ViniWine.com

If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Hans Fahden Winery.

Wine Spies Once-in-a-lifetime Alert!: Today we are pleased to the first wine seller to bring you another exclusive from Hans Fahden. This wine is not only very special, it is also precious. Once this wine is gone, the winery will not release another

Superior Wine Alert!: This is another exceptional Hans Fahden wine and we are astounded that it sells for so little

SAVINGS ALERT!: Operatives who buy six or more bottles today will be rewarded with Free Ground Shipping, but only if they enter the secret savings code: MERLOTSPY

Mission Codename: Quothe the Raven

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Respond immediately to reports that Wine Spies Operative favorite, Hans Fahden, has released a one-time Merlot. If the wine is great, secure as much as possible – before they run out – forever!

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Hans Fahden Winery

Wine Subject: 2004 Mountain Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Israel Montanez

Backgrounder: The 2003 Hans Fahden Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the most popular Cabs we featured in 2007. In 2008, we offered their incredible 2004. Again, a smash success and a fast sell-out. When we learned that they were producing a limited release Merlot, we sped to the winery to taste the wine. When we fell in love, we secured an exclusive on the wine and are offering you what could be you only chance to try the wine. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes below, followed by his original Mission Report, in which Red first becomes acquainted with this wonderful winery.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby red in color with a heart of dark plum. Swirl the glass and thick legs appear slowly before they march slowly down the glass

Smell – A wonderful blast of concentrated aromas of earthen cherry, ripe blackberry, soft pine tar and mild fresh mixed salad herbs

Feel – Initially velvet soft and then the wine shows lush medium tannins as it coats and then drys the tongue and the roof of the mouth

Taste – Big and rich flavors of dark stonefruit, dark cherry, dark smoky blueberry, blackberry and plum, with a slight herbaceous or vegital quality that gives the wine a hearty flavor that follows its initial fruity brightness

Finish – Super long-lasting, with smokey fruit then more vegital all over mouth flavors that taper off slowly as the wine coats and the drys your mouth

Conclusion – Once again, Hans Fahden winery has us scratching our heads at the high-quality/low-price of their wines. We declared their Cabernet Sauvignon to be an underpriced mastepiece and we say the same of this fantastic, youthful Merlot. The only ‘bad’ thing we could say about this wine is that once it is gone, it’s gone. Okay, to be fair, all wines are like this, but when we asked the winery if there would be a future vintage, they (sniff) said ‘nope’! So, dear Operative, stock up, buy us out, grab an ample allocation for this is likey your only chance to try this great wine – from a great winery!

Mission Report:

What follows is our original mission report, in which Agent Red first discovers Hans Fahden’s exquisite wine:

: : San Francisco, California : : Fort Mason : : Family Winemakers of California Tasting event : :

With more than 400 wineries and only two days to taste, I needed to employ my best strategic planning skills. There was simply no way I would be able to taste everything available to me.

Central Command had compiled a list of High Priority Target wineries, and I was tasting wines of all varietals and in all price ranges. Most of them good to great, and only a few real stinkers.

During the latter half of my second day, I initiated the final phase of my tasting which had me tasting only the highest end wines available. This was a phase I was looking forward to and after giving my palate a much needed rest, I reentered the pavilion like a man on a mission. Oh, yeah, I really was on a mission!

After tasting 2 or 3 really superb wines (you’ll enjoy learning of these in a future report), I spotted on of my newest assets, Codename ”Shank”, chatting at one of the winery tasting tables.

Shank, so named for his passion for golf, is a wine industry insider. He works for a leading wine industry technology provider and hails from a winemaking family.

I walked over to the table and Shank introduced me to Karen Fahden of Hans Fahden Vineyards. Karen immediately poured me a glass and I took it for a swirl. I was instantly wowed and I explained that I had been seeking out $50+ wines. I thought that this one would fit right in and I asked Karen if the was $50 – or more. I was shocked by her answer. Karen explained that she gets that reaction a lot.

Right there at the table, I negotiated a nice quantity of bottles for our Agents. Any wine that drinks like a $50 bottle but costs less than half that deserves our best attention.

Winery Backgrounder:

The Fahden vineyards and winery consists of 100 acres. It is located at 1200 feet, in a range of the Mayacamus Mountains, on a ridge above Calistoga, California. The property features panoramic views of Mt. St. Helena.

Hans and Marie Fahden, natives of Hamburg, Germany, purchased the property in 1912. They farmed the land growing grapes until the Prohibition was enacted in 1920. After destroying the vines that they had worked so hard to plant and tender, the family planted prunes.

Sixty years and two generations later, Antone and Lyall Fahden decided they liked Cabernet Sauvignon better than prunes and a new journey began to restore the land and make it productive. From 1982 to 1984, the family went to work, planting three vineyard areas. Separated by volcanic outcroppings and forests of Douglas Fir, these vineyards are now interspersed by picturesque ponds and a beautiful wine cave, which was tunneled into a formation of four million year old volcanic ash.

The Hans Fahden Winery became bonded in 1986. The first bottle of wine, which was produced from the 1987 vintage, was sold in 1992. The Hans Fahden Winery became licensed to conduct public tastings in 1996. Today, the Winery produces incredible award-winning wines that please the pallet and the pocketbook.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Dry Creek Valley can be seen in this satellite photo

By W. Blake Gray

"Spring Snow" is a pretty good nickname for a sake because it sounds not just delicate and natural, but outright freaky when you think about it. Snowing in springtime? You don't see that often.

