Thursday, October 27, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Tasting Vintage 2015 two Minutes after Filtering!
I spent a day with a wine journalist in Pope Valley (Napa) a couple of weeks ago and must recommend this beautiful area that I was not very familiar with until now!
Pope Valley is an community located in the small valley of the same name in the Mayacamas Mountains and northern Napa County, California. It is east of Calistoga, north of Angwin, and borders Lake Berryessa, the second largest man-made lake in California.
When visiting Napa Valley, you have roughly 400 options for wine tasting and most visitors to the valley, including people from the trade, will follow the rest of
the traffic up and down Hwy 29 or the Silverado Trail. However, if you are not in a hurry, take the scenic route up into the surrounding
hills and stop at the quiet, unpretentious and historic wineries where you will find no boutiques selling baseball caps, toe rings or bath salts!
Here we were at a winery tasting the 2015 roughly two minutes after filtering!
And the 2016 vintage did not look so bad, either!
Monday, June 20, 2016
We are offering Bordeaux Primeurs/Futures!
As much as it pains me to admit it, my first Primeurs Campaign was in 1984 when I had just arrived in Bordeaux from my native Scandinavia. We launched the vintage 1982, a vintage in which we had very little faith at the time of release! I went through 12 more Primeurs Campaign while living and working in Bordeaux, but have not been involved in Futures since I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Now that I have found a great partner in Bordeaux, it seems the moment has come to get back in the game again!
Here is a list of the wines that we can offer today. Please go to our website http://www.dreamvintage.com/offers for more details.
| Ex-cell. | San Franc. | San Franc. | ||||||
| Bots | Wine | WS | Decanter | J. Suckling | N. Martin | Bdx | Ocean | Air |
| 36 b | Armailhac | 88-91 | 92 | 92-93 | 89-91 | 37 | 44 | 52 |
| 24 b | Canon La Gaffeliere | 94-97 | 93 | 96-97 | 93-95 | 72 | 79 | 87 |
| 36 b | Clarence de Haut Brion | 91 | 93-94 | 91-93 | 107 | 114 | 122 | |
| 60 b | Dame de Montrose | 91-92 | 88-90 | 34 | 41 | 49 | ||
| 12 b | Domaine de Chevalier Blanc | 93-96 | 95 | 97-98 | 92-94 | 83 | 90 | 98 |
| 12 b | Domaine de Chevalier rouge | 91-94 | 96-97 | 95-97 | 56 | 63 | 71 | |
| 60 b | Duhart Milon | 91-92 | 90-92 | 60 | 67 | 75 | ||
| 12 b | Feytit Clinet | 93-94 | 93-95 | 55 | 62 | 70 | ||
| 48 b | Fleur de Bouard (la) | 90 | 93-94 | 89-91 | 24 | 31 | 39 | |
| 24 b | Gruaud Larose | 88-91 | 93-94 | 90-92 | 59 | 66 | 74 | |
| 36 b | Haut Batailley | 89-92 | 91 | 92-93 | 92-94 | 37 | 44 | 52 |
| 6 b | Haut Brion | 97 | 97-98 | 98-100 | 480 | 487 | 495 | |
| 36 b | Issan | 88-91 | 94-95 | 93-95 | 50 | 57 | 65 | |
| 60 b | Langoa Barton | 90-93 | 92-93 | 88-90 | 40 | 47 | 55 | |
| 60 b | Lascombes | 90-93 | 90 | 94-95 | 89-91 | 64 | 71 | 79 |
| 6 b | Mission Haut Brion | 100 | 374 | 381 | 389 | |||
| 36 b | Montrose | 93-96 | 96-97 | 92-94 | 128 | 135 | 143 | |
| 24 b | Pavie Macquin | 94-97 | 96-97 | 91-93 | 67 | 74 | 82 | |
| 24 b | Pichon Baron | 93-96 | 96-97 | 96-98 | 120 | 127 | 135 | |
| 48 b | Pontet Canet | 97-98 | 94-96 | 98 | 105 | 113 | ||
| 48 b | Prieure Lichine | 89-92 | 92 | 95-96 | 88-90 | 35 | 42 | 50 |
| 60 b | Talbot | 90-93 | 88-90 | 49 | 56 | 64 | ||
| 24 b | Troplong Mondot | 93-96 | 96-97 | 92-94 | 104 | 111 | 119 | |
| 36 b | Valandraud | 96-98 | 94 | 98-99 | 95-97 | 133 | 140 | 148 |
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
First Impressions of 2015 Napa Valley by Antonio Galloni.
