Red

Question 1

Grenache Sans Liege ‘En Gedi’ Santa Barbara County California USA 2013 - $90

Answer 1

Winemaker: Curt Schalchlin (critically acclaimed winemaker for Rhone varietals- also works on the Fablest)
Vendor: Encore

“Midway upon the journey of my life
I found myself within a dark forest
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.”
(DANTE’S INFERNO I, 1-3)

Curt Schalchin, the sole owner and employee, puts an interesting touch on Rhone Varietals. Started in 2006, Curt sources fruit from some of the best vineyards in the Central Coast region for his small lot wines. Produced in very small quantities, these wines are highly allocated and sellout quickly. /Equally aligned with the freedoms of the New World and the heritage of the Rhone Valley, / German Expressionist art and Dante’s Inferno are influences to label artwork

raspberry liqueur, sage, cedar, blueberry, pepper

Question 2

Pinot Noir Burn Cottage ‘Moonlight Race’ Central Otago New Zealand 2014 - $92

Answer 2

Winemaker: Ted Lemon!
Vendor: Skurnik

Burn Cottage Vineyard Property is a twenty four hectare estate in the foothills of the Pisa range in Central Otago, New Zealand. The vineyard is owned by the Sauvage family which also owns the celebrated Koehler Ruprecht estate in the Pfalz region of Germany, as well as several fine wine importing and wholesaling companies in the United States.Dianne and Marquis were struck by the extraordinary beauty of Central Otago and became even more impressed after tasting through the region’s wines, particularly Felton Road and Gibbston Valley. The Sauvages contacted Ted Lemon owner and winemaker of Littorai Wines in Sebastopol, CA to seek his involvement in the project. The Sauvages were unaware at the time that Ted already had deep connections to New Zealand and particularly to Central Otago.

Minimal intervention winemaking with biodynamic focus!! Their task is to discover the genius of the site and of the individual vineyard blocks within and to allow the wines to reveal it / aim to minimizing sulfur usage and avoiding all additives, cultured yeasts, bacteria, associated nutrient products and filters, racking / wine work according to lunar and celestial rhythms / The name comes from a water pathway which passes through the Burn Cottage Property, one of the hundreds of water channels, “races”, to bring water down from the mountains. In their work with biodynamic farming, using the moon phases is an important part of how they farm / This is the first vintage of a second label for Burn Cottage. Sourced from 3 vineyards throughout Central Otago. This is a soft, elegant Pinot Noir with plum, floral/violet, wood smoke and gentle spice/anise and oak flavours

**other label: The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily is a fairy tale by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published in German magazine Die Horen (The Hours) in 1795, The story revolves around the crossing and bridging of a river, which represents the divide between the outer life of the senses and the ideal aspirations of the human being. This was an inspirational story for Steiner and informs his life’s work, including Bio-dynamics **

darkest fruit of Pinots, great tart balance, forest floor

Question 3

Grenache + Syrah + Mourvèdre Frequency ‘Artist Series’ Santa Barbara County California USA 2015 - $78

Answer 3

Winemaker: Zac Wasserman
Vendor: T. Edward Wine

Family owned and run boutique rhone varietal producer / We created the Artist Series as an opportunity to collaborate with our favorite musicians.We are excited to announce the first collaboration of the series: Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi. For the 2014 inaugural vintage, Chaz designed the bottle art and created an audio mix to listen to while enjoying this Santa Barbara County Rhone Blend.

rose, cherry, licorice, tobacco

Question 4

Cabernet Sauvignon Robert Mondavi ‘Lot 59’ Oakville Napa Valley California USA 1999 - $324

Answer 4

Winemaker: Robert Mondavi
Vendor:

The Robert Mondavi Winery is the best known winery in California, and with good reason. The late Robert Mondavi, who died in 2008, was Napa Valley’s most passionate ambassador and the maker of some of the valley’s very best wines. His Italian immigrant parents moved from Minnesota to Napa Valley to grow fruit, and by the 1960s they owned and operated the Charles Krug Winery. But after a feud with his brother and mother in 1966, when Robert was already in his 50s, Robert left the Krug winery and struck out on his own. He was determined to make fine wines – not the jug wines California was mostly known for at the time – and by the 1970s his Cabernet Sauvignons were impressing connoisseurs in the U.S. and Europe. Today the winery is no longer owned by the Mondavi family, though its wines continue to win high praise. Robert Mondavi Winery owns 1,540 acres in Napa Valley and its premiere wines are Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Reserve.

