Just Arrived
Winery Notes “Our 2011 “Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay is sourced exclusively from our two estate vineyards in the heart of this cool climate appellation. The 2011 vintage was marked by low yields due to spring frost. This resulted in intense flavors with bright acid. By gently whole cluster pressing and barrel fermentation in French oak, this Chardonnay has lovely texture to balance the vibrant palate. Our 2011 estate Chardonnay offers intriguing aromas of lemon peel, apricot and toasted hazelnut. In addition to the bright fruit, this wine has aromas of white flowers. On the palate the minerality and acidity give this wine great structure, which carries through its long finish. This full bodied wine has nice acidity to keep it in balance and makes a nice complement to most seafood, poultry and pasta with lighter sauces, and makes and excellent pairing with mushrooms (especially chanterelles and morels).”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA!
The next best price is 28% higher at $17.99 / bottle
Greg Morthole, Rick Sayre, Tom Klein, & Justin Seidenfeld
Rodney Strong Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2011 ($41.95) $31.90 special
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “Lengthy and expansive, this wine offers cherry and herb on the nose, followed by a taste of chocolate and anise, with a jolt of spicy black pepper on the finish. Ready to drink now it’s also structured enough to age 2017-2019.”
The average price is $39 a bottle
Rodney Strong Symmetry Meritage Alexander Valley 2011 ($59.95) $36 special
Winery notes
“Our Symmetry meritage is created in our small lot winemaking facility, the artisan cellar. Under the direction of consulting winemaker David Ramey, we employ state of the art techniques such as cluster pre-sorting, berry sorting, and extended maceration. Only indigenous yeast and naturally occurring malo-lactic fermentation are allowed. With small tanks and equipment sized for the most discriminating vineyard selection process, this facility is truly state of the art and represents the Klein family commitment towards producing the finest wines possible. The 2011 Symmetry greets you with an opulent bouquet of blackberries, cassis, and sweet spices. It unfolds on the palate with layers of black fruits, dark chocolate and spice. This mouth-filling wine is rich and silky in texture with a long, lingering finish and the structure for several years in the cellar. Intended to be enjoyable on release, the 2011 Symmetry is destined for evolution in the bottle.”
The average price is $48 a bottleQuilceda Creek
Quilceda Creek produces five wines: their signature Cabernet Sauvignon, a varietal Merlot, and a Columbia Valley AVA Red Blend, as well as the two single vineyard wines offered here today. The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine vineyard (pictured above) was acquired in 2001, when the Golitzin Family partnered with Jim Holmes of Ciel du Cheval in the Red Mountain AVA, marking their first estate owned and operated vineyard. In 2006, Paul Golitzin and brother-in-law John Ware acquired a 5-acre vineyard located next to Champoux Vineyard on a south-facing slope. Renaming the vineyard Palengat in recognition of the French side of the family, this newest addition the Quilceda Creek vineyards , managed by Paul Champoux, produces the major Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
(Pictured from left to right: Marv (Winemaker), John (Gen. Manager), Paul (Director of Winemaking), Alex Golitzin (owner))
Just Arrived
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard Red Mountain 2011 ($199.95) $179 special limited: 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard comes all from the Golitzin’s Red Mountain vineyard and is almost all Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the richest and most concentrated wines in the vintage, it offer fabulous creme de cassis, black raspberry, graphite, toast and licorice aromas and flavors to go with a full-bodied, seamless and beautifully balanced profile on the palate. As expected, it doesn’t have the sheer wealth of material that’s present in the prior vintages, yet everything is perfectly proportioned, it has excellent mid-palate depth and notable, sweet tannin. It benefits from a decant and will have upwards of two decades of longevity.”Quilceda Creek Palengat Vineyard Red Horse Heaven Hills 2011 ($179.95) $149 special limited:4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “A blend of 61% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot, the 2011 Palengat Vineyard has a great bouquet of sweet plum liqueur, blackberry, graphite, lead pencil shavings and toast. This is followed by a full-bodied effort that has beautiful concentration (especially in the vintage), loads of texture and ripe underlying tannic structure. Reasonably approachable now, it will nevertheless evolve gracefully on its overall balance. Enjoy bottles over the coming 10-15 years.”
Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Red 2011 ($79.95) $59 special 4 cases available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2011 Columbia Valley Red Wine offers the classic creme de cassis, graphite, toasted spice and hints of licorice that seems to be present in all of the estate’s Cabernets. Medium to full-bodied, supple and already approachable, it nevertheless has the back-end stuffing to evolve gracefully for upwards of a decade.”Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Red 2012 ($69.95) $59 special 2 cases available
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2012 CVR Columbia Valley Red Wine is a declassified blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with splashes of Merlot and Malbec. It offers up plenty of classic Quilceda character with notions of blackberry liqueur, toasted spice, graphite and licorice as well as full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Already supple and approachable, yet with notable tannin structure, it will deliver the goods on release, and over the following decade or more.”
That’s so Twentieth Century…
Ric Forman founded Forman Vineyard in 1983 to produce classical style wines. His estate vineyard is composed of two parcels planted along the steep slope above the winery and another below with gravel, volcanic and pink gravel soils. The wines are fermented in small batches and aged in new French oak barrels in caves dug deep beneath the winery.
Owner and winemaker John Williams founded Frog’s Leap Winery in 1981 with Larry Turley. He converted to organic in 1988 and dry-farms the vineyards. Williams’ classically-styled estate Cabernet is produced from grapes harvested early, with a high acidity and low pH. It is aged in French oak for 18-20 months.
Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2010 ($89.95) $79 special 16 bottles available
Decanter 95 points “Seamless integration, with bright, juicy red and black fruit, ripe tannins, refreshing acidity and moderate alcohol. Layered and complex, unfolding with each sip. Drink 2013-2023.”Forman Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2004 ($89.95) $59 special 11 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Good bright ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and aromatic spices. Richer and seemingly riper than the young 2005, but with lovely definition to the flavors of redcurrant and sour cherry. This features a lusher, softer, sweeter middle followed by chewier and more obvious tannins that showed a firmer edge with aeration.” ST
The next best price is $69.55
The average price 32% higher at $78 / bottle
Forman Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2008 ($89.95) $59 special 11 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “Tightly wound, firm, dense and concentrated, with a core of dark berry, plum, roasted herb, game meat, graphite, road tar and lead pencil, ending with chewy tannins. Should reward cellaring. Best from 2012 through 2022.”
The next best price is over 25% higher at $74.99
Forman Chateau La Grande Roche Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2005 ($49.95) $33 special 12 bottles available
VinopolNotes:
This is the second label wine from Forman.
The average price is $42 / bottle
Frog’s Leap Rutherford, Napa Valley 2012 ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Frog’s Leap Rutherford, Napa Valley 2012 ($599.95) $519 pre-arrival special (that’s only $43.25 / bottle!)
Winery’s note: “This Cabernet Sauvignon has all the hallmarks of the legendary Cabernets of Rutherford: the deep, cassis-currant aromas, the classic notes of ‘Rutherford Dust,’ and the earthen flavors of cedar and black olive. The mouthfeel is plush across the palate with velvety tannins, yet balanced by bright acidy and firm structure that hints at promising years to come. Pair it with rack of lamb, N.Y. Strip, or just another glass! This wine is destined to give decades of drinking pleasure.”
Cantina del Pino 2010 Barbaresco
Arriving Next Week
Wine Advocate 96 points “Showing great persistency and length, the 2010 Barbaresco Ovello is an extremely elegant and refined expression with crushed flowers, forest fruit and strong mineral definition. The Ovello cru (at 300 meters above sea level) overlooks the Tanaro River valley where early morning fog banks appear and temperature shifts are very pronounced thus helping aromatic development of the wine. The results are ethereal and finessed. Drink: 2017-2035.”Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco DOCG Albesani 2010 ($59.95) $51.90 pre-arrival special 19 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Cantina del Pino’s 2010 Barbaresco Albesani is another huge, powerful wine. Black cherries, smoke, licorice and asphalt hit the palate in a powerful, structured Barbaresco that is going to require some time. As always, the richness and depth of Albesani comes through, but in this vintage, there is also plenty of underlying structure to allow the 2010 to age gracefully for years.”
Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco DOCG 2008 ($39.95) $33 special 3+ cases available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2008 Barbaresco comes across as quite elegant and Burgundian in this vintage. Sweet dark cherries, spices, mint and crushed flowers are some of the notes that take shape in the glass in this, bright, focused Barbaresco. The 2008 possesses terrific energy and polish from start to finish. This is a beautifully balanced wine from Cantina del Pino. The 2008 was made 50% from an east facing parcel of Ovello in the Morassino district. The other 50% of the fruit was sourced from the west-facing part of Ovello, plus Vacca’s smaller holdings in Starderi, Gallina and Albesani. How’s that for a superb quartet of vineyards? Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028.”Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco DOCG 2009 ($39.95) $33 special 2+ cases available
Antonio Galloni 91 points “The 2009 Barbaresco wraps around the palate with soft, caressing fruit. This juicy, up-front Barbaresco is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years. Renato Vacca has succeeded in giving his Barbaresco considerable finesse without losing the essential Nebbiolo tannins and overall structure. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Proprietor Renato Vacca continues to show he has the magic touch. I would be thrilled to drink any of these magnificent wines. Vacca has decided to release his 2009 single-vineyard Barbareschi before the 2008s, as he feels those wines need another year in bottle. I hope readers take the time to check out these fabulous wines. Along with Sottimano, Gaja, Pelissero and a handful of others, Cantina del Pino is one of the very few estates in Barbaresco where every single wine is fabulous”
Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco DOCG 2010 ($41.95) $33 special 18 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2010 Barbaresco is anything but a -base- Barbaresco says Renato Vacca. It is assembled from fruit sourced in Barbaresco and Neive but grapes are specially selected to make this wine. It opens to a light garnet color and Burgundian aromas of small berries, blue flowers and light spice. There-s a delicate touch of toasted pine nut at the back. Fruit from Nieve contributes more power, heft and color. Fruit from the Barbaresco township renders a sense of elegance and finesse. These wines are not clarified or filtered. Drink: 2017-2028. Renato Vacca releases his Barbaresco one year later than most and is extremely excited about 2010. I visited him on a beautiful spring day as his elderly father fumbled with a ladder to pick fruit off a cherry tree in the background. Renato and his family once sold fruit to Produttori del Barbaresco before Cantina del Pino was founded in 1997. The winery was built in 2000 and Renato introduced the Albesani cru in 2005 to offer contrast to the wine he is best known for, the Barbaresco Ovello. Together he farms five single vineyards in Neive and Barbaresco (Starderi, Albesani, Gallina and Ovello) and makes three expressions of Barbaresco.”
Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco DOCG Albesani 2008 ($59.95) $49 special 17 bottles available
Antonio Galloni & Wine Spectator 94+ points “Cantina del Pino’s 2008 Barbaresco Albesani shows the heights of pure elegance Nebbiolo is capable of. An exotic array of plums, black cherries, menthol and violets come to life as the Albesani shows off its pedigree. Silky, refined and polished, the Albesani is simply magnificent from the very first taste. The deep, resonant finish stayed with me for hours. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028.”
Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco DOCG Albesani 2009 ($59.95) $49 special 18 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “The picture of harmony, this red exudes cherry and floral aromas, with plenty of berry, tobacco and balsamic flavors. Balanced and firm, with a lingering aftertaste of spice and mineral. Accessible now, yet will improve. Best from 2014 through 2025”
Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco DOCG Ovello 2008 ($59.95) $49 special 12 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Layers of sweet, Pinot-like fruit emerge effortlessly from the 2008 Barbaresco Ovello. Incredibly refined from the very first taste, the Ovello impresses for its overall balance and sense of harmony. Expressive floral notes reappear on the finish in a Barbaresco that is unusually refined for this site, where the wines are typically a bit more taut.”