The warmest vintage in a decade, 2013's growing season cooled off just in time for harvest, picking proceeded at a normal pace starting at the end of August. With a warm 2013, growers spread out canopies a bit more than usual and adjusted crop sizes to achieve a good balance of acidity and phenolic ripeness.
This wine is from France, Burgundy region, Dijon sub-region. A fresh, supple expression of the varietal, this classically structured, medium-bodied wine is sourced from the Cote dOr and the Chalonnais and blended to show pure, ripe tropical fruit flavors offset by a touch of oak. CHARDONNAY Wine
A dry red wine made from 100 Agiorgitiko grape. After harvest and fermentation, the wine is racked two to three times before it is stored in new French oak barrels for twelve months and then is transferred to the bottle for an additional six months of aging before release. The Red Stag is a deep red color with soft tannins and a long finish. It has intense complex vanilla, toasted wood and berry aromas. It can be drunk now or over the next four years. Organic wine production is a growing sector of Greek viticulture. Domaine Spiropoulos was established in 1870. The vineyard site is located in Mantinia on a plateau that is 650 meters above sea level. In the 1970s the Spiropoulos family uprooted and replanted their vineyards with younger vines. An experimental vineyard was also created to save local varieties that were nearing extinction. Since 1993, Domaine Spiropoulos has received numerous medals for its organically grown wines. The Domaine is located in Mantinia, an area in the
2012 was a superb growing season in Napa Valley, optimal ripeness combined with a smooth balance of acid and sugar levels. The fruit was hand harvested at night, carefully sorted and destemmed to tank. The fruit was then allowed to cold soak overnight before inoculation occurred. Fermentation took place over 15 days with daily punch downs. Post fermentation the wine was racked to barrel (20% new French), where it aged for 12 months prior to bottling.
: This special wine was blended from carefully selected barrels. The blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, giving it ample body and structure. The remaining varietals add finesse and a long smooth finish. You’ll notice rose and violet aromas followed by bing cherry and cassis, with a hint of vanilla from the French and Virginian barrels it’s aged in.
2011 was a challenging harvest year due to a cool summer and early rains...BUTT...our wine maker Squire (Vito Vino) Fridell used many of the techniques he has learned in his 26 years of winemaking and the result is a Bordeaux style blend that will please and amaze you.
The 2013 growing started slowly, with an extended bloom period due to cooler than average temperatures. After bloom we couldn't have programmed better growing conditions. Very warm days and cool clear nights were the norm. A few scattered thunderstorms hit sections of the growing area but there was no significant rainfall after early June, allowing for precise canopy management. Through July and August we had warmer than normal temperatures and no rainfall. Harvest ended up starting about a week early from the warm sites, but as things cooled off we were able slow down thing in the Walla Walla valley and allow the fruit to get fully mature for perfect flavors. Over all the 2013 vintage will prove to be an excellent vintage.
VINEYARD All of the grapes were estate grown in the Lodi Appellation on our 27 acre vineyard that was planted in 1995. WINEMAKING This is a new world style wine with a two week fermentation in stainless steel tanks. It has not gone through malolactic fermentation and was cold fermented at 50 degrees to preserve its full bodied flavors and fruitiness.
The Finger Lakes' rich history of road racing and winemaking are commemorated in Atwater's Stone Bridge wine series. The original Watkins Glen road course began in the village streets and wound its way through the rolling countryside. Captured in the art of local painter Bob Gillespie, the label depicts race founder Cameron Argetsinger in his 1948 MCTC crossing Cornett's Stone Bridge on mile three of the 6.6 mile Grand Prix circuit's inaugural race in 1948. Stone Bridge Red is the official wine of the International Motor Racing Research Center, Watkins Glen, NY. Every bottle sold will benefit the Center.
The 2009 vintage may be one of the best, with nice balance in all ways for both reds and whites - very good quality and yields as well as good ripeness and acids. The closest vintage in memory being 2002. Fruitfulness caused some problems early on, with large berries and full clusters pushing off berries in the cluster, but later blocks were pristine and, assuming patience to await flavor development rather than picking on simple analytical numbers like TA and brix, will be as good as any wines we’ve made.
Castillo de Maluendaa s 2009 Punto y Coma is 100 Garnacha sourced from 40-year-old estate vineyards that spent 9 months in French oak. Fragrant black cherries and creme de cassis aromas frame a sweet, succulent, forward offering that will deliver pleasure over the next 8 years. 90 Points Wine Advocate
The 2012 vintage, while starting off with a stunning resemblance to 2011, finished off the season well: average heat accumulation and cumulative precipitation. Most bud break occurred in early April. Although overall precipitation for 2012 was slightly above normal, it was not evenly distributed over the growing season. August saw low humidity, low precipitation, and high temeratures which kicked off berry ripening. 2012 brought medium sized berries, concentrated colors and intense flavors.
This wine is from Portugal, Duriense region, Douro - Porto sub-region. Fortified PORT BLEND Wine
The 2013 Chardonnay was harvested by hand in mid September. After hand sorting and a gentle whole cluster press, the wine was allowed to cold settle overnight before fermentation commenced in barrel. (20% new French, 80% neutral French.) The wine remained in barrel, sur-lie until bottling. Total elevage was 12 months.
The 2012 growing season was nearly perfect from start to finish. No rain and consistent temperatures allowed for a great fruit set and our typical long growing season led to exceptional quality grapes with excellent natural acidity and richness.
A quick swirl of the glass shows off its deep garnet color and portends its silky mouth feel while energizing a beautiful nose of honeysuckle, blueberry and rich coriander. Soft, very fine tannins glide across the palate escorting baked blackberry, fresh ripe blueberry, a shaving of orange zest accompanied by sweet baking spice and a finger pinch of fresh cigarette tobacco. This is a perfect pairing for Moroccan lamb.
As my grandmother told me about her winemaking experience 50 years ago, her face began to glow radiantly, excited to tell me about her recipe for rhubarb wine. More than that, she and I were happy to connect on a deep level, touching our bodhichittas, our inner selves connecting with one another to share, love and understand. With great love we thank Grandma Wanda for this wonderful transformation of fruit into wine and hope her spirit shines radiantly through every sip.
Our Muscat is always off-dry and always clear, clean, and crisp. To get the best Muscat, you have to pick later than you pick Pinot Noir so that the skin turns gold. The smell in the vineyard drives the animals crazy and it's a battle to keep the crop if it's a late season. It's showing very well now with a nose that reminisces of eating a peach in front of a waterfall. Serve with at least one hour's chill, but not too much - extreme cold will stifle the nose and flavor. This wine is the perfect bottle for a barbeque chicken, pork, or shrimp.
It was another cold and dry winter in the Santa Ynez Valley. Spring was mild and long with plenty of cool sunshine to awake the vines. Summer was surprising cool, but we welcomed the usual heat spikes around early September. A threatening storm quickened our pace in mid-October, as we raced Mother Nature. The mild year provided great flavor development without excessive sugar for wines of great balance.