1999 - Very late, dry, cool growing season which depended crucially on ripeness being boosted by a late September heatwave. A late rush resulted in many varieties ripening simultaneously leading to a short, extremely pressurised harvest. Some luscious Cabernets were made as a result of the relatively new preoccupation with extended ‘hang time’. (jc)

Question 5

Nero D’Avola Brash Higgins ‘Amphora Project’ McLaren Vale Australia 2015 - $78

Answer 5

Winemaker: Brad Hickey
Vendor:

Brash Higgins is Brad Hickey’s wine label. ‘Brash Higgins’ might as easily be the title of a picaresque novel as a new wine label. After completing a degree in English Literature and Botany in 1989, Brad left his hometown of Chicago and landed in Paris, working in restaurants and vineyards. Upon his return to the US, Brad made Portland, Oregon his home. There he designed landscapes, brewed beer and baked bread. In August 1996 Brad drove cross-country to NYC where he eventually obtained the title as the first US sommelier to work under French culinary genius Daniel Boulud, at Cafe Boulud, and then to the role of wine director for four years at world renowned chef David Bouley’s duo of two Michelin-starred restaurants, Bouley and Danube. Inevitably, Brad broke with the hustle and bustle of New York and hit the road to South Australia in 2007 to work vintage at the invitation of winemaker Chris Ringland. Here, a new chapter began with the conception of the alias ‘Brash Higgins’; a nickname swiftly bestowed by Aussie friends. The new identity kept Brad off the authorities’ radar just long enough to prune after vintage, fall in love with McLaren Vale, and, ultimately, with local vigneron, Nicole Thorpe. / Grafted to our Omensetter Vineyard in 2009, this sixth vintage of the drought tolerant Sicilian varietal Nero d’Avola, the grapes were destemmed then fermented and aged on skins for six months in locally made 200L bees-wax lined clay amphoras, has a cool savoury note

“Translucent ruby in colour, with hints of lavender, nori, vermouth and stem ginger. Orange peel also present, reminiscent of an Old Fashioned cocktail, angostura bitters and all. A pomegranate, bright cherry mid-palate balanced by a refreshing sweet and sour red cherry acidity. The wine finishes with fine grained, chain link tannins as well as some savouriness from the whole bunch element.” – Brad Hickey

cherry pie, grenadine, more savory herbs on palate

Question 6

Cabernet Sauvignon Notary Public Santa Ynez Valley Santa Barbara County California USA 2014 - $85

Answer 6

Winemaker: Ernst Storm
Vendor: Encore

Notary Public was created with a desire to explore the diversity and potential within Santa Barbara County as a wine growing region. Santa Barbara County is blessed with various climates and soil diversity due to the unique East-West Mountain Ranges that open up to the Pacific Ocean. The focus at Notary Public is Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc, grown in areas where we are able to craft wines with personality of both vintage and site. Our goal is to make wines that are approachable, elegant and yet structured - wines that define our area.

Ernst Storm grew up inSouth Africa, where he studied winemaking and worked in both the Stellenbosch and Walker Bay regions.

Ultimately, we want the public’s stamp of approval on the wines we craft!
All vineyards we vinified separate. The wines wereaged in mostly neutral oak for 18 months. No fining or filtration weredone before bottling.

Question 7

Pinot Noir Marquis d’Angerville Pommard Burgundy France 2002 - $310

Answer 7

Winemaker: Guillaume d’Angerville
Vendor:

Top 5 winemaker for Côte du Beaune on GS / Wines incapsulate the identity of Volnay . A list of their holdings touches all of the village’s great terroirs, including one of the most picturesque vineyards in Volnay and a monopole of the estate, Clos des Ducs / The domaine started bottling its own production in the 1920s after the current Marquis’ grandfather, Sem d’Angerville, stood up to the negociants’ corrupt blending practices. As a result and in defiance of them, he became one of the first Burgundy domains to estate bottle their wines / Grand Cru Selections / 2002 - good vintage, sugar levels were quite respectable in the end and most wines showed their charms at an early stage (JR)

Vinification is fairly traditional at d’Angerville: The red grapes are completely de-stemmed, and all grapes are cooled and fermented with indigenous yeast, with macerations lasting 15-21 days. The free-run and press wines are combined and racked after two days of settling into barrels. A maximum of 20% new oak is used. The wines are aged in barrel for 15-18 months and are only fined and filtered if absolutely necessary before bottling. While pale in color, the wines have a history of aging very well.

red berry, savory spice, dried leaves, some anise and cinnamon

Question 8

Pinot Noir Dujac Fils & Père Morey-Saint-Denis Burgundy France 2010 - $158

Answer 8

Winemaker: Jeremy and Jacques Seysses
Vendor:

Domaine Dujac is Top 5 for Côte de Nuit GS / In 2000 Jeremy and Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac launched a new venture that redefined the role of the négociant. Under the name Dujac Fils et Père, the son/father team established partnerships with some of the top growers in Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey Saint-Denis and Chambolle-Musigny. They also continued to work with the growers in Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet with whom they had relationships under their Druid Wines label / Nearly all come from old vines with Jeremy and Jacques controlling the farming methods, yields and harvesting dates. Once at the winery the grapes are crushed, fermented, aged in 50%-new French oak barrels and bottled without filtration whenever possible.

earthy forest floor and mushroom, red cherry and blackberry

Question 9

Gamay RPM El Dorado California USA 2015 - $78

Answer 9

Winemaker: Nathan Roberts, Rajat Parr, Ducan Arnot Meyers
Vendor:

