Frank Family Vineyards 2013 Chardonnay Carneros 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 Carneros Chardonnay, I noticed a vivid pale yellow color and wonderful aromas of…
-
-
Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Tinto Pesquera 2010 Reserva Wines produced by Alejandro Fernández are made exclusively from the difficult, quick-maturing Tempranillo variety, of which he is the acknowledged master. His world-famous Tinto Pesquera is aged a minimum of 18 months in oak, with selected Reservas and Grandes Reservas remaining in barrel for 24 months and longer. Already over 70 years old, Alejandro shows no sign of letting up, rising at five every morning and personally overseeing all stages of the winemaking. The attention to detail is evidenced in this excellent vintage. Opening a bottle the color is a very dark Ruby red with aromas of earthy red/black fruits with hints of…
-
Sequoia Grove 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Who would have guessed Napa Valley, a small pioneer community established during the gold rush days would flourish into one of the most prestigious wine growing regions in the world today? Surrounded by its purple hued mountains, Sequoia Grove Winery sits on 22 acres right in the heart of the valley floor in a region referred to as the “Rutherford Bench”. Here the alluvial soil, rich in minerals, combined with the fog from the bay, mingling with the warm inland temperatures create the ideal location to produce Cabernet Sauvignon. Michael Trujillo, the Director of Winemaking and President, has been with Sequoia Grove since its…
-
Pascal Doquet Blanc de Blancs Champagne Completely independent since 2004, this vineyard, consists of 8.66 hectares, the winery continually searches for healthier and more environmentally friendly farming methods of the terroir and the consumer without constraint. Since 2004, the brand sells under the name Pascal Doquet Mesnil Grand Cru and developed a vineyard that evolved to an organic viticulture. This is another Champagne with the words “Récoltant Manipulant” or “RM” on the bottle label, again meaning that the grapes are grown on the Estate, the Champagne is produced at the Estate and the Champagne is bottled at the Estate. The grower has full control over the quality of the wine…
-
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc N.V. Franck and his wife Jeannine after the second war commercialized the first bottles of champagne from a vineyard already connected on the lands of Avize and Oger for over twenty years. Today, Giles and his wife Ingrid Bonville, together with their son Olivier spend time tending to the operation of the winery, including updating and modernizing the facility. Their goal is to grow grapes of the highest quality and produce great wines which are fresh, delicate and elegant. If you read the label, you will see the words “Récoltant Manipulant” or “RM” on the bottle of Franck Bonville, which means that the…
-
Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier N.V. When he inherited the Champagne House in 1833, connoisseur and entrepreneur Louis Roederer took a visionary approach to enriching his vines, aiming to master every stage of the wine’s creation. He forged the wine’s unique style, character, and taste. In the mid-nineteenth century, Louis Roederer acquired some of Champagne’s grand cru vineyards, an approach that contrasted sharply with contemporary practices. While other Houses bought their grapes, Louis Roederer nurtured his vineyards, familiarized himself with the specific characteristics of each parcel, and methodically acquired the finest land. Louis Roederer’s guiding principle was that all great wine depends on the quality of the soil, a passion…
-
Silver Oak 2010 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon I recently wrote about Silver Oak Cellars having its roots dating back to 1972, see January 6, 2015 review of Silver Oak 1998 Napa Cabernet. Over time, Silver Oak continued to acquire vineyard land, including the Red Tail and Miraval Vineyards in Alexander Valley and the Soda Canyon Ranch and Jump Rock in Napa Valley. The winery also developed close relationships with longtime growers in both appellations. The result is that both the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon are blends, made from grapes grown in both wineries’ estate vineyards as well as growers’ vineyards in both regions. The…
-
Feather 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Founded in 2003, Long Shadows is the brainchild of Washington wine luminary Allen Shoup. As president and CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle and its affiliated wineries, Allen spent 20 years building the reputation of the growing region, in part by forging winemaking partnerships that brought winemakers to the Columbia Valley. After leaving Ste. Michelle, Allen spent the next three years developing Long Shadows, a proposition that was as simple as it was complex: recruit a cadre of the finest winemakers in the world; give each vintner access to Washington State’s best grapes; and outfit a winery to accommodate a diverse group of winemakers’ exacting…
-
Muga 2009 Reserva Unfiltered Since the XVII century, the Muga family has been linked to the wine world and to the area of Rioja. Fast forward to 1932 when Bodega Muga Winery was founded and today the winery operates with the same principals it did almost 100 years ago. Muga also has its own cooperage and is able to control the right touch of oak desired in its offerings. Opening a bottle, which I let sit for about an hour, the color was a glistening deep ruby. The nose was clean with plenty of ripe red and black fruit with a touch of spice. The wine is made from 70%…
-
Cakebread Cellars 2012 Two Creeks Pinot Noir Recently I commented on Cakebread’s Chardonnay, a real gem, so I wanted to dive farther into their wine offerings. 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. In 2013, Cakebread Cellars celebrated their 40th harvest, and the second generation of winemaking, however in 1994, Cakebread made their first Pinot Noir, and in 1995, the family purchased a 60-acre former apple orchard in Anderson Valley near Boonville and began developing this vineyard…