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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.

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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 Fritz Winery.

SUMMER REFRESHER ALERT!

We declare this bright, delicious and fresh Estate Chardonnay to be the perfect summertime refreshment!

Savings Alert!

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

Mission Codename: Life in the Underground

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Return to Operative favorite, Fritz Winery – this time to retrieve their fantastic 2006 Ruxton Chardonnay

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Fritz Winery

Wine Subject: 2006 Fritz Ruxton Chardonnay – Russian River Valley

Winemaker: Christina Pällmann

Backgrounder: When The Wine Spies first infiltrated Fritz Winery, we were blown away by the quality of their wines. The Fritz Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon that we showed here recently were among the most popular wines we have featured here. Today, Agent White gets a chance to visit Fritz – and he returns, victorious, with a limited quantity of their wonderfully refreshing Ruxton Chardonnay! Read his tasting notes and mission report below for the full scoop on this great wine.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Golden straw yellow – like a Champagne without bubbles, with perfect clarity, glittering edges, a fast and bouncy surface that, when swirled, leaves behind skinny legs that streak down the glass

Smell – Sweet an inviting, with instant tropical notes that are followed by more subtle apricot, butterscotch, acacia flowers, peach and pineapple

Feel – Round and light at first, then slightly creamy with a hint of acidity. The wine is fast across the tongue, then soft tannins grip the edges of the tongue and the roof of the mouth

Taste – Delicious and juicy, with tropical, peach and apricot flavors that echo the nose, but also present here are wonderful hints of soft coconut and banana, with the softest lemon curd

Finish – Begins sweet and light and fruity, then is followed by a mineral softness as flavors tail off slowly while a supple dryness gradually takes over

Conclusion – Our previously stated opinion that ”There is a special something about Fritz wines”, is reinforced by today’s terrific offering. The perfect summertime sipper, this wine is one to be enjoyed as easily on its own as with more interesting and even challenging pairings. We enjoyed ours with a gourmet bevvy of fine cheeses, crackers and crispbreads. Delicious through and through. Of note: We stuck a sealed bottle in our cave overnight and tasted it again in the morning. The flavors, while more pronounced, became more balanced and exciting as well. We recommend decanting this wine for best enjoyment.

Mission Report:

Longer-term Operatives know that we have placed Fritz Underground Winery under surveillance in the past. You also know that once we recruit a winery into the Wine Spies Nexus, well, that winery is happily in for life.

When our mole at the winery fed us some intel on their new 2006 Ruxton Chardonnay, I immediately flew (in our Spy Plane, of course) to the winery to secure samples.

My counterpart, Agent Red, was the first Wine Spies agent to review wines from Fritz, but since this was a special white wine, I got my chance. Thank goodness, too, for today’s wine turned out to be great.

Once I had my samples in hand, I conducted a detailed analysis. The wine not only passed with flying colors, it refreshed and left me feeling happy to have tasted a Chardonnay, a varietal that is sometimes difficult for me to enjoy.

Chardonnay, especially those from California, can tend to be overly bland and buttery, like a slice of Wonderbread slathered with soft butter. Usually, yuck!, but this wine is wonderfully fresh, flavorful and even refined.

This wine is rife with juicy flavors and aromas that seems perfectly natural. If you enjoy fresh, bright and very tasty white wines – even if Chardonnay is not your favorite – this wine is likely to please you. It pleased even me.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Fritz Winry Estate Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

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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 offer it to you at at great price – 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 Le Benducce de Tornesi.

RARE WINE ALERT: This is an exceptionally rare and small quantity wine that is absolutely one of the best Brunello di Montalcinos that you will ever taste. If you are a fan of big Tuscan classics, get yourself some of this!

Mission Codename: The Man From M.O.N.T.A.L.C.I.N.O.

Operative: Agent Blush

Objective: Seek out an excellent small production Brunello di Montalcino for our U.S. based operatives.

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: Le Benducce de Tornesi

Wine Subject: 2001 Brunello di Montalcino

Winemaker: Maurizio Tornesi and Paolo Vagaggini

Backgrounder:

Brunello di Montalcinos occupy a special place in the hearts of all Wine Spies. Coming from a very distinct and designated (DOCG – officially designated in 1967 as one of Italy’s first DOC classified wines) region in Tuscany about 70 miles south of Florence, Brunellos typically are the best wines produced from the Sangiovese grape. By regulation, Brunellos must be produced by using a 100% Brunello clone of the Sangiovese grape, hence the mystic and lore of this exceptional wine. Typically, Brunellos are among the most expensive Italian wines, which is why today’s wine is such an exceptional offering.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Ruby-red and purple with orange and pink hues along the edges with thin legs.

Smell – Bold and intense with flavors of raspberry, toasted oak, earthy and a hint of leather.

Feel – Smooth, velvety and wet all over the tongue, then the medium tannins kick in to balance the mouth feel.

Taste – Excellent flavors characteristic of Brunellos and Sangiovese with raspberries, blackberries, black cherries and toasted oak.

Finish – This wine finishes long and smooth, inviting a second sip and then yet another.

Conclusion – The Tornesi Brunello di Montalcino is a lovely wine that is smooth to drink, bold and well rounded in flavor, complex and true to its varietal characteristics. This wine deserves the ratings it has received and perhaps should be scored even higher. The winery recommends opening for at least 2 hours or decanting prior to serving.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The Montalcino region can be viewed in this satellite photo.

Wine Spies Technical Analysis

Owner: Maurizio Tornesi

1st Bottling: 1993

Extension: 7 ha

Vines: 4.5 ha

N° vines/ha: ca. 4,500

Production/ha in hl: 60-70 hl

Annual production in bt.: 9-10.000 bott./0,75 lt.

Different crus: Loghino, Piano, Lecciarello

Grapes: 100 % Sangiovese Grosso

Soil: mainly Galestro

Note: The Le Benducce de Tornesi label is a second label from for the same wine labeled by Tornesi for exclusive sale in the United States.

