Carlisle Winery & Vineyards was founded in 1998 by Mike and Kendall Officer. Their passion is clear: Small lots of Zinfandel and Syrah from exceptional, historic vineyards. Tom Feeney Ranch is situated in the Russian River Valley and was planted in 1926. The wine is 89% Zinfandel and 11% mixed black varieties (Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Petite…
Author: Tom Lee
2008 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc – Bottle Notes
Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery, located in St. Helena, made their first Cabernet Sauvignon with the 1982 vintage and is one of the true iconic Cabernet producers in Napa Valley. They also make an exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, a second Cabernet named Lydenhurst and a Rhone blend known as Field Book. Light pale in color. 14.1% ABV. The fruit is sourced…
2005 Dehlinger Estate Chardonnay – Bottle Notes
Dehlinger Winery is located in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County and was founded in 1975 by Tom and Carole Dehlinger. Eva Dehlinger took over winemaking duties in 2007. Known for their Pinot Noir, Dehlinger also makes Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes for Dehlinger Wines are largely grown on the Estate Vineyard in the Russian River Valley.…
2006 Kanzler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – Bottle Notes
Kanzler Vineyards, located in California near Sebasopol, was founded in 1996 by Stephen and Lynda Kanzler. Planted in 1996 in a former apple orchard, the vineyard quickly developed a reputation for producing world class Pinot Noir grapes featured in award winning wines from some of the finest wineries in Northern California, including Kosta Browne, A.P. VIN and Landmark. In 2004,…
Overlooked Wines From Great Producers
When you think Williams Selyem you think Pinot Noir. With Spottswoode you think Cabernet Sauvignon. Both of these wineries make other wines that I count among my favorites. The Zinfandel and Chardonnay programs at Williams Selyem are second to none. However, when you receive an offer letter with a dozen different Pinots the one off Chardonnay and Zinfandel can easily…
2005 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – Bottle Notes
Williams Selyem Winery began when Ed Selyem and Burt Williams started making wine as a hobby in 1979 in Forestville, California. Their first commercial release was in 1981, and in less than two decades they created a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Setting a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking, they put Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley at the forefront…
2006 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard – Bottle Notes
Cayuse was founded in 1997 by Christophe Baron, a native of France who grew up in family of winemakers in Champagne. Baron studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne, and had ambitions to make Pinot Noir in Oregon. However, on a visit to Walla Walla he found property that he believed would be perfect for growing grapes and decided to purchase…
Zinfandel of the Month – 2007 Brown Estate Zinfandel
Zinfandel of the Month is a new feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. For a little background please see the first installment published a month ago. 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 November Zinfandel of the…
2007 Grand Rêve Vintners / Force Majeure Collaboration Series II – Bottle Notes
Previously known as Grand Rêve, Force Majeure was founded in 2004 by Paul McBride and Ryan Johnson. Force Majeure pairs some of Washington’s highly acclaimed winemakers with fruit from one of Washington’s highly acclaimed vineyards, Ciel du Cheval. The winemakers contributing to the Collaboration Series is a Who’s Who of Washington winemakers including Ben Smith, Carolyn Lakewold, Chris Gorman, James…
Manage Your Mailing Lists – Don’t Let Them Manage You
If you’re new to the hobby of wine collecting, at some point you’ve probably found yourself signing up for every prominent mailing list available to you. That may be fine for a while, but how do you proceed when the offers start flooding your inbox? I’ve been buying off mailings list for almost 20 years now (I previously blogged about this…