california
2007 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (California)
2007 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley (Reg: 19.99 On sale for limited time: $15.99)
Founded in 1875, St. Helena’s Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley and a member of the National Register for Historic Places. “As you drive over the mountain from St. Helena,” winemaker Laurie Hook begins, “the valley opens up before your eyes and you immediately feel transported to another time, where things are slower and more rustic.” In an effort to preserve the nuances of particular areas of Knights Valley, Hook vinifies and ages each group of berries individually. She then extends the maceration period, providing a lushness on the palate supported by enhanced tannins. This lengthened maceration also accounts for the wine’s insanely deep purple hue and chunky nose of dark fruit and candied apples. Hook ages her wines in French Nevers oak for 13 months before blending with a touch of Merlot and Cab Franc to lift the mid-palate and refine the finish. Her efforts pay off in a flawless Cabernet bursting with dark berries and leather as a touch of smoke gently wafts over the top. The quality of this wine and the fact that we are nearly $6 below the national average makes this incredible California value a no brainer.
90 Points, Shawn Reynolds
Staff Selection, March 2010
Brrrrrrrrr…
Baby, it is cold outside but wine lovers in Florida see the bright side: Perfect weather for stews, barbecue, chili, leg of lamb… and big reds. At last!
Some folks bring out the amarones, the big mountain cabs or the ports. Me, I call the chill wind “petite sirah.”
2006 Girard Petite Sirah Napa - 24.99 (22.49 by the case!)
Despite the name, petite’s very big, the John Wayne of wines. It’s an unsophisticated fieldhand working with zinfandel in old California field blends. Big in alcohol, a truckload of flavors, black berries, blueberries, raspberries, pepper and spice, chocolate and licorice, and yet its texture is lush and supple thanks to palate-friendly tannins.
While petite is a secret weapon in many great zins and newfangled table reds, it’s rich on its own. In the value cellar, petite’s my fave on the flavor-per-dollar scale. Bogle and McManis (9.99) and Ravenswood ($6.99) are consistent winners. At those prices and this weather, better lay in a case before snow blocks the passes.
Petite is not just a cousin from no-name corners of the Central Valley; Petite still grows in NapaValley and comes out elegantly in 2004 Delectus ($43.99) and Girard’s 2006 ($24.99). Up in Alexander Valley where the Seghesios show great respect to their pioneer elders, they expanded and replanted the 1895 clones to make an historic and heroic Home Ranch Petite Sirah in2005 ($31.99).
2005 Marietta Angeli Cuvee (Alexander Valley, California)
2005 Marietta Angeli Cuvee (Alexander Valley) - 24.99
“A proprietary blend of Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, and Carignane, Marietta’s Angeli Cuvee is a fruit lover’s dream. Out of the bottle it’s nearly pitch black and crazy dense, so much that you might consider eating it with a fork. The Cuvee’s near 16% alcohol content is ideal soul kindling for a chilly February evening. Though not at all sweet, it opens up with a hail of intense fruit. The experience is reminiscent of childhood, tiny fingers stained red from tearing through a bowl of perfectly ripe Bing cherries. Over the course of a couple hours it evolves on the palate, unwinding into one of the juiciest stand-alone reds of recent memory. Absolutely delicious…”
93 Points, Shawn Reynolds
February 2010
The ‘07 Chappellet Signature Cab is Back!
2007 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Signature
On November 16 – with a score of 94 – Chappellet’s 2006 Signature Cabernet garnered the # 6 spot in Wine Spectator’s coveted Top 100 of 2009. We took delivery of our first few cases of Chappellet’s new 2007 vintage a week or so prior. This might normally be something on which to keep a casual eye, but when you consider the stellar 2007 California enjoyed – a climatic juggernaut Robert Parker described as “a textbook growing season” – the 2007’s potential to eclipse the award-winning 2006 vintage is significant.
Perfect harmony on the palate, lush and velvety with soft tannins, followed by a long, smooth finish, the ‘07 Signature Cab is a full-structured wine with a huge upside for cellaring. Though quite impressive at such an early stage, it’s expected to build over the next ten years with the potential to carry past 2020.
This is a huge opportunity. Reasonably priced and as yet unscored by major reviewers, this is your chance to get a jump on a wine that will likely muscle its way into the top 5 of Wine Spectator’s 2010 Top 100. Cellar a few while supplies are ample and the price is right. Next fall, while your friends are scrambling for the remaining 2007s, just smile, pop a bottle and tell them: “I told you so.”
