Holiday Wines

December, 2016

2014 Rios de Tinta, Tinta del Pais, Ribero del Douro, Spain

Made exclusively from Tempranillo vines, locally called Tinta del Pais , aged between 15 and 20 years old. The vines are planted in sandy loam with calcareous clay and limestone at an altitude of 850 meters. Fruit from three different vineyards are blended to produce this wine.

 “Bright violet color. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, lavender pastille and Asian spices, with a subtle touch of licorice emerging with aeration. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering black and blue fruit flavors that flesh out on the back half. In an energetic style, displaying zero excess fat, easygoing tannins and strong spicy persistence.” 90 points Vinous, Central Spain: Tempranillo and Beyond December 2015

This is a very big wine – still tannic without the aid of oak barrels. Better after leaving it open for a while (or the second day), this is a jammy wine with dark berries and exotic nuances of spices. Would not call the tannins easy going, but they are smoothing out. Real interesting wine for around $10…Not many Ribero del Douro wines at this price point.

2012 Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva, Maipo, Chile

91 pts. Wine Spectator: September 30, 2015

A rich, well-spiced red, with luscious flavors of tar, licorice and dark plum, supported by ample acidity and firm tannins. Offers a lip-smacking finish of dark chocolate and pepper. Drink now through 2019. 20,000 cases made. [WS 91, #32 Top 100 of 2015] [JS 92]

This wine was in the Top 100 of the Wine Spectator – you can score it for under $12. Well structured Cabernet from Chile; good balance in acidity, clean berry flavors and light tannins to carry the finish. Buy a couple bottles (or 6) to keep on hand – guests will enjoy and is a great everyday wine.

2013 Lincourt Pinot Noir, Lindsay’s Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, Ca

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points ($30) There’s a very savory, gamy element on the nose of this wine, which shows wild berries, woody shrubs, rusty iron and turned forest-floor aromas. The palate is punchy at first, with decent acidity and cranberry-plum-raspberry flavors, then clings to a pencil-lead core deeper into the sip. It offers quite a bit of complexity.

Tasting Notes

The 2013 Lindsay’s Pinot Noir is a wonderful reflection of this cooler vintage. Mouthwatering aromas of cherry cola waft from the glass, followed by a palate of ripe cherries, raspberries, and jam with a hint of sandalwood spice and vanilla. The finish is long and bright with a decent amount of acidity and soft tannins.

I’m not a big Pinot Noir fan, but this was a well made California wine that had good flavors, nice acid acid balance and a nice, yet soft finish. Very much a food wine – the earthiness was well matched with  cherry and cola notes. You can find it for under $20 – nice Pinot to have on hand.

2005 Langtry Meritage, Lake County, CA

The 2005 Langtry Meritage is a blend of the Bordeaux varieties similar to the 2004 vintage but with a greater portion of Petit Verdot. This translates into increased color and dark fruit intensity, along with complex flavors of chocolate, licorice, and spice. The tannins are rich and integrated for a nicely balanced finish.

Traditional fermentation in stainless tanks, before aging in French and American oak barrels for 18 months. The 2005 Meritage Red goes well with lighter meat dishes, such as chicken and pork chops.

Langtry was the higher level of Guenoc, the main producer from Lake County. Once owned by the Magoon family, it is now owned by the Foley family. This was a special treat – don’t know if there are many left to purchase. The wine had held up well; the tannins had retreated but left a nice red and black fruit medley that would go well with a lot of different dishes. This was from Matt, my wine guy, and I had half the bottle. Very nice.

2013 EOS Petite Sirah, Paso Robles, CA

Wine Enthusiast, 87 Points

Dried red cherries and lighter cranberries mix with black slate on the nose of this wine from a longtime regional label, now owned by Bill Foley. The palate shows lots of iron and bloody meats, along with dried cranberries and elderberries.

I love Petite Sirah – the dark brooding colors and intense flavors – this was a nice example. The variety likes the southern area (Paso Robles), as well as other Rhone style grapes. I compare Mouvdre and Petite Sirah, because they produce similar meaty, beefy wines. This was a bit pricey - $20-25 range, but it was nice to have a little bottle age to mellow the flavors.

