Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Ch. Margaux 1990 - Truly worthy of 100 Points!
Monday, December 14, 2015
Hundreds of Rudy Kurniawan counterfeit wines destroyed
More than 500
counterfeits of the some of the world's finest wines have been crushed
at a Texas waste disposal site almost exactly two years after their
maker, Rudy Kurniawan, was convicted of wine fraud in a US court. See
photos of the destruction below.
A Container of smashed bottles bearing some of the wine world’s most renowned names, including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Château Pétrus, was all that remained of more than 500 of the Rudy Kurniawan counterfeit wines destroyed by US Marshals late last week.
It is almost two years to the day since Kurniawan was convicted of making and selling copycat versions of fine and rare wines, as well as of fraudulently attempting to obtain a $3m loan.
He produced counterfeit wines at his Los Angeles for several years in an elaborate operation that involved concocting blends in his kitchen sink and printing off fake labels on his computer.
See photos below of several Kurniawan wines being destroyed.
After being pulverised, glass will go to be recycled, while the
liquid contents of the bottles is set to be used as compost, US Marshals
said.
Around 5,000 bottles authenticated as genuine and found in Kurniawan’s private cellar were this month being auctioned by US Marshals.
‘Every thing that’s being destroyed here today has been deemed either counterfeit, that it was part of his scheme, or that had no sale value,’ said Jason Martinez, assistant program manager for the US Marshals Asset Forfeiture Division. His comments were reported on Kvue.com in an article cited by US Marshals on its own website.
At the time of Kurniawan’s conviction, it was believed that some of his counterfeit wine remained unaccounted for.
In mid-2014, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to re-pay $28.4m to victims. His lawyers have continued to appeal against the conviction and argued that their client was penniless.
It is almost two years to the day since Kurniawan was convicted of making and selling copycat versions of fine and rare wines, as well as of fraudulently attempting to obtain a $3m loan.
He produced counterfeit wines at his Los Angeles for several years in an elaborate operation that involved concocting blends in his kitchen sink and printing off fake labels on his computer.
See photos below of several Kurniawan wines being destroyed.
image:
https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2015/12/Kurniawan-counterfeit-wines-crush-1-630x417.jpg
At the demolition in Texas, bottles of counterfeit wine were lined up to be crushed by a crane.
Rudy Kurniawan counterfeit wines await destruction at a Texas landfill site. Credit: Lynzey Donahue / US Marshals
Rudy Kurniawan counterfeit wines meet their end in Texas. Credit: Lynzey Donahue / US Marshals
The damage after Rudy Kurniawan counterfeit wines are destroyed in Texas. Credit: Lynzey Donahue / US Marshals
‘Every thing that’s being destroyed here today has been deemed either counterfeit, that it was part of his scheme, or that had no sale value,’ said Jason Martinez, assistant program manager for the US Marshals Asset Forfeiture Division. His comments were reported on Kvue.com in an article cited by US Marshals on its own website.
At the time of Kurniawan’s conviction, it was believed that some of his counterfeit wine remained unaccounted for.
In mid-2014, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to re-pay $28.4m to victims. His lawyers have continued to appeal against the conviction and argued that their client was penniless.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Next thing you know, James Bond will be drinking English "Champagne"!
Taittinger to plant vineyards in UK
9th December, 2015 by Neal Baker
Champagne Taittinger is establishing vineyards in the UK, becoming the first Champagne house to invest directly in English sparkling wine.
Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and Patrick McGrath MW
Around 35-40 hectares will be planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Some 20,000 to 25,000 cases are expected to be initially produced.
“We have dreamt for a number of years of working with our dear friends in the UK to create a special Franco/British project,” said Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, president of the Champagne house. “We are very excited that this dream is now becoming a reality.”
The purchased land is a former orchard near Chilham in Kent, close to Canterbury and Faversham.
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier vines will be planted to produce English sparkling wine, although the exact planting figures are not yet known.
The plots have an “ideal terroir” for producing sparkling wine, sitting at a maximum of 80 metres above sea level with chalk soil and south-facing slopes, Taittinger said.
No wine will be produced until the land is fully transformed from orchards into vineyards, with no definite time-scale so far in place.
