The January Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2016 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 Friday and a Bottle Note will be published early next week.…
The Week in Zinfandel (1/22/24)
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. Happy reading!
2013 Saxum James Berry Vineyard – Bottle Notes
Saxum Vineyards is located in the Paso Robles AVA of Central California. Founded in the early 2000’s by Justin Smith, a young winemaker who had previously been part-owner of Linne Calodo, Saxum leapt into the limelight in late 2010 when its 2007 James Berry Vineyards wine was named the #1 Wine of 2010 by Wine Spectator. Smith owns the winery…
2014 Cattleya Pinot Noir Cuvée Number One – Bottle Notes
Cattleya Wines was founded by Bibiana Gonzalez Rave in 2012. Bibiana got her degree in Enology from the University of Bordeaux and worked at Château Haut-Brion and Domaine Stéphane Ogier amongst others before setting up shop in northern California. The winery specializes in Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Crimson in color. 14.2% ABV. Sublime nose of red fruits, cloves and…
2018 Toil Oregon Pinot Noir – Bottle Notes
Toil Oregon was founded in 2012 by Chris Figgins. Chris is the President and Winemaking Director for Figgins Family Wine Estates. At present time this includes Leonetti, Figgins and Toil Oregon. Figgins Family Wine Estates has acquired a 42-acre parcel of extraordinary land in the Chehalem Mountains AVA of Willamette Valley. This will become the Estate Vineyard and future winery home…
2019 Sandlands Red Table Wine Lodi – Bottle Notes
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,…
2018 Guy Breton Morgon Vieilles Vignes – Bottle Notes
Guy Breton took over the family domaine from his grandfather in 1986. Until that point, the family was selling their fruit to the large cooperative wineries. Breton’s domaine is comprised of just over four hectares most of which lies in the appellation of Morgon. Guy Breton along with Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet and Jean Foillard was part of the Kermit…
2020 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley – Bottle Notes
Limerick Lane Winery is in the Russian River Valley just south of the town of Healdsburg. The Del Fava family planted the oldest currently producing vineyard at Limerick Lane in 1910, a field blend consisting mostly of Zinfandel. In 1977, the Del Favas sold their thirty acre property to brothers Michael and Tom Collins. The two brothers began by selling…
The Week in Zinfandel (1/15/24)
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. Happy reading!
2019 Black Kite Cellars Pinot Noir Jasper Freestone Vineyard – Bottle Notes
Black Kite Cellars, a family-run winery in Anderson Valley, specializes in block-designated Pinot Noir from the Kite’s Rest Vineyard. 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. Jasper Freestone is located outside…