RPM was conceived in 2010 and is a collaboration between Nathan Roberts, and Duncan Arnot Meyers of Arnot-Roberts and Rajat Parr of Michael Mina and Sandhi Wines - with the help of Steve Edmunds ( producing California’s first true Gamay with Edmunds St. John’s ‘Bone-Jolly’ ) The goal of rpm is to produce world class Gamay Noir from the granitic soils of california’s sierra foothills - two sites Barsotti and Witters / The first release is the 2011 vintage / The vines at Barsotti are planted in granitic soil at 2,600’ at the edge of the American River Canyon about four miles North of Placerville. Witter’s vineyard was planted in 2000 in soil composed of decomposing granite and volcanic clay-loam at 3,400’ above the small town of Camino. Both sites are cooled by their elevation and proximity to the American River that drains the western flank of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east. The soils in this region are very similar to the those found in the Beaujolais region of France where Gamay Noir thrives. Yields are held to moderate levels to allow full development of the grapes in these difficult growing conditions. The resulting fruit has a vibrant personality with soaring aromatics, ample natural acidity, deep color and wonderful structure. / Whole-cluster fermentation, manually crushed by foot, native yeasts, no inoculations, a portion undergoes carbonic maceration, basket pressed into neutral puncheons for on year of aging, bottled unfined and unfiltered

rich, deep, herbal, dried cherries

Question 10

Cabernet Franc Habit Santa Ynez Valley Santa Barbara County California USA 2015 - $74

Answer 10

Winemaker: Jeff Fischer
Vendor:

VOICE ACTER FOR JEFF ON AMERICAN DAD BASED ON HIMSELF - on his website: “There’s a good chance that you’re here because you’ve developed a discerning taste for wine.”

Jeff met winemaker, Doug Margerum, in 2008, who helped him to make his first wines under the Habit label. Rather than the usual Chard/Pinot/Syrah path that had become almost ‘standard issue’ for Santa Barbara wineries, Jeff decided to go against the grain and focus on Bordeaux varietals. His first wine was 3 barrels of a Cab Franc-based Bordeaux Blend sourced from the warmer western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley, in Happy Canyon. Following in the Bordeaux model, he aged the wine for 2 years in barrel.
In 2009, he added a Sauvignon Blanc done in a fresh, clean, bright style. Following that, continuing to dance to the beat of his own drum, he added s Gruner Veltliner and Chenin Blanc, before finally expanding to make Pinot Noir and Grenache Rose. Today, Santa Barbara County remains the viticultural focus for Habit wines, including the AVA’s of Happy Canyon, Santa Rita Hills and Santa Ynez. For Jeff, this area’s warm days and cool nights offer the opportunity to produce wines with bright acidity, energy and vivid fruit flavors. All of the vineyards for Habit are sustainably or organically farmed and the fruit is hand-picked and sorted. In the cellar, fermentations take place using native and indigenous yeasts, with punch downs only by hand. Wines receive minimal handling and racking with extended lees contact up until bottling keep the wines bright, fresh, and clean

Ripe purple fruit, green bell pepper, rich vanilla finish.

Question 11

Sangiovese Biondi Santi ‘Tenuta Greppo’ Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany Italy 1998 - $380

Answer 11

Winemaker: Franco Biondi Sandi’s children - Jacopo and Alessandra Sandi
Vendor: Empire

Top 2 Winemaker for Brunello di Montalcino GS / Biondi Santi is widely considered the “original” creator of Brunello: The first recorded mention of a Brunello was Clemente Santi’s award-winning “select red wine (Brunello) of 1865” from his family’s Greppo estate in Montalcino at a local fair in 1867. The family has produced this wine continuously ever since, and bottles of 1888 Riservas still exist in the family cellars.Franco Biondi-Santi remained a staunch advocate of the “traditional” style of Brunello his family had crafted for over 100 years. Franco Biondi-Santi passed away in 2013 at the age of 91. His son and daughter, Jacopo and Alessandra, now helm the estate. / 1998 - Irregular vintage after another hot summer which stressed the vines. (JR)

Question 12

Syrah Marie et Pierre Bénetière ‘Cordeloux’ Côte Rôtie Rhone Valley France 2012 - $170

Answer 12

Winemaker: Pierre Bénétière
Vendor:

PierreBénétière is a self-made man and staunch Northern Rhone traditionalist cut from the mold of the great icons of the region, Gentaz-Dervieux, Verset, Juge, Allemand, etc. While Pierre grew up in a wine family, his parents did not actually produce wine, but were merchants in Condrieu selling local table wines to the bars and restaurants in the area. He eventually studied Enology and started his winery in the late `80s by acquiring a small parcel of land in the southern end of Cote Rotie (in the lieu-dit of Cordeloux near Condrieu) and clearing and planting the vineyards himself. He later added two small vineyards in Condrieu itself as well as a small parcel of old vines in the heart of the Cote Rotie appellation, on the Cote Brune and right in the middle of Guigal’s famed “La Turque”!

Bénétièreproduces three wines from his small holdings of vineyards: two Cote Roties and a Condrieu, totaling around 800 cs a year. The Cote Rotie “Cordeloux” comes from primarily granitic soils. The other Cote Rotie called “Dolium” comes from the Cote Brune parcel and is only produced in the best years. There are only 2 barrels produced of this wine, one of which is blended into the Cordeloux. Benetiére’s Condrieu comes from lieux-dits of Le Tinal - 1.5 Ha of steep terraced vineyards above Chateau Grillet - as well as 0.2 Ha in Riollement.

