Simi Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2013 Reserve In 1876, brothers Giuseppe and Pietro Simi began making wine in San Francisco from Sonoma County grapes and eventually planted vineyards near Healdsburg. Simi’s historic stone cellars were built in 1890 and are still used to age the wines. Today, Simi Winery is recognized as a leader in innovation and experimentation with a history of over 125 years of cutting-edge winemaking. Opening their Reserve Chardonnay, that was aged for 11 months in 100% French oak, the color was a bright straw yellow with aromas of stone fruits and baking spice notes. The palate shows tart apples, pears and melon flavors with subtle toasty…
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Walt 2012 La Brisa Sonoma Pinot Noir WALT Wines, owned by Vintners Kathryn Walt Hall and Craig Hall, produces premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast’s most distinctive vineyard sites, spanning nearly 1000 miles and including Sta. Rita Hills, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, and the Willamette Valley. Kathryn’s parents, Bob & Dolores Walt, were dedicated winegrowers who loved the land and each other. Her family produced six different varietals that was sold to several great wineries. For Kathryn’s parents, growing grapes was a shared family vision. In 2009, Hall partnered with Roger and Richard Roessler, brothers who sought the finest vineyard sources along the Pacific Coast to make…
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J. Rochioli 2013 Chardonnay Joe Rocchioli Sr. legacy began in 1911 when he immigrated to America along with his parents, Michele and Menichina Rocchioli (they later dropped the second “c”). Originally from a small village just outside of Lucca, the Rocchioli’s were one of many Italian families that arrived in New York, made their way across the country, and settled in Northern California. In 1934 Joe Rochioli Jr. was born and the family moved to a 125-acre property nearby called Fenton Acres (same location where Rochioli Vineyards is today). At that time, grapes were a small part of what was grown here and much of the land was dedicated to…
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Ramey 2012 Chardonnay Russian River I have reviewed several Ramey Wine Cellars offerings, now I will discuss one of their 2012 Chardonnay’s. Ramey Wine Cellars crafts outstanding quality wines that are both delicate and magnificent and comes from some of the finest Sonoma vineyards. Ramey selects vineyards for their ability to continue producing the highest quality fruit. David and his wife Carla founded Ramey Wine Cellars in 1996 after spending time at Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus and Rudd. Ramey Wine Cellars is located in Healdsburg, in the heart of the California wine country. Ramey’s varietals are basically Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Syrah. Since Ramey is a “Fine” winery, I…
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Merry Edwards 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Warm weather is here again so it’s time to crack open a Sauvignon Blanc, but not just any Sauvignon Blanc, start the summer with one of the best. 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. For the next decade, Merry consulted for numerous wineries, large and small, in Oregon and many diverse appellations of California. In 1997, family and friends joined Merry to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus on producing…
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Emeritus 2009 Don’s Block Russian River Valley Pinot Noir I’m back again this week with another truly outstanding, limited release wine, from Emeritus. In 1999 Emeritus was born when Brice Cutrer Jones closed on the purchase of Don and Marcia Hallberg’s prime apple orchard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. The 115–acre parcel, the Hallberg Ranch, is located two miles north of Sebastopol, on both sides of the Gravenstein Highway and directly on the Gold Ridge, the ten-mile long ridge that bears the name of the predominate soils of the area. The wine I am commenting on today was made in honor of Emeritus’ first winemaker Don…
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The Calling 2012 Russian River Valley Chardonnay When Jim Nantz and Peter Deutsch met, they discovered they had both found success by pursuing a calling in life. For Jim, that calling was to unlock the voice within, eventually calling the greatest sporting events of his generation. For Peter, it was transforming a small family business into one of the most prestigious wine companies in the world. Inspired by their mentor fathers and guided by their common values, the two found a new calling: a partnership to produce hand-crafted wines that bear the standard of excellence and style that are the hallmarks of these two men. The Calling. The 2012 vintage…