Same for its sake namesake -- although in this case, blame not Mother Nature, but the US government.

Akitabare "Shunsetsu" ("spring snow") Nama Honjozo is highly unusual because it combines a class of sake we often see in the U.S. -- nama -- with one that we don't, honjozo.

Honjozo sakes are basically the same quality as junmai sakes, because at least 30 percent of the outer part of the rice is polished away. They're very popular in Japan. But because of US tax law on imported sake, they're uncommon here.

"Junmai" means "pure rice": nothing but rice, water and koji mold goes into a junmai sake.
For honjozos, brewer's alcohol may be added during the process. Usually this is done to create a lighter, less intense, more subdued style. Think about the difference between Italian Pinot Grigio and Alsatian Pinot Gris. The honjozo is more like the Pinot Grigio -- crisp, light-bodied, meant for food, at the sacrifice of some aromatic and flavor intensity. Yet there are plenty of mild dishes in Japanese cuisine that a richly flavored sake (or a full-bodied, super-aromatic Pinot Gris) would overpower.

Honjozo sakes are big in Japan partly because of their food friendliness, and partly because their easy quaffability makes it easy to drink quickly enough to get shitfaced. Japanese don't drink halfway.

However, while honjozo sakes are generally the same price or cheaper than junmais in Japan, in the US they are significantly more expensive. The US government taxes them at a higher rate because alcohol is added, so they drop into the same category as fortified wines like Port.

That, and the fact that junmai has the better connotation in the US of being "pure," has kept honjozo sakes from making any headway in this market.

This honjozo is an oddity because it's also "nama," which means unpasteurized. It doesn't taste like any other sake I've had on these shores. More on that in a moment.

The brewery, based in Akita prefecture in chilly northern Honshu on the Japan Sea side, claims to be bound by tradition. The company's junmai label proclaims "koshiki junzukuri" -- the old way. And the brewery claims to have been using some of the same tools for the past century (In case you're wondering, the US Air Force didn't bother flying that far north.)
And yet, Akitabare's sake lineup is pretty innovative. The daiginjo is bottle-aged for two years, which is almost heresy in an industry focused on freshness. And then there's this sake, which -- because it's nama -- is most definitely "drink now."

Before that spring snow melts.

Tasting Notes:
The aroma is complex, with notes of cream, mustard powder, orange rind, oyster shell, melon and shrimp. But it doesn't prepare you for what you're about to taste. Neither does the mouthfeel, which is a big plus: it's tight and creamy at the same time, with a taut center and a long taut finish.

What I taste from this is melon, and plenty of it -- the characteristic of a nama, but definitely not a characteristic of most honjozos. I also taste notes of cream and oyster shell. It's a little pungent and never fattens up. That's a good thing -- it's very food-friendly.

Food Pairing:
I had it with Chinese delivery food -- sliced fish sauteed with bok choy, spinach with garlic and vegetable chow mein -- and it was excellent.

Overall Score: around 9

How Much?: $20

This wine is available for purchase on the Internet.

Many years ago, a Navy friend brought us a bottle of German wine as a hostess gift. Brian was elated because he’d found this wine in the U.S. I was surprised to discover that the gift was German red wine from a region I’d never heard of, the Ahr. No surprise, Brian told us – the Ahr is a very small wine region that produces mostly red wines, so it’s very hard to find Ahr wines outside of Germany.

read more

Vinfolio is pleased to announce the public beta launch of VinCellar 3 today (see press release and blog post over at Fermentation).  One of the most interesting capabilities we've designed is a decisonmaking tool that is found under the Cellar Analysis tab.  The best way to use these capabilities is to think of a question about your cellar and then to use the tools to answer it. 

1. Graphs

This is a graphical dashboard tab displaying up to four interactive graphs simultaneously from a list of categories (currently: cost, country, gain/loss, pre-arrival, score, and varietal; note a "drinkability" category will be released shortly). Click the thumbnail image below to display a screenshot.

You may also drill into any level of detail from this graphical view by clicking either a section of a graph or the Details link for all sections at once (click thumbnail image below for the resulting screenshot).

2. Segmentation

Analyze your cellar by selecting a combination of up to three categories from cascading dropdown lists.  Each category selected sequentially further splits out your cellar into more detail.  Once you have completed an analysis, you can save it to a My Analyses list for future reuse.

3. Narrowing data set used in graphing/segmenting 

In either the Graphs or Segmentation subtab, the following filter criteria can be repetitively applied to narrow the scope of displayed wine and then saved to a My Filters list for later reuse.

Your feedback is welcome

Please feel free to submit any questions or suggestions for improvement in our Vinfolio Forums.  User feedback is critical for us in developing the best possible solution for your needs.  As a web-based application, we are able to make minor changes any time and go through regular software development cycles every 30 days for larger changes or new features.

I'm sorry about that headline. I couldn't help myself. Everyone else is doing it.

When I first started writing about wine several years ago, I thought one of the things I might do is help my readers keep up with the health news surrounding wine, so I started posting little tidbits every time I saw a news item about the health benefits of wine. After about three weeks it was clear that unless I was planning on writing the wine health blog, there was just no way I could possibly cover it all.