Stylistically, the wines are uber-classic. The reds, as you would expect are deep, dark and brooding, oozing minerals, black fruits and lovely floral notes (5% Viognier in the blend). On the palate, the wines are dense and muscular but with good freshness. New oak is around 15%

2012 - Looks good for the Rhône, against the trend of the year in Europe at large. It is defined by lower than average potential alcohol – indeed some chaptalisation was practised. Acidities are also generally below the norm, while tannins are more pronounced than in 2011 (JR)

burnt sage, purple fruit, smoked meat, black pepper

Question 13

Nebbiolo Giuseppe Mascarello ‘Monprivato’ Barolo Piedmont Italy 1993 - $525

Answer 13

Winemaker: Mauro Mascarello
Vendor:

Top 6th Barolo / Barbaresco winemaker on GS! Barolo - Castiglione Falletto Commune / The family winery was founded in 1881. They purchased the Monprivato property in 1904 and moved the estate to this site. The current owner, Mauro Mascarello, took over the family business as winemaker in 1967. Mauro is a traditionalist dedicated to long fermentations and aging in old botti. Mauro has also made important changes, like the creation of a single Barolo from the great Monprivato vineyard in 1970. Prior to that year, his family had always made their towering Barolos and Barolo Riservas by blending Monprivato fruit with grapes from other sites.

Since its first vintage in 1970, Mauro’s Barolo Monprivato has been one of the Langhe’s most consistently magical wines. The secret to its greatness can be found not only in Mauro’s winemaking but in a very special terroir. Approximately 15 acres in size on a southwest-facing slope in Castiglione Falletto, Monprivato’s chalky and gray marl soils offer textbook conditions for Nebbiolo. Analagous to a Burgundy grand cru - Mauro brought the complete site under his family’s ownership, making it one of the few great Barolo vineyards to be entirely owned by a single azienda.

Considered very traditional in their winemaking, the Guiseppe Mascarello estate employs long maceration and fermentations as well as aging in large, Slavonian oak botti for just over 3 years. They bottle with no fining or filtration.

1993 - Nebbiolo and Barbera didn’t really ripen before it rained. May be similar to 1988 (Initially over-rated, these are attractive, soft, full renditions)

rose petals, tar, tart red fruit, heavy tannin

Question 14

Valdiguié Broc Solano County Green Valley California USA 2015 - $56

Answer 14

Winemaker: Chris Brocaway -
Vendor:

Broc Cellars is a urban winery located in Berkeley, California. The winemaker Chris Brockway is acclaimed for his refined wine that show restraint / Chris Brocaway works with about ten different growers and fifteen different varieties stretching from Mendocino to Santa Ynez to the El Dorado Foothills with a winery in the flatlands outside Berkeley // Also known as Gros Auxerrois, the Valdiguié is just one of many grapes that were once famous in Southern France - Languedoc-Roussillon due in part to their high productivity. Today the Valdiguié has become an extreme rarity, and can be found more in California, known as Napa Gamay originally thought to be gamay - about 300 acres now

juicy, light body, floral hibiscus spice

Question 15

Pinot Noir Bernard Dugat-Py ‘Vieilles Vignes’ Gevrey-Chambertin Burgundy France 2008 - $250

Answer 15

Vendor:

22 Top for Côte de Nuit GS / The Dugat family have been winegrowers in the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation since the beginning of the 17th century. Bernard Dugat and his son, Loîc are the 12th and 13th generation to exploit the unique knowledge of wine-making and working in the vines, which has been acquired over four centuries / The Dugat-Py wines are very concentrated and lavishly oaked. Generally, the grapes are vinified 30-50% whole cluster, and fermentation starts naturally in cement or oak fermenters after 2-7 days. Pigeage is practiced twice a day, and there is no remontage, Bernard preferring to avoid the extra oxygenation. The wines are aged in casks for 18 months, with 10% new oak for the Bourgogne Rouge, 60% for the Pernand-Vergelesses and Meursault, and 100% new oak for the remaining wines. / 2008 - An accursed vintage in Burgundy, with coulure, mildew and hail all conspiring to damage yields and quality. Late September sunshine went some way to rescue the crop, however, although high acidity remains the hallmark of this vintage (JR)

Question 16

Syrah Clusel-Roch ‘Les Grandes Places’ Côte Rôtie Rhone Valley France 2001 - $275

Answer 16

Winemaker: Gilbert Clusel + Brigitte Roch & son Guillaume Clusel
Vendor: Grand Cru Selections

Top 21 Northern Rhone producer on GS - based in Côte-Rôtie, Condreiu - only 4 ha, 1250 cases / Founded in 1969 by René Clusel, the domaine assumed its present form upon his retirement in 1989. At that time, René’s son Gilbert took over with his wife Brigitte—her surname, Roch, was appended to the domaine name. Clusel-Roch has been certified organic in the vineyard since 2002, and they’re big proponents of the older selections of local Syrah known as Sérine. They began their own personal nursery in 1991, selecting cuttings from their older vines with the goal of better expressing the terroir of Côte-Rôtie.