It is estimated that planting will begin in May 2017, although it could start as quickly as May of next year. However, the first wines will likely not be seen on the market until the mid to late 2020s.
Taittinger has insisted that the English sparkling wine it will produce should not be directly compared to Champagne.
“Our aim is to make something of real excellence in the UK’s increasingly temperate climate, and not to compare it with Champagne or any other sparkling wine,” he said.
Champagne houses have been rumoured to be searching for plots in the south of England for some time as they seek to capitalise on its increasingly similar growing conditions with the famous French region.
Land prices are considerably cheaper in the UK than in Champagne, with an unplanted hectare in Kent costing £10,000 to £15,000 and rising when under vine. A top Champagne vineyard can cost between €1-2 million per hectare.
Furthermore, with sales of English sparkling wine expected to continue rising, the likelihood of further investment from Champagne is increasing.
Taittinger has not revealed the exact financial details of its investment in Domaine Evremond, named after Charles de Saint-Evremond, a 17th century poet and courtier to King Charles II who is buried at Westminster Cathedral.
UK distributor Hatch Mansfield is a joint partner in the venture, along with a number of unnamed private investors.
Patrick McGrath MW, managing director of Hatch Mansfield,
expressed his belief in English sparkling wine, saying: “Our aim is not
just to be an English sparkling winemaker, but also to be a significant
supporter of the whole English wine industry.”
English vineyards are forecast to double in capacity and production over the next seven years, according to trade group English Wine Producers.
The prediction was revealed in September as politicians
toured one of the UK’s biggest wine producers, Rathfinny Wine Estate,
where they also heard about the Sussex winery’s application to the EU to
have the county fully recognised as a wine appellation.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Pinot Noir more Popular than Cabernet Sauvignon according to Wine-Searcher!
Pinot Pips Cabernet as Most Popular Variety
We look back over the past 12 months to see what you've been searching for.
Judging by what you've all been searching for, Rudolph's nose won't be the only thing that's red this Christmas.
Driven by a sense of curiosity that verges on downright nosiness, we drilled down into our databases to find out what you'd been searching for all year. Not just the usual suspects, like perennial favorites Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Latour, but what types of wine people were looking for interested us – and how much you were willing to pay for them.
The
results contained some surprises. We knew that red wines were likely to
be more popular for searchers, but not to the scale of the past 12
months, when red wine searches outweighed white wine searches by a
factor of 2.5.
Another surprise was which varieties were most popular. Given that five of the 10 most searched for individual wines are Cabernet-based, you'd think that Cabernet Sauvignon would be the major variety being searched, but it is Pinot Noir that emerges as the most popular individual grape, in searches classed by variety.
With almost 11 million searches for Pinot-based wines, compared to a relatively paltry 8.2m for Cabernet in the 12 months to November, this is the second year in a row that more people have searched for Pinot. In the previous 12 months, there were 9.8m Pinot searches and 6.7m Cabernet searches.
Another notable trend is the fading of Zinfandel. Despite Zinfandel producing three times as much wine last year as Syrah in California, drinkers are keener on the Rhône red grape, with searches for Syrah outstripping Zinfandel after spending the previous period virtually neck and neck. Perhaps growers in the US should consider planting more Syrah.
Whites have remained mostly static, with Chardonnay far and away the leading variety, with Sauvignon Blanc a distant second. Contrary to the sommelier brigade, there is no sign of Riesling's oft-trumpeted resurgence. In fact, despite the almost-unanimous praising of Riesling by wine writers for some years now, consumers would appear to less persuaded each year. In the 12 months to November, Riesling searches declined by more than 10 percent from the previous period, falling from 1.71m searches to 1.52m.
One thing was very clear about the way white and red wines are seen by our users – they are more likely to spend up on red wine than white. Once the grape varieties were divided up into three broad price brackets (less than $10, $10-30 and more than $30), it became abundantly clear that more people were willing to search for expensive reds, while economizing on the whites.
The vast majority of red wine searches were in the $10 and more categories, while the whites were where the bargain hunters looked for savings, with most people looking for something less than $30.