I've speculated before about why the health benefits of wine seems to be such a popular topic with researchers and the only reason I could come up with was that the researchers just need the merest shred of an excuse to spend their grant monies on booze.

But don't take that as demeaning the quality of or the need for such research. I'm just a bit bemused as to how much of it seems to be pouring out of the halls of academia around the world, proclaiming that yes, red wine will cure just about anything.

The latest bit of research purportedly shows that drinking red wine while eating cooked meat is better for you than eating the same meat while sipping a Diet Coke, for instance.

Of course, we've known since ancient times that drinking wine with food was good for you -- in the old days it was the water that got you sick (and occasionally the food too) so consuming massive quantities of wine was not only fun, but good for staving off dysentery and other nasties. Red wine with your tomatoes, anyone?

This most recent research focuses on wine's antioxidant properties, which seem to reduce the toxins that are a byproduct of our guts trying to break down the fats in the meat. Eating steak apparently shortens your life, but drinking red wine while you do it makes everything OK! (in addition to curing Leprosy, of course).

Like all such studies, we must take these results with a grain of salt, but they certainly are encouraging, nonetheless. Not like you needed an excuse to pop the cork on a nice bottle with your steak dinner....

Read the full article.

Thanks to Jack at Fork & Bottle for sending me the link.

If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Trechini Cellars.

Mission Codename: GO, GO Merlot!

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Sleuth out an exceptional Sonoma County Merlot for our thirsty Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Trechini Cellars

Wine Subject: 2006 Merlot

Winemaker: Dan Barwick

Backgrounder: Any true fan or red wine knows that, worldwide, Merlot is a serious and well-respected wine varietal. It is the most widely grown grape in the Bordeaux region of France and, in America, Merlot soared to popularity in the 1990s. And for good reason; Merlot, when done correctly, can be incredible. Such is the case with today’s serious offering from Trecini Cellars. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report immediately following to learn more about this wine – and why Merlot still rocks!

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Inky garnet to ruby with a dark heart of deep garnet, this wine has a bouncy surface with concentrated color out to its edges. When swirled the wine shows thick and thin legs that run down the glass at different speeds

Smell – Really lavish aromas! Lush and deeply layered with earthy rich smells of plum, dark cherry, cedar, dusky blackberry, mild dried herbs and soft-smoked meats

Feel – Cool and light up front, deliciously slick (not oily) with an initial wetness that is fast replaced by medium tannins and an all-over-mouth coating effect that I love

Taste – A delicious unveiling of great flavors, with dark ripe stonefruit, dark cherry, dark mixed berries, mild cigar box and fresh & mild mixed salad herbs

Finish – Cool and fresh, then slightly drying and airy with big flavors that taper off very gradually

Conclusion – It is no wonder that Trecini keeps winning so many gold medals; This wine is superb, conveying a real sense of place, of passion and of personality. This is a wine that connects you to the winemaker, the vineyards and the fruit. Its also no wonder that we Wine Spies keep returning to Trecini Cellars; We are diehard fans and they make wines that impress us over and over again. If you love Merlot, you will LOVE this one. If you don’t care for Merlot, you MUST try this one, for it will please you with its delicious flavors, great aromas, bright acidity and great feel.

Mission Report:

It was a cold and rainy day in Sonoma County. Just the sort of day I have come to expect in mid-January in this mostly-beautiful and usually delightful California wine growing region… but with a difference; The rain was relentless and the downpour particularly strong.

I had set a secret rendezvous with winery owner, Cathy Vicini, but was beginning to wonder whether I would make it to her or not. Roads were feet-deep with water in places, traffic seemed unmoving and I felt as though I would have done better in a rowboat than my Spy car.

The last time we featured a Trecini wine, I was not the agent on the case. Therefor, I had not had the pleasure to meet with anyone from the winery until today. Although, with this weather, I was beginning to wonder if I would even have the chance.

The spot where we had set for out meeting was nearby the winery’s HQ, but somewhat more interesting; we planned to meet in the center of a private sculpture garden where a few dozen sculptures were spread out over nearly a 1/2 mile stretch. I looked forward to seeing them, if I could just make it there.

By some great miracle, or perhaps just good luck, the weather cleared, the sun shone through the parting clouds and traffic began to move again. I made it with a few minutes to spare and thanked the wine gods as I climbed the hills toward the sculpture garden.

The sculptures here ranged in size from tiny to massive and were either stunning in their beauty – or downright bizarre. If you guessed that my tastes leaned toward the more bizarre ones, you may be right. My favorite was a 15-foot long creation that looked to be made of gnarled wood and welded metal that looked like a robotic, steam-propelled, flying baby whale, called “SirBent”, by Bryan Tendrick.

After a period of standing in awe before this creation, Cathy rolled up in her SUV, a quizzical look on her face. We exchanged prearranged authentication phrases and we both smiled warmly. Cathy had a case of wine for our careful assessment and, in true prohibition-era style, I transfered it from the back of her truck, to the trunk of my car.

Because Cathy had another meeting to make, we spoke for just a few minutes, then thanked each other, and were on our way again quickly.

That’s when the rain started up again. I made for our Sonoma safehouse and arrived there before the worst of the weather hit. Just.

Once safely inside, I built a fire in the fireplace, decanted a bottle of Trecini wine and made myself a modest meal of comfort food. On sipping the wine I was struck by its character and the feeling that the wine imbued. Where some wines are obvious party wines and still others are great elegant dining wines, I realized that this wine – with its rich but still soft feel, flavors and aromas – was the perfect comfort wine.