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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 Fritz Winery.

SUMMER REFRESHER ALERT!

We declare this bright, delicious and fresh Estate Chardonnay to be the perfect summertime refreshment!

Savings Alert!

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

Mission Codename: Life in the Underground

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Operative favorite, Fritz Winery – this time to retrieve their fantastic 2006 Ruxton Chardonnay

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Fritz Winery

Wine Subject: 2006 Fritz Ruxton Chardonnay – Russian River Valley

Winemaker: Christina Pällmann

Backgrounder: When The Wine Spies first infiltrated Fritz Winery, we were blown away by the quality of their wines. The Fritz Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon that we showed here recently were among the most popular wines we have featured here. Today, Agent White gets a chance to visit Fritz – and he returns, victorious, with a limited quantity of their wonderfully refreshing Ruxton Chardonnay! Read his tasting notes and mission report below for the full scoop on this great wine.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Golden straw yellow – like a Champagne without bubbles, with perfect clarity, glittering edges, a fast and bouncy surface that, when swirled, leaves behind skinny legs that streak down the glass

Smell – Sweet an inviting, with instant tropical notes that are followed by more subtle apricot, butterscotch, acacia flowers, peach and pineapple

Feel – Round and light at first, then slightly creamy with a hint of acidity. The wine is fast across the tongue, then soft tannins grip the edges of the tongue and the roof of the mouth

Taste – Delicious and juicy, with tropical, peach and apricot flavors that echo the nose, but also present here are wonderful hints of soft coconut and banana, with the softest lemon curd

Finish – Begins sweet and light and fruity, then is followed by a mineral softness as flavors tail off slowly while a supple dryness gradually takes over

Conclusion – Our previously stated opinion that ”There is a special something about Fritz wines”, is reinforced by today’s terrific offering. The perfect summertime sipper, this wine is one to be enjoyed as easily on its own as with more interesting and even challenging pairings. We enjoyed ours with a gourmet bevvy of fine cheeses, crackers and crispbreads. Delicious through and through. Of note: We stuck a sealed bottle in our cave overnight and tasted it again in the morning. The flavors, while more pronounced, became more balanced and exciting as well. We recommend decanting this wine for best enjoyment.

Mission Report:

Longer-term Operatives know that we have placed Fritz Underground Winery under surveillance in the past. You also know that once we recruit a winery into the Wine Spies Nexus, well, that winery is happily in for life.

When our mole at the winery fed us some intel on their new 2006 Ruxton Chardonnay, I immediately flew (in our Spy Plane, of course) to the winery to secure samples.

My counterpart, Agent Red, was the first Wine Spies agent to review wines from Fritz, but since this was a special white wine, I got my chance. Thank goodness, too, for today’s wine turned out to be great.

Once I had my samples in hand, I conducted a detailed analysis. The wine not only passed with flying colors, it refreshed and left me feeling happy to have tasted a Chardonnay, a varietal that is sometimes difficult for me to enjoy.

Chardonnay, especially those from California, can tend to be overly bland and buttery, like a slice of Wonderbread slathered with soft butter. Usually, yuck!, but this wine is wonderfully fresh, flavorful and even refined.

This wine is rife with juicy flavors and aromas that seems perfectly natural. If you enjoy fresh, bright and very tasty white wines – even if Chardonnay is not your favorite – this wine is likely to please you. It pleased even me.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Fritz Winry Estate Vineyards, where today’s Cabernet Sauvignon was born and crafted, can be seen in this satellite photo.

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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 Ceja Vineyards.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!

We spies love this wine SO much that we begged Ceja to allow us to bring you a final secret allocation. They readily agreed. This is the perfect summertime red. Don’t let the low price fool you, this is a killer wine!

SAVINGS ALERT!

Smart Spies stock up on great wines. We’ll help you by offering you Free Ground Shipping when you buy 12 or more bottles today. Just enter coupon code: SPYROJO at checkout.

Mission Codename: Misconceptions… Destroyed

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Locate an incredible Red table wine in time for the holidays and secure a good quantity for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Ceja Wine

Wine Subject: 2005 Vino de Casa (Red blend)

Winemakers: Armando Ceja

Backgrounder:

When The Wine Spies learned of an incredible red blend that was made from an original blending of half Pinot Noir and half Syrah, Agent Red was immediately dispatched to investigate. What he found was an very unique wine of amazing balance, flavor and character. Read his mission report below for the full details on this incredible wine.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Perfectly clear ruby red with sparkling pink at the edges with long, tightly-spaced legs

Smell – Beautifully aromatic red fruit, cherry, plum with a Pinot Noir-ish gunpowder note and a pleasant hint of earthy undergrowth

Feel – Wet, cool and smooth in the mouth balanced by big tannins

Taste – UNIQUE TASTE ALERT! This wine presents juicy yet classic flavors of Pinot Noir and Syrah – in almost equal proportion. With layered flavors that compliment each other rather than compete, this wine is an exciting wine to drink. Cherry, candy apple and plum with subtle cocoa and toasted vanilla round out this balanced and flavorful delight

Finish – Long, dry and chalky – a more classic Syrah finish with lingering flavors and a slight pucker that begs you to enjoy your next sip

Conclusion – When I bluster about a wine, know this: I MEAN IT. This is a fantastic wine, regardless of the price. This wine is a deal at the regular retail price of $20 and an outright STEAL at The Wine Spies price of $16. If you are looking for a stock-up-for-the-holidays ‘budget’ wine, swing that mouse pointer to the ORDER THIS WINE NOW button, well, NOW. Sign me up for at least a case.

Guest Sommelier Agent K contributes her thoughts on this wine:

”Earthy notes of wet undergrowth, strawberry and grape with hints of rose petals. The palate brings red cherry, chalk and pepper.”

Mission Report:

between missions I was enjoying some downtime at my favorite Napa wine lounge, when an urgent dispatch came through on my Wine Spy handheld. Central Command had received a flurry urgent inquiries for a GREAT red wine – for less than $20.