Driven by a sense of curiosity that verges on downright nosiness, we drilled down into our databases to find out what you'd been searching for all year. Not just the usual suspects, like perennial favorites Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Latour, but what types of wine people were looking for interested us – and how much you were willing to pay for them.
| Related stories: |
| Most Searched-For Wine a Shock Result |
| America's Most-Searched-For Grape Varieties |
| America's Most Expensive Wines |
Another surprise was which varieties were most popular. Given that five of the 10 most searched for individual wines are Cabernet-based, you'd think that Cabernet Sauvignon would be the major variety being searched, but it is Pinot Noir that emerges as the most popular individual grape, in searches classed by variety.
With almost 11 million searches for Pinot-based wines, compared to a relatively paltry 8.2m for Cabernet in the 12 months to November, this is the second year in a row that more people have searched for Pinot. In the previous 12 months, there were 9.8m Pinot searches and 6.7m Cabernet searches.
Another notable trend is the fading of Zinfandel. Despite Zinfandel producing three times as much wine last year as Syrah in California, drinkers are keener on the Rhône red grape, with searches for Syrah outstripping Zinfandel after spending the previous period virtually neck and neck. Perhaps growers in the US should consider planting more Syrah.
Whites have remained mostly static, with Chardonnay far and away the leading variety, with Sauvignon Blanc a distant second. Contrary to the sommelier brigade, there is no sign of Riesling's oft-trumpeted resurgence. In fact, despite the almost-unanimous praising of Riesling by wine writers for some years now, consumers would appear to less persuaded each year. In the 12 months to November, Riesling searches declined by more than 10 percent from the previous period, falling from 1.71m searches to 1.52m.
One thing was very clear about the way white and red wines are seen by our users – they are more likely to spend up on red wine than white. Once the grape varieties were divided up into three broad price brackets (less than $10, $10-30 and more than $30), it became abundantly clear that more people were willing to search for expensive reds, while economizing on the whites.
The vast majority of red wine searches were in the $10 and more categories, while the whites were where the bargain hunters looked for savings, with most people looking for something less than $30.
Talk to us about Screaming Eagle's Second Flight 2012 and Opus One's Overture!
We have nice quantities for sale!
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Screaming Eagle Questions
10 Things We Don't Know About Screaming Eagle
Every wine lover knows the cult Cabernet, but W. Blake Gray still wants answers.
I've tried for some
time to visit Screaming Eagle, but its owner, reclusive Colorado
multi-billionaire Stan Kroenke, doesn't do interviews. And its
management has chosen not to allow an interview with its winemaker. But
my editors kept asking for a Screaming Eagle profile, because many
people come to Wine-Searcher looking for its wines. What's a writer to
do?
I offered to write a 10 Things... article about Screaming Eagle, but they would all be from Wikipedia and the like, and if you're interested in the winery you probably already know them. This is a brand that makes its money through mystique. Everyone has heard of it, but few have tasted it. Keeping the brand mysterious is good marketing, so let's explore that with 10 Things We Don't Know About Screaming Eagle.
1. We don't know how much wine they make.
Scarcity is a big reason for Screaming Eagle's desirability. Originally the wine came from only a one-acre plot on a 57-acre (23-hectare) vineyard Jean Phillips bought in 1986. The debut 1992 vintage got 99 points from Robert Parker and because there was so little – only 225 cases – everybody wanted it; that's how California wine works. Phillips had the entire vineyard replanted to (mostly?) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in 1995. In 2006, when the brand and vineyard were sold to Kroenke and Charles Banks, Banks said the vineyard needed to be replanted again, though the goal wasn't to make a lot more wine. But 57 acres is a lot of land, enough to make thousands of cases of wine. And does anybody really measure how much wine Screaming Eagle is making?
2. We don't know how (or if) Nick Gislason's winemaking differs from his predecessors'.
Gislason is a wunderkind; he succeeded Andy Erickson in 2010 as Screaming Eagle winemaker at the age of 28. Much of what we know about him comes from a long interview in 2012 with a friend from the small town in Washington state where he grew up. Gislason said the 2011 vintage was the first that was "100-percent Nick", but 2011 was an aberration for Napa Valley, a rainy and cool year, the last before the drought. And Michel Rolland is reportedly still consulting, plus Gislason said Erickson still pops in now and then. Is Gislason doing anything new to put his stamp on the wines?