The rest of my evening was spent listening to the rain and reflecting on how some wines impart a visceral feeling, a sense of place, and a sense of the winemaker, when you drink them. Maybe it was being safe from the rain, maybe it was the great wine, but this Trecini wine delivered all of these, and a tangible impression that all is right with the World.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of our secret meeting, the sculpture gardens, and surrounding vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.wonderful mouthfeel.

Mission Report:

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Vicini Vinyard can be seen in this satellite photo.

My father was partial to scotch, rather than the restrained subtleties of cabernet sauvignon or grenache. But I am not my father. In the Sierra Foothills, specifically the Shenandoah Valley near Plymouth, CA, generations of farmers have planted grapes for wine since the gold rush times.

read more

Muscat Beaumes de Venise is a light and sweet nectar of the Gods, with an aroma of rose petals and tropical fruit and a taste of candied oranges dripping with honey. It makes me glad for summer, because it is the perfect summer dessert wine.

read more

Is California the only American region producing great wine? In this episode of IntoWineTV, host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent and Pamela Busch convene at San Fr

read more

According to the Luxury Institute's research (as referenced in a recent Newsweek story called Luxury Goes Undercover), "nearly all wealthy Americans (98%) use the Web to purchase [high-end] goods and services, and more than half do it frequently."  The wealthy are "increasingly interested in immediacy and convenience," not to mention privacy and selection.

Wine as a luxury item 

Fine wine prices have risen to the level where wine is now a luxury item (see my 2007 post, Wine as a luxury item).  Yet, only 18% of weekly wine drinkers bought wine online in 2007 according to the Wine Market Council (and almost two-thirds of that was from wineries, not retailers).

Pent-up demand for online wine buying

I believe the 18% figure is artificially suppressed, primarily because of the reduced convenience that complicated direct shipping laws create.  The good news is that wine retailers are now organized via the Specialty Wine Retailers Association.  The SWRA is fighting on consumers' behalf to create a more streamlined regulatory environment that updates shipping laws to conform to the reality of 21st century web-based commerce.

Bottom line: If you're interested in tapping into the benefits of buying wine online, support the SWRA and voice your opinions (in a comment to this post) about how online wine buying could be made more convenient for you.

If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Salvestrin Vineyard and Winery.

SAVINGS ALERT! Smart spies stock up on great wines. When they buy 6 or more bottles of today’s SuperCaliTuscan, they will be rewarded with Free Ground Shipping, but only if they enter secret savings code NAPASPY at checkout.

Mission Codename: The Legacy

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Uncover a Super Tuscan-style wine, born in California. If the wine is superb, procure an ample supply for our Operatives to enjoy

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Salvestrin Vineyard and Winery

Wine Subject: 2005 Retaggio Red Wine

Winemakers: Kent Barthman and Rich Salvestrin

Backgrounder:

In just the last decade, Super Tuscans became the latest rage in Italian wine in the United States, however, their story goes back to the late 1940s when the famed Sassicaia wine was reportedly made by Incisa della Rochetta using Cabernet Sauvignon vines from Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, or so the legend goes. Now California Super Tuscan-inspired blends are presenting as great wines of remarkable quality, providing a unique expression of this Italian heritage blend.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple with a dark inky heart of deep garnet, with tightly-packed, slow thick legs that start slow and then streak down the glass, providing insight into the wines mouthfeel

Smell – Intense wild blackberries, blackberry and raspberry with currant, blueberry, licorice and spices. This wine also presnts secondary aromas of black pepper and earth

Feel – Round and soft at very first, then bright and bold, dry and warm on the tongue, this full-bodied wine has medium tannins and a mouth-coating and chewy quality. As this wine opens up it becomes more velvety

Taste – Extremely well balanced fruit, with notable dusky blackberry, currant, blueberry and soft spice, with touches of oak, black pepper and an earthy quality. Present here is that classic subtle orange zest spiciness that you only find in exceptional Italian wines

Finish – This wine finishes beautifully long and dry with big fruit and a slight herbaceous quality

Conclusion – This is a big, juicy, delicious and fun wine to drink! A really interesting wine as well, with a definite between California-fresh and Super Tuscan heritage. For those Cali wine fans familiar with Super Tuscan wines from Italy, this wine delivers a great synergy of the two. Bright and aromatic with balanced acidity and a great mouthfeel, this wine is a great solo sipper or perfect with most food combinations. Auguri! to Salvestrin for building this wonderful wonderful wine! If you are a fan of Super Tuscans, you won’t be disappointed!

Mission Report:

Three generations of Salvestrins have made wine in America. Today, Rich Salvestrin makes wine on the family’s estate, a practice which began with Rich’s grandfather, John, and was continued by his son, Ed. By American standards, three generations is about as old as a winemaking family can be.

When Central Command issued a Priority Alert for a great California Super Tuscan, our Assets flooded us with intel on various wineries. On feeding all of the data into the W.I.N.E. (Wine Internet Nexus Engine) system, I was presented with three recommendations. At the top of the list was Silvestrin.

Immediately I set out to the winery. Nestled between a residential neighborhood and Crane Park near downtown St. Helena, the 26-acre property is expansive and lush with grape-laden vines. There, on a beautiful late-June day I had the great pleasure to meet with Shannon Salvestrin, Rich’s wife and partner in day to day operation of the winery.