Clusel-Roch’s vineyards are primarily in the northern sector, and their wines display power and grip, often needing significant bottle aging to show their best / The top wines are aged in barriques for 24 months, and the percentage of new oak used today is between 10-30% each year (their new oak usage has decreased since the mid-2000s). The red wines are firm in structure and usually require time to show their quality. The whites are vinified one-third in tank and two-thirds in oak, and all wines are pressed with a wooden, horizontal basket press.

2001- One of the most successful regions in France in 2001. Almost as good as 1999 if more elegant and less concentrated than 2000.Very respectable levels of ripeness and good acidity and ripe tannins to support them.

lavender, black/red fruit, bacon, balsamic

Question 17

Pinotage David & Nadia Sadie ‘Siebritskloof’ Swartland Western Cape South Africa 2015 - $56

Answer 17

Winemaker: David & Nadia Sadie
Vendor:

The Sadies, who used to be based ina tiny winery of their own, are now installed on the Paardebosch farm with its considerable acreage and restored 220-year-old cellar which they describe as ‘our ultimate wine dream came true’. Here they not only make wines under the Paardebosch label but also under their own labels described thus: ‘Our cellar and company is called David & Nadia which is our “umbrella” for the different projects we do. We have two wines, a Pinotage and a Semillon from our home farm which falls under our “Siebritskloof Series” project. This refers to the valley where we are based in the Paardeberg.

Planted on the highest slopes of the Paardebosch farm, in the Paardeberg, these dry-land farmed bush wines were planted in the 1990’s. Starting every season with the harvesting of Pinotage, these early ripening grapes allow for great freshness to be achieved as it escaped the heat waves of the Swartland during the rest of harvest. Long, but delicate extraction during fermentation and then matured for only eleven months in older French oak barrels.

tart strawberry and raspberry, rich pomegranate, medium lasting tannin

Question 18

Tinta Barroca Sadie Family ‘Treinspoor’ Swartland South Africa 2013 - $98

Answer 18

Winemaker: Eben Sadie
Vendor:

Eben Sadie is considered one of the great preservationists and visionaries in the new generation of South African winemakers. To Eben, the vineyard and fruit are part of the story—the truest expression of his art and philosophy. The wine writer Neal Martin recently called Sadie an “outspoken, peripatetic, terroir-obsessed winemaker who has been instrumental in putting Swartland on the map. He produces a small portfolio of comparatively expensive, but highly coveted wines based on Rhone varieties sourced from his seemingly never-ending search for pockets of old bush vines and unique terroirs. These are cerebral wines built to age.” / The Sadie Family Old Vine Series Treinspoor 2013, named after the railway line that runs alongside the vineyard, is 100% Tinta Barocca from 40+ year old vines. Eben noted that “In 2013 the Treinspoor, with cooler weather, a bit of rain and later ripening just seemed to be a perfect fit to this parcel.” As a result, he succeeded in making one of the best Treinspoor vintages to date.

what is Tinta barocca like and where does it come from

Question 19

Zinfandel Dashe ‘Todd Brothers Ranch Old Vines’ Alexander Valley California USA - $79

Answer 19

Winemaker: Michael & Anne Dashe
Vendor: Skurnik

Dashe Cellars is a family-owned artisan winery located in the heart of the Urban Wine Country in Oakland, CA.

Michael and Anne Dashe founded Dashe Cellars in 1996, focusing on crafting exceptional single-vineyard wines. Dashe Cellars blends the two winemaker’s combined 40-plus years of experience at such noted wineries as Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château La Dominique, Ridge Vineyards, Cloudy Bay, Far Niente, Chappellet, and Schramsberg Wine Cellars. Drawing on this wealth of experience, the Dashes create vineyard-focused wines that capture the complexity and character of top vineyards throughout Sonoma County and beyond. Although known for its exceptional single-vineyard Zinfandels, Dashe also crafts excellent Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Riesling.

Aromas: Cassis, plum, black cherry, blackberry, chocolate, licorice, with floral notes of lavender and voilets. Spice notes of cedar, eucalyptus, and pepper.
Taste: Lush, round, balanced, with sensuous mouth-filling texture. Blackberry, black current, and black cherry fruit, firm acid and silky tannins in a very structured wine. Long, sweet, fruit finish of blackberry and cassis.

Question 20

⬧Merlot + Cabernet Sauvignon + Syrah + Zinfandel Jax ‘Y3 Taureau’ Napa Valley California USA 2014 -

Answer 20

Winemaker: David Jackson, Trent Jackson, & Kirk Venge (consulting winemaker)
Vendor: Domaine Select

Boutique Calistoga winery - In 1993, David Jackson purchased a small but exceptional dry-farmed vineyard in northern Calistoga. Shortly after, his son Trent was inspired to join the new family business and build on his father’s dream. Trent produced and bottled his first vintage in his San Francisco garage and then hired consulting winemaker Kirk Venge to lead the way. Locals started to hear about this winery and started buying up the super-limited production of their Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. In 2002, Trent’s sister unhesitatingly jumped on board and put the wines in the hands of San Francisco and New York restaurateurs, much to the pleasure of sommeliers and guests alike.