3. We don't know what Robert Parker would think if he tasted the wines blind.
Nobody can objectively review a bottle knowing that it is "Screaming Eagle." Many psychological studies show how our perceptions of a product are affected by knowing its price. Not only does Parker not taste blind; he apparently often tastes Screaming Eagle at the winery, with the winemaker. This leads to all sorts of bias, not the least confirmation bias, given that Parker is the man who first touted the greatness of Screaming Eagle. What if he put it in a comparative blind tasting of other single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabs? Would he still call it, as he did in 2012, a "perfect wine?"
© Ed Anderson/Arsenal | Charles Banks (L) teamed up with Raj Parr among others after splitting with Stan Kroenke.
4. Come to think of it, we don't know what Robert Parker's tasting notes for the 2012 Screaming Eagle mean.
Parker writes: "Made in the classic, iconic Screaming Eagle style that the original proprietress, Jean Philipps, first showcased in the early 1990s, before the winery was sold to Stan Kroenke, the inky/purple-colored, seamless 2012 possesses an extraordinary set of aromatics consisting of pure blackcurrant liqueur, licorice, acacia flowers, graphite and a subtle hint of new oak. Full-bodied, opulent and voluptuous, this profound wine is as prodigious as I thought it would be last year when tasted from barrel." Does Screaming Eagle have a classic, iconic style? What's the implication that it changed when it was sold to Kroenke? What's Parker trying to say?
5. We don't know why the Sauvignon Blanc is so expensive.
I've had Screaming Eagle Cabernet; it's good. I haven't had the Sauvignon Blanc because at $3900 a bottle on Wine-Searcher, it's crazy expensive. It was allegedly supposed to be a small treat for certain mailing-list customers and restaurants, and now it fetches more than the Cabernet. In the macro sense, we know why it's so expensive: scarcity, which is no longer an issue with the Cabernet, as you can order that and have it by next Friday (see point 1). But here's Parker on the Sauvignon Blanc: "There's nothing terribly special about it, and I can think of a dozen or so Sauvignon Blancs made in nearby vineyards that are richer, more complex, and just better wines at much lower price points." Why the hell do people pay $3900 for Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc?
6. We don't know why Charles Banks left Screaming Eagle.
Banks and Kroenke bought it together, but then Banks left to build his own empire of wineries including Mayacamas Vineyards, Sandhi, Qupé, Wind Gap, South Africa's Mulderbosch and New Zealand's Trinity Hill. Banks didn't need the money from selling his share of Screaming Eagle. He told Wines & Vines in 2014: "We had a great run until my partner, Stan Kroenke, decided he didn't want a partner anymore." Perhaps Kroenke, estimated to be worth $6.3 billion by Forbes, made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Or perhaps Banks wanted to own a different kind of winery. If you look at those names that he bought, all of them are known for sommelier-friendly, non-blockbuster wine. Did Banks want to take Screaming Eagle in a different direction?
7. We don't know which of Stan Kroenke's "children" he likes best.
Kroenke, whose wife Ann is the daughter of Walmart founder James "Bud" Walton, owns the NFL's St. Louis Rams, the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and is the largest shareholder in the English Premier League football club Arsenal. He also owns some minor sports franchises and Land Report magazine ranks him as the US's ninth-largest landowner, two places above the Ford family, who made money on a successful venture in motor vehicles. Screaming Eagle isn't listed until the next to last paragraph of his lengthy Wikipedia page, and even then it's under "Other business."
© Screaming Eagle | The Cabernet originally came from just one of the vineyard's 57 acres.
8. We don't know how well the wine will age.
For what it's worth, the Wine Advocate, which is as bullish on the long-term potential of Napa Cabernet as any publication, says that every wine through the '99 vintage is now "Late" in its maturation process, which means "in the last third of the range."
9. We don't know why the eagle is screaming.
But we don't know why the caged bird sings either. "Screaming Eagles" is the nickname for the US Army's 101st Airborne Division, which took part in the D-Day landings. The designation is still in use for the division, which last year was dispatched to western Africa to help contain the spread of ebola. Red wine also has many medicinal uses.