With myself posing as a wine writer (the perfect cover, as I really do write for Imbibe Magazine and Color and Aroma Magazine), we tasted through the range of their wines. We lingered especially long on the Retaggio, today’s wine.

Retaggio is Italian for Legacy, a fitting name for this Tuscan Style wine, from this particular winemaking family, for this wine is the wine embodiment (em_bottlement_?) of the family’s fine heritage and wine-crafting experience.

Made from grapes of Napa Valley Sangiovese and Estate grown Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Salvestrins have captured the essence of fine Italian Super Tuscan, but in a rich, sleek and somehow more modern California style that does not sacrifice its old-world roots.

At the end of the tasting, I quietly reveled my true intent, asking Shannon for several cases of the wine for our worthy Operatives to enjoy. She readily agreed, allowing us to procure a small cache – but with the suggestion that we counsel our Operatives to ”... stock up and also keep a few bottles in the cellar to enjoy later.” This Wine Spy has taken her advice to heart. I only hope that I can be patient, for this wine is ready to drink right now!.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Salvestrin Estate vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

From this valley comes the wine we are pouring
We really dig the bright fruit and sweet nose
You can taste the Sonoma County sunshine
That makes these exquisite grapes grow

Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
Do not hesitate to drink a little more
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs

We’ve been waiting a long time, my darling
For a Pinot Noir this earthy and rich
Now here’s a glass full of ruby-red contentment
With mild tannins and a lingering finish

Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
One bottle of ‘05 and two of ‘04
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs

Well the ‘04 is ripe and dark and complex
With fruit-driven flavors of berry
But the ‘05 is a just little bit jammier
With spices, plum, and black cherry

Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
Drink all you want – they’ll make some more
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs

Rules and restrictions:

• Wine sold by winery (or a retailer in your state where necessary)
• You must be 21 or older to order
• Whoever receives the package must be 21 or older
• If you're drunk when the package shows up, you will not be allowed to receive it
• Wine cannot be delivered to a P.O. Box
• We highly recommend you use a business address as your shipping address

Thanks to stick-in-the-mud buzzkilling state legislators, wine may only be delivered to the following states:

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

If your state's not on the list, you're out of luck... for now. Keep up with the ever-changing laws over at ShipCompliantBlog.com, and/or sound the alarms with your state assembly person through FreeTheGrapes.org. Meanwhile, all Federal, state and local laws are complied with in providing this wine.

If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Domaine Patrick Baudouin.

INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SELECTION ALERT!

We scour the globe to bring you an exceptional International wine selection – from the finest wineries in the world

Savings Alert!

Clever Operatives will receive FREE Ground Shipping on 6 bottles or more – when they enter this coupon code at checkout: FRENCHSPY (discount will be shown before you complete your order)

Mission Codename: The Devil is in the… wine!

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Our Operatives love great Cabernet Franc. Return to France for the perfect Cabernet Franc and secure an ample quantity for our new International Sunday Selection program

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Anjou Villages – Domaine Patrick Boudouin

Wine Subject: 2003 Cabernet Franc

Winemaker: Patrick Boudouin

Backgrounder:

Cabernet Franc is one of Agent Red’s favorite red varietals. Perhaps this is because its flavors are often rich, layered, complex and elegant. Or, perhaps he loves Cabernet Franc so much because it pairs so exceptionally with many different foods.

One of the most notable things about Cabernet Franc is the fact that finding excellent examples can be very difficult. On a recent extended mission, Agent Red tasted a broad selection of a Cabernet Franc wines. He returned with 5 exceptional Cabernet Francs and subjected them to an extended evaluation. Here he presents his favorite.

We are also very pleased to welcome back Agent K, one of our guest Sommelier reviewers. From time to time, Agent K contributes to our reviews by her lending us her sophisticated palate and love of wine. We extend our special thanks to Agent K, whose comments can be seen below.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep, dark garnet, bordering on purple with thick, medium fast legs that glisten down the glass

Smell – Complex and earthy. Stemmy with mild barnyard, clean compost, mulch and stone

Feel – Initially wet, then dry with medium weight and grippy all-over-mouth tannins

Taste – Deeply layered, mouth coating flavors of dark fruit, moss, truffle, leather and cranberry

Finish – Smooth, with the majority of flavors that fall off quickly, leaving behind a pleasing horsey raspberry and pleasant dryness

Conclusion – One must try an authentic French Cabernet Franc if one is to understand the range, depth and complexity that is possible with this outstanding varietal. This particular Cabernet Franc exudes complexity, character and old-world charm. Not as fruity as its wonderful American counterparts, don’t let some of the descriptions above fool you. This wine is very good, and it has American-palate-pleasing fruit, which carries it along nicely.

Agent K, Sommelier, says:

”Undergrowth and barnyard drive this wine with hints of raspberry and leather. The palate is supple and mouth-coating, balanced and smooth with cranberry and gooseberry, vanilla and mushrooms.”

Mission Brief:

Frances Loire Valley is the region most famous for turning out great Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Franc is particularly suited to the middle region of the Loire Valley where Patrick’s wines come from.