We recently received another shipment and have 4 or so cases on hand. Call or email me direct to secure some before it’s gone. 727-722-9108 or shawn@b-21.com
~Shawn Reynolds, B-21 California Correspondent
97-point Sonoma Coast Pinot en route
Sequana Pinot Noir Sundawg Ridge - 54.99
I had the opportunity to taste the 2007 Sequana Pinot Noir Sundawg Ridge last night and it was fantastic. The bottle I sampled was about 6 hours old, but didn’t seem to have diminished in the least. If it had, the prospect of trying a fresh bottle is pretty compelling. We secured the remaining 6 cases from the supplier and will shoot an email offer shortly.
~Shawn
“Light plum in color, looks might deceive you into thinking this wine is thin, but thin it is not. Elegant, dry, incredibly smooth, and lush with soft tannins this estate-grown and bottled, single-vineyard designate drips with deep, red fruit. It’s one of the best American Pinots I’ve had yet. Absolutely brilliant…” 95 points, Shawn Reynolds, B-21
“This distinctive Pinot Noir…is totally dry and silky and firm in acidity, yet soft in fine tannins. You might call it noble. It’s eruptive in cherries, sweet smoky bacon, raspberry granola and oaky sandalwood. Gorgeous, seductive and brilliant, a truly great Pinot Noir that’s impeccable now. ” - Steve Heimoff, 97 Points | The Wine Enthusiast
Day 1: The Road to Napa with Steve
- The Estate Vineyard at Turnbull taken from my trusty blackberry!
9:41 am
Its 39 degrees and foggy as we make our way through the wine disneyland known as Napa Valley. Our destination is in the town of Oakville but the view from the road is a “Who’s Who” of wineries and vineyards. Even through fog, the sites of wineries such as St. Clement, Beringer and Freemark Abbey elicit “oohs” and “ahs” in this idyllic setting. Check back often as I will be journaling my trip to Napa and ZAP convention (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers). I’ll be taking pictures along the way. Here is a shot of the estate vineyard at Turnbull I just took from the road.
- Steve
1:12 pm
Here's a snapshot I got of Winemaker Peter Heitz with B-21's Proprietor Bob Sprentall
The day has warmed up a bit and the sun is shining. We tasted with winemaker Peter Heitz at Turnbull Cellars. He is doing good things here with natural yeast fermentation and I’m also impressed with the vineyard management. Best of all the wines are delicious from Sauvignon Blanc on up. This is a winery to watch. I wonder how many people know they are just north of Opus One and across hwy 29 from Robert Mondavi winery.
We also had a quick visit at Louis Martini which is one of the oldest wineries in Napa valley having been established in 1933. Its interesting that their Sonoma Cabernet is our best selling Cab.
Back on the road…
5:28 pm
- Robert Foley, Winemaker
This afternoon we drove way up Howell Mtn. Rd. into Angwin and then kept going further into the boonies.
Our goal was to see Bob Foley and we accomplished that. Felt pretty honored too, as we later learned not many get that invite.Bob’s a passionate guy about wine and music, and co-runs an amazing winery with his wife. Besides Robert Foley and Switchback Ridge he also handles winemaking for a couple of other tiny-production wines.
Iconic gryphon atop a barrel at the entrance to Robert Foley's aging cave on Howell Mountain
This was a nice continuation to our time with Peter Heitz at Turnbull as both Bob and Peter, I would say make wine more by taste than by numbers. And you know it when you taste their wines. These may or may not be your favorite wines but then you won’t ever think they taste just like someone else’s wine. Both Peter and Bob are experts at coaxing flavor that reflects the terroir of the grapes with little winemaking signature. I think that increases the chances of creating something great. Actually it may be the only way.
Mountain high, prices low on great California rarities
Napa Valley, Anderson Valley, the Rhone, the Rhine, all those rivers, creeks and valleys would make you think wine grows only in the broad flood plain.
Au contraire. Many winemakers eschew good valley soil and prefer mountains and hills which are the flip side of valleys (you can‘t have one without the other). Thank goodness that rivers and seismic elves made so many in California.
I mention this because when B-21 dug out jewels for the current California sale, the best deals to me were from up in the hills, many of them home to very high priests and their cults (the kind that have waiting lists on the web).
Why are they up there? Mountaineers see many advantages: fog burns off early, rocky soil demands deeper roots, steep vineyards open canopy to more breeze and sun; the wines could be rough and tumble or brawny heroes. Maybe the remote site and 45-degree harvests made the land the last and cheapest sites? Or maybe it just appealed to the brilliant and plain ornery, from David Bruce and Martin Ray to the pioneers on Mayacamas and Al Brounstein on Diamond. They’ve appealed for more than 100 years.
No offense to the fine Rutherford dust on Napa’s valley floor, but I always look up. There would be no valley without Mayacamas on one side (Mt. Veeder, Spring, Diamond) and the Vaca range on the other (Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley and Howell Mountain). Harder to get to, but worth it for the wine and the view.