10. We don't know if Screaming Eagle wines are worth the money.
It depends on how you're going to use the wine. Are you going to drink it with dinner, maybe a nice steak? Or perhaps in your den in front of a crackling fire? Then no, it's almost certainly not worth the money; there are plenty of wines you will like just as much at one-tenth the price. Are you going to give it to your Cab-loving boss while you're up for a big promotion? Or to a politician whose vote you want on crucial legislation? Or use it to lure your favorite Hollywood star to your table? Then it's probably worth it – assuming you get the job, he votes your way, and she doesn't turn out to be an impersonator in drag.
I offered to write a 10 Things... article about Screaming Eagle, but they would all be from Wikipedia and the like, and if you're interested in the winery you probably already know them. This is a brand that makes its money through mystique. Everyone has heard of it, but few have tasted it. Keeping the brand mysterious is good marketing, so let's explore that with 10 Things We Don't Know About Screaming Eagle.
| Related stories: |
| 100 Parker Points Give Screaming Eagle Prices Wings |
| Charles Banks: Life After Screaming Eagle |
| Screaming Eagle Thwarts "Selfish Greed" |
Scarcity is a big reason for Screaming Eagle's desirability. Originally the wine came from only a one-acre plot on a 57-acre (23-hectare) vineyard Jean Phillips bought in 1986. The debut 1992 vintage got 99 points from Robert Parker and because there was so little – only 225 cases – everybody wanted it; that's how California wine works. Phillips had the entire vineyard replanted to (mostly?) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in 1995. In 2006, when the brand and vineyard were sold to Kroenke and Charles Banks, Banks said the vineyard needed to be replanted again, though the goal wasn't to make a lot more wine. But 57 acres is a lot of land, enough to make thousands of cases of wine. And does anybody really measure how much wine Screaming Eagle is making?
2. We don't know how (or if) Nick Gislason's winemaking differs from his predecessors'.
Gislason is a wunderkind; he succeeded Andy Erickson in 2010 as Screaming Eagle winemaker at the age of 28. Much of what we know about him comes from a long interview in 2012 with a friend from the small town in Washington state where he grew up. Gislason said the 2011 vintage was the first that was "100-percent Nick", but 2011 was an aberration for Napa Valley, a rainy and cool year, the last before the drought. And Michel Rolland is reportedly still consulting, plus Gislason said Erickson still pops in now and then. Is Gislason doing anything new to put his stamp on the wines?
3. We don't know what Robert Parker would think if he tasted the wines blind.
Nobody can objectively review a bottle knowing that it is "Screaming Eagle." Many psychological studies show how our perceptions of a product are affected by knowing its price. Not only does Parker not taste blind; he apparently often tastes Screaming Eagle at the winery, with the winemaker. This leads to all sorts of bias, not the least confirmation bias, given that Parker is the man who first touted the greatness of Screaming Eagle. What if he put it in a comparative blind tasting of other single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabs? Would he still call it, as he did in 2012, a "perfect wine?"
Parker writes: "Made in the classic, iconic Screaming Eagle style that the original proprietress, Jean Philipps, first showcased in the early 1990s, before the winery was sold to Stan Kroenke, the inky/purple-colored, seamless 2012 possesses an extraordinary set of aromatics consisting of pure blackcurrant liqueur, licorice, acacia flowers, graphite and a subtle hint of new oak. Full-bodied, opulent and voluptuous, this profound wine is as prodigious as I thought it would be last year when tasted from barrel." Does Screaming Eagle have a classic, iconic style? What's the implication that it changed when it was sold to Kroenke? What's Parker trying to say?
5. We don't know why the Sauvignon Blanc is so expensive.
I've had Screaming Eagle Cabernet; it's good. I haven't had the Sauvignon Blanc because at $3900 a bottle on Wine-Searcher, it's crazy expensive. It was allegedly supposed to be a small treat for certain mailing-list customers and restaurants, and now it fetches more than the Cabernet. In the macro sense, we know why it's so expensive: scarcity, which is no longer an issue with the Cabernet, as you can order that and have it by next Friday (see point 1). But here's Parker on the Sauvignon Blanc: "There's nothing terribly special about it, and I can think of a dozen or so Sauvignon Blancs made in nearby vineyards that are richer, more complex, and just better wines at much lower price points." Why the hell do people pay $3900 for Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc?