“Leave your misconceptions behind”, was the clear directive. “Find us a wine that drinks well above its price, and find it TODAY!”

I had just one problem: I was hungry!

I asked the owner of the lounge where I could pick up great Mexican food. Before he could answer, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning as I reached instinctively for my corkscrew I saw young man with a flashing smile.

“Like Tacos?” he asked.

“Uhh. Yeah. Love ‘em,” I replied.

“And great wine, too?”

“Who doesn’t?” I said.

“Follow me,” he said.

After a short car ride later we turned into the driveway for Ceja Vineyards, a winery that I had heard only great things about.

Stepping out of the car, the aromas hit me. Spices, beans, grilled meat and… red wine.

The young man, who introduced himself as Ariel Ceja, led me into a small outbuilding adjacent to the tasting room. Inside was smiling woman who hugged me as I entered. Ariel introduced me to his grandmother and invited me to sit down. Inside this room, the aromas were intoxicating.

Ariel handed me a glass of red wine, explaining that this was their family’s house wine. A deep sniff, a swirl and a taste was all it took for me to fall in love with their wine. The tacos were incredible as well and we laughed and shared stories until suddenly, remembering my mission, I became sullen.

“What’s the matter?” they asked.

“I forgot,” I replied “I was supposed to find a great red wine.”

“You did!” they said.

“For $20 or less! Do you have any less expensive wines? This one is too good.”

They laughed and laughed. When they stopped laughing, Grandma pulled me close and whispered, to me:

“Our Vino de Casa is a $20 wine!”

More laughter….

Postscript: After filing my report with Central Command, I spent the balance of the day with the Ceja family, eating, drinking, roaming their vineyards. It was hard to leave at the end of the day, but at least I left with a feeling that this day had been among my luckiest – and most rewarding – as a Wine Spy. I got to spend time with great people and enjoy their hospitality. I also learned a valuable lesson that great wines can be found for less than $20!.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

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

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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 Peters Family Winery.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!: We always hand pick the best wines we can find for you, but when we feature a really great wine, we point it out by issuing special alerts. Today’s wine is excellent!

SAVINGS ALERT!: Today’s superb wine is available, today only, at 25% off the regular retail price. Save even more by enjoying Free Ground Shipping when you buy six or more bottles. Just enter savings code CABSPY at checkout.

Mission Codename: There’s Gold in them thar bottles

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Peters Family Winery to retrieve their Sierra Foothills Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Peters Family Winery

Wine Subject: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Douglas Peters

Backgrounder: 2004 was the killer year for Cabernet Sauvignon. In the right hands, ‘04 Cali Cabs can be spun into pure purple gold in a glass. We have featured two other Peter’s Family wines in the past and today we are pleased to bring you the finest of the bunch. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report for the full skinny on today’s fantastic wine.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – A deep and dark garnet with a ruby red heart, great clarity and concentration of color right out to the edges, with a bouncy surface and legs that take forever to begin, but then streak down the glass

Smell – Rich and deep with layers of dark fruit of dusky cherry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, light vanilla, and smoky plum, with follow-on aromas of earth and smokey dry cured bacon

Feel – Wet and round at first, then mouth-coating with gorgeous, lush tannins that grip the edges of your tongue and the roof of your mouth

Taste – Layers of lush flavors that almost exactly mirror the aromatic qualities of the wine, bursting with delicious, juice-filled flavors

Finish – This wine surprises, with delightfully soft and lush flavors, soft tannins and mouth-watering and fruity flavors that tail of very gradually and very cleanly

Conclusion – This is another great wine from our good friend, Douglas Peters. While most of the 2004’s we have enjoyed recently need tons of time to stretch out and be best enjoyed, this wine is great right on opening. This is a wine that would be great with the finest cuisine or a great slab of steak. We enjoyed a bottle last night with pepperoni and anise sausage pizza, a delicious pairing!

Mission Report:

Douglas Peters is one of our favorite winemaker friends, always making his great wines available to you, our Operatives. What follows is our original mission report, in which Agent Red hunts harder than usual for a great wine:

One of my most valued Assets, Codename: Valley Girl, alerted me to Peters Family Winery recently. After an undercover visit to the winery tasting room, I needed no convincing that this wine was a wonderful treat that our Operatives needed to be brought up to speed on.

Not to boast, too much here, but you know that when I have my sights set on a wine, procuring it is not usually a problem. Our reputation often proceeds us and wineries make their wonderful wines immediately available to us.

The mission to procure this wine, however, was somewhat more difficult; Peters Family winemaker and head honcho, Douglas Peters was secreted away in an undisclosed location – but I was determined to track him down so that we could negotiate a small procurement for our Operatives.

A flurry of email and telephonic subterfuge ensued and I tracked Doug to his secret lair south of the border. Because his wines are that good, I spared no expense and called on our resident pilot, Agent White, to fuel up the Wine Spies Spy Plane. Reluctant to spend the money for a long flight like this one, Agent White did take a bit of persuasion but, in the end, complied with my request; He was easily convinced after one small taste of this wine.

While I didn’t have an exact location on Doug, I did have the name of the village. After a harrowing landing on a small dirt strip in high crosswinds (an Agent White favorite!), we were able to convince the local constabulary to help us locate Doug. It only too a few cases of wine to do the trick.

We found Doug on the beach, recognizing him from his photo on his website. A glass of wine in hand, Doug seems to be enjoying the sunset.

Wasting no time with subterfuge, I got right to the point.

“I’m sorry to bother you on your vacation, Mr. Peters. I’m Agent Red, Wine Spy, and I am here to ask you for a your wine.”

“Sorry, I don’t link to share glasses with strangers. You know, germs”

Then a smile spreads across his face and he claps me on the shoulder (a feat that, at a head and a half taller than me, requires that Doug stoop slightly to reach me). “I’m just having fun with you,” He says. “Come on, have a seat, I’ll pour you a glass of my wine.”