Expanding from their single vineyard, family-owned Cabs, the Y3 series allows them to utilize venerable winemaker Kirk Venge’s access to premium Napa fruit of prodigious quality, and expand their portfolio to other varieties. Jax Vineyards goal is to produce wines of great value that accurately reflect their varietal nature. The Y3 symbol was the brand at her grandfather’s cattle farm and is a testament to their dedication to family owned, farmed lands and the purest expression of vines and their soil.

The name Taureau, was the name of the Jackson family’s prized bull, legendary for his feisty, high-kicking and vibrant personality. When perfecting this wine at their blending session, the JAX team concurred that the character of their infamous bull reflected the structure and elements of this indulgent red blend… and what a perfect tribute to their family ranching legend.

Fully bodied, with dark fruit, and spice

Question 21

Cabernet Franc Château Yvonne Saumur Champigny Loire Valley France 2014 - $84

Answer 21

Winemaker: Matthieu Vallée
Vendor:

In 1997, Yvonne and Jean-François Lamunière decided to recreate the abandoned vineyard with the help of Francoise Foucult - wife of one of the greatest at Clos Rougeard - fine, age worthy produces of wines from Saumur Champigny. In 2007, Matthieu Vallée took over and decided to keep the name Chateau Yvonne in hommage to the incredible work done by the previous owners. Today the domaine is one of the best producers in Saumur, composed of 3 hectares of Chenin Blanc and 8 hectares of Cabernet Franc, spread out over 28 small plots in three villages. The vineyards have been farmed organically (Ecocert certified) since 1997 and biodynamically since 2012. Yvonne’s production remains extremely low, averaging only 2000 cases annually. All vineyard work here is done manually, and Matthieu makes the wines with as little manipulation as possible: native yeast fermentation, no additions other than SO2, slow malolactic fermentation, minimal racking, and bottling unfined and unfiltered. The dominant soils here are limestone and tuffeau stone but outcroppings of gravel and sandy clay give completely different expressions of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc.

Black and red fruit, herbal, savory, some green notes

Question 22

Carignan Vinca Minor Mendocino County California USA 2016 - $68

Answer 22

Winemaker: Jason Charles
Vendor: Jenny & François Selections

Jason Charles spent time after College working as a photographer in the US, Mexico, and Europe. He caught the wine bug waiting tables in New York City restaurants. After experiences working in vineyards in Saint Emilion in Bordeaux and the Sonoma Coast, Jason started the Vinca Minor label to “explore the intersection between farmer, winemaker and artist.” He believes in organic farming, and attempts to make the wines as naturally as possible, always working with indigenous yeast, never filtering or fining, and racking only once before bottling. Jason started last year with a special plot of very old carignan vines in Redwood Valley, Mendocino, and will harvest a second vineyard of Merlot in Napa Valley in 2014 for the first time. / Old vine & dry farmed. Native yeast fermentation with 85% whole cluster inclusion. Pressed dry into neutral french oak. Bottled un-fined and unfiltered / Red fruits, spice,high toned flowers & herbs.

bright red fruit, silky tannin, savory herbs

Question 23

Grenache Château Rayas ‘Réservé’ Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rhone Valley France 2004 - $625

Answer 23

Winemaker: Emmanuel Reynaud
Vendor:

The spirit of Jacques Reynaud, the godfather of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is always present. When the legendary owner of Château Rayas died suddenly in 1997, Jacques’ sister, Françoise, asked nephew Emmanuel Reynaud to take the reins at both Château Rayas and Château Fonsalette. Already making wines at his father Bernard’s Château des Tours, Emmanuel agreed. Château Rayas was purchased by Emmanuel’s great-grandfather, Albert Reynaud, in 1880. Albert’s son, Louis, studied agriculture and took an interest in the land. After years in the battlefields of the First World War, Louis decided to plant Grenache on the sandy soil of the estate, which at that time was mostly forest. In 1981, Louis’ son, Jacques, took over and furthered the fame and recognition of Château Rayas. Emmanuel is somewhat reclusive, and can be found working his vineyards at most any time of day, every day. He does not revel in the fame and notoriety that come with making such sought-after and acclaimed wines, and he continues to carry the mantle of his famous forebears, producing hauntingly aromatic wines at his three estates: Château Rayas, Château des Tours and Château de Fonsalette. Even today, visiting Rayas is like taking a trip back in time; the estate did not even have electricity until the late 1980s. Emmanuel continues in the traditional style, while moving forward as the heralded winemaker of one of the world’s most sought-after wines. Here, in addition to creating the wines of Château Rayas, Emmanuel also produces Pignan, expressing a different approach to this unique terrior. Composed of three separate vineyards - Le Couchant, Le Levant and Le Coeur - Château Rayas occupies one of the most unique sites in the world. The estate is surrounded by towering pine trees (pignan in French) that monitor the air flow into the vineyards, and the vines are planted in very fine sand that regulates their temperature and maintains humidity around the roots. This seemingly magical sand creates its very own microclimate - and exceptionally elegant wines. While 13 varietals are permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Emmanuel uses only one for Rayas’ red wines: Grenache. For the whites, he uses Grenache Blanc and Clairette. Grapes come from the three vineyards, are vinified and aged separately in old barrels, then are blended to achieve Emmanuel’s vision for the vintage, always adhering to Château Rayas’ signature style.

