High End March
In early 2007, the wine world was rocked by Robert Parker's Spanish wine ratings. His reviewer, Dr. Jay Miller gave a coveted 100 points to Bodegas Numanthia's Termanthia - a wine from a little known region - Toro.
Toro is home to great old vine Tempranillo - here called Tinta de Toro - old vines planted on original root stock. (Toro's soil is very sandy, and the Phyloxera louse cannot live in soil - hence no grafting European vines -Vitis Vinifera - onto Vitis Lambrusca - American rootstock).
Termanthia's holdings included many small old vine plots, some ranging over 150 years old of head pruned, dry farmed Tempranillo.
Since their founding in 1998, Bodegas Termanthia has never gotten less than 90 points from Parker, with most of the scores ranging from 94 points upwards.
The wine world was equally shocked, when in late 2007, the Eguren family (winemakers and growers) and Jorge Ordoñez (importer) sold Numanthia to LVMH, a huge French luxury brands company.
What folks didn't know was that the Egurens and Jorge had built a new winery nearby, and had been quietly tending to an equally impressive collection of old vine vineyards. Soon after the sale to LVMH, they announced the formation of Teso La Monja.
Read more...
February High End Red Club
This month, we have a great selection of Napa Cab for you to choose from - both from the fabulous Bonded Winery Number Nine - home of Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon and Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.
  In 1877 the 9th bonded winery in California was established. That same winery is now home to Ghost Block, and Oakville Winery. The Bonded Winery #9 portfolio of brands is owned by a family that has been harvesting grapes in the Napa Valley for more than 100 years. The vineyards, in both the Oakville and Yountville appellations, are a sprawling 635 acres and 100% of the acres are certified organic.
The Company is committed to growing grapes without the use of chemicals. Certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers, Bonded Winery #9 uses organic vineyard management techniques. Selective leaf and shoot removal reduces fungus and mildew pressure. Cover crops like oats, peas, mustard and vetch, are planted between rows to naturally inhibit soil erosion, reduce dust, restore nutrients and encourage microbiological activity. Even grape skins and stems are composted after harvest and added back to the soil, replenishing nitrogen and potassium and increasing microbiological activity.
Read more...
|
January High End Red
 2007 is shaping up to be a phenomenal year for Napa Cabs, and we've finally gotten on the list to offer you some wine from the amazing Lewis Cellars!
This month, we offer a choice of two classic Napa Cabernets, both from Lewis Cellars: 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillstone Vineyard Napa Valley and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley.
Lewis Cellars is a small, family owned and operated winery in the Oak Knoll AVA. Each year, Randy and Debbie Lewis produce 8,500 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Chardonnay. The winery sources its red grapes from Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena, and Calistoga, and Chardonnay from Carneros, Oak Knoll, and Russian River Valley. Lewis Cellars is one of the most consistently impressive producers in California. Since debuting their label in 1994, Randy and Debbie Lewis have continued to pinpoint great vineyards to source their wines.
This is the fourth release of Lewis' Hillstone Cabernet, made from a grapes grown in a small hillside vineyard at the Rutherford home of Carol and George Biel. In 2004 and 2005 less than 4 barrels of "Hillstone Vineyard" were produced, exclusively for the Biel's Hillstone Restaurant Group. In 2006 and again for 2007, production was expanded to 10 barrels, increasing availability for a limited time. Planted in 1993, the vines at Hillstone Vineyard are rooted in cobbly, light loam soils, terraced on a steep, west-facing slope in Rutherford. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in all new French oak, the 2007 Hillstone is big and brooding with brambly oak spices, tobacco and Turkish coffee. Ripe and round at its black-fruited core, the wine is polished with fine, sinewy tannins.
Read more...
Dec. '09 High End Red Wine
 We were lucky enough to score a few bottles of Sean Thackrey's stunning single vineyard blend, Orion! Orion is an inky Rhône-style blend with an intense dark fruit nose punctuated by hints of graphite and earthy sweetness. Full-bodied, this is a boutique gem that's hard to find, even harder to get your hands on and worth every penny.
Parker gave the wine 98+ points and raved: "As for Thackrey's flagship wine, Orion from the Rossi Vineyard is a cuvée from a field blend of old vines planted in 1905. This wine, like so many of its previous renditions, has an inky purple/black color and a superb nose of blueberry and black raspberries intermixed with forest floor and floral undertones. Its striking aromatics are followed by a full-bodied wine with a multi-dimensional personality, terrific texture, purity, silky tannins, and a blockbuster finish.
Everything is in perfect balance. The wine is superbly pure, very expressive, and a real attention grabber, but at the same time it is classic in every sense. This is a beautiful example of a wine that pays homage to pre-Prohibition pioneers and their field blends, which have fortunately been preserved in this legacy wine. Drink it over the next 15 or more years.
One of California's most iconic and mystical winemakers, Sean Thackrey has logged in 20 or more vintages of consistently stunning wines that perhaps say it all with the simple quote on his label: -Sean A. Thackrey, Vintner, Bolinas, California."
Finding information to share about Sean Thackrey's wines is about as challenging as locating Thackrey's Bolinas property, which is located an hour north of San Francisco in western Marin County. Thackrey's rustic winery-in-a-eucalyptus grove is only accessible via a twisting road that ends at the Pacific's edge.
Read more...
|
2006 Quinta da Moradella Gorvia Bastardo - The Bastardo spent 14 months in French oak. It is medium 
