The Prisoner 2013 Napa Valley Red Wine Established in 2009, The Prisoner Wine Co. emerged with the change in tenure of the Napa Valley red blend and the typical California Zinfandel. With over a decade of winemaking experience at Ravenswood crafting Zinfandel, winemaker, Jen Beloz started The Prisoner Wine Company along with a family of growers and a winemaking team to grow and produce a selection of premium blends, including Cuttings, Blindfold, and Thorn. The Prisoner was created and inspired by the drinkable “mixed black grapes” first made by the Italian immigrants who originally settled in the Napa Valley. In 2003 The Prisoner was launched and soon became the…
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Flowers 2013 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay As nursery owners in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Walt and Joan Flowers had long dreamed of combining their love of wine with their passion for agriculture. They knew they wanted to produce their favorite varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; what they didn’t know was that their path would eventually lead them across country to Northern California’s rugged Sonoma Coast. After responding to a small classified ad in a national wine publication, that’s exactly where they landed. In 1989, after many information-gathering trips to Napa and Sonoma, Walt and Joan purchased 321 acres, including a ridge top, high above the Pacific Ocean on the northern Sonoma Coast.…
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Quinta de Pancas 2011 Grande Escolha Quinta de Pancas was founded in 1495 by the Guimarães family and remained under their ownership up until 2006, when Companhia das Quintas acquired it. Located in Estremadura, “Alto Concelho de Alenquer” next to the Pancas Village, the property is noticeable for the architecture of the manor house, especially the entrance arch and its panels with tiles from the 16th Century. Estremadura is a prolific wine region located at the center of Portugal’s Atlantic coast. Despite being one of the country’s most productive vinicultural areas, its name remains relatively obscure, as its wines have traditionally been labeled with the names of the local sub-regions…
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Rombauer 2013 Chardonnay Carneros Koerner Rombauer was born and raised in Southern California, in the small, agricultural town of Escondido, near San Diego. He attended public schools in Escondido and went to the same high school as Joan Ransome, who would later (in 1959) become his wife. Koerner’s first great career passion was flying, and was a commercial pilot with Braniff and flew as a captain along a South American route until the airline ceased operations in 1972. The Rombauers moved their family, two horses, and five dogs from Dallas to the Napa Valley. They purchased 40 acres of hilltop land on the Silverado Trail, near St. Helana, however without…
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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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Quinta do Vallado 2013 Douro Reserva Branco Quinta do Vallado, established in 1716, is one of the oldest and most famous “Quintas” in the Douro Valley. It once belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, and still belongs to her descendents. It lies on both banks of the Corgo River, a tributary of the Douro river, near its mouth, close to the town of Peso da Régua. For almost 200 years, Quinta do Vallado´s main activity was the production of Porto wines that were commercialized by the Ferreira Port House (belonging to the Ferreira family). Following Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira´s great achievement, her Great grand-son Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, and…
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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…
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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…
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Gemola 2007 Colli Euganei Rosso Merlot Cabernet Franc Vignalta was founded by Lucio Gomiero in 1980 who proclaimed that he could produce wines as good as anything in Bordeaux. Colli Euganei is located in the Northwest region of Italy and shares the same lines of latitude with Bordeaux. The estate is spread over 123 acres on the south facing slopes of Colli Euganei, an area with unique soil and varietal combinations. Colli is Italian for “hills” and Vignalta translates to “high vines”. The Colli Euganei, with their volcanic origin, has terrains rich in minerals, a mild climate and good thermals producing extraordinary grapes. Their wine cellar is completely dug into…
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Ferrari-Carano 2009 Mountain Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 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 2009 Mountain Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and noticed a deep Ruby color with subtle aromas of black fruits. The palate shows dark berries and cherries, somewhat complex with the presence of firm tannins. The wine is aged in French…