North American Wine

THE DYNAMIC DUO FROM CLIFF LEDE VINEYARDS!

When Cliff Lede (pronounced “LAY-dee”) was in his late 20s, he was given his first taste of good Bordeaux. After that, as it has been said so many times before, he was hooked! Since that time, he has acquired a vineyard in the Napa Valley, and immediately assembled a team who is dedicated to taking Bordeaux varietals to a whole new level... and they’re doing what it takes to achieve that! At the head of the winemaking team is the talented and dedicated Michelle Edwards. She earned a B.S. in viticulture and enology ad UC Davis, endured 12-hour graveyard shifts at a grape-crushing facility in southern Australia, and worked harvests at Peter Michael and J Vineyards & Winery. She came to Cliff Lede Vineyards from Colgin Cellars, where she served as the assistant winemaker for three years, and worked with master viticulturist David Abreu. David is now managing the vineyards at Cliff Lede, and together, he and Michelle continue working to source the secrets of each vintage.

CLIFF LEDE 2008 NAPA VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC
The Sauvignon Blanc comes from three different vineyards; two which impart vibrancy and finesse, and one from Rutherford for richness. To prevent one dominant tone, different processes were used; some fruit was whole cluster pressed, while another portion was subjected to 16 hours of skin contact. The juice was fermented in stainless steel oak barrels and concrete to preserve freshness and build complexity. We thought it was a knockout, and judging by the fact that this wine received 92 points from Wine Spectator, it’s a hard point to argue!

WINE SPECTATOR 92 POINTS - “Vibrant, bursting with fresh mandarin orange juice and tropical whiffs of mango and passion fruit, but also plenty of grass and hay notes. There’s a very refreshing acidity, and the flavors sing on the finish.”

$19.99 750ml [277382]

CLIFF LEDE 2006 “POETRY” STAGS LEAP DISTRICT
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
The Poetry Vineyard is the eastern most on the estate, perched on a steep west-facing, high-exposure hillside. Reaching from the highest elevation of the Stags Leap District Appellation down almost to the valley floor, this vineyard’s heart and soul are a gritty combination of shallow soils atop fractured shales and low-yielding old vines of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cliff Lede team employs one of the most rigorous selections in the valley; only the best here, folks! Grapes are picked in the darkess of the morning and grapes deemed worthy enough go through a process that can take over a month before they’re allowed to rest for 18 months in 85% new French oak.

ROBERT PARKER 94 POINTS - “A 969-case blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest equal parts Merlot and Petit Verdot, this wine has sweet tannins, a big, rich kiss of blackberry and creme de cassis interwoven with subtle smoke, graphite, and loamy soil undertones. The wine has gorgeous purity, full-bodied flavors, elegance, and finesse. Like great cuisine, it offer tremendous intensity of flavor without any sense of heaviness or weight. Drink it over the next 20+ years.”

OJAI 2008 SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PINOT NOIR
While Ojai’s owner and winemaker Adam Tolmach has garnered fame and praise for his seductive renditions of Rhône varietals, his Pinot Noirs are not to be overlooked. In fact, several vintners do both wines, as they each take true “know-how” to make a superior wine from those grapes. Adam only works with the best vineyards, as great wine can only come from great grapes! Ojai has only produced single-vineyard Pinots in the past, but with Adam’s decision to scale down the program, that left him with some incredible wine that needed a home. Hence, he made this wine from the low-yielding, yet high-quality 2008 vintage! The wine is a vineyard blend of mostly Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills with a little bit of Presidio and Fe Ciega. It’s a more elegant representation of Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir that is led by its natural core of acidity rather than it’s full extract and tannin. The fruit on average was around 2 tons per acre, which is extremely low by the standard for boutique Pinot Noir in the state. It was vinified for 14 months in older French oak barrels without fining and filtration, so the wine is free of the presence of wood in the bouquet and palate, only to be left with the purity of fruit, subtlety and nuance that is Pinot Noir.

