New Arrivals

According to the J.W. Morris website: "The J.W. Morris Chardonnay starts off with notes of pears, green apples and butterscotch on the nose. These aromatics ultimately lead to flavors of vanilla and caramel, along with pineapple, citrus and a hint of oak. This wine pairs very well with poultry and seafood dishes. It goes especially well with cedar-plank-grilled salmon."

According to the J.W. Morris website: "This very fruit-forward Pinot Noir leads with notes of blackberry and smoky aromas. On the palate, the fruit really steps forward with intense berry flavors, balanced with vanilla and spice. This wine is as complex as it is delicious and pairs well with grilled meats and vegetables. For something a bit more exciting, try it with a Thai curry dish!"

According to the J.W. Morris website: “This Cabernet Sauvignon offers intense dark fruit flavors, complemented with notes of butterscotch, vanilla, and mocha. Layered with complexity and having a great tannin backbone, this ‘weighty’ Cab always delivers. A great wine for an evening on the patio, along with your favorite steak and grilled vegetables.”

Lovers of white wines with the notes that develop with age should check out this Sauvignon Blanc from the 2006 vintage. The Dry Creek Valley features a climate that’s cooler than the Alexander Valley but not cold like Sonoma’s Petaluma Gap or Russian River AVAs; hence, Sauvignon Blanc does not have to be made in a crisp, Sancerre-like style. Indeed, the producers of Trois Voyelles clearly had white Bordeaux in mind when they made this wine. Fermented and aged in French oak and at least partially put through malolactic fermentation, this is a wine that has mellowed well into a mature state. Golden colored, this Sauvignon Blanc seduces with its rich, full body as well as aromas of guava, apricots, white raisins and dried herbs. A mouthfilling palate follows with ripe pineapple as well as notes of butter and toast that last long in a luxurious finish. Fans of Rombauer Chardonnay may find this mature Sauvignon Blanc similarly seductive and compelling with new surprises that emerge in each sip. 

While Cabernet is king in Sonoma’s warmest AVA, the Alexander Valley, the well-drained soils and Mediterranean climate can also produce Syrah that’s enticing, multidimensional and complex. Wilson Fleming’s Trois Voyelles Syrah grows at the southern end of the valley, where cool nights extend the harvest season, producing fruit with elegance and balance. At 14 years of age, this Syrah is all about the emergence of savory notes – green olives, dried herbs, smoke, earthiness – to balance out the dark fruit. Earthy tannins and acidity give structure and freshness to this wonderful example of a well-aged California Syrah. 

Piper Sonoma Brut is made in the the traditional manner of the Champagne region in France. The grapes, a classic blend of 60% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier, are hand-harvested early in the season in order to ensure high acidity and low potential alcohol. Lots from vineyards in Sonoma, Carneros and Dry Creek Valley are fermented separately in stainless steel. In early winter, the wines are tasted and painstakingly blended in order to create a cuvée that maintains consistency with earlier vintages. The final blend is bottled with bit of yeast and sweetness to kick off the second fermentation inside each bottle. After 18 months of aging on the lees and further blending with 20 – 25% reserve wines (hence, the non-vintage dating), this delightful sparkling wine is ready to drink. Combining the sophistication and elegance of fine Champagne with the sunshine and bright fruit of California, Piper Sonoma offers value that says “no special occasion necessary!”  

After a six-year hiatus, Castle Rock has again produced a Napa Valley Cabernet. While almost three dozen grape varieties grow in the Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon is clearly king, accounting for 40% of Napa’s grape production. Today, “Napa Cab” suggests a style of wine that is deep, rich, luxurious, hedonistic…. and pricey. However, Castle Rock avoids the pricey part by focusing exclusively on sourcing excellent fruit and making fine wine and avoiding such costly ancillaries as a fancy winery, visitor’s center, or art collection. Sourced from three vineyards, the wine impresses with its dark black purple color, aromas of black cherry, spice and chocolate, and a palate that’s rich and mouthwatering. A Napa Cab that doesn’t require a special occasion to enjoy it. 

If you like California Zinfandel, you’ve really been drinking Tribidrag all along. Here’s why. Many are aware that California’s “indigenous” grape is genetically identical to Italy’s Primitivo. The nerdier among us may also know that the Croatian red, Crljenak Kaštelanski, is the true ancestor of both. It turns out that Tribidrag was the name used for Zinfandel/Primito/Crljenak Kaštelanski going back to the middle ages. And who better to confidently name her Zin Tribidrag than Carole Meredith? After all, it was she who led the DNA research establishing that Zinfandel, Primitivo and Crljenak Kaštelanski are one and the same. Whatever the name, this is an awesome Mt. Veeder wine.

Mondeuse is the black grape best known for the dark, aromatically attractive wines of Savoie in eastern France. It’s also the grandparent of Syrah. But because so little Mondeuse is grown outside of Savoie, Lagier Meredith’s vineyard on Mt. Veeder may be the only spot where these two “relatives” are grown in close proximity. The vines were planted in 2007. The winery describes the wine as “a dark and lush wine with intense aromas of dark fruit and rose petals <that’s> in it for the long haul.”