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…
Jean-Paul Thévenet is one of the Gang of Four of Beaujolais (the others being Guy Breton, Jean Foillard and Marcel Lapierre) and perhaps best embodies the traditional qualities that these winemakers have championed. Thevenet works a plot of extremely old vines in the Morgon appellation. The average age of the vines is 70 years and they are cultivated organically and…
Turley Wine Cellars was founded in 1993 by Larry Turley and specializes in small lots of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from some of California’s most historic and treasured vineyards. Turley now makes right around 50 separate wines from 47 different vineyards, some with vines that date back to the late 1800’s. Tegan Passalacqua is the Director of Winemaking at Turley and…
Leonetti Cellar was founded in 1977 by Gary and Nancy Figgins. Leonetti, along with Quilceda Creek and Woodward Canyon put premium Washington Cabernet Sauvignon on the radar of wine consumers across the United States. Leonetti also produces one of the very best domestic Merlots. Leonetti is part of Figgins Family Wine Estates. Chris Figgins is now in charge of the…
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. Many of these vineyards are heritage sites planted by Italian immigrants and date back to the late 1800s . Papera Ranch is situated in the Russian River Valley at the intersection of Piner and…
Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Tegan is the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Turley. The line-up encompasses some of the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. The wines made at Sandlands include Syrah,…
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 August Zinfandel of the Month is the 2018 Outpost Zinfandel Howell Mountain. I chose this wine as…
The 2015 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino was the winning bottle in the July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was not decanted and served with burgers and a fresh salad on a warm Summer evening in Seattle. Altesino is set amongst the north eastern hills of Montalcino. The imposing structure of the 15th century Palazzo Altesi overlooks the…
Steve and Lori Felten represent the fifth generation of their family to grow grapes in Lodi. They started Klinker Brick Winery and produced their first vintage of old vine Zinfandel in 2000. The winery name comes from the Klinker Bricks that grace many of the historical buildings in Lodi. Sourced from old vine vineyards in the Mokelumne and Clements Hills regions…
Winemaker Matt Courtney founded Ferren Wines in 2013 with longtime friend David Wherritt after an eight-year apprenticeship with Helen Turley at Marcassin Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. Ferren specializes in Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Matt is also the winemaker at Arista. Crimson in color. 13.5% ABV. Pretty nose of red fruits, rose petals and forest floor. Medium body…