6. We don't know why Charles Banks left Screaming Eagle.
Banks and Kroenke bought it together, but then Banks left to build his own empire of wineries including Mayacamas Vineyards, Sandhi, Qupé, Wind Gap, South Africa's Mulderbosch and New Zealand's Trinity Hill. Banks didn't need the money from selling his share of Screaming Eagle. He told Wines & Vines in 2014: "We had a great run until my partner, Stan Kroenke, decided he didn't want a partner anymore." Perhaps Kroenke, estimated to be worth $6.3 billion by Forbes, made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Or perhaps Banks wanted to own a different kind of winery. If you look at those names that he bought, all of them are known for sommelier-friendly, non-blockbuster wine. Did Banks want to take Screaming Eagle in a different direction?
7. We don't know which of Stan Kroenke's "children" he likes best.
Kroenke, whose wife Ann is the daughter of Walmart founder James "Bud" Walton, owns the NFL's St. Louis Rams, the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and is the largest shareholder in the English Premier League football club Arsenal. He also owns some minor sports franchises and Land Report magazine ranks him as the US's ninth-largest landowner, two places above the Ford family, who made money on a successful venture in motor vehicles. Screaming Eagle isn't listed until the next to last paragraph of his lengthy Wikipedia page, and even then it's under "Other business."
For what it's worth, the Wine Advocate, which is as bullish on the long-term potential of Napa Cabernet as any publication, says that every wine through the '99 vintage is now "Late" in its maturation process, which means "in the last third of the range."
9. We don't know why the eagle is screaming.
But we don't know why the caged bird sings either. "Screaming Eagles" is the nickname for the US Army's 101st Airborne Division, which took part in the D-Day landings. The designation is still in use for the division, which last year was dispatched to western Africa to help contain the spread of ebola. Red wine also has many medicinal uses.
10. We don't know if Screaming Eagle wines are worth the money.
It depends on how you're going to use the wine. Are you going to drink it with dinner, maybe a nice steak? Or perhaps in your den in front of a crackling fire? Then no, it's almost certainly not worth the money; there are plenty of wines you will like just as much at one-tenth the price. Are you going to give it to your Cab-loving boss while you're up for a big promotion? Or to a politician whose vote you want on crucial legislation? Or use it to lure your favorite Hollywood star to your table? Then it's probably worth it – assuming you get the job, he votes your way, and she doesn't turn out to be an impersonator in drag.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Asia Trip in the Fall
Lee Jorgensen is planning a trip to Asia in March and will visit the following cities:
Bangkok
Singapore
Hong Kong
Taipei
Tainan
Tokyo
Kobe
Osaka
Kyoto
Hiroshima
Details to follow!
Bangkok
Singapore
Hong Kong
Taipei
Tainan
Tokyo
Kobe
Osaka
Kyoto
Hiroshima
Details to follow!
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Simplicty, indeed!
South Korean artist designs Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2013 label
Chateau Mouton
Rothschild has commissioned a South Korean artist Lee Ufan to design the
label on its Bordeaux 2013 vintage first wine.
Some of the world’s greatest artists have illustrated Mouton Rothschild vintages for decades and the Medoc first growth has made this an annual tradition since 1945.
Lee Ufan was chosen to create the Mouton Rothschild 2013 label and he and has opted for simplicity with a purple and red mark above the estate’s logo.
Mouton Rothschild said of the design, ‘The initially indecisive
purple of the drawing gradually attains its full richness, just as a
great wine is patiently brought to engulfment in the secret of the vat
house.’
Bordeaux 2013 was one of the most challenging vintages for the region in the past two decades, but a tasting in London last week showed that several chateaux have still made good wines – even if quantities are very small in some cases.
Lee Ufan was born in a South Korean mountain village in 1936. Twenty years later, he moved to Tokyo’s Nihon University and has since built a career as an artist.
He has won the UNESCO Prize at the Shanghai Biennale in 2000 and Japan’s Praemium Imperiale in 2001, and has exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris and the Guggenheim and MoMA in New York.
Mouton’s association with artists designing its labels began in 1924, when Jean Carlu produced artwork for Baron Philippe de Rothschild.
Lee Ufan was chosen to create the Mouton Rothschild 2013 label and he and has opted for simplicity with a purple and red mark above the estate’s logo.
