The 1998 Vieux Télégraphe was the leading vote getter in the December Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I decanted the wine for an hour and served with pizza from a local favorite, Zeeks. Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the Rhone Valley, was founded in 1898 by Hippolyte Brunier. Located on the highest terrace of the appellation, the…
Pahlmeyer was founded in the mid-1980s when Jayson Pahlmeyer, a Bay Area lawyer, decided he preferred thinking about wine over reading legal briefs. Pahlmeyer produced its debut vintage in 1986. The wines are crafted from fruit grown on the family’s Waters Ranch Vineyard high above Napa Valley, Wayfarer Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast as well as purchased fruit from well…
The December installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As I mentioned in the July installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. I plan on opening the winning bottle on December 29th and publishing an in-depth bottle note on the 31st. The…
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. Ruby red in color with some bricking on the edge…
Angel Vine owners Ed and Laureen Fus moved their family to Oregon in 1997 to pursue their dream of farming a vineyard. The Three Angels Vineyard (named after Laureen and their two daughters) is located in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills and produces Pinot Noir used by several local wineries. Ed eventually decided to make his own wine focusing on single vineyard…
One of the best things you can do as a wine consumer is join (or form) a tasting group. There’s nothing better that getting together with friends who share your passion for wine and pulling the cork on a few great bottles. If you have any doubts, here are some notes from a recent tasting lunch with some Seattle wine…
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…
Carlisle Winery & Vineyards was founded in 1998 by Mike & Kendall Officer. Their passion is clear: small lots of Zinfandel and Syrah from exceptional, historic vineyards. Carlisle Vineyard was planted in 1927 on the eastern bench of the Laguna de Santa Rosa flood plain. Both sides of the Laguna were popular for settlement by Italian immigrants in the early…
Angel Vine owners Ed and Laureen Fus moved their family to Oregon in 1997 to pursue their dream of farming a vineyard. The Three Angels Vineyard (named after Laureen and their two daughters) is located in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills and produces Pinot Noir used by several local wineries. Ed eventually decided to make his own wine focusing on single vineyard…
When I first became interested in Zinfandel the buzz was always around the Three R’s of Zinfandel: Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Ridge. 20 years later Ridge is still at the top of its game, turning out single vineyard Zinfandel from some of California’s most precious vineyards. Lytton Springs Vineyard dates back to the early 1900’s and is located in the Dry…