In his article, 2015 Napa Valley – First Impressions, Antonio Galloni writes, "The 2015 Napa Valley Cabernets I have tasted from barrel are stunningly beautiful. Despite a year with considerable challenges and low yields, 2015 is shaping up to be a vintage of opulent, voluptuous wines with real personality and character."
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Stag's Leap Rushes to Judgment 40 Years On
A Judgment of Paris anniversary tasting sees Stag's Leap Wine Cellars jump ahead of the pack again.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars has come top at a London re-run of the Judgement of Paris, 40 years on from the original tasting.
It was on 24th May 1976 that Steven Spurrier, then a long-haired young wine merchant in Paris, pitched American and French wines against each other in the tasting that made his reputation.
The 1973 Cabernet from the great Napa vineyard was the winner of the original Paris tasting, with Château Montelena coming top in the whites.
The events of that day – how the most influential French wine critics of the age scored Napa wines higher than their famous French counterparts – have passed into legend.
There have been many re-creations and anniversaries since then, most notably in 2006, when simultaneous tastings, with the original vintages, were staged in London and Napa.
In that tasting, against even the expectations of their winemakers, the California Cabernets – 1971 Ridge Monte Bello, 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, '71 Mayacamas, '70 Heitz, and '72 Clos du Val – were voted superior to their rivals in Bordeaux.
Last week – on Tuesday 24th May – several dozen wine enthusiasts sat down to a $1100-a-head dinner at 67 Pall Mall, the upmarket members-only club beloved of the wine trade.
All the original wines, in various vintages from 2001 to 2012, were tasted blind and ranked from one to 10.
The 2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars SLV was voted best red, and the 2011 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay came top in the whites. California dominated the white lineup, clinching four of the top five places. The only Burgundy to make the top five was the Domaine Roulot.
In the reds, Château Haut-Brion took second place, followed by Ridge Monte Bello, Freemark Abbey and Château Montrose.
In the original tasting, Napa's Château Montelena took first place, with the Domaine Roulot Meursault second; the red line up had Stag's Leap first, followed by Mouton and Haut-Brion.
Remembering that day 40 years ago, Spurrier recalled the accidental nature of it all. Wanting to promote the Californian wines on his list, he had hit on the idea of celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a Franco-American tasting.
"We simply wanted to show that California could hold its own against the best of France. We had no idea they would be judged superior." He recounted the fury of some of the French judges, and how Odette Kahn, editor of La Revue du Vin de France (who had marked Stag's Leap and Montelena top) had demanded her notes back, accusing Spurrier of fixing the results.
He also remembered how the event might not have got any publicity at all had George Taber, the Paris correspondent for Time who coined the famous "Judgement of Paris" label, not turned up. "We invited him, and he said he'd come along if he had nothing better to do. So we were lucky it was a slow news day."
Richard Bampfield MW, one of the professional judges at the event, said it was hard to overestimate the effect the 1976 tasting had on the wine industry. "It was a massive boost to California, and a wake-up call to the French."
Of the wines, he said the tasting reinforced the notion that "great sites produce great wines – on both sides of the Atlantic".
Grant Ashton, the founder and CEO of 67 Pall Mall, said he was pleased with the way the wines showed on the night, although one of the Burgundies, the Leflaive Les Pucelles, was oxidized. "With white Burgundies of that age, premature oxidation is an occupational hazard," he said.
He added that he will be running an annual celebration of the Paris Tasting on May 24th, and had already booked Spurrier for 2017.
Wines in final order:
White:
2011 Chalone Vineyard, Chardonnay, Monterey, California
2010 David Bruce Winery, Los Gatos Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
2002 Chateau Montelena, Chardonnay, Calistoga, California
2006 Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes, Burgundy
2012 Freemark Abbey Winery, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California
2002 Joseph Drouhin, Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Mouches, Burgundy
2010 Spring Mountain Vineyard, Chardonnay, Spring Mountain, California
2002 Domaine Leflaive, 1er Cru Les Pucelles, Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy
2009 Veedercrest Vineyards, Ruhl Vineyard Chardonnay, Yountville, California
2000 Domaine Romonet, Grand Cru, Bâtard-Montrachet, Burgundy
Red:
2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, SLV, Stags Leap District, California
2001 Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
2005 Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Santa Cruz, California
2001 Freemark Abbey, Bosché Vineyard, Rutherford, California
2001 Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
2001 Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux
2001 Clos du Val, Stags Leap District, California
2005 Heitz Wine Cellars, Martha's Vineyard, St Helena, California
2001 Château Léoville-Las-Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux
2002 Mayacamas Vineyards, Mount Veeder, California
| Related stories: |
| Overturning the Judgment of Paris |
| The Man Behind The Judgment of Paris |
| Judgment Time in New Jersey |
The 1973 Cabernet from the great Napa vineyard was the winner of the original Paris tasting, with Château Montelena coming top in the whites.