Mouton Rothschild 2013 label
Bordeaux 2013 was one of the most challenging vintages for the region in the past two decades, but a tasting in London last week showed that several chateaux have still made good wines – even if quantities are very small in some cases.
Lee Ufan was born in a South Korean mountain village in 1936. Twenty years later, he moved to Tokyo’s Nihon University and has since built a career as an artist.
He has won the UNESCO Prize at the Shanghai Biennale in 2000 and Japan’s Praemium Imperiale in 2001, and has exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris and the Guggenheim and MoMA in New York.
Mouton’s association with artists designing its labels began in 1924, when Jean Carlu produced artwork for Baron Philippe de Rothschild.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Fall is on the way
But the really beautiful fall colors will not covering the Wine Country for another couple of weeks at least!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Pinot Pioneer Walter Schug Dies
Rest in Peace, Sir. The creator of Joseph Phelps Insignia, an
accomplished winery owner and a lovely gentleman. My thoughts go out to
his family.
© Schug Winery
|
Walter Schug at work in his beloved winery.
Sonoma says goodbye to one of Pinot Noir's early advocates.
Walter Schug, the
man who championed the cause of Pinot Noir in Sonoma County long before
it found fame, has died at his home, aged 80, according to his family.
"He was a Pinot Noir niche person long before the movie Sideways came along and everybody was demanding it," his daughter Claudia Schuetz said. "He didn’t jump on a bandwagon. He was pushing it from the very start."
A native of Germany, Schug grew up beside the Rhine in Assmannshausen,
on the region's only Pinot Noir estate. He worked his first harvest in
1953, and was an apprentice at nine different wine estates in the Rheingau region.
In 1959, after finishing his studies with a diploma in viticulture and enology at the prestigious German wine institute of Geisenheim, Schug left for California. He spent a year expanding his knowledge while working at a winery and taking extension courses at UC Davis. Two years later, he returned to California for good, with his wife Gertrud, to work as the assistant superintendent at California Grape Products Corporation.
In 1966 he joined Gallo as the family's head of grower relations and quality control for Northern California. Gallo's involvement on the North Coast meant Schug got to know more than 500 independent growers and several thousand acres of prime vineyards in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino County.
By 1973, he joined Joseph Phelps to establish Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Napa Valley, and that year began his 10 vintages as vice president and winemaker for the new enterprise. Among Schug's contributions to Napa's burgeoning fame were the first proprietary Bordeaux-Style blend (Insignia); vineyard-designated wines like Backus and Eisele Vineyards; and the first varietal Syrah in the US. He was also a pioneer of late-harvest wines.
By 1980, however, there was little call in California for Pinot Noir, and Phelps ceased production of the varietal. Reluctant to stop working with the grape of his childhood home, and firmly believing in its future, Schug came to an arrangement with Joseph Phelps that he would continue his regular work at the winery, but produce Pinot Noir under his own private label.
Three years later, his private project had grown to such an extent that he made the decision to leave Phelps and concentrate on the Schug brand. Since then the winery has grown from a 2000-case production to 30,000 cases a year. He celebrated his 50th vintage in 2003.
His wife predeceased him and the couple are survived by their three children, Axel, who is the winery's managing partner, Claudia, the company's European sales director, and Andrea Vonk, an accountant.
"He was a Pinot Noir niche person long before the movie Sideways came along and everybody was demanding it," his daughter Claudia Schuetz said. "He didn’t jump on a bandwagon. He was pushing it from the very start."
In 1959, after finishing his studies with a diploma in viticulture and enology at the prestigious German wine institute of Geisenheim, Schug left for California. He spent a year expanding his knowledge while working at a winery and taking extension courses at UC Davis. Two years later, he returned to California for good, with his wife Gertrud, to work as the assistant superintendent at California Grape Products Corporation.
In 1966 he joined Gallo as the family's head of grower relations and quality control for Northern California. Gallo's involvement on the North Coast meant Schug got to know more than 500 independent growers and several thousand acres of prime vineyards in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino County.
By 1973, he joined Joseph Phelps to establish Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Napa Valley, and that year began his 10 vintages as vice president and winemaker for the new enterprise. Among Schug's contributions to Napa's burgeoning fame were the first proprietary Bordeaux-Style blend (Insignia); vineyard-designated wines like Backus and Eisele Vineyards; and the first varietal Syrah in the US. He was also a pioneer of late-harvest wines.
