Bydand Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2016

Keermont Steepside Syrah is made from This is an intense wine with a bright scarlet colour. Pure grapey aromas are complimented by red spices, herbs and lavender. The palate has a gentle entry with subtle spicy fruit flavors filling the mid palate. The tight structure gives the wine a succulent dry finish with lingering flavours of red fruit, anise, liquorice and a mineral saltiness. Drink 2020-2030.

All grapes used in producing our wines are grown on Keermont Vineyards. Small parcels of grapes are selected according to optimal ripeness and harvested by hand. The grapes are vinified gently and naturally following traditional techniques.

Review:

"The 2015 Steepside Syrah comes from vines at around 350 meters above sea level, from similar clonal material to the Topside but on deep clay/loam soils, while the vines are oriented to the north. It spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 225- and 500-liter French oak barrels before being bottled by hand without filtration. This has a more fruit-forward bouquet than the Topside, featuring small red cherries, raspberry, briar and light cassis scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin and crisp acidity, quite compact at the moment and probably deserving around 18 to 24 months in bottle. Good potential here, although the Topside offers the elegance and sophistication this year. - Neal Martin"

- Vinous  (August 29th 2018), 92 pts

"The 2015 Steepside Syrah gives classic notes of blackberry, cassis and plum skin, with a structuring mineral tone reminiscent of dust—almost ashy—and lingers in the glass with hints of black pepper. The palate is dry and focused with a bright, structured core and mineral tension to the mid-palate, finishing with lingering soft, smoky spices. Only 2,571 bottles were made. - Anthony Mueller"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #245, October 2019), 92 pts

"If Topside is Alex Starey’s Côte Rôtie, then Steepside is his Cornas, a hotter, north-facing site that produces dense, ferrous, almost bloody Syrah. This is grippy and firm with layers of tannin and firm, intense dark berry fruit. 2020-30"

- Tim Atkin (South Africa 2018 Special Report), 95 pts

Betz Family Clos de Betz is 67 % Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot

"The only other 2013 reviewed on this go around (most were reviewed last year), the 2013 Clos de Betz checks in as a blend of 63% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Petit Verdot, mostly from Red Mountain and Yakima Valley, that spent 19 months in French oak. Sexy, supple, perfumed and beautifully complex, with notes of currants, dried flowers and an almost garrigue like perfume, this full-bodied beauty is already impossible to resist, yet will absolutely cruise for another 10-15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Wine Advocate (Issue #225, June 2016), 94 pts

Fenocchio Barolo is 100 percent Nebbiolo. 

Claudio and Albino Fenocchio own 10 hectares of vineyards. This Barolo comes from a blend of Bussia in Monforte d'Alba and Castellero in Barolo. The soil in Bussia is helvetian ( limestone and clayey blue marl) which contributes much to the fullness and excellent aging potential of these wines. The Castellaro vineyard is of tortonian soil (blue marl and sandstone mixed with sand) which gives a velvety mouth feel and exceptional aromatics. The vines are an average of 30 years old.

Color: Ruby red with garnet reflections
Bouquet: Rich bouquet with hints of blueberries, roses and liquorice.
Taste: Densely structured with a full, complex flavor. It is an elegant wine with firm tannins and good acidity that will become velvety and graceful with age. This wine is generous and bold. The finish is long and lingering.

Long slow natural fermentation without the addition of yeasts for 30 days. Closed stainless steel vat fermentation with frequent pumping over maintains the temperature at a constant 29°C. This extracts greater aromatics while causing the heavier tannins to break down and to precipitate out.

Acidity: 5.2
Alcohol by Volume: 14.5 %

Game, grilled and roasted red meats and ripe and mature cheeses. Dishes with truffles.

Klinker Brick Winery Zinfandel Old Ghost made from 100 percent Zinfandel.

The Old Ghost represents the best Zinfandel that Klinker Brick produces each year. Brambleberry fruit aromas intermingled with anise, clove and exotic spice, echo previous vintages. Smaller berries harvested from this vineyard block tend to offer more “skin to flesh,” providing a greater level of smooth yet firm tannin and structure to this wine. Pair with your prime porterhouse or grilled lamb. 

Appellation: Lodi (Mokelumne River)

Varietal: Old Vine Zinfandel
Brix: 27
Residual Sugar: .33
Alcohol 15.9%
PH 3.71
TA .66

Review:

Ripe fruit flavors, a firm texture and generous spicy oak make this full-bodied wine a winner. The color is deep and dark, while the bouquet emphasizes blackberry and blueberry aromas that segue to a palate of baking spices and concentrated berries. -Wine Enthusiast 91 Points

Ripe and broad-shouldered, with perky baked cherry, smoked licorice and spice flavors. Drink now through 2022. 5,000 cases made. - Wine Spectator 90 Points

Rubus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Napa Valley Cabernet

Its long finish displays full mature flavors of blackberry, currant and chocolate with just a hint of toasty oak and black cherry. The tannins are refined and polished, allowing the fruit to be the focus.

Serve this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a variety of bold preparations ranging from Osso Bucco to grilled red meats and cheeses.

Thorn Clarke Terra Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon  is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

The range is named is named in honor of the rich soils in the region which are a major factor in the Barossa’s reputation as one of the great wine regions of the world.

The wine shows a bright red with a purple hue on release. Lifted blackcurrant balances the fresh herb characters on the nose. A hint of eucalyptus is evident. The palate has bright currant characters throughout. Spice and chocolate add to the complexity of the wine. The tannins are ripe and grainy and give the wine good structure.

   Review:

"Black violet color. Aromas and flavors of plum pudding, raspberry jam, cinnamon mocha latte, licorice, dark chocolate, and eucalyptus with a slightly chewy, vibrant, dryish medium-full body and a warming, subtle, medium-long finish that presents shades of key lime pie, candied jalepeno, and orange marmalade. An inky, powerful Barossa Valley Cabernet."
- Tastings (2019), 91 pts - EXCEPTIONAL - BEST BUY