Patrick Bodouin is quite a colorful character and I suspect that the devil that graces his Anjou Villages label is his alter-ego. He grew up in the Layon region of the Loire Valley but left to find his fortune in Paris where he toiled as a laborer and then as a librarian. He eventually gave up that noble profession to return to the Loire and the vineyards of his grandparents. As a winemaker (and as Parker points out), Patrick is passionate about “natural” winemaking. This term for him refers to exhorting the vines to give their best in the vineyard so that intervention in the winery is minimal and the resulting wines “natural.”

This wine is a wonderful example; a Cabernet Franc that some have called the perfect, authentic and quintessential real French Cab Franc. I agree that, if you love Cab Franc, this is certainly one to try. As the only imported Cabernet Franc to make it into my Top 5, it gets my heartiest recommendation.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Loire Valley where this exceptional wine was born can be seen in this satellite photo.

Great new post over at Steve Heimoff’s blog. In it Steve addresses what appears to be a lack of consumer interest in California Syrah. Money quote is below:

There are signs the industry is concerned about a Syrah slump and is gearing up to do something about it. In May, Gallo sponsored a Syrah Symposium in Santa Ynez…

At one of the Symposium seminars, I was struck when several of the panelist-winemakers blamed the wine media for Syrah’s failure to win hearts, minds and wallets. “You guys have to do a better job of educating consumers,” one said.

Before I launch into a rant at the folly of blaming anyone - critics, distributors, consumers, God or the weather - for a lack of consumer interest in a variety, let me just say that Steve Heimoff’s blog has been consistently excellent since it launched just a few short weeks ago. Steve updates often, and with compelling content. Be sure to check him out.

So, back to the blame game. Here’s a question for wine producers: Who’s in charge of making sure your wine sells?

If you answer anyone other than “Me” I think a serious re-examination of your business is in order.

Wine Critics

Wine writers shouldn’t be relied upon to advocate for any one region or variety, even though they sometimes do. We’re fortunate as an industry to have talented individuals who are passionately driven to write about wine. But relying on the wine media as a core part of your business model is simply folly. Wine writers write for their audience, not to further the marketing goals of a winery or wine region.

The same goes for wine scores. There are so many other avenues to pursue right now in wine marketing it is simply lazy to rely solely on the tried and true: points and medals. If and when the scores and accolades come, bully for you.

But even if they don’t, many long lasting luxury wine brands have been built without top scores. They did it with savvy marketing, ridiculously great customer service, and good wine in styles that consumers desire.

Bottom line: If your business model includes “make a 94 point wine and sell out,” you’re short both imagination and good sense.

Distributors

The story is similar with distributors. It can be fantastic to have a distribution partner with connections, leverage and years of relationships with buyers out there moving your wine for you and building your brand.

But what are the chances that you’ll enter the industry tomorrow and fall right into such an arrangement? Yeah, good luck with that. For the vast majority of brands, you can’t rely on distributors to build your brand for you, especially if you are small or have a variety that isn’t in fashion at the moment.

Another reason why distributors are often a bad deal is the following paradox: If your brand is strong enough to attract the interest and support of a distributor (which means there is pull demand from the market) you should be looking at turning that brand strength into direct sales and moving to the self-distribution model.

Furthermore, the last thing the sales reps at the distributors want to do is launch a new brand. Believe me. It reeks of effort, and many reps are distinctly uncurious about little known wines and wine regions. They want to move product, make commissions, get recognized and get promoted. They don’t give a whit about your brand, and why should they?

Oh yeah, and the margins suck too.

Consumers

There is only one group you can rely on to help you sell wine, and unless you have direct contact with them, you’ll never be able to actually influence them.

Delighted customers are the only asset you can reliably lean on to help you market and sell your wine. If consumers aren’t recommending your wine, it means you aren’t delighting them. You aren’t exceeding their expectations at every opportunity.

It’s a very tough proposition, delighting customers and consistently exceeding their expectations so that they’ll talk about and recommend your wine. But it’s a tough business, and it’s glamourous enough that everyone wants to be in it.

It seems to me that being exceptional is the minimum threshold to even consider entering such a capital intensive, high risk industry. Which is why comments like the ones reported by Steve strike me as so utterly misguided.

Are these people just totally unprepared to compete?

If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better than that, as is the case with today’s wine from Cima Collina.

SECRET SATURDAY SAVINGS ALERT!: Pssst. You want Free Ground Shipping on today’s superior selection? Just order 6 bottles or more and enter coupon code PINOTSPY at checkout!

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT! We don’t oft do repeats. When we do, you can be assured that its only because it is a wine that we love very much. Today’s wine is a beautifully bright and delicious Pinot Noir from Monterey County.

Mission Codename: The best and the brightest

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Cima Collina to uncover the truth about their 2006 Pinot Noir. Our assets report that the wine is among the best Pinot Noir they have tasted. If true, secure an ample allocation for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: Cima Collina

Wine Subject: 2006 Monterey County Pinot Noir

Winemakers: Annette Hoff

Backgrounder: The first time we featured a Pinot Noir from Cima Collina, Agent Red had a difficult time infiltrating the winery. It was worth the effort, though, because now Cima Collina is a fully vetted Wine Spies winery and our Operatives can count on being privy to their best releases. Today’s Monterey County Pinot Noir is among the finest we have had the please to taste and we recommend to our Pinot-loving Operatives that they scoop up this limited-availability wine – before we run out.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and perfect ruby-red with great clarity, a springy bounce and thin, widely-spaced legs that run down the glass at varied speeds

Smell – Richly layered and warm, with deep fruits of cherry, mild forest floor, fresh earthen spices and toasty oak

Feel – Cool, light and round, this wine speeds its was across the front palate and then grips first at the front of the tongue, where a slight warmth and dryness makes its way to the back of the mouth.