I explained that is was because of this same wine that I made this expedition.

“It’s gooooood, isn’t it?” he asks.

My turn to smile.

We enjoyed the rest of the bottle, chatting about his wines and his approach to winemaking. Doug creates wines that are certainly of California, but also in a more Burgundian style, giving the wines a great balance between old world and new. This, in my opinion, is a great way to approach winemaking as it delivers the best qualities of these two winemaking styles – without being at odds with each other.

After some deft negotiations, I had secured a small allotment for you, Operative, and then Doug excused himself.

“Here’s another bottle for you,” he offered. I’m off to watch the lunar eclipse tonight. It’ll be 3 years until we see another one. See you back in the States!”

With that, he left me there to further ponder his wine. Doug’s love for his craft shines through in this wine, which exhibits balance, brilliance and a depth of character that I find uncommon.

Bravo, Doug!

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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 Clif Bar Family Winery and Farm.

SAVINGS ALERT!: Today’s wine is over 20% off, but you’ll save even more if you buy six or more bottles – because we’ll give you Free Ground Shipping. Just enter promo code: CABSPY

Mission Codename: A View to A Kill(er Cab)

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Seek out the latest killer Cabernet Sauvignon from our friends at Clif Bar Family Winery and Farm.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Clif Bar Family Winery and Farm

Wine Subject: 2005 kit’s killer cab

Winemaker: Sarah Gott

Backgrounder:

The Oakville AVA, centrally located and adjacent to Napa Valley’s famous Rutherford AVA, was established in July 1993. Oakville is considered on of the most diverse AVA’s in the Napa area and grows some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple with ruby-garnet edges and inky clarity with long slender legs that streak down to the side of the glass when swirled.

Smell – Bold, intense and youthful ripe and sweet blackberries and raspberries. Beyond the fruit forward initial aromas are hints of cocoa, licorice and new oak.

Feel – Rich and full-bodied, initially smooth then medium firm tannins kick in at mid palate with a balance of creamy and mineral textures fill your entire mouth.

Taste – Concentrated layer upon layer of ripe fruit including black cherries and blackberries with balanced flavors of oak, spicy pepper that hits both the tip of the tongue and the back of the palate and lingering flavors of cocoa.

Finish – This wine finishes long and smooth with lingering flavors of fruit, oak and cocoa.

Conclusion – Despite its youth, this wine is surprisingly well integrated with layers of flavors. Give this wine some time to open up by decanting it and you’ll be handsomely rewarded. While this wine is youthful, it is easy to drink and enjoy and will complement a wide array of food or can also be enjoyed by itself. This spy enjoyed this wine with grilled chicken, mushroom and red onion skewers with home made North Carolina barbecue sauce (a special thank you to Bryce at Los Angeles’ Third Stop for the sauce).

Mission Report:

I’m not much of a climber, but I do enjoy a good hike and the great outdoors. Recently, Agent Blush and I flew out to Saint George, Utah and rented a car to go and visit Zion National Park.

A ’killer view’ in Zion National Park

For those who haven’t been, it is a spectacular site to see. We had made arrangements to stay at the Zion Lodge, an old and rustic set of cabins nestled deep in the the Zion Canyon. During the day, we’d hike up the canyon, to Emerald Pools, or the Temple of Sinawava and just take in the fresh air. On one of our hikes, this one to the more rigorous Upper Emerald Pool, we ran across some very experienced, but visibly tired, climbers. Sitting there, I pulled out some bottled water (yes water) and a couple Clif Bars. I love the chocolate and peanut crunch version, Blush likes the chocolate brownie.

I offered the climbers a couple of our Clif Bars (they looked like they needed them) and after the obligatory thank yous, they mentioned that they had tried wine from the folks at Clif. Not wanting to blow my cover, I played cool and asked them about the wine.

’I’m no expert, but the Clif Cab is Killer, in fact its called kit’s killer cab’, he said.

’It’s really good!, in fact it be perfect for later as we relax back at the lodge’, the other climber said.

’I really like Clif products, I love their commitment to natural and organic food,’ the first climber continued, ’too bad more people don’t focus on doing things as simply.’

’Yeah, its all about keeping it simple,’ Blush said…

After they left, Blush asked if we had tried kit’s killer cab. ’Not yet,’ I said, ’…but the minute we get back, I’ll dispatch Agent Red to get us some.’

’That would be killer.’, Blush said and smiled…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Napa Valley’s Oakville AVA can be seen in this satellite photo.

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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 Pengwine Winery.

UNIQUE WINE ALERT!: Today’s wine is the most uniquely delicious and original red wine blend we have come across!

SAVINGS ALERT!: Smart Operative will enjoy Free Ground Shipping on orders of 6 or more bottles today. Got the intel? Enter SPYPENG at checkout…

Mission Codename: Hardly Monochromatic

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Operative favorite, Chilean producer Pengwine, and retreive their besat and most popular wine for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Pengwine

Wine Subject: 2005 Royal Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Chris Millikan and Max Eyzaguirre

Backgrounder: Operatives who have been with us this last year will recognize today’s target. Pengwine Winery of Maipo Valley in Chile was a big hit when we first featured them here. Central Command has been keeping close tabs on Pengwine and after a careful extended surveillance, sent Agent Red to retrieve today’s unique and oh, so delicious, Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. Read Agent Reds tasting notes and corresponding Mission Report, below.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Black cherry juice and garnet in color, with perfect clarity through its concentrated darker center. On swirling the surface of the wine appears bouncy and it takes some time to fully settle, leaving behind fat and skinny legs that move slowly down the glass

Smell – The aromas of this wine leap out of this glass, even on first pouring. Swirl the wine and bigger aromas waft out, hitting you on the nose before your nose is anywhere near the glass. Some would call this a profound nose, but I call it big and bold but not cloying. Now, about the flavors: Big aromatic of fresh flowers, giant currant, cherry, roasted blackberry, ancient suede and parchment, tobacco and a slight vegital quality that I can’t quite identify