The events of that day – how the most influential French wine critics of the age scored Napa wines higher than their famous French counterparts – have passed into legend.
There have been many re-creations and anniversaries since then, most notably in 2006, when simultaneous tastings, with the original vintages, were staged in London and Napa.
In that tasting, against even the expectations of their winemakers, the California Cabernets – 1971 Ridge Monte Bello, 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, '71 Mayacamas, '70 Heitz, and '72 Clos du Val – were voted superior to their rivals in Bordeaux.
Last week – on Tuesday 24th May – several dozen wine enthusiasts sat down to a $1100-a-head dinner at 67 Pall Mall, the upmarket members-only club beloved of the wine trade.
All the original wines, in various vintages from 2001 to 2012, were tasted blind and ranked from one to 10.
The 2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars SLV was voted best red, and the 2011 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay came top in the whites. California dominated the white lineup, clinching four of the top five places. The only Burgundy to make the top five was the Domaine Roulot.
In the reds, Château Haut-Brion took second place, followed by Ridge Monte Bello, Freemark Abbey and Château Montrose.
In the original tasting, Napa's Château Montelena took first place, with the Domaine Roulot Meursault second; the red line up had Stag's Leap first, followed by Mouton and Haut-Brion.
Remembering that day 40 years ago, Spurrier recalled the accidental nature of it all. Wanting to promote the Californian wines on his list, he had hit on the idea of celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a Franco-American tasting.
"We simply wanted to show that California could hold its own against the best of France. We had no idea they would be judged superior." He recounted the fury of some of the French judges, and how Odette Kahn, editor of La Revue du Vin de France (who had marked Stag's Leap and Montelena top) had demanded her notes back, accusing Spurrier of fixing the results.
He also remembered how the event might not have got any publicity at all had George Taber, the Paris correspondent for Time who coined the famous "Judgement of Paris" label, not turned up. "We invited him, and he said he'd come along if he had nothing better to do. So we were lucky it was a slow news day."
Richard Bampfield MW, one of the professional judges at the event, said it was hard to overestimate the effect the 1976 tasting had on the wine industry. "It was a massive boost to California, and a wake-up call to the French."
Of the wines, he said the tasting reinforced the notion that "great sites produce great wines – on both sides of the Atlantic".
Grant Ashton, the founder and CEO of 67 Pall Mall, said he was pleased with the way the wines showed on the night, although one of the Burgundies, the Leflaive Les Pucelles, was oxidized. "With white Burgundies of that age, premature oxidation is an occupational hazard," he said.
He added that he will be running an annual celebration of the Paris Tasting on May 24th, and had already booked Spurrier for 2017.
Wines in final order:
White:
2011 Chalone Vineyard, Chardonnay, Monterey, California
2010 David Bruce Winery, Los Gatos Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
2002 Chateau Montelena, Chardonnay, Calistoga, California
2006 Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes, Burgundy
2012 Freemark Abbey Winery, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California
2002 Joseph Drouhin, Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Mouches, Burgundy
2010 Spring Mountain Vineyard, Chardonnay, Spring Mountain, California
2002 Domaine Leflaive, 1er Cru Les Pucelles, Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy
2009 Veedercrest Vineyards, Ruhl Vineyard Chardonnay, Yountville, California
2000 Domaine Romonet, Grand Cru, Bâtard-Montrachet, Burgundy
Red:
2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, SLV, Stags Leap District, California
2001 Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
2005 Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Santa Cruz, California
2001 Freemark Abbey, Bosché Vineyard, Rutherford, California
2001 Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
2001 Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux
2001 Clos du Val, Stags Leap District, California
2005 Heitz Wine Cellars, Martha's Vineyard, St Helena, California
2001 Château Léoville-Las-Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux
2002 Mayacamas Vineyards, Mount Veeder, California
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
In honor of the Paris Tasting 40 Years ago!
“On May 24, 1976, a wine tasting took place in Paris that
changed the world’s view of California wines forever. The tasting was the
brainchild of Steven Spurrier, an English wine merchant who owned an innovative
wine shop and adjacent wine school in the center of Paris. Having been recently
introduced to California wines, and curious to see how these newcomers would
fare against French wines made from the same kind of grapes, he arranged a
blind wine tasting in celebration of the American Bicentennial activities in
Paris. The French tasters chosen for the event had impeccable professional
credentials. Spurrier chose French wines that were first and other classified-growth
red Bordeaux and white Burgundies to be matched against California Cabernet
Sauvignons and Chardonnays. The tasting was blind, with the identities of the
wines concealed and the labels revealed only after the jury of nine tasters had
voted its order of preference.
