    Cellar Selection

    Darioush 2011 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Nowhere is the connection between wine and culture more evident than in the history of Persia. Discoveries dating to 5,000 B.C. in the Zagros Mountains of Northern Iran show that winemaking emerged as permanent communities replaced nomadic life and a new age of wine culture began. Darioush Khaledi was instilled at an early age with the winemaking craft of his father, inspired by wine culture in the literary city of Shiraz – in modern day Iran – and the ancient city of Persepolis. He became a lifelong collector, seeking out old world wines infused with tradition and energized by modern technique. Aspiring to the ideals…

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

    Weekend Selection

    Frank Family Vineyards 2011 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. Today I am tasting their Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. I noticed a vivid deep ruby color and concentrated…

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

    Cellar Selection

    Darioush 2008 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Nowhere is the connection between wine and culture more evident than in the history of Persia. Discoveries dating to 5,000 B.C. in the Zagros Mountains of Northern Iran show that winemaking emerged as permanent communities replaced nomadic life and a new age of wine culture began. Darioush Khaledi was instilled at an early age with the winemaking craft of his father, inspired by wine culture in the literary city of Shiraz – in modern day Iran – and the ancient city of Persepolis. He became a lifelong collector, seeking out old world wines infused with tradition and energized by modern technique. Aspiring to the ideals…

  • Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Cellar Selection,  Napa

    Cellar Selection

    Caymus 2007 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 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 Cabernet Sauvignon, and make a few more…

  • Cabernet Sauvignon,  California,  Napa,  Weekend Selection

    Weekend Selection

    Honig 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon In 1964, Louis Honig purchased a 68-acre ranch in Rutherford, in the heart of the Napa Valley. The vineyard was planted with Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which he sold to neighboring wineries. Louis dreamed of the day he could retire from his San Francisco advertising agency and make wine from his vineyard.  Unfortunately Louis passed away before he could realize his dream, leaving the estate to his family. In 1981, as a tribute to his legacy, his family produced a few hundred cases of Louis Honig Sauvignon Blanc in the vineyard’s old tractor barn. After the wine won a Gold Medal at…