Taste – Sweet, fresh, bright and slightly tart with flavors of bing cherry, pomegranate, plum, cedar and mild forest floor

Finish – Long, lush and lingering, the flavors and feelings that this wine leaves behind develop and change over time, making it a wine to sip lovingly while take the time to appreciate its subtle nuances

Conclusion – Pure pleasure, this wine is everything you could wish for in a Monterey Pinot Noir. Attribute its great aromas, feel and flavors to the meticulous labor that went into making this wine. With daily attention to its progress, this wine was tended with care by winemaker Annette Hoff, who virtually lived with the grapes post-harvest to ensure the proper extraction on flavors and color. Annette’s attention to the grapes, coupled with her winemaking ability and her brilliance in selecting and sorting the fruit that went into this wine, all combine to deliver a wine that is exceptionally flavorful, fun to drink and even better to share over a great meal with friends and loved-ones.

Mission Report:

Now that Cima Collina is a fully vetted winery, The Wine Spies are privy to their wines. When intel reports began flooding in about today’s wine, we only needed to ask Cima Collina for a private tasting.

To see how our relationship with Cima Collina began, what follows is our original mission report:

For more than a month, Agent Red had tried and failed to bring us a Cima Collina wine. Wine Spies HQ gave him one final chance to land this exceptional Monterey County Pinot Noir from fabled lady winemaker Annette Hoff. Read the mission report below to see how he finally managed to snare this great wine!

Not every mission goes as smoothly as I would like them to. While this particular mission did not go horribly awry, it did take me an awfully long time to complete.

I first learned of Cima Collina wines from an Asset of mine, a private informant that has alerted me to more than a few great Monterey-area wines. This Asset, we’ll call him ‘_Monte_’, sent me an alert on my SpyComm device and told me to rush to try what he called Cima Collina’s ‘perfect pinot’. Included in the alert was all of the intel he had gathered on the wine, the winemaker, the vineyard and the winery. Everything sounded impressive and I trusted Monte’s judgment, so I headed to their tasting room in the village of Carmel-by-the-sea, a few miles south of Monterey.

While I pride myself on a good sense of direction, Carmel initially proved a difficult place for me. The town uses no street addresses! Instead, people navigate their way around by heading to ‘addresses’ such as: “_The West side of San Carlos, between Ocean and 7th, in the Paseo Courtyard, behind Kocek Jewelers_”, which happens to be the Cima Collina tasting room. Well, after a few mis-turns, I finally found the tasting room, which also houses a lovely gallery where the works of local artist are on display. On tasting the wine, I was immediately impressed and knew that I should procure an allotment for our Operatives. I got the business card of the manager of the winery, and was on my way.

Rather than place the winery under further surveillance, I decided to take a more direct approach and simply ask for the wine. Sounds simple, right? Well, after extended rounds of phone-tag, I decided to visit Cima Collina at a then-upcoming tasting event in downtown Monterey. There were many wineries at this particular event and when I found the Cima Collina table, it was mobbed. After fighting my way to the front, I introduced myself to the Winemaker and explained my plight. She was sympathetic and told me to keep trying. She explained that her wines were very popular and that they had been inundated with purchase requests. So, I kept trying. And kept missing. Then at another wine event, I met the hard-to-pin-down manager himself. Because he was so busy at the event, he asked me to keep trying him.

More of the same ensued and then, finally, just yesterday we actually spoke on the phone – and we simply and jovially arranged to secure some of this fabulous Pinot Noir for our Operatives. Busy wineries don’t get that way without a reason. A busy winery is usually a sign that something special is going on. In the case of Cima Collina, it was all about their fantastic Pinot Noir, and this one is my favorites!

The dog days of summer are once again upon us. Whether your remedy to beat the heat is a cool pool, a shade tree, or a blasting air conditioner, it always helps to have a relaxing beverage to help ease the pain. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend refreshing white wines for those hot summer nights:

"On a hot summer evening, I look for a chilled white wine. I also find that if the wine has a bit of sweetness, it offsets the heat a bit. My go-to wines on these evenings tend to be Rieslings. Rieslings are one of the most versatile wines for matching with food. They are especially great with light summer fare such as a salad or fish or fruit. They also make easy sipping on their own. For these casual spontaneous occasions, my favorites are the basic German offerings. 

read more

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WINERIES GO ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE AND BIODYNAMIC

From large to small, northern California wineries are starting to color their operations green, whether by organically growing their grapes, practicing sustainable activities or creating biodynamic environments.

read more

ATTENTION: Are you looking for the Fritz Underground Winery Ruxton Chardonnay? If so, we are sold out. However, we are currently in Top Secret negotiation with the winery to secure an additional allotment of this very popular wine. Please check back throughout the day!

If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better than that, as is the case with today’s wine from Castelo di Verduno.

