J Pinot Gris Review | J Vineyards & Winery
This summer in Washington D.C. has been surprisingly mild and beautiful – which for me translates to being unusually conducive to patio wine sipping. Such opportunities call for a wine that is crisp and refreshing, but my favorite sippers are those with a bit of depth and complexity to keep things interesting.
Hess Select Cabernet Review | Your House Cabernet Has Arrived!
On a recent trip to Costco in Arlington I was originally on the hunt for one of my new favorite Spanish bargains, the Tarima Hill Old Vine Monastrell, when I spotted the Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2011.
I had tasted prior vintages by the glass at several restaurants who pour this as their house Cabernet Sauvignon, but I had never actually committed to a full bottle. It’s not often you order house wine that actually tastes somewhat varietally correct and like…real wine. I decided at under $12 it was about time to pull the trigger and give it a shot.
Big Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Big Vine Wines is cooperative of industry professionals based in the Oxbow District of Napa Valley. With two state of the art production facilities (One in Napa and one in Dry Creek) they leverage their extensive relationships within the wine industry to bring appellation-specific wines of incredible quality and value.
Though the business model of Big Vine includes purchasing already crafted wine lots, the Big Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 was handcrafted from scratch by none other than Scott McCloed of Rubicon. One of my absolute favorite wines is still Napa Cabernet and I welcome any iteration that has the character and style that I’ve come to expect without the high price tag all wine lovers have come to expect!
Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Today we’re highlighting a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon I’ve discovered from Clos Pegase Winery via Wines Til Sold Out. Located in the northern section of Napa Valley, just outside of Calistoga, the owners of Clos Pegase sought to create a world-class destination where wine would be celebrated as one of many art forms.
The winery itself is it’s own piece of artwork. 96 architects entered into a competition to design the winery, with Michael Graves winning the hard fought competition. The winery has become a destination for those who appreciate fine artwork and first-class hospitality. But I’m getting distracted… Can you tell I want to visit? Let’s get back on track and pop the cork on the Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon 2009!
Do you drink Merlot?
Probably not if you’ve seen the movie Sideways. Let’s assume that most wine drinkers have both seen the blockbuster movie Sideways starring Paul Giamiatti and Virginia Madsen and that they have had a glass of Merlot at least one time in their life. Those who saw Sideways might recall that the movie was not at all kind to this specific varietal.
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards’ former winemaker, Mac Sawyer, sadly passed away recently. Working together with founding winemaker Todd Anderson (Mac was brought on when Todd created the ultra-exclusive Ghost Horse Label) the estate produced world class wines which earned high scores and were widely recognized for their exceptional quality. His legacy lives on in the wines being produced today.
It was he who had interned at Chateau Cheval Blanc, one of the most famous wine producing estates in the world. Remember the wine Miles’ character coveted in the movie Sideways? It was a bottle of 1961 Cheval Blanc. The irony here is that despite his profound distaste for Merlot, Cheval Blanc’s annual composition is almost always at least a quarter Merlot.
Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Review | Seavey Vineyard
On our recent trip to Napa Valley during harvest we made it a point to visit Seavey Vineyard. I’ve long been a fan of their under the radar age-worthy Cabernet and wanted to see their operation and taste their current releases, especially their flagship wine: The Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009.
I left Seavey Vineyard with delicious estate Cabernet and Merlot to take home and enjoy. But that wasn’t all we took home. We had an intimate one on one experience with Dorie Seavey, the daughter of William Seavey who founded Seavey Vineyard.
Waterstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
I have to admit that I am a sucker for a good mystery, especially when it relates to wine and where the fruit is sourced. It’s always exciting to find a wine that is relatively inexpensive yet made with fruit from well pedigreed growers or producers that charge considerably more for their wines. Take the Pine Ridge Encantado Red Blend I recently reviewed for example.
I feel like these opportunities are few and far between in the wine world. As a consumer we usually have a good idea where the fruit used to make the wine was sourced (particularly when estate grown), or we have little to no idea (the winery sources their fruit from various growers). But with the Waterstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, it is rumored that the fruit was sourced from declassified Harlan Estate lots!
HALL Merlot Napa Valley 2007 | HALL Winery
Yesterday while perusing my local Costco wine selections I came across one of my favorite combinations: a great vintage from a great producer at a great price and the icing on the cake was that the Hall Merlot had scored particularly well.
Now in general my theory on critic’s scores is that they are best used as a guideline rather than a rule. With that being said, if 93 points from the Wine Enthusiast is any indication, then the Hall Merlot Napa Valley 2007 is at least worth some serious consideration.
Pine Ridge Encantado Red Blend Napa Valley 2010
I recently received an e-mail from Wines Til Sold Out touting a heavily discounted wine under what appeared to be a second label from an esteemed Napa Valley producer, only it wasn’t.
According to WTSO, an online discount wine retailer, the wine being offered was not a second label but the same juice and basically the same wine from one of Napa’s premier Silverado Trail wineries. This clever marketing tactic piqued my interest.