Feel – Initially cool and wet, then mouth-coating and a little grippy as medium tannins appear and grab the middle and sides of the roof of the mouth

Taste – Big red currant, sweet cranberry, raisin and blackberry with a touch of bergamot (found in Earl Grey tea) and hints of cocoa powder, tomato vine and flinty earth

Finish – Delicious, big, long and fruity with a medium dryness and flavors that go from slightly tart to sweet, then tapering off as your watering mouth begs for another sip

Conclusion – This is a singular wine of remarkable distinction! This rich and chewy wine has layers of gigantic flavors and aromas but, oddly, I did not feel bowled over by it. We are so pleased to see Pengwine continuing to evolve as a winery, producing better and better wines with each new vintage. Chris has been a great friend to The Wine Spies and we are proud of his success. He and Max are making great wines that are original in their style and grand in their appeal. While some may shy away from Chilean wines, this is one to rush to. This wine is big, yes, but it also has balance and restraint. A big thanks to Chris, for letting us be the first retailer in America to have this superb wine!

Agent Sparkle adds: ”Whatever is going on in this wine, its thoroughly drinkable – even on its own. I usually prefer to drink wines with food, but found myself sipping away at this wine all on its own.”

Mission Report:

US/Chilean Pengwine Wines was conducting a winetasting at the bottom of the world, and I tagged along. It turned out to be an adventure.

Posing as a wine writer for a prestigious wine magazine, I was able to secure my cargo plane seat on this first-ever Antarctic wine event.

As I sat in the plane, I watched out the window as the airport workers clumsily loaded luggage and wine crates onto the planes loading ramp. After I saw my own luggage spill off the cart and onto the tarmac, I had visions of the wine crates suffering the same fate. Shortly thereafter, they did. Spilled wine made dark circles on the black pavement.

I dashed out of the plane with the winemaker and ran to save the wine. Many of the bottles were broken, but we managed to repack the remaining wine and load it safely onto the plane. After the winemaker conducted a few harried-sounding calls, he decided that he had enough wine for the expedition and that the trip was still on.

Two bumpy flights and a refueling stop later, we were out over some of the clearest water I had ever seen. The day was crystal clear and I could feel the excitement of the expedition members mounting.

The landing was flawless and the wine survived the trip intact.

We were greeted by airfield personnel (a single person) who accompanied us on our quest to find the natives. With wine bottles secured inside of parkas, we simply picked a direction and started walking. A short while later, a few dozen natives in sight, we stopped, opened bottles, poured and raised our glasses in a salute – to the penguins… Those on the glacier and those on the labels!

To learn more about this expedition, book a National Geographic cruise through the Antarctic – where Pengwine is an official selection aboard the ship.

Wine Spies Spy Photo:

The bottom of the world, where this winetasting actually, honestly, truly, really did take place, can be seen in this satellite photo.

Read Full Post »

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 Iron Horse Winery.

HOLD-OVER ALERT

Yesterday we experienced a small technical problem at the beginning of the day and some folks may have missed out. Because this wine is so great, the decision to repeat it today was an easy one. If you missed out, here is a rare second chance!

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT: Bordeaux-style Blends are a favorite of our Operatives. Today we present a category killer that is certain to please you deeply

SAVINGS ALERT: Clever Operatives will earn a Free Ground Shipping award when they order 6 or more bottles – and enter this code at checkout: IRONSPY

Mission Codename: Secret Formula, ”Bdx-3”

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Investigate reports that Iron Horse Winery’s Top Secret Blend, codenamed Bdx-3, is causing our Operatives to stop drinking any other wines. If true, analyze the wine to see what makes the wine so special. If possible, develop an antidote so that our Operatives can enjoy the wine – without becoming one-wine Wine Spies.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Iron Horse Winery

Wine Subject: 2005 T-T Vineyard Bdx-3

Winemaker: David Munksgard

Backgrounder: Intelligence reports have been pouring in from our Operatives around the country, about Iron Horse Winery’s Bdx-3. Once they taste the wine, they seemingly stop drinking anything else. A strange calm seems to befall them and they become happy and satisfied. Wine Spies Operatives love Bordeaux style blends, to be sure, and historically such blends have been the most popular wines that we have brought to you. Today we send Agent Red, deep undercover, to infiltrate the Iron Horse Winery. His mission: Unlock the secret formula behind the mysteriously named T-T Vineyards Bdx-3 – and prevent our Operatives from becoming brainwashed!

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Beautiful dark garnet, with deeply concentrated color through and through. The wine has a deep garnet to purply-black core, a springy surface that moves and moves after swirling and thick, slow legs that move slowly sown the glass

Smell – Full intensity of deep aromatic dark fruits, dark berry, over ripe raspberry, soft spices, cigar box, mild pipe tobacco and cassis

Feel – Full-bodied, round and initially wet at the front of the palate – then mouth-coating and almost chewy and slightly dry with solid tannins that fade revealing more great flavors

Taste – Juicy, ripe and delicious, with deep blackberries and cherries balanced against soft earthen flavors of subtle wild mushroom and mild oak, followed by a resurgence of bright fruit and softest whisps of mocha and spice

Finish – A great long and clean finish that ramp down smoothly and continues to reveal new flavors as it tapers off

Conclusion – This is THE killer Bordeaux style blend! Long on deep flavor, terrific feel and lush aromatics, this wine is one of the best blends in recent memory. This is saying a LOT, since we have featured some pretty terrific blends here in the last few months. Today’s wine is one of those special one that delivers that unidentifiable something extra. Whether to attribute this special quality to the winery’s precision farming techniques, or the wisdom and experience of their winemaker, we cannot say. What we do know is that this wine is well worthy of your immediate attention!

Mission Report:

“This is a serious matter, darn it! If our Operatives get hooked on Iron Horse’s Bdx-3, if they don’t drink any other wines, we’ll lose our funding. We’ll be shut down!”

