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. The 2008 Sonoma County Zinfandel is 96% Zinfandel and 4% Petite Sirah. A blend of various old-vine Zinfandel vineyards including Taylor in Dry Creek, Tin Cross in Alexander Valley, and Rossi in Sonoma…
Mas De Boislauzon is a 22 acre estate near Orange, just north of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the Southern Rhone Valley. The estate is owned and operated by Daniel and Christine Chaussey, a brother and sister who are the current generation of a family that has owned the estate for six generations. The name of the estate comes from the vineyard where…
Rasa Vineyards is a relatively new winery located in Walla Walla, Washington. Founded in 2007 by brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane, Rasa specializes in Syrah-based wines but has recently released Cabernet, Riesling and Mourvedre. Pinto is the Managing Partner, while Billo is the Winemaker. The name QED comes from the mathematics background of the brothers. QED is traditionally written at…
Chateau Montelena dates back to 1882 when Albert Tubbs bought 254 acres of property just north of Calistoga. Tubbs planted vines and by 1896 Montelena was the 7th largest winery in California. Winemaking came to an end with the onset of Prohibition. The current iteration of Montelena can be traced to 1968, when Jim Barrett was brought on as a…
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…
Quilceda Creek Vintners was founded in 1978 by Alex and Jeanette Golitzin. Alex is the nephew of André Tchelistcheff, the legendary winemaker who put Beaulieu Vineyard at the forefront of Napa Valley Cabernet in the 1960s and 70s. He credits summer trips to visit his uncle in St. Helena, California with developing his early interest in wine. Alex’s son, Paul…
Rochioli is one of the true pioneers in Russian River Valley, with a winemaking history dating back to the the late 1950′s. Although best known for their world class Pinot Noir, Rochioli also produces remarkable Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve blogged about Rochioli previously in Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings and the Fab 5 of Mailing Lists. Very light garnet in…
I recently purchased several bottles of ’09 Leoville Barton. The wine has long been a favorite of mine and I have over a dozen different vintages in the cellar going back to 1990. I knew the wine was well regarded by the Wine Spectator garnering a score a score of 95 points and the number 6 ranking in their top…
Ponzi Vineyards was founded by Dick and Nancy Ponzi in 1970 in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The winery, along with other iconic Oregon wineries like Eyrie, Adelsheim and Sokol Blosser, paved the way for what is now one of the most exciting Pinot Noir regions in the world. Ponzi produces a number of wines including Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, but it…
Betz Family Winery was founded in 1997 by Bob & Cathy Betz. Critical acclaim from local and national wine publications has put Betz Family Winery at the forefront of Washington wines alongside Cayuse, Leonetti and Quilceda Creek. The winery was sold to Steve and Bridget Griessel (with Bob Betz remaining on as the winemaker), and I fully expect quality will…