Mission Codename: The Hills of Langhe

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Get on the trail of Agent Baco Noir, and find some great wines along the way.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Castelo di Verduno

Wine Subject: 2001 Barolo Massara DOCG

Backgrounder:

Barolo, from the Langhe region of the Piedmonte of north-west Italy is considered among Italy’s greatest wines. Barolo is made from the bold and tangy Nebbiolo varietal. Unfortunately, most people don’t give these wines enough time to mature and as such people find the younger versions a little hot and poorly integrated. But when cellared correctly, Barolo is the most expressive wine made from the Nebbiolo grape with heavenly layer upon layer of tangy fruit, spice, floral scents and more.

The Barolo DOCG is located around the city of Langhe with the best Barolos coming from single named vineyards (like this one – Massara). These wines are meant to age for upwards of 25 years and shouldn’t even be drunk at an age of less than 7 to 8 years. This particular Barolo is just starting to reach its maturity. Expect a bold powerful wine at while young growing in finesse and elegance as they age.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Clear dark ruby red and garnet hues, brick-orange edges with slow thick legs and a slightly viscous appearance.

Smell – Bold and tangy, 100% Nebbiolo in character, with tangy fruit including raspberries and blackberries, spicy pepper, toasted cedar with hints of licorice, tobacco and leather.

Feel – Initially smooth the bold dry and firm tannins kick in, this full-bodied wine is deep, tart and tangy in the mouth. Decante this wine and the tannins mellow, but the bold and tangy flavors continue to live strong.

Taste – Complex layers of tart raspberries and tangy sour cherry, spicy white pepper, with hints of tobacco, licorice and leather that emerge only after the bold fruit dissipates. Again, after some time, this wine mellows.

Finish – Long and clean with a crisp acidity that lingers with fruit, toasted cedar and hints of tobacco.

Conclusion – If you love big, bold and tangy Italian wines, then this one belongs in your collection. Attack this wine right after your open it and it hits you in the mouth like Mafia thug, but if you give it some time, it will sweet talk you like only an Italian lover can. At seven years old, this wine is just starting to show its potential, if you have the patience to cellar this wine, put a bottle or two away, of course, I can’t wait to pop-open my next bottle!

Mission Report:

Agent Baco Noir had long since gone A.W.O.L. Various reports had been coming it that she had been spotted in the The Hills of Langhe, but most of these reports proved to be unsubstantiated. It was extremely discouraging to our Ops Center s many of the greatest Italian wines we’ve run were initially sleuthed by Baco.

Being relatively familiar with the area, I decided to make a trip out. Through back channels, I put the word out that I’d be in the area and I wanted to arrange a meeting with Baco. Hoping that a mutual friend might pass the word on.

A long day of flying into Milan, then a train to Torino and car to Alba. Upon my arrival into Alba I stopped into the _Retrogusto Wine Cafe’ Di Canaparo Andrea_‎ where Giuseppe, one of my local contacts handed me a large manila envelope and quickly scuttled away. Once I had some privacy, I opened the envelope only to find a selection of grainy black-and-white photographs of Baco enjoying wine at various cafes and wineries throughout the area.

At least we had some leads. The first lead took me to Castello di Verduno. One of the photos showed Baco in her signature high-heels and dark glasses talking to the winemaker. I visited the winery, they had little information on Baco’s whereabouts, but did confirm that she had stopped by. Even going as far as to say, that I’d probably also stop by and ask for information and that I should try the Tre Bicchieri 2001 Barolo Massara DOCG.

The wine was great, this wine was just starting to hit its stride, and while I’m not always fond of Agent Baco Noir’s antics, she’s got a knack for finding great wines.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Castelo di Verduno can be seen in this satellite photo.

ATTENTION: Are you looking for the Fritz Underground Winery Ruxton Chardonnay? If so, we are sold out. However, we are currently in Top Secret negotiation with the winery to secure an additional allotment of this very popular wine. Please check back throughout the day!

If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better than that, as is the case with today’s wine from Podere Casina.

Exclusive Wine Alert:

Like many of the wines featured here at The Wine Spies, today’s selection is extremely rare and is of very limited availability. The Wine Spies have secured a very limited allocation of today’s wine.

Special Operative Savings

Please use the promotion code SPYNOW for free ground shipping on orders of six or more bottles.

Mission Codename: Tuscan Sunrise

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Seek out a unique Super Tuscan from the Maremma region

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Podere Casina

Wine Subject: 2004 Aione – Maremma Toscana I.G.T.

Winemaker: Emiliano Falsini

Backgrounder:

The Maremma region is located on the west-central coast of Italy half way between Rome and Florance and immediately south of the village of Grosseto. Like many Super Tuscans, this 100% Sangiovese vino da tavola doesn’t qualify for DOC status but is every bit as good.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple and almost black in color with dark garnet edges, but it’s surprisingly clear with thick slow legs that indicates a slightly more viscous wine.

Smell – Bold ripe fruit including blackberries and cherries, toasted and smokey oak, hints of tobacco and that uniquely Sangiovese tangy spiciness.

Feel – Dry and full bodied with solidly firm tannins, medium acidity and both tart and mineral components adding to the overall complexity of this wine.

Taste – Fruit forward with flavors of Schmidt Black Cherries. Both zesty and tangy with hints of spicy black pepper and toasted oak.

Finish – This wine finishes long and clean with hints of tart fruit and its distinctive Sangiovese zest.

Conclusion – Fans of Super Tuscans will naturally love this wine. It is true to its Sangiovese character with that spicy zestiness that makes the wines of Italy one of this spy’s favorite. Enjoy this wine with grilled game meats

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Maremma region can be seen in this satellite photo.