Agent White was on another one of his diatribes. I waited patiently, knowing that I’d get a word in. Eventually.

I had tasted the 2004 Bdx-3 [ed. note: 92 Points, Wine Enthusiast], and while I would certainly classify it as on of my favorite Bordeaux-style blends, I couldn’t imagine that anyone could get so addicted to a single wine that the would forsake all others.

“Look, the data confirms it. Check these reports. Look at the sheer volume of requests flooding in from our Operatives for Iron Horse’s 2005 Bdx-3! They don’t want anything else! You have to infiltrate Iron Horse and see what they are putting in that wine.”

“Okay,” I said. “First I’ll take a look at the reports,” I replied. “If anything looks hinky, I’ll infiltrate the winery.”

This seemed to calm White down.

I looked. And was shocked.

Some of our finest Operatives were sending in field alerts, filled with praise and kudos and even demands that we supply them with 2005 Bdx-3. Especially now that supplies of the 2004 vintage of the wine are dwindling. Besides, many reports confirm, the 2005 is better.

I agreed to take mission to penetrate the winery. I packed my fake I.D., my field wine test kit, a specially crafted resume resume, my disguise – and was off immediately.

Fortunately, there was an opening for “Tasting Room Assistant” at the Iron Horse Winery and, with my industry connections, I managed to get an immediate interview.

Winery owner, Joy Sterling, was warm and welcoming. The interview went very well and I was introduced around to others on staff. Everyone was jovial and just plain nice. No cause for alarm. Or was there?

Joy took me back to her office and asked me to wait there for a few minutes. While I waited, I busied myself with fixing my faux mustache, which had come loose at one corner. I hope that she had not noticed!.

Joy returned and said, “Well, Jack Rouge, you have the job! Everyone really liked you. Can you start today?”

I was after the 3:30 closing time, but I agreed, presuming that I would undergo some sort of training. I was lead down to the tasting room where, oddly, the entire staff seemed to be bellied up to the tasting bar.

There, on the top of the bar, sat a lone bottle. I recognized it instantly as the 2005 Bdx-3. Next to the bottle, a single glass, half-filled with the red liquid.

“All of us start here with a celebratory sip of our Bdx-3,” a smiling young man said to me. “Go on, try. Cheers!”

A shout of ”Cheers!” rose up from the rest.

Knowing that there was no faking it, I had confidence in my experience and ability as a Wine Spy. I knew that I would be fine. How could any harm come from a simple taste of wine?

I grabbed the glass, raised it and toasted them. Then I sipped. Great wine… SUPERB wine, sure, but no rapturous feelings or euphoria. I will say this, though: I’ll never drink another wine as long as I live!

Agent White Reporting: Agent Red has since been undergoing radical treatment to free him from his addiction to Iron Horse’s Bdx-3 and, we are happy to report, he is making fine progress. I did try to warn him, but he was sloppy. He should have analyzed the wine before drinking it.

Meanwhile, a detailed analysis is underway as you read this. Use great caution and, unless you want to become totally enamored by a wine, avoid this one at all costs!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Iron Horse Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.

Read Full Post »

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 Iron Horse Winery.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT: Bordeaux-style Blends are a favorite of our Operatives. Today we present a category killer that is certain to please you deeply

SAVINGS ALERT: Clever Operatives will earn a Free Ground Shipping award when they order 6 or more bottles. See your email for your special code

Mission Codename: Secret Formula, ”Bdx-3”

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Investigate reports that Iron Horse Winery’s Top Secret Blend, codenamed Bdx-3, is causing our Operatives to stop drinking any other wines. If true, analyze the wine to see what makes the wine so special. If possible, develop an antidote so that our Operatives can enjoy the wine – without becoming one-wine Wine Spies.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Iron Horse Winery

Wine Subject: 2005 T-T Vineyard Bdx-3

Winemaker: David Munksgard

Backgrounder: Intelligence reports have been pouring in from our Operatives around the country, about Iron Horse Winery’s Bdx-3. Once they taste the wine, they seemingly stop drinking anything else. A strange calm seems to befall them and they become happy and satisfied. Wine Spies Operatives love Bordeaux style blends, to be sure, and historically such blends have been the most popular wines that we have brought to you. Today we send Agent Red, deep undercover, to infiltrate the Iron Horse Winery. His mission: Unlock the secret formula behind the mysteriously named T-T Vineyards Bdx-3 – and prevent our Operatives from becoming brainwashed!

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Beautiful dark garnet, with deeply concentrated color through and through. The wine has a deep garnet to purply-black core, a springy surface that moves and moves after swirling and thick, slow legs that move slowly sown the glass

Smell – Full intensity of deep aromatic dark fruits, dark berry, over ripe raspberry, soft spices, cigar box, mild pipe tobacco and cassis

Feel – Full-bodied, round and initially wet at the front of the palate – then mouth-coating and almost chewy and slightly dry with solid tannins that fade revealing more great flavors

Taste – Juicy, ripe and delicious, with deep blackberries and cherries balanced against soft earthen flavors of subtle wild mushroom and mild oak, followed by a resurgence of bright fruit and softest whisps of mocha and spice

Finish – A great long and clean finish that ramp down smoothly and continues to reveal new flavors as it tapers off

Conclusion – This is THE killer Bordeaux style blend! Long on deep flavor, terrific feel and lush aromatics, this wine is one of the best blends in recent memory. This is saying a LOT, since we have featured some pretty terrific blends here in the last few months. Today’s wine is one of those special one that delivers that unidentifiable something extra. Whether to attribute this special quality to the winery’s precision farming techniques, or the wisdom and experience of their winemaker, we cannot say. What we do know is that this wine is well worthy of your immediate attention!

Mission Report:

“This is a serious matter, darn it! If our Operatives get hooked on Iron Horse’s Bdx-3, if they don’t drink any other wines, we’ll lose our funding. We’ll be shut down!”

