Angeline Reserve Pinot Noir 2015 Courtney Benham acquired the historic Martini & Prati winery in July 2003, which is now Martin Ray Winery with a Tasting Room, the structure, dates back to the 1900’s, and was used to serve as a stable and bunkhouse where Italian immigrants stayed during harvest and crush. Established in 1881 as the Twin Fir Winery, the historic site is distinguished as the oldest winery in continuous operation in Sonoma County and one of the oldest wineries in California. The winery was able to stay in operation during prohibition by selling sacramental wines by train to Rabbis through a winery in New York. Ruby red with…
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Hartford Court Land’s Edge Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2014 Hartford Family Winery was founded in 1994 as a result of Don and Jennifer Hartford’s appreciation for the wines, the people, and the unique vineyards near their Russian River Valley home. Located in the Sonoma County town of Forestville, the winery is about 15 miles from the cool Pacific Coast. From a vineyard a few miles away from the Pacific Ocean and aged, in French Oak, about 1/3 new, deep ruby with black fruit aromas and earthy floral spice notes. On the palate, raspberry, black cherry and blueberry flavors, rich and complex with integrated spice and oak. Smooth tannins with…
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David Bruce 2014 Sonoma County Pinot Noir The David Bruce Winery was founded in the remote Santa Cruz Mountains in the early 1960’s and was one of the first of a new generation of wineries that would lead a modern resurgence of premium winemaking in the region. David Bruce Winery has earned an international reputation throughout its nearly four decades for its dedication to producing the greatest pinot noir in the world. In pursuit of his goal, the winery has adhered to traditional European winemaking practices that trace their lineage back to the early pioneers of winemaking in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley. David Bruce Winery has…
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Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2009 & Chateau Corton Grancey Domaine Latour 2009 I recently went to a private wine tasting where Louis Latour’s Northeast Regional Manager, Andy Fruzzetti, opened TEN wines, 5 red and 5 white, as well as providing some awesome in depth commentary on the wines and winery, picture with yours truly below. These are the last two of the 10 wines tasted, they were all great! Check out the March 31, 2017, April 4, 2017, April 7, 2017 and April 11, 2017 posts for additional pictures. Many thanks Andy for sharing your wine and wine knowledge. After the ravages of the phylloxera epidemic at the…
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Louis Latour Corton Domain Latour 2008 & Corton “Clos de la Vigne au Saint” Domaine Latour 2010 I recently went to a private wine tasting where Louis Latour’s Northeast Regional Manager, Andy Fruzzetti, opened TEN wines, 5 red and 5 white, as well as providing some awesome in depth commentary on the wines and winery. I will review these wines over the next several posts with some history and observations! Check out the March 31, 2017, April 4, 2017 & April 7, 2017 posts for additional pictures. I reviewed 8 wines, 2 to go, stay tuned! Corton Domain Latour 2008 The grapes selected to produce this wine are located on…
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Louis Latour Aloxe-Corton “Les Chaillots” 1er Cru 2009 & Volnay “En Chevret” 1er Cru 2010 I recently went to a private wine tasting where Louis Latour’s Northeast Regional Manager, Andy Fruzzetti, opened TEN wines, 5 red and 5 white, as well as providing some awesome in depth commentary on the wines and winery. I will review these wines over the next several posts with some history and observations, stay tuned! Check out the March 31, 2017 & April 4, 2017 posts for additional pictures. Aloxe-Corton is the home village of the Latour Family who have been closely involved in the affairs of the commune for over three centuries. Of…
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Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Eastside Road Neighbors 2013 Williams Selyem Winery began as a dream of two friends, Ed Selyem and Burt Williams, who pursued weekend winemaking as a hobby in 1979 in a garage in Forestville, California, and made their first commercial vintage in 1981. In less than two decades, Burt and Ed created a cult-status winery receiving global praise. Together they set the standard for Pinot Noir winemaking in the U. S. Today John and Kathe Dyson, purchased the winery from Burt and Ed in 1998, carry on the passion for Pinot Noir winemaking. Had this at an event; Barrel aged for 15 months (60% new and 40%…
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Merry Edwards 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir One of California’s first woman winemakers, Merry Edwards began her career at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1974. She went on to become the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek in 1977 and remained there until 1984. In 1997, family and friends joined Merry to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus on producing Pinot Noirs with a sense of place from Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Living her dream, she and her husband, Ken Coopersmith, now manage five estate vineyards: Coopersmith, Cresta d’Oro, Flax, Georganne and Meredith. They maintain collaborative relationships with several other dedicated growers to supplement…
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Belle Glos 2014 Dairman 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…
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Louis Jadot Celebration Beaune 1er Cru 2012 Jadot’s 153rd Anniversary bottling celebrates Jadot’s home in Beaune, the village of Beaune. The wine includes fruit from the very first vineyard the Jadot family purchased in 1829 – Clos Des Ursules. It also includes parcels of fruit from the other 18 Premier Cru sites that Jadot works with in this commune. What Jadot has done with this release is flip the whole paradigm on its head, instead of celebrating their 153rd year by selecting one vineyard to shine above all others, they chose to celebrate the diversity of terroirs within their home. They selected barrels from different sites that could be blended…