AMERICAN WINE

WINERY NOTES-"At the top of Knudsen Vineyards in the Dundee Hills, at 950 feet of elevation, is where you'll find our 2.5 acre planting of Pinot Meunier. We take advantage of the late ripening spot to retain bright, fresh acidity and mineral edge. The balance of the wine is equally blended between the aforementioned Knudsen Vineyard and our younger, but equally high elevation Spirit Hill Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. The color is bright, pale salmon pink, while its bouquet is full of rose petal, cherry kernel, and pomegranate. The barrel aging of the red wine component contributes to its savory complexity, while its delicate, creamy bead leads to a long textural finish."

WINEMAKER'S NOTES "- The Brut Cuvee is the signature wine of Domaine Carneros, representing the best of Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a classic sparkling wine. This powerful yet elegant wine shows off an array of citrus flavors, tropical fruit including pineapple and passion fruit, and a hint of toastiness. It is racy on the palate and long on finish.

Ryo-fu is Japanese for "cool breeze." The cool, foggy breeze that comes off the Pacific Ocean allows the Russian River Valley to grow high quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The area's sandy soil is crucial as well; but without the right temperatures, the fruit could ripen too soon or not at all. Thanks to Freeman's local "ryo-fu", the growing seasons are perfectly timed for their vineyards. The 2015 vintage will go down as the earliest Chardonnay harvest on record at Freeman, and with a little help from that cool breeze, all of the fruit came in perfectly ripe.

A blend of Chardonnay from vineyards such as Keefer, Heintz, and Mill Station, the wine shows medium straw color, with a throwback nose of matchstick, honey, ripe Gravenstein apples, and melon. The palate is tightly wound, combining strong acidity and a dense core of fruit. It will take a few years in bottle to reach its peak, but with enough aeration in the glass, everything comes together to reveal a vibrant, well-balanced Chardonnay. The drinking window should be 2018–2023.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 92 POINTS - "A majority of Pinot Noir in this blend doesn't overshadow the Chardonnay's sentiments of baked apple, hazelnut and creme brulee. Warm and savory, the mousse is also dry, crisp and buoyant, balanced and elegant in the end, making for a complete wine with a lengthy finish."

JEB DUNNUCK 92+ POINTS - "Another beauty is the 2015 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills, and is sees just a touch of whole cluster (15%) and is brought up mostly in neutral barrel. It's lighter ruby color is followed by a darker fruited, earth, damp earthy quality that I love. It's not a big wine, but it has plenty of tension, fine tannin and lots of saltiness that comes out with time in the glass."

This vintage of Robert Sinskey Vineyards' Los Carneros Pinot Noir excites the senses the moment it hits the glass. Rich, classic Carneros Pinot Noir notes of perfectly ripened raspberry, bing cherry, rhubarb, strawberry jam, rose and forest herbs…a true interpretation of the year's dry, warm conditions. The first sip reveals a wine with an Old World soul that is food-friendly with an age-worthy structure. It is balanced by a New World preciseness that highlights the impeccable red fruit. The fruit feels more fresh and textured than the aromas would suggest with crisp cranberry, pomegranate and blood orange adding lift to a bright and juicy mid-palate that leads to a long finish marked by the balance of savory, complex, supple-tannins and mouth-watering brightness.

The wines from St. Supery have gone from strength-to-strength. So much, in fact, that they were even featured twice on our "Top Wine" list for December 2014! Their winemaker Michael Scholz is the guy that everybody in Napa is talking about, because his deft hand with Bordeaux varietals are fashioning amazing wines that are quickly making other wineries envious!

St. Supery Estate Vineyards and Winery is a 100% Estate Grown, sustainably farmed winery located in the renowned Rutherford growing region in the heart of Napa Valley. The vineyard sits on the "Rutherford Bench" of mineral-rich alluvial and well-drained soils allowing the grapevine's root systems to mine for nutrients and water, yielding complex and concentrated flavors. Committed to producing the highest quality estate wines without compromise, St. Supery focuses on sustainable winery and farming operations to protect the land and environment for future generations.

This Merlot presents with deep purple hues and red notes. Aromas of black plum, blueberry and dark chocolate combine with anise, charred oak and a hint of graphite that result in dark fruit flavors of plum and cherry. The wine continues to evolve with black currant and dark mocha flavors and a hint of dusty terroir on the palate. This is a structured and elegant Merlot with fine-grained tannins.