The unthinkable happened. The 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon was judged the best. The Cabernet had bested four top-ranked Bordeaux, including first-growths Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion. The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay from California bested its French counterparts”.
The unthinkable happened. The 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon was judged the best. The Cabernet had bested four top-ranked Bordeaux, including first-growths Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion. The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay from California bested its French counterparts”.
We wish we had some Stags Leap or Montelena 1973 to offer, but alas, these are like gold dust. As a matter of fact, a bottle of each is part of the Smithsonian Museum of American History!
We have, however, prepared an offer of California Wines from 1969-2000 which you can download here
In the case of an order, we will carefully check conditions and alert you if we see any potential issues with labels, back labels, levels or capsules.
If you are not familiar with the history of California Wine Country in the 1970s, please do yourselves a favor and watch Bottle Shock with the wonderful Alan Rickman as Steven Spurrier!
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Guide to Mount Veeder AVA, the new California home of Pontet-Canet’s Tesseron family
Napa Valley's Mount
Veeder AVA is to get a new arrival in 2016 in the shape of Château
Pontet-Canet owner, the Tesseron family, which is bringing its
biodynamic principles to California's spiritual home of Petit Verdot.
Pontet-Canet arrives in Mount Veeder AVA
The Tesserons of Pontet-Canet have agreed to buy Villa Sorriso, owned by the late actor Robin Williams. It’s an estate with 259 hectares of land – albeit with only 7.3 hectares of vines – and a 20,000 square metre house that includes an implausible 15 bathrooms to just nine bedrooms.In making the purchase, the Pontet-Canet owners are following in the footsteps of several other Bordeaux landed wine gentry by entering the New World via California.
But, they are the first to enter the steep hillsides of the Mayacamas mountains that largely separate the west side of Napa Valley with Sonoma; they are home to the Mount Veeder American Viticultural Area, where vineyards can be planted at angles of up to 30 degrees.
Mount Veeder AVA at a glance
Data source: Mount Veeder Appellation Council| Total Area: | 16,000 square acres (64.7 km2) |
| Acres under Vine: | about 1,000 (400 hectares), 64% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Cases Produced: | Approximately 40,000 per vintage, about 1.3% of total Napa Valley production |
| Highest Vineyard: | 2,400 feet (Mayacamas) |
| Highest Winery: | 2,100 feet (Sky Vineyard) |
| First wine recorded: | 1864, by Captain Stelham Wing, from today’s Wing Canyon Vineyard |
| AVA established: | 1993 |
| Wineries: | 22 member wineries producing wines from Mount Veeder grapes |
| Growers: | approximately 20 |
| Soil Types: | primarily rocky, clay seabed, with areas of volcanic soils and other variations |
| Top soil depth: | typically 24 inches to less than 12 inches |
| Vineyard slope: | varies, typically 10°-30° |
| Varieties: | varieties grown by Mount Veeder Appellation Council members
|
Wine production goes back to 1864
Although it only gained AVA status in 1993, Mount Veeder has been producing wine since at least 1864, according to records published by the Mt Veeder Appellation Council.It is also known as the spiritual home of Petit Verdot in California. Local cuttings of this classic Bordeaux variety were shared with other Napa Valley growers in the 1970s and 1980s.
Cabernet Sauvignon dominates
It is known for its Bordeaux varietals, with Cabernet Sauvignon accounting for nearly two thirds of the total planted vineyard area of 400 hectares.Much further back comes Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet France and Petit Verdot, but Mount Veeder is also something of a wine world United Nations, with 17 grape varieties known to be planted – including Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Riesling, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
‘Dripping with terroir’
There were only 22 member wineries of the Mount Veeder AVA at the last count, but the Tesserons will instantly have some well-known neighbours – and that’s before one hits the Napa Valley floor.Charles Banks, the former co-owner of Screaming Eagle, has co-owned Mayacamas Vineyards in Mount Veeder since 2013, having purchased the estate with his wife and retail entrepreneur Jay Schottenstein. It is around 700m above sea level.
‘Mayacamas is dripping with terroir and authenticity,’ said Banks’ winemaker, Sashi Moorman.
In a Decanter panel tasting of California Cabernet 2011, Trinchero’s Cloud’s Nest wine from Mt Veeder scored 95 points in what was generally considered a difficult vintage for California Cabernet as a whole.
Read more at http://www.decanter.com/learn/guide-to-mount-veeder-ava-mayacamas-mountains-napa-valley-289246/#u2SWevC2OulvhHCz.99
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