I Brand Cabernet Franc Bayly Ranch is made from 100% Cabernet Franc.
This 100% Cabernet Franc is produced from vineyards located in Tres Pinot Creek, (along San Andreas Fault Line), at only 800 foot elevation. A great locale for Cabernet Franc to exhibit Loire-like structure overlaid with the bright fruit befitting California sunshine.
Review:
"This is a sprightly, textural, mineral-driven bottling that's immediately fascinating yet will be a joy to watch evolve. Light in the glass, it begins with aromas of cranberry, nori wrap, herb-dusted strawberry and a hint of dried blood. The palate shows a rusty edge, offering dried strawberry, crumpled oregano and a hint of green peppercorn. Drink now through 2034. - Matt KETTMANN"
- Wine Enthusiast (Septmember 1st 2021), 94 pts
Ptit Paysan Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petite Verdot, 3% Cabernet Pfeffer.
Oak: 11 months on lees in neutral barrels
The Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a vineyard at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Morgan Hill, which grows in a mix of granitic and volcanic soils, and a 25-year-old vineyard east of Gilroy, which grows in deep, extremely sandy soils against the foothills of the Diablo Range. The Petite Verdot is sourced from the Paicines AVA and grows in rocky alluvial deposits above the Tres Piños Arroyo. All three vineyards experience the warm days and cold nights typical of the Central Coast, allowing these late ripening Bordeaux varieties to be picked at high acidity and moderate sugars.
Le P'tit Paysan offers intense blackberry, dark cherry aromas, chocolate, herbaceous and toasty notes on the palate. Medium-bodied, well-balanced with moderate and integrated tannins that give structure and liveliness to the wine.
Pairs well with steak, duck, game, hearty stews, ribs, and dark, rich sauces.
Le P'tit Paysan Le Ptit Pape is made from 62% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 14% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise, 2% Cinsault
Oak: Mixture of one and twice used barrels for 11 months and puncheons
Playful interpretaion of a domestic, baby, Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Cherry blossoms, dusty road, red plums, herb de Provence. Rosewater and red cherry on the palate, nimble with medium body. Grippy finish with firm Grenache tannins and hints of olive and sagebrush.
Fermented in several lots ranging from 0-50% whole cluster. Fermeted to dryness on skins.
Aged in neutral barrels for 11 months. From limestone rich soils
I Brand Melon de Bourgogne Chalone is made from Melon de Bourgogne.
The Graff Family began working in Chalone in the early 60s, with Dick Graff as the driving force behind the Chalone Vineyard, building, with the support of his brothers and a gaggle of stockholders, the original 1919 planting to international fame. After selling the Chalone group and Dick’s untimely death in a plane crash, the family’s land holdings have shrunk progressively to just this 160 acre parcel, owned by Dave Graff and his children. On those 160 acres is a small 3 acre vineyard planted in 1989 to Syrah, Mourvédre and Melon de Bourgogne. The site has depleted, granitic soils. The Melon de Bourgogne in Chalone was originally thought to be Pinot Blanc. Dick Graff distributed cuttings of these vines as far as Oregon. In the 1970s, a visiting ampelographer correctly identified the vines as Melon de Bourgogne. These vines were selected from the older ‘Pinot Blanc’ planting and can legally be labeled as either (but we like accuracy).
The wine comes from a tiny parcel of 30+ year old Melon planted on depleted granitic soils. The warm days and cold nights of the Chalone AVA produce a perfect balance of concentration and acidity, which Ian Brand amplifies with a few days of skin contact. The pure aromas of light peach, pear and gardenia are slightly toasty on the nose. The palate is defined by lemon-skin and grapefruit-pith grip, with a touch of baked apple in the midpalate.
Ilaria De Nardi Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore is made from 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 20% Corvinoni
Intense red color with garnet hints. Almond and fresh walnut aromas. Full-bodied with a good structure.
This is an excellent red wine with a supple body. The techniques used to produce this wine is typical from the area.
Excellent with cold cut, fresh and mature cheeses. Perfect with red meat and game.
Late harvest style Corvina aged on Amarone lees. The must of Amarone remains in the vat and instead of being pressed, it is topped up with high quality Valpolicella before being left to referment for about 10-15 days.
Pairs well with roasted meats.
Indwe Pinotage Coastal Region is made from 100 percent Pinotage.
Pinotage is a true South African grape variety, Our signature grape smilar to the Blue Crane being our national bird. Indwe Pinotage grapes are meticulously sourced from our grape producers along the Coastal region of the Western Cape ensuring complexity, depth and purity of fruit. The wine is layered with sweet cherry notes, and subtle hints of mocha and vanilla flavors.
J. Lohr Cuvee St. E is made from 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2016 J. Lohr Cuvée St. E captures the ripe but savory side of the Bordeaux varieties. This wine is dark in color with a bright garnet hue. Aromas of red currant, coffee bean and dark chocolate lead to a palate of ripe plum and cassis. Tightly wound tannins are typical in Cabernet Franc and present the greatest reward after a few years of bottle age.
A perfect pairing for filet mignon with a shallot cream sauce or Osso Bucco (braised veal shanks) over a bed of polenta.
Review:
Strong aromas of black cherry, toasted oak, caramel, vanilla, charred coffee bean and milk chocolate make for a heavy nose in this blend. Blackberry and dry elderberry flavors are framed by firm tannins and asphalt on the palate.
-Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
Lovely blue-black fruits running all the way through, and a whiff of toffee and burnt blackberry on the nose.
-Decanter 92 Points
Boussey Meursault Les Meurgers is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The grapes for Meursault Les Meurgers are coming from the parcel located on the route to Auxey Duresses, in a horseshoe shape ravine. The grapes always reach ripeness quite early in the season. The name of this village comes from the efforts undertaken by man to plant vines in extremely stony soils. Stones that were thrown formed piles, that are called "murger".
Rich and luxurious wine, well balanced and structured in the mouth. Beautiful golden yellow in color with green highlights. It boasts aromas of toasted nuts, ripe fruit and a very delicate oak aroma. On the palate it is dry and mellow with a lingering smooth finish.
Pair with foie gras, lobster, seafood, poultry and fruit tart.