Agent White was on another one of his diatribes. I waited patiently, knowing that I’d get a word in. Eventually.

I had tasted the 2004 Bdx-3 [ed. note: 92 Points, Wine Enthusiast], and while I would certainly classify it as on of my favorite Bordeaux-style blends, I couldn’t imagine that anyone could get so addicted to a single wine that the would forsake all others.

“Look, the data confirms it. Check these reports. Look at the sheer volume of requests flooding in from our Operatives for Iron Horse’s 2005 Bdx-3! They don’t want anything else! You have to infiltrate Iron Horse and see what they are putting in that wine.”

“Okay,” I said. “First I’ll take a look at the reports,” I replied. “If anything looks hinky, I’ll infiltrate the winery.”

This seemed to calm White down.

I looked. And was shocked.

Some of our finest Operatives were sending in field alerts, filled with praise and kudos and even demands that we supply them with 2005 Bdx-3. Especially now that supplies of the 2004 vintage of the wine are dwindling. Besides, many reports confirm, the 2005 is better.

I agreed to take mission to penetrate the winery. I packed my fake I.D., my field wine test kit, a specially crafted resume resume, my disguise – and was off immediately.

Fortunately, there was an opening for “Tasting Room Assistant” at the Iron Horse Winery and, with my industry connections, I managed to get an immediate interview.

Winery owner, Joy Sterling, was warm and welcoming. The interview went very well and I was introduced around to others on staff. Everyone was jovial and just plain nice. No cause for alarm. Or was there?

Joy took me back to her office and asked me to wait there for a few minutes. While I waited, I busied myself with fixing my faux mustache, which had come loose at one corner. I hope that she had not noticed!.

Joy returned and said, “Well, Jack Rouge, you have the job! Everyone really liked you. Can you start today?”

I was after the 3:30 closing time, but I agreed, presuming that I would undergo some sort of training. I was lead down to the tasting room where, oddly, the entire staff seemed to be bellied up to the tasting bar.

There, on the top of the bar, sat a lone bottle. I recognized it instantly as the 2005 Bdx-3. Next to the bottle, a single glass, half-filled with the red liquid.

“All of us start here with a celebratory sip of our Bdx-3,” a smiling young man said to me. “Go on, try. Cheers!”

A shout of ”Cheers!” rose up from the rest.

Knowing that there was no faking it, I had confidence in my experience and ability as a Wine Spy. I knew that I would be fine. How could any harm come from a simple taste of wine?

I grabbed the glass, raised it and toasted them. Then I sipped. Great wine… SUPERB wine, sure, but no rapturous feelings or euphoria. I will say this, though: I’ll never drink another wine as long as I live!

Agent White Reporting: Agent Red has since been undergoing radical treatment to free him from his addiction to Iron Horse’s Bdx-3 and, we are happy to report, he is making fine progress. I did try to warn him, but he was sloppy. He should have analyzed the wine before drinking it.

Meanwhile, a detailed analysis is underway as you read this. Use great caution and, unless you want to become totally enamored by a wine, avoid this one at all costs!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Iron Horse Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.

Read Full Post »

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 Humanitas Wines.

WINE GIVES ALERT!: Today’s wine is presented by Wine Gives and a portion of the proceeds from today’s sale will fight hunger and provide affordable housing for those in need. If you were invited to this wine event by a charitable cause, please be sure to use the special promotional code that they provided to you. Wine Gives takes no fees and 100% of all procceds raised go straight to the charity. Everybody wins – when Wine Gives.

Please tell your friends about today’s sale.

EXCLUSIVE WINE ALERT!: Today’s superb wine is available here before it becomes available anywhere else! Take advantage of this special offer now – before the rest of our operatives snap it all up…

SAVINGS ALERT!: This wine is being offered to you at 20% below the winery’s retail price, smart Operatives that buy six or more bottles today will also receive free ground shipping with coupon code: PINOTSPY (note: If you received another coupon code, please use that to ensure that your charitable contribution will be made.)

Mission Codename: Wine for the Greater Good

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Satisfy our Operatives thirst for great Pinot Noir while also satisfying their urge to support important social causes – and drink charitably

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Humanitas Wines

Wine Subject: 2006 Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Patrick Mahaney

Winemaster: Judd Wallenbrock

Backgrounder: When The Wine Spies was founded more than a year ago, founding Agents White and Red extended their personal commitment to social responsibility to the organization itself. In early 2008 Agent Red and Agent White founded an organization called Wine Gives, which brings together wineries and other wine retailers to support important causes. To date, numerous causes have received financial support from the efforts of all involved in Wine Gives fundraising programs. When Wine Gives got the call from Humanitas Wines owner, Judd Wallenbrock, The Wine Spies were fast to respond. Judd had been a respected icon and a hero of The Wine Spies since learning of his commitment to ”finding solutions to three very primary issues: hunger, affordable housing and illiteracy”. This weekend Humanitas Wines and The Wine Spies are proud to present the perfect pairing: Humanitas’ Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir and YOU.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Ruby red with perfect clarity, to violet at its heart. This wine possesses a super bouncy surface that quickly settles quickly to perfectly still when swirled, leaving behind chubby and tightly-spaced legs that crawl down the glass

Smell – Richly aromatic with a rich nose of smoky blackberry, raspberry, sweet cherry, fresh earthen anise, spice, smoked meats and a beautiful flinty gunpowder that tells us that we’ll love this Pinot Noir

Feel – Silky and very round up-front, the wine is rich, thick and slightly warming with a unique combination of soft creaminess and soft, structured tannins

Taste – Delicious and bright, with layers of soft spice and fruit of deep cherry, smoky raspberry and blueberry with mild sage, mildest flint and soft cedar

Finish – This wine has a great finish that starts big, with a slight tartness and fruit – but then, interestingly, gets bigger, presenting elevating mid-palate smoky flavors – before ending delicate, elegant and slightly dry

Conclusion – Today’s wine makes us feel good – on multiple levels! Humanitas’ Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir is deep and delicious and satisfying to the senses, but also to the soul. Drinking a wine whose purpose it is drive positive social change is an experience that extends beyond the visceral experience of the drinking of the wine. It also happens that the wine itself is fantastic. The Gap’s Crown vineyard in the Petaluma Gap in southern Sonoma County has built fruit that expresses a truely unique character. Certainly this is a high quality California Pinot Noir, but there is something in this wine that is also pleasingly unfamiliar. Perhaps we are so used to this wines great Pinot Cousins from neighboring Carneros and other points in Napa and Sonoma, that this wine stands out as unique. Perhaps this is an expression or an example of what the French call Terrior. Whatever the case, we just love the wine!

