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…
2017 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard – Bottle Notes
Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Welsh have quickly made Rivers-Marie one of California’s most sought after Pinot Noir labels. The winery was founded in 2002 and the first release was the Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir. In addition to the line up of Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs, Rivers-Marie also makes a several single vineyard Cabernets and Chardonnay. Thomas is…
2017 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville – Bottle Notes
The 2017 Ridge Geyserville was the winning bottle in the July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I did not decant the wine but in retrospect that might not be a bad idea. Ridge Vineyards was founded in 1959 when three Stanford Research Institute engineers bought an abandoned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyards had been planted in the…
The Week in Zinfandel (7/22/24)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Cheers!
2014 Cayuse Grenache God Only Knows – 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…
2019 Black Kite Pinot Noir Angel Hawk Anderson Valley – Bottle Notes
Black Kite Cellars, a family-run winery, specializing in block-designated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Founded by Donald and Maureen Green in 2003, Black Kite is named for the beautiful but endangered Black Shouldered Kite that is native to the Anderson Valley. Jeff Gaffner of Saxon Brown is the consulting winemaker. Angel Hawk is made from the best blocks of the Estate…
Pick My Next Bottle – 2017 Old Vine Zinfandel
The July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2017 Old Vine Zinfandel. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published early next week.…
2018 Bedrock Wine Co. Heritage Wine Papera Ranch – Bottle Notes
Bedrock Wine Co. was founded by Morgan Twain-Peterson in 2007 and focuses on small production wines from many of California’ s most treasured and historic vineyards. The lineup of wines at Bedrock is expanding rapidly, but I think the best of the best are the ancient vineyard Zinfandels, Morgan is clearly passionate about. Papera Ranch is situated in the Russian…
The Week in Zinfandel (7/15/24)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Cheers!
2016 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva – Bottle Notes
Fattoria di Felsina is an historic estate in the Chianti appellation of Tuscany. In 1966 the estate was purchased by the Poggiali family, and today a second generation of the Poggiali family still run the estate. At the edge of the Chianti Classico and Chianti Colli Senesi denominations, the estate counts 475 hectares, of which 61 are planted with vineyard.…