By 1980, however, there was little call in California for Pinot Noir, and Phelps ceased production of the varietal. Reluctant to stop working with the grape of his childhood home, and firmly believing in its future, Schug came to an arrangement with Joseph Phelps that he would continue his regular work at the winery, but produce Pinot Noir under his own private label.
Three years later, his private project had grown to such an extent that he made the decision to leave Phelps and concentrate on the Schug brand. Since then the winery has grown from a 2000-case production to 30,000 cases a year. He celebrated his 50th vintage in 2003.
His wife predeceased him and the couple are survived by their three children, Axel, who is the winery's managing partner, Claudia, the company's European sales director, and Andrea Vonk, an accountant.
Talk to us about Screaming Eagle's Second Flight, Bryant and Colgin 2012!
 |
| The Vineyards of Screaming Eagle on Silverado Trail |
“The
2012 Second Flight may be the highest scoring second wine I have ever reviewed.
A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, it is
completely different from the Screaming Eagle since the latter wine is at least
75% or more Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot with only a tiny dollop
of Cabernet Franc. The 2012 Second Flight offers up floral, blue and black
fruit, mocha and white chocolate characteristics. It possesses full-bodied,
silky flavors, and a finish that lasts 50+ seconds. It can be drunk now, but
should evolve effortlessly for 12-15+ years”. Robert Parker 96 Points
"Bryant's
flagship wine, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate vineyard on
Pritchard Hill offers a rare but magnificent forest floor/floral aromatic
profile with lavishly rich, ripe notes of creme de cassis, blueberry and black
raspberry liqueur. Fleshy, opulent, full-bodied and multidimensional, it
conceals some significant tannins behind its wealth of extract and fruit. From
a first-growth quality, hillside vineyard (13 acres), this 100% Cabernet
Sauvignon is gorgeously pure as well as impeccably well-balanced with a
seamless integration of tannin, acidity, alcohol and wood. In fact, the new oak
component, which is significant, is largely obliterated by the wine's stunning
fruit. This majestic Cabernet Sauvignon should age effortlessly for 25-30
years". Robert Parker 98 Points
"The
seductive 2012 Proprietary Red Bettina offers up a more Margaux-like femininity
compared to the overwhelming power and richness of the Bryant Family Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a blend sourced from three of David Abreu's
vineyards Madrona, Thorevilos and Lucia. Notes of Christmas fruitcake,
underbrush, blackcurrants, black cherries, licorice and spice box emerge from
this complex 2012. At this stage, it is more evolved and aromatically
satisfying than the pure blue and black fruits of the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Full-bodied and opulent with impeccable balance as well as purity, this wine is
already hard to resist because of its surprising complexity and poise. Drink it
over the next 15-20 years". Robert Parker 96 Points
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Meet Pepito the Parrot who loves Clouds Rest Winery
Pepito lives at Clouds Rest, one of the most unique wineries in Sonoma which we are fortunate enough to represent. Obviously, Pepito's taste in wine is exquisite!
https://vimeo.com/31977965
Please also enjoy the gorgeous video on Pinot Noir featuring Clouds Rest:
#PinotNoir #CloudsRest
https://vimeo.com/31977965
Please also enjoy the gorgeous video on Pinot Noir featuring Clouds Rest:
#PinotNoir #CloudsRest
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Talk to us about Screaming Eagle's Second Flight 2012 - now available! 96 Points by Robert Parker:
The 2012 Second Flight may be the highest scoring
second wine I have ever reviewed. A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot
and 9% Cabernet Franc, it is completely different from the Screaming Eagle
since the latter wine is at least 75% or more Cabernet Sauvignon and the
balance Merlot with only a tiny dollop of Cabernet Franc. The 2012 Second
Flight offers up floral, blue and black fruit, mocha and white chocolate
characteristics. It possesses full-bodied, silky flavors, and a finish that
lasts 50+ seconds. It can be drunk now, but should evolve effortlessly for
12-15+ years. 96/100 RP
Contact us for details!
#SecondFlight2012
Monday, August 24, 2015
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