VINE CLIFF 2007 CARNEROS  CHARDONNAY
With as many wines as we taste here, it takes something really special in a wine for it to stand out as being superior. During a recent tasting with our distributors, Vine Cliff’s Chardonnay was head and shoulders above the rest! Cooled by breezes from San Pablo Bay, this vineyard is ideally located for growing Chardonnay of excellent quality. Planted in 1998 with six distinct clones, the fruit grown here enables us to produce wines that exhibit the best of both the new and old worlds - acidity and minerality, balanced with opulence and grace. Aromas of sweet peach, lime, grilled pineapple and tropical fruit complement the minerality and toasty nuances. The palate has an expansive range of flavors with juicy lime, passionfruit, nectarine, and crème brulee. The mid-palate has a velvety texture with toffee, clove and toasty oak flavors leading to sweet fruit on the finish. Since 1990, all of Vine Cliff’s vineyards have been managed according to the principles and practices of sustainable viticulture, with a renewed emphasis on natural farming. This means that no commercial pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers have been used, when possible, on the vines for more than a decade.
$29.99 750ml [275235]

HAMMERSKY 2007 “OPEN INVITATION” PASO ROBLES ZINFANDEL
When you have to get it just right, there are no substitutions. That’s why Doug and Kim Hauck searched over 12 years to find the perfect spot for their winery. Their travels led them to the Westside of Paso Robles, a place along California’s Central Coast where Zinfandel and Bordeaux varietals thrive in the warm days, cool evenings and lots of sunshine! These wines will rival those from Napa and Sonoma any day of the week! Fermented in open top bins to maximize extraction, the wine was blended and aged for 14 months in both new and neutral French oak. 90% Zinfandel with 10% Merlot, the wine has a robust deep garnet color with violet accents. The nose is amazing and complex with accents of fresh ripe plum and boysenberry mingling playfully with minerals and spice. The mouthfeel is impressive and well-concentrated flavors of black cherry and plum are framed with well-integrated and balanced tannins. A real treat. The finish lasts forever and leaves you impatient to enjoy another sip.
$24.95 750ml [250556]

CANNONBALL 2007 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Here’s your chance to “jump” into a great Cabernet value! Dennis Hill has over 25 years of winemaking experience with many Sonoma wineries, including Blackstone. Over the years, he has established great connections with some great vineyard managers, and he’s utilizing those connections to get some good Cabernet fruit. Call it what you want (we think it’s the economy), but he’s getting the fruit for a fraction of what it went for just a few years ago. Put two and two together, and you know you’ve got a wine that would sell for double just a short time ago. Make no mistake, this is a very well-balanced wine, with bright red fruits, spice and chocolate notes, and a dark ruby color. Full, rich, and with bright acidity, the berry and spice flavors are boldly presented along with a racy vanilla-cherry note. It’s a great match with food; we enjoyed a glass with brisket marinated in a red wine reduction sauce. This is where Homer would go “Mmmmm... Brisket!”

TRIVIUM 2006 “LES IVRETES” ST. HELENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON
After two decades of living in the same neighborhood and sharing great Cabernets with each other, Doug Wight, Jack Stuart and Stu Harrison created Trivium, or “a place where three ways meet”. Each partner contributes lifelong experience to the enterprise. Doug farms a vineyard established by his great-great grandfather on St. Helena benchland in 1864. Jack grew up in the orchards of Santa Clara Valley and has made wine in every vintage since 1975. After college, Stu worked in a Rheingau cellar and he’s been in the business ever since. The fruit comes from a few select rows of the famed Lewelling Vineyard. This particular portion has been lovlingly referred as “Les Ivrettes,” taking its name from the French for tipsy girls, recalling the days when daughters Haley, Caitlin and Cassie gathered among the vines for “celebrations” with friends. The wine itself is brilliant deep ruby, with intensely ripe berry fruit aromas, rich espresso, hints of roasted chestnuts, a stony terroir and grace notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, bay leaf and thyme. In the mouth, the wine is dense but balanced, with firm structure disguised by suppleness and an edge to hold it all together. The finish is long and chocolaty, with a refreshing snap. The 2006 Trivium will grow nicely in the bottle for years.

