Hello, Winesippers.
While cult wines tend to be those with a hold on the psyche of the wine-buying public, the definition can vary. For some it’s style- the huge Napa Cabernets that got the cult ball rolling, like Harlan Estate, Grace Family or Screaming Eagle. For some it’s the winemaker- Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non, or Helen Turley of, well, Turley. For some it’s critical acclaim- any wine with 100 points from Robert Parker achieves immediate Cult Status. The wines we’ll be tasting this Sunday all reflect some combination of these qualities, and our friend Jessica Nenadic will be here to share them with us and fill us in on their stories. The wines are a bit pricier than we usually pour, so this month’s tasting is a titsch pricier as well- $35- but you’ll have the opportunity to taste some things you’ll seldom get to taste otherwise, and the food will be good as well. Call 326-9363 to hold your spot. The tasting is this Sunday, November 24th, at 3:30. We hope to see you there.
Cult Wines
2012 Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough $22.00
Water white color with a hint of green and gold. Lifted aromatics with peach, fig and a hint of tomato leaf. Explosive palate with white peach, underscored with subtle herbaceous notes and linear acidity. Long, juicy finish.
2011 Kistler “Les Noisetiers” Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast $60.00
Named for roasted halzelnuts, “Les Noisetiers” is the most appelation-expressive Chardonnay from Kistler Vineyards. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed into 30% new French oak for fermentation via indigenous yeast. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered after 10 months in barrel. From the winery: “Deep green-yellow. A pronounced and refined sense of minerality pierces through the initial first blush of stone fruit on the nose. Wet stone, powdered sea sand, and a slight sense of roasted grain. Perfectly balanced, the core is packed with grilled citrus, a touch of lemongrass and threaded with a vibrant acidity that reverberates across the palate. Possesses a lively, yet elegant finish that just doesn’t want to end.”
2011 Whetstone Wine Cellars “Jon Boat” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast $35.00
Garnet in color. Nose of oven-baked, dark cherry pie, cassis, raspberry and a touch of mint. Silky smooth mouthful of ripe plum, cherry, and raspberry. Finishes full and long with notes of cherry pie and cassis.
2007 Arcadian “Fiddlestix Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills $51.00
Light, bright red. Vibrant, perfumed and seductive nose shows fresh strawberry and raspberry aromas along with exotic floral and Christmas spice tones. Silky, sweet red- and blackcurrant flavors possess excellent depth and precision. Similar in character to Dujac where Joe Davis cut his winemaking teeth. Succulent and long on the tightly focused back end, and balanced to age.
2010 Hollywood and Vine “Short Ends,” Napa $35.00
This bright, fresh red wine shows sweet red cherries, dark cocoa and fragrant cigar smoke as the aromas swirl in the glass. The palate is medium-rich with boysenberry, cherry, mocha, sweet earth and blueberry notes. The finish is clean and fruit-focused. When making a movie and there’s not enough film left in the camera for another take, they replace the magazine and call the left over film stock “Short Ends.” Similarly, after crafting the Hollywood and Vine “2480” wines, they often have a little wine left from each of their world class vineyard sources, and they blend those “Short Ends” into this remarkable and uniquely delicious Napa Valley wine.
2010 Lail “Blueprint” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa $75.00
From Wine Advocate: “The outstanding, dense plum/purple-colored 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint exhibits lots of blueberry and black currant fruit intermixed with licorice, asphalt and subtle toast. With excellent richness, medium body and an elegant, pure style, it can be enjoyed over the next 10-15 years. Lail’s less expensive Cabernet Sauvignon, Blueprint, comes from four to six different appellations, ranging from the cooler Yountville and Coombsville areas in southern Napa Valley, to mountain vineyards such as Howell Mountain and further north to the warmest region of Napa Valley, Calistoga. The wine spends 18 months in French oak, of which about half is new.”