2004 - sterner version of some very lusciously fruited wines with drinking pleasure in the medium term (JR)

bright red fruit and flowers, red meat, rooibos tea

Question 24

⬧Sangiovese Rootdown ‘Jane’s Vineyard’ Mendocino County California USA 2016 - $56

Answer 24

Winemaker: Mike Lucia
Vendor: Coeuer Wine Company

Mike Lucia, considered one of the most talented young winemakers in California, got his start in wine at a very early age growing up in Healdsburg, Sonoma. After working for producers such as Ridge and earning a viticulture degree from Fresno State, Mike became the assistant winemaker at Copain in 2010. He oversaw Copain’s ‘Tous Ensemble’ program and most aspects of their day to day winemaking. Upon Copain’s sale to Kendall Jackson, Mike jumped ship to start Rootdown in 2014. He only made rosé at Rootdown for the first couple years, but has now recently added a white and a red

Organic. 100% Sangiovese. Sourced from Janes Vineyard in Mendocino County. The idea behind this wine is to be fresh, full of energy and not extracted. To achieve this, there were no pumpovers or punchdowns. Instead, he simply wet the cap by pitcher and let the ferment ride out naturally. Because this is a spontaneous fermentation, (and in order to keep the native yeasts healthy) he fully drained the tank halfway through fermentation, gave it a bunch of oxygen and pumped it back into the ferment to finish. Keeping the style in mind, he pressed early and let it finish off in tank and then aged it in neutral barrels for only 7 months. 48 cs produced.

rich black fruit, black licorice, floral, tomato leaf

Question 25

Mourvèdre Dirty & Rowdy ‘Familiar’ California USA 2016 - $72

Answer 25

Winemaker: Hardy Wallace
Vendor: Jenny & François

The Dirty (Hardy & Kate) and Rowdy (Matt & Amy) families got together for a simple purpose; make honest wines that we want to drink. There’s a long story about Dirty and Rowdy involving blogs, videos, dream jobs, Atlanta, late nights spent cooking spicy fried chicken in an old cast iron skillet, and a sincere love of real wine and real food. After years of fried chicken it was only logical that we would start a band…or better yet, a winery. In 2010 we began making wine—these are wines with knees, elbows, and open hearts

Hardy got his start as a relatively dissatisfied technology sales rep who was able to distinguish value cru Beaujolais and rhone wine from expensive Bordeaux on a list at business dinners when the economy took a plunge and expense accounts were shrinking. Inspired by wine blogs, he ended up hitting it off with Atlanta food blogger Matt Richardson on a blind blog date. With Matt’s editing help, Hardy became the social media manager for Murphy Goode Winery in Napa. Wanting to create a wine of their own but against all odds, Matt and Hardy pooled their money together to produce two barrels of wine from California-esoteric varietals mouvedre and semillon - advocating for natural winemaking, $7000 concrete eggs, and breaking the mold in general. They have an incredible digital presence which allows them to engage with their consumers and has fostered their direct to consumer business, selling most of their wine that way which makes for killer profits. Today they make 2000 cases but could easily fill 5000.

“untinkered with wines so many soils and miles mostly Mourvèdre”
They source fruit from organic vineyards to make wines that knocked our socks off with their lightness, energy, and depth of earthy flavors. Believes in natural wine making - compares natural wine making to sushi, showcasing the source.

tart red fruit, bubblegum, sandalwood spice

Question 26

Merlot + Cabernet Franc Jonata ‘Fenix’ Ballard Canyon Santa Ynez Valley California USA 2013 - $145

Answer 26

Winemaker: Matt Dees
Vendor:

From the minds behind Screaming Eagle, comes its sister winery JONATA; quite possiblyCalifornia’s next Big Cult Winery and Santa Ynez’s First! / Dedicated to expressing a range of red—and a handful of white—wines from its estate in the Central Coast of California’s Ballard Canyon appellation within Santa Ynez Valley, Jonata is one of a new breed of producers throughout the world who are thriving with a non-traditional amalgam of varieties and blends. With a commitment in particular to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, and informed by cutting edge viticulture, winemaking and a polyface approach to their estate, the Jonata wines are on the vanguard of an emerging quality movement in California winegrowing / The name Jonata pays homage to the 1845 Spanish land grant, Rancho San Carlos de Jonata. At the time the land grant covered a large part of the Santa Ynez Valley. Today’s Jonata is at the heart of the former land grant. / The Ballard Canyon in California’s Central Coast Santa Ynez Appellation is one of California’s most notable emerging locations for superlative Rhône variety wines; while few have succeeded with Cabernet varieties here, Jonata’s sandy site and its team’s winegrowing know-how have produced results that are widely recognized as the best ever seen from this region.

ripe black plum, dark chocolate, coffee, potting soil

Question 27

Grenache + Syrah Ochota Barrels ‘The Green Room’ McLaren Vale Australia 2016 - $84