JALAMA 2006 “LA PRESA” SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SYRAH
For some time, the La Presa vineyard has been a “secret source” for several high-scoring, hard-to-get, simply quite notable wines. Winemaker Mark Cargasacchi gave us a preview of this wine at last year’s Hospice du Rhone tasting in Paso Robles and ever since then, we’ve been waiting with bated breath. Now that the wine is here, it has gotten even better! Mark’s portion is planted on an extremely steep south facing slope; a staircase and a good pair of hiking boots provides the only access to the terraced vines. The layers of flavor are big and bold and the finish just goes on and on. La Presa has an impressively opaque purple color with black currant and blackberry flavors mixed with caramel, mocha, vanilla and spice. It displays outstanding concentration, length, intensity and depth, with copious amounts of ripe tannins, and a long, bold finish. Mark, you’ve done good!

LUCIA 2007 “ GARYS’ “ SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS PINOT NOIR
We recently attended the Pinot Days tasting in Santa Monica. Among the dozens and dozens of producers, there were some pretty darn good Pinots... but this one REALLY stood out! The Pisoni family’s Lucia wines are no stranger to our store (or our newsletter), as their flamboyant personalities entice both novices and connoisseurs alike! The grapes for this bottling are sourced from the Garys’ Vineyard, a phenomenal 50-acre parcel farmed by Gary Pisoni, Mark Pisoni and Gary Franscioni, located on a sloping hillside in the center of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. How does compare with the Pisoni’s other wines? Well even Robert Parker rated this 95 points!

ROBERT PARKER 95 POINTS - “The outrageously sumptuous, complex 2007 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard is a compelling example of Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands. Ten to twelve percent whole clusters were used during fermentation, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak. Sumptuous aromas of kirsch, black raspberries, fresh mushrooms, and forest floor are very Burgundian as well as intense. In the mouth, the wine is full and beautifully concentrated with silky tannins and a long finish. Drink this sensational Pinot over the next 5-8+ years.”

$49.95 750ml [238750]

DUCHAMP 2006 “CUVÉE TROUVéE” DRY CREEK VALLEY SYRAH
The Dry Creek Valley is a special part of Sonoma. Because of its unique soil characteristics and cool afternoon breezes, it is here that some of the best Syrah grapes in the state are grown. And that’s why Duchamp grows Syrah here, and ONLY Syrah! Winemaker Gary Galleron (who worked at Chateau Montelena, Grace Family, and Whitehall Lane) has created a beauty of a wine, one stylistically similar to those of France’s Northern Rhône Valley, and this beauty will compete with the best of them! Their Cuvée Trouvée Syrah is elegance and refinement in a bottle. It has a luminescent ruby color, with complex aromas of leather, tar, smoked meat and gunflint. Bright flavors of tart cherry and raspberry are punctuated by a peppery edge. This is a fleshy, opulent wine that balances red and black fruits with smoky earthiness, much in a Northern Rhône style.

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "Intense and powerful, with a rich mix of firm wild berry, black cherry, pepper and spice, gaining depth and strength and picking up tar and black licorice flavors that add dimension. Drink now through 2015."

PROVENANCE 2008 RUTHERFORD SAUVIGNON BLANC
Provenance is a leader in the renaissance of Rutherford, one of Napa Valley’s premier sub-appellations. With notable and talented winemaker Tom Rinaldi at the helm (also of Duckhorn fame), their wines are going from strength to strength. What Tom does with Sauvignon Blanc is just magical! Year after year, Tom brings out the best of this grape by using innovative techniques such as skin contact (something VERY few Sauv Blanc producers do), and fermentation in both stainless steel and oak barrels to enrich texture. The result is a wine that offers vibrant lemon-lime, floral, and papaya nectar aromas. Hints of lemongrass, gooseberry, and minerals add complexity. The flavors echo the aromas, while picking up lychee, melon, and ginger spice. Wonderfully balanced, this wine combines bright acidity with a creamy texture, ending with a lemon custard nuanced finish.