2014 Sebastiani Gravel Bed Red, Cabernet Blend, Sonoma County, CA

Winemaker Notes

The 2014 Gravel Bed Red is dark purplish to ruby in color. Its nose is swarming with Cabernet spice, currant, black cherries, coconut wood aromatics and hints of black tea. The flavor is fruit forward with delicious blackberries followed by raspberry, underbrush tones, and dried leaves. The finish has great acidity and tannins which helps reign in the generous fruit afforded by a riper season.

Other Notes

67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot

This is a serious wine for not a lot of moola. You can get it for $25 – 30, although the winery lit is $40. Sebastiani is a long time Sonoma producer that fell into family squabbles and has since been purchased by the Foley family. The good news is that the Foley group is not trying to make all the brands “corporate” wines, forcing them into price points and market groups. They bought some great vineyards and names and invested in making them what they should be, not what they became.

The nose is very berry with nuances of spices; the fruit forward flavor of red and black berries have good Sonoma quality – notes of herbs and spices – followed by a nice finish with a little tannin. Would hold up to many types of dishes and might overpower lighter fare. Cool label design and you should pour this for guests.

2013 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA

92 Points - Robert Parker. "Offering a good contrast to the Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley offers a dense ruby/purple color and complete symmetry in its tannin, acidity, alcohol and wood. It is full-bodied, ripe, with loads of black fruits, a slight earthiness that gives it a different element than the Sonoma cuvée, and seems slightly bigger and richer than the Sonoma, but both are great values in the scheme of world-class Cabernet Sauvignons. This wine should drink well for 20 years."

Another great cab from Sebastiani – the Sonoma Cuvee is the least expensive and good. This is similar in price to the Gravel Bed Red, but mostly all Cabernet Sauvignon (89%) and 11% Merlot to round out the flavor.  Good nose of dark fruits and a full mouthfeel dark fruits and nuances of dusty herbs. Long finish with some tannins, a good balace of acidity – needs a pretty big meal to stand up to it. A real gem for the $25-30 price range. I’ll admit, I love Alexander Valley cabernets – it is the area where Jordan is located  and Silver Oak makes an Alexander Valley cabernet. Pretty good company, I’d say.

2008 Hafner Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA

Winery Notes:

At a tasting in October 2016, we tasted the 2008 and here are our notes: Youthful qualities with blackberry and milk chocolate aromas and mature notes of carpaccio and nutmeg. Lively and rich on the palate, its India ink, vanilla toastiness and spicy black pepper notes enhance the nose. It is beginning to develop some notes of bottle bouquet and has a rich, long finish that adds complexity and depth to the wine. Like all of our Cabernets, the 2008 has the balance and structure to allow it to develop for another ten years.

For 49 years, our family has worked together to create this family vineyard and winery. Those early days included our two daughters, Julie and Betsy, now living on the East Coast. Parke and Sarah’s daughter Kate has joined the winery staff to make Hafner Vineyard a three generation enterprise.

Many have written eloquently of the deep feeling that comes from working with the earth. We can attest to that. Work in such a beautiful setting has inspired us and the enjoyment our wines have given to our patrons is deeply satisfying.

Now the second generation is guiding this venture with Parke and Scott as managing partners. Mary and I draw great fulfillment from looking back on nearly five decades of our family working together here. We have a deep sense of belonging to the land and a strong appreciation of those who tend the soil and bring forth its products.

A small family owned winery, with most sales via the internet and customers ( like my brother) that keep buying these wonderful wines. This is a well structured wine – a good nose of red fruit and some earthiness, the flavors are nuanced yet very pleasing. Good backbone of acid and mild tannins, this wine melds with many beef and pork dishes.  I love when a small winery is able to survive and flourish with well made wines. The wines probably range in the $45-50 range (mine have been gifts – Thanks again, Bro).

Hope you enjoyed these littles tastes - until next time, keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines. Salut!