In the 25 percent sale, the climbing is easy – and sometimes $30 to $40 off.
2005 Carol Shelton Rocky Reserve Zin (On Sale - $22.49) for a limited time!
2000 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon marked down to $134.99
2000 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet also $134.99
2005 Linne Colodo Slacker Syrah blend in the rumpled hills west of 101 in Paso Robles $33.74
2005 Carol Shelton Rocky Reserve Zin from the Rockpile Road stretch high above Dry Creek $22.49
1998 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain $97.49
1991 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (largely Howell Mountain) $134.99
2003 Delectus Cabernet Sauvignon Sacrasche Vineyard above Auberge du Soleil $82.49
2004 Barnett Cabernet from Rattlesnake Vineyard on Spring Mountain $82.29
2005 Ridge York Creek Zinfandel $20.99
- Chris Sherman
2007 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma)
2007 Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.99)
A seamless amalgamation of Martini’s various Sonoma vineyards, the 2007 Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet exemplifies balance and grace. As purple swirled around my glass, ripe, dark berries, fresh asparagus, mint and toasted oak rushed to my nose. On the palate, a mildly tannic, surprisingly complex and balanced Cabernet had the cajones to stand up to wines considerably more expensive. I leaned back into my chair to hear other opinions. Bob jabbed at a broiled crab cake and gruffly muttered the word “pedigree” over and over. I couldn’t agree more. This is another shining example of the stellar 2007 California Cabernets coming down the pike, but with one distinct difference: it’s only $12… We finished the bottle – a rarity at a tasting – and all agreed that this wine is special…the little engine that could. In a world of 90+ Cabernets that start at $25 and accelerate well into the hundreds, this is truly a white tiger. Go ahead and prove us wrong. At this price you can’t afford NOT to.
90+ Points, Shawn Reynolds
January 2010
Auld lang wine: When California and Claiborne were young…
Came across a yellowed collection of gourmet commentary from the late great Craig Claiborne, one of the pioneer foodies of the New York Times. He started a newsletter in 1972 advising his readers on restaurants, recipes and wine. Our first food and wine blogger?
“Can American wines compare with those of European vineyards?” he asked in December 37 years ago. Yes, and Claiborne allowed there was even California wine in his home. To reject all California wine was “acute snobbism.”
The more intriguing comments I dusted off were more specific:
“Some of the best mass-produced wine in America are Alamden, Christian Brothers, Paul Masson and Inglenook. The wines of smaller production and with a certain elegance are Beaulieu Vineyards, Louis Martini, Wente Brothers, Robert Mondavi and Sonoma Vineyards. Even smaller and excellent are Ridge Vineyards and Hanzell.”
2007 Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.99) 92WN & 90WS
Not all of those labels are quite so proud now or in the same families, but they got us started – not so very long ago.
And they can still make great wine. The lush 2005 Mondavi Reserve Cab ($79.99) and BV’s 2005 Georges de Latour ($59.99) were among the standout big cabs of this years tasting. A major rebuilding campaign has Wente making news again, the 2006 Pinot Noir from Arroyo Seco is fine affordable Pinot. Louis Martini is especially worth remembering for Cabernet at all price points from $11.99 Sonoma Cab up to the 2005 Mike Martini Select ($79.99) which is a treasure of tradition worth keeping for decades.
Craig was right on the “little guys” too. Hanzell’s mountaintop Sonoma Chardonnays are among the richest and most long-lasting whites we have. The 2004 and 2005 are still winning 90s and are worth salting away until 2015 ($59.99). And what hath Ridge wrought? The years and the brilliance of Paul Draper are excellent in countless ways from my dear Zinfandel to Santra Cruz Chards. Just in the 2005 vintage B-21 has great lively Zins from York Creek, Lytton, Dry Creek and Ponzo, ($24.99 to $29.99).
That Claiborne was on the right track.
The Top 100 Prisoner Has Arrived…
#47 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2009: 2007 Orin Swift the Prisoner ($34.99)
Winemaker Dave Phinney has a knack for sourcing great fruit from great vineyards and combining them in a way that offers something unexpected and unique. The 2007 Prisoner from Napa Valley ($34.99) combines five grape varietals and is the third vintage of this wine to achieve Top 100 status (2003 and 2005 were the previous two). The core of this wine is Tofanelli Vineyard Zinfandel and Charbono. Tofanelli’s vineyards are organically farmed and of significant age and provide exceptional concentrated fruit. Quantities are quite limited of 2007 so this may be a bit of a last call.
Wine Spectator scored the Prisoner 92 Points. Have you tried it? Tell us what you think.