WINE SPECTATOR 91 POINTS - "Key lime, passion fruit, melon and nectarine flavors are ripe, juicy and fleshy, with great intensity, a vivid acidity and terrific focus and clarity. Drink now. 15,360 cases made."

LEWIS 2008 NAPA VALLEY CHARDONNAY
As it’s said in auto racing, if you’re not at the front of the field, you’re gonna get lapped! The Lewis Cellars team of Randy, Debbie, Dennis and winemaker Brian Mox work diligently to assure their place in victory lane! The latest release of their Napa Valley Chardonnay shows that when nature takes half your grapes, you make what’s left twice as good! Crafted from a combination of Oak Knoll vines and longer-hanging Carneros clusters, the wine is satisfyingly ripe, yet focused and fresh in the same sip. Showy stone fruit, pear, hazelnut and toasty oak spices spill from the glass. Rich-bodied, fruitful and round on the palate with vanilla and subtle minerality, the wine is threaded with lively acidity bringing length and focus to a fine finish. 1,100 cases produced.

WINE SPECTATOR 91 POINTS - "Rich and layered, offering complex, full-bodied pear, fig and melon flavors, with smoky, toasty notes that take on a subtle roasted marshmallow hint. Elegant and stylish, this is a shade less rich and opulent than prior vintages. Drink now through 2013. 1,000 cases made."

SOLITUDE 2008 “SANGIACOMO” CARNEROS CHARDONNAY
It’s back, and it’s as good as ever! Over the past 20 years, winemaker and founder Richard Litch has been at the helm of Solitude. This Chardonnay has developed a reputation for value and consistency. It has always been a wine that was hard to keep in stock-- after a short-lived hiatus, this rich, full-bodied Chardonnay has come home to roost! Having worked at other wineries known for their Chardonnays (he was at Rombauer and Chalone), Richard knows how to harmonize the yin and yang of Chardonnay; the acidity and the richness. The wine starts out with aromas of roasted hazelnut, apple and lavish oak. This dry, straw/gold-colored wine retains classic flavors of lychee, apple, butter cream and oak, while finishing with good acidity to keep everything balanced. It is a full-throttle, full-bodied, hedonistic white that should give immediate gratification, as well as in the coming years.

KOBALT 2005 FORTIFIED (PORT) NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON
We have been waiting for this wine with bated breath for a while! While tasting through barrels with owner/winemaker Kevin Carriker, he had us sample a “fun little project” of his. He fortified a few barrels of Cabernet and that stuff was so good, we wanted him to bottle it right then and there! Well, here we are now, and the wine came in... but was it just as good? We’re telling you right now, the wine is made in the same “old world tradition” as that country to the left of Spain, and it’s just as good as anything you’ll find from that country!  Spicy, mocha, exotic berries and cherries dominate the bouquet with essences of violet.  The color is opaque/black purple.  On the palate are endless layers of chocolaty-ripe black cherry, crème de cassis, sweet licorice, black pepper followed by structured, rich tannins and hints of spicy French oak. By far, this is one of the greatest Port-styled wines we’ve ever tasted out of California! Sadly, only 82 cases were produced, so get it while you can!

JOEL GOTT 2007 “815” CALIFORNIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON
To be quite honest, December can sometimes be a blur here at the store; it gets so busy that you blink twice and it’s time to go home. Amid the chaos, we sampled the latest Joel Gott Cabernet at the wine bar, and it made us take a break! Not that the quality you get for such little money was ever an issue, but we felt this is their best “815” Cab ever! It really attests to the overall quality of the 2007 vintage! Sourced from Napa Valley, Mendocino, Paso Robles, and Lake County, Joel makes the wine with the guiding eye of his wife, Sarah (who has worked at Gloria Ferrer, Joseph Phelps, and Quintessa). The dark garnet colored wine starts off with a big nose of cherry, currant, and vanilla, leading to similar flavors on the palate, with spicy oak joining the mix. This Cab balances ripe, rich fruit with good tannin, and is able to be drank on its own, or paired with a variety of foods. Simply put, it’s quite a value for Cabernet!