Answer 27

Winemaker: Tara (ex bass player European flying winemaker) & Amber Ochota
Vendor: Vision Brand Wines

Ochota Barrels is based in Lenswood, in the cool high altitude climate of Adelaide Hills. Taras and Amber Ochota conceived of Ochota Barrels as a way to produce small batch super premium single vineyard wines sourced from magnificent old vineyard sites in McLaren Vale, Barossa and Adelaide Hills. Both are accomplished winemakers who have travelled and worked in California, Italy and Sweden. In Australia Taras worked at Two Hands and Nepenthe./ Their winemaking approach is minimalist. Hand harvested organic fruit is partially whole bunch basket pressed, fermented with native yeast, bottled unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulfur.

Taras takes a less is more approach to winemaking and infuses his background and love for music into his wines in both a literal and figurative sense. Literally the majority of the wines are named after favorite bands/songs (Shellac, Fugazi, Slint, I am the Owl, etc.). Figuratively Taras says that “Music and wine are so connected in so many ways, I reckon you can often see the styles of music people like in the wines they make. I like edgy music, rawer, sharper, and my wines tend to be all elbows and knees sticking out. Someone else might like folk music, and they make rustic, countryesque wines. And then you get mainstream big production wines that taste like music that’s been overdubbed and Auto-Tuned and had things taken out and put back in.”

The term ‘The Green Room’ refers to a performer (or wine in this case) that is not quite ready for the big stage. While this offering may not be the most well-known of Taras’ wines, it will soon
see its time on stage. It is made in a very approachable and slurpable style

Small berries, Whole Bunches, Miniscule yield! 66% Grenache 34% Syrah handpicked at dawn March 10 and 15. Cold soaked for 4 days until wild yeast fermentation, gently hand plunged 55 days on skins with 80% whole bunches. Basket pressed to seasoned barriques for 4 months, gravity racked, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Alcohol 13.8% / 298 cases

tart red cherry, purple flowers, black pepper

Question 28

Syrah Stolpman Ballard Canyon Santa Barbara County California USA 2014 - $65

Answer 28

Winemaker: Kyle Napp & Sashi Moorman
Vendor: Sussex Wine Merchants

Founded by trial attorney Thomas Stolpman 20 years ago (at the nudging of his wife, who encouraged him to follow his viticultural dream), the winery has always set their focus on family, place, and Rhône varietals in the cool climates of Santa Barbara, particularly the limestone outcrop of Ballard Canyon. We know the story of their sustainable farming practices and year-round employment, and the wines are treated very naturally, vineyards are dry farmed, and wines ferment with the natural native yeasts of their vineyard. Sashi Moorman, renown California winemaker and consultant, joined Stolpman in 2001, and still consults each vintage, as well as purchases heirloom wheat varieties from the Stolpman Ranch for his wood-fired boutique bakery.

Black plum and Black currant, Peppery bouquet - The 2014 Syrahs are generally mid-weight wines (within the context of Ballard Canyon) made with more attention towards finesse than pure power.

Question 29

Syrah Thierry Allemand ‘Reynard’ Cornas Rhone Valley France 2010 - $375

Answer 29

Winemaker: Thierry Allemand
Vendor:

4th top Northern Rhone producer on GS! Based in Cornas - 5 Ha, 1500 cases / The son of a Valence factory worker, Thierry Allemand built his domaine from scratch after dropping out of school and discovering his love of the vine while working with Robert Michel. Thierry bought his first small plot in 1981 and continued to collect small plots here and there, tending his vines on the weekends while spending weekdays chez Michel (he only began working for himself fulltime in the mid-1990s). An inquiring mind, Thierry has continually evolved his winemaking.After starting out with a by-the-book approach, literally “making” his wines by adding yeast, tannin and enological enzymes as well as utilizing mechanical crushing and de-stemming, he abandoned all of these practices after seeking advice from older growers in the area, especially Noël and Louis Verset. He also eliminated racking and reduced the use of sulfur in his wines, believing that these two factors contributed to the perception of Cornas as a rustic, aggressive wine.

The approach at Allemand is traditional. Viticulture is organic and the yields have historically been low. The wines are not de-stemmed, and all pigeage is done twice daily by foot. The wines are aged in either old 228-liter barriques, 600-liter demi-muids, or larger 9-hl foudres; they are not racked and are bottled after 18-24 months in wood. Sulfur usage is very low, and the wines are not fined or filtered before bottling. The wines are powerful and aromatic, but more elegant than the village’s reputation for “hard, rustic wines” would lead one to believe.

His commitment to minimal doses of sulfur dioxide puts him in the same school of thought as such renowned traditionalists as Marcel Lapierre (Beaujolais), Domaine Gramenon (Southern Rhône), and Domaine Léon Barral (Languedoc). The cult status that Thierry’s wines have achieved is well-earned praise for this quiet hero of Cornas.

2010 - Low yields of exceptionally good quality. One of the very best years in the northern Rhône - possibly the best in history!

rustic, chunky tannin, black fruit, licorice, mineral, black pepper