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 the state’s highly acclaimed vineyards, Ciel du Cheval. Carolyn Lakewold of Donedei made this wine for Force Majeure. 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot.…
The 2005 Lillian Syrah was the leading vote getter in the November Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine originally received a score of 92 points from the Wine Advocate. I decanted the wine for 30 minutes and paired it with a homemade pizza. Maggie Harrison was assistant winemaker to Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non for eight years…
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. Pelkan Ranch is in the Knights Valley AVA. Located at 1000′ elevation on a rocky ridge top facing Mount St. Helena, the vineyard produces intense, thick-skinned Syrah. Being at a higher altitude and…
The November installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on some of the very best domestic Syrah producers. 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 2nd and publishing an in-depth bottle note on…
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 Goldridge Vineyard Pinot Noir is sourced from sections of the Estate Vineyard where the vines are…
Quilceda Creek Vintners was founded in 1978 by Alex and Jeanette Golitzin. Alex Golitzin is a 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,…
Domaine de Ferrand was founded in 1960 by Charles Bravay. Philippe Bravay launched bottling directly at the winery when he took over the domaine from his father in 1995. Since 1997, a large part of the wine produced has been sold under the brand name of Domaine de Ferrand. The wine is primarily composed of Grenache with small amounts of…
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. The Estate Pinot Noir,…
Outpost was established in 1998 and sits on a pristine piece of land atop Howell Mountain 2200 feet above Napa Valley. Thomas Rivers-Brown has been the winemaker from the start and has gained further acclaim making highly sought after wines for Schrader, Rivers-Marie and others. Besides Zinfandel, Outpost also produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. The wine is a gorgeous ruby…
In 1980, The Brown Family acquired land in the hills east of Rutherford in the Napa Valley. In 1995 they decided to make wine under their own label. The following year the first vintage of Zinfandel was produced and subsequently they have added Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Petite Sirah to their lineup. First and foremost though Brown Estate is known…