Occidental Freestone-Occidental Pinot Noir 2017 Steve Kistler, founder and winemaker of Kistler Vineyards for 37 years, has established a new pinot noir brand “Occidental” which is owned and operated by the Kistler family. Occidental built a state-of-the-art winery on a ridge top next to the Bodega Headlands Vineyard overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and was completed in August of 2013 just in time for the harvest. Occidental makes very small quantities of Pinot Noirs, from select vineyard sites and are allocated to their Mailing List members. If you want to grab a few of these gems, click this Mailing List Link to join! Medium Ruby color with rich sweet red fruit…
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Elyse Winery 2016 GlenLyon Vineyard Sonoma County Syrah; 2014 York Creek Vineyard Napa Petite Sirah Continuing on with my Elyse Winery visit, see my November 1, 2019 review of their 2018 California Rose & 2015 Sonoma County Chardonnay and November 15, 2019 review of their 2014 Korte Ranch Vineyard Napa Zinfandel, 2014 Morisoli Vineyard Napa Zinfandel &2014 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Zinfandel together with some of its history. After thirty years of stewardship, Ray and Nancy decided that it was time to retire. What began as a casual conversation over dinner evolved into the next chapter for Elyse Winery. In October 2018, Ray and Nancy Coursen sold Elyse Winery…
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Elyse Winery 2014 Korte Ranch Vineyard Napa Zinfandel; 2014 Morisoli Vineyard Napa Zinfandel; 2014 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Zinfandel In 1987, Ray and Nancy started the Elyse brand with 286 cases of Zinfandel from the Morisoli Vineyard , which is still a cornerstone vineyard source for the winery. After a decade of nomadic winemaking at various custom crush facilities, in 1997 they purchased a small winery and vineyard on Hoffman Lane, the home of Elyse Winery and tasting room. Since then, Elyse has blossomed into a portfolio of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah focused on pure expression of fruit. Continuing with my Napa adventures, see my previous Elyse…
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2018 California Rose 2015 Sonoma County Chardonnay In 1983, Nancy and Ray Coursen arrived in California from Cape Cod to fulfill Ray’s dream of making wine and Nancy’s taste for adventure. After working harvest at Mt. Eden Winery in Saratoga, they moved to Napa Valley and became innkeepers for a bed and breakfast. Ray then spent productive time at Tonella Vineyard Management, where he gained practical knowledge and perspective working in the vineyards. Ray’s 9-year tenure at Whitehall Lane Winery under the tutelage of Art Finkelstein, beginning as a cellar worker and then as head winemaker,…
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2018 Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay Pastorale Vineyard Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery founded in 1973 when Joe Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena, the Stags Leap District, Oakville, Rutherford, Oak Knoll District, Carneros and South Napa Valley. In 1999, the Phelps family added 100 acres of vineyard property near the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where…
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Sill Family Vineyards très Rosé de Chardonnay 2017 Sill Family Vineyards is a family-owned and operated exquisite boutique winery with estate vineyards producing ultra-premium, very limited production carefully hand-crafted wines. As a Court of Master Sommelier, Winemaker, Igor Sill became passionate about Bordeaux wines after being introduced to Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion and Château Lafite Rothschild in the late 1970s by H. Lyman Emerson, a renaissance gentleman and noted fine wine collector. A little about the old history of the Estate: The Sill Family vineyards has a long history dating back to the early 1800s where the Wappo Indians, a Native American Indian Tribe inhabited the Napa Valley…
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Sill Family Vineyards très Chardonnay 2017 Sill Family Vineyards is a family-owned and operated exquisite boutique winery with estate vineyards producing ultra-premium, very limited production, carefully hand-crafted wines. As a Court of Master Sommelier, Winemaker Igor Sill became passionate about Bordeaux wines after being introduced to Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion and Château Lafite Rothschild in the late 1970s by H. Lyman Emerson, a renaissance gentleman and noted fine wine collector. Sill owns and operates two distinctive vineyards, Atlas Peak Mountain vineyard located on a plateau 1,650 feet above sea level, and St. Helena terraced vineyard. The St. Helena vineyard, a half-acre vineyard, planted by famed vineyard manager, Michael…
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B.R. Cohn 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Gold 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 Gold 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,…
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Sonoma-Cutrer 2013 Les Pierres Chardonnay I first became acquainted with Sonoma-Cutrer during a Sonoma wine tasting event in the 80’s and met Brice Cutrer Jones. When I tasted his Chardonnay, in a word, outstanding, one of the best I have tasted, but that was a while ago. The Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay was my “go-to” Chardonnay until about the time Brice Cutrer Jones was no longer associated with the winery. In 1999, Brown-Forman, the Kentucky-based drinks giant acquired Sonoma-Cutrer, and 2 years later fired Brice Cutrer Jones. Since Brice’s departure, the Chardonnay was good, but not “outstanding”. I have tried several vintages throughout the early 2000’s and was not…
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Jordan Chardonnay 2014 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, but…