Robert Brittan left Stags’ Leap Winery in Napa after 16 years as Winemaker and Estate Manager to fulfill his dream of making Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah from unique sites in cooler climates. In 2004 he and his wife Ellen purchased a 128 acre estate in the foothills of the Coast Range in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and shortly thereafter founded Brittan Vineyards. All of the wines made at Brittan Vineyards are estate wines.…
Bucklin Winery was founded in 2000 by the four Bucklin siblings: Arden, Kate, Ted and Will. Will Bucklin has been a vintner for over 25 years, working in France, Australia, Sonoma, Mendocino and Oregon. Bucklin produces several Zinfandels and Grenache, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a White Field Blend. Old Hill Ranch is a historic jewel. It was founded by William…
The February installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Bordeaux from the heralded 2000 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. 2000 was simply one of the best vintages ever in Bordeaux. It was the first vintage…
Clos des Jacobins is situated St. Emilion and dates back to the 1700’s. The estate was purchased by the Decoster family in 2004. The vineyard is predominantly Merlot followed by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Purple in color. 14.5% ABV. Brooding nose of black fruits, leather, graphite and anise. Full bodied with strong acidity. Exceedingly rich and plush. Black currants,…
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Happy reading!
Marcarini Winery dates back six generations. The Marcarini estate covers 25 hectares and is situated in La Morra in Piedmont. In sourcing fruit for their Barolo, the family owns vineyard plots in La Morra comprising two of the areas best vineyards, Brunate and La Serra. Each is bottled as a separate wine. The wines of Marcarini are fiercely traditional. Light…
Zinfandel of the Month is a regular feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. Keep in mind that although the Zinfandel of the Month might be an older bottle, the current vintage will be one you can find at retail or via the mailing list. The January Zinfandel of the Month is the 2015 Williams Selyem Zinfandel Papera Ranch. Williams Selyem Winery began…
Now that my oldest approaches his 20th birthday my thoughts on birth year wines have taken on a little more clarity. Back in 2005 and 2006 I bought enough wine from 2003 that I knew as 2024 approached I would have enough bottles in the cellar to take care of my oldest. For the most part I stuck to Cabernet…
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Happy reading!
As you all know this blog focuses on wine but if I had to pick a single brewery to blog about it would undoubtedly be the Russian River Brewing Company. Russian River Brewing Company was founded by Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, CA, in 1997. Pliny The Elder was first brewed in 1999 and 20 years later is still their…