New Arrivals

Though labeled as Zinfandel, the wine really consists of  76% Zinfandel, 9% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 5% Mataro, and 1% Alicante Bouschet. As winemakers across much of Europe know well, blending builds complexity. In this case, Petite Sirah provided tannin structure as well as boysenberry and pepper, Carignane helped create a fleshy mouthfeel along with dark cherries and coffee notes and Mataro (Mourvedre) added spice and violets. All the vines in this bottling are over 100 years old - or even 120 in the case of the Mataro. Because they produce small grape clusters and berries, the wine made from them is deeply concentrated and rich. If a list exists of California’s “wines of place,” Three’s Old Vines Zin belongs on it. 

Chasing her dogs one morning, Lindsay stumbled across a lovely Chardonnay vineyard across the borderline in Yountville. A short conversation and a handshake with the owner was all it took to procure a new source of excellent Chardonnay fruit. Fermented almost entirely in stainless steel, the wine offers a mouthfeel that’s round and creamy along with vibrant notes of pear, melon and pineapple. A generous Chardonnay that’s bright and pure and without oaky notes of butter and vanilla, Hoopla Yountville Chardonnay is a lovely wine with an affordable price. 

Despite the playful “hoopla,” this is serious and seductive Cabernet. Sourced from vineyards in Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles, the wine goes deep with concentrated dark fruit flavors but remains balanced with acidity and well-integrated oak. With alcohol of only 13.9%, this Cab is food friendly, and the reasonable price means no special occasion is required to enjoy it over a meal with friends or family.  

Fans of wines made in the footsteps of “In Pursuit of Balance” will find much to love in this well-balanced Cabernet that isn’t overripe, high in alcohol, or made with excessive oak. The source is a head-trained, 40 year-old vineyard. The grapes were destemmed but pressed as whole berries and fermented with native yeast, followed by aging in neutral French Oak to preserve the varietal fruit character. Ripe and rich with just a hint of vanilla, this is Cabernet that harkens back to the days when California wines graced big family tables, accenting the meal and and supporting, but never dominating, the conversation.

Just as mutts can be pretty awesome dogs – often healthier and more unique and even-tempered than purebreeds – Hoopla’s “The Mutt” turns an uncertain pedigree into a stellar performance. Blended from the “seconds” that don’t fit into the premium wines, The Mutt will change its constituents from vintage to vintage. In 2014, the blend is primarily Merlot (87%) with additional 7% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Largely sourced from Rutherford, this is a fun and fruit-driven wine that offers intense aromas and a juicy palate of ripe cherries and plums. Though easy to drink, it has plenty of complexity and concentration to startle the mind and stimulate the conversation. 

About this wine, the Three Wine Company says: “The Mazzoni-Live Oak vineyard is actually two separate small vineyard blocks that are separated by Live Oak Road in Oakley. They were once owned and farmed by two Italian immigrant farmers named Spike and Guido Mazzoni. The Mazzoni block is made up of predominately Zinfandel vines but is a field blend with Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mataro, and Alicante Bouschet with a few vines of Muscat of Alexandria as well. The 1.5-acre Live Oak block across the street is 100% Zinfandel. Together, the 2015 Mazzoni-Live Oak is 76% Zinfandel, 4% Mataro, 4% Carignane, 13% Petite Sirah, and 3% Alicante Bouschet. The wine is dark black and blue color to the edge, with raspberry, boysenberry, violets, supple tannins and perfect acidity. The wine shows staggering ancient (130 year-old) vine concentration with a briary density and silky, velour-like mouthfeel which is classic of this vineyard.”

While not a wine for a barbecue or, arguably, even a dinner party, Kalin’s Chardonnay is a wine to smell, savor, and get lost in like a grand novel; after all, it’s a wine with a story to tell! CH stands for Charles Heintz Vineyard, a family-owned property carved out of redwood-forested hills between Sebastopol and the Pacific Ocean that's been farmed for 100 years. While the family provides fruit to many of Sonoma’s illustrious producers, none of them make Chardonnay the way Kalin’s Terry Leighton does. Firstly, he allowed the juice to ferment slowly over 11 months, and then he aged it almost 20 years before release. Despite the age, the wine is remarkably fresh, exhibiting tension between the echoes of primary tropical and citrus fruit and the tertiary aromas and flavors of spiced apple, preserved lemon, dried fruits, almonds, pine nuts, and, of course, dried mushroom-like umami. If you like wines with a bit of oxidation - like the wines of the Jura or well-aged Rioja Blanco — or if you are curious about a style of Chardonnay no other California producer is willing to make, give this wine a try. 

Sourced from the Hoopes estate in Oakville as well as vineyards in St. Helena, Oak Knoll, southern Napa and Coombsville, this Cabernet combines the qualities of unique terroirs into a grand expression of the region. While 2014 was a rather dry year in the middle of a multi-year drought, moderate temperatures throughout the growing season allowed the grapes to develop their ripe and concentrated flavors slowly. This is a stunning wine that delivers intensity and richness. 

When it comes to Merlot, location is everything. To avoid Merlot that’s soft, over-ripe and jammy, it should be planted in vineyards that are cool but not too cold – such as in St Emilion or Pomerol, where Merlot-dominant wines are savory with great finesse and elegance. Maya’s Merlot is from a vineyard on Howell Mountain, where summer days are sunny but windy and significantly cooler than the valley floor. Planted in well-drained, volcanic soils, the vines produce grapes with small berries, giving the wines more tannin, as well as earthy flavors and subtle fruit. The 2014 Maya’s Merlot is rich, dark and complex - with leather, black pepper and meaty notes to compliment the lush flavors of black cherry and chocolate. Drink now or wait five or ten years. 

Whoa! Ramey Rochioli Vineyard? While many of Hotei’s California wine aficionados may be doing a double take, we can report that – Yes! – it’s true: in 2015 David Ramey began producing a new vineyard-designated bottling from the famed Rochioli Vineyard. Sourced from blocks within the Rochioli estate as well as a small percentage from the Allen Vineyard, which is farmed by the Rochiolis, this Chardonnay hits it out of the park. Combining Burgundian-inspired winemaking with some of the best Russian River fruit, the wine has great character and concentration: orchard fruits framed against vibrant acidity, with texture, minerality, floral notes and toast developing in the glass and keeping the experience interesting.

The estate that produces Hoopes’ flagship wine is situated in a neighborhood of such Napa Valley icons as Opus 1, Robert Mondavi, and Harlan Estate. Nevertheless, we believe Hoopes Oakville Cab can enter the ring and go the distance against any of those heavyweights. In addition to having a microclimate that’s not exactly cool or warm, the estate is blessed with easy-draining, volcanic soils, which are rare in Oakville and barely present on the floor of the Napa Valley. The winemaker, Anne Vawter, who developed her concentrated yet balanced style of winemaking while working under Heidi Peterson Barrett for four years at the Paradigm Winery, sees Oakville as Napa’s most exciting subappellation, her “solar plexus.” With 2013 widely acclaimed as the standout vintage of the decade so far, this is a sophisticated wine that’s made in an opulent style featuring black currant, dark chocolate and cherry flavors as well as a creamy mouthfeel. While this young beast delivers intense pleasure now, patience and cellaring will be rewarded as the wine ages into maturity.