Mission Report:

Welcome, Reader. In this space, we usually write a fun-to-read description of how we came to know the winery that we are featuring. Fraught with peril, intrigue, drama and humor, these mission reports are intended to inform, entertain and, always tell you as mush as we can about the wine, the winemaker and the vineyards. Today we simply wanted to share with you this open letter to Judd Wallenbrock, owner of Humanitas Wines.

Hi Judd,

Thanks for putting your wine where your mouth is! Or, for putting it where other peoples mouths are – as a way to help those in need.

You have our admiration and deepest respect for your efforts to make the world a better place and we can’t think of a better way, than through the enjoyment of a fine wine.

Not to toot our own horns overly, but your belief in social responsibility mirrors our own. You do a great job of taking action and effecting change.

We’re proud, today, to be a part of your mission and you have our thanks for allowing us to bring your Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir to our Operatives before it is available anywhere else!

Speaking of your new Pinot, its exceptional, and one that we are certain our Operatives will fall in love with. We appreciate the sense of terrior (the mystical French terms for a wines expression of place) that the wine conveys and think that the Gap’s Crown region produces a very distinctive and very delicious Pinot Noir!

Keep up the great work, Judd, and the great wine. You’ve made fans of The Wine Spies. Both of your wines, and your spirit!

The Wine Spies

Read Full Post »

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 Humanitas Wines.

WINE GIVES ALERT!: Today’s wine is presented by Wine Gives and a portion of the proceeds from today’s sale will fight hunger and provide affordable housing for those in need. If you were invited to this wine event by a charitable cause, please be sure to use the special promotional code that they provided to you. Wine Gives takes no fees and 100% of all procceds raised go straight to the charity. Everybody wins – when Wine Gives.

EXCLUSIVE WINE ALERT!: Today’s superb wine is available here before it becomes available anywhere else! Take advantage of this special offer now – before the rest of our operatives snap it all up…

SAVINGS ALERT!: This wine is being offered to you at 20% below the winery’s retail price, smart Operatives that buy six or more bottles today will also receive free ground shipping with coupon code: PINOTSPY (note: If you received another coupon code, please use that to ensure that your charitable contribution will be made.)

Mission Codename: Wine for the Greater Good

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Satisfy our Operatives thirst for great Pinot Noir while also satisfying their urge to support important social causes – and drink charitably

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Humanitas Wines

Wine Subject: 2006 Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Patrick Mahaney

Winemaster: Judd Wallenbrock

Backgrounder: When The Wine Spies was founded more than a year ago, founding Agents White and Red extended their personal commitment to social responsibility to the organization itself. In early 2008 Agent Red and Agent White founded an organization called Wine Gives, which brings together wineries and other wine retailers to support important causes. To date, numerous causes have received financial support from the efforts of all involved in Wine Gives fundraising programs. When Wine Gives got the call from Humanitas Wines owner, Judd Wallenbrock, The Wine Spies were fast to respond. Judd had been a respected icon and a hero of The Wine Spies since learning of his commitment to ”finding solutions to three very primary issues: hunger, affordable housing and illiteracy”. This weekend Humanitas Wines and The Wine Spies are proud to present the perfect pairing: Humanitas’ Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir and YOU.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Ruby red with perfect clarity, to violet at its heart. This wine possesses a super bouncy surface that quickly settles quickly to perfectly still when swirled, leaving behind chubby and tightly-spaced legs that crawl down the glass

Smell – Richly aromatic with a rich nose of smoky blackberry, raspberry, sweet cherry, fresh earthen anise, spice, smoked meats and a beautiful flinty gunpowder that tells us that we’ll love this Pinot Noir

Feel – Silky and very round up-front, the wine is rich, thick and slightly warming with a unique combination of soft creaminess and soft, structured tannins

Taste – Delicious and bright, with layers of soft spice and fruit of deep cherry, smoky raspberry and blueberry with mild sage, mildest flint and soft cedar

Finish – This wine has a great finish that starts big, with a slight tartness and fruit – but then, interestingly, gets bigger, presenting elevating mid-palate smoky flavors – before ending delicate, elegant and slightly dry

Conclusion – Today’s wine makes us feel good – on multiple levels! Humanitas’ Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir is deep and delicious and satisfying to the senses, but also to the soul. Drinking a wine whose purpose it is drive positive social change is an experience that extends beyond the visceral experience of the drinking of the wine. It also happens that the wine itself is fantastic. The Gap’s Crown vineyard in the Petaluma Gap in southern Sonoma County has built fruit that expresses a truely unique character. Certainly this is a high quality California Pinot Noir, but there is something in this wine that is also pleasingly unfamiliar. Perhaps we are so used to this wines great Pinot Cousins from neighboring Carneros and other points in Napa and Sonoma, that this wine stands out as unique. Perhaps this is an expression or an example of what the French call Terrior. Whatever the case, we just love the wine!

Mission Report:

Welcome, Reader. In this space, we usually write a fun-to-read description of how we came to know the winery that we are featuring. Fraught with peril, intrigue, drama and humor, these mission reports are intended to inform, entertain and, always tell you as mush as we can about the wine, the winemaker and the vineyards. Today we simply wanted to share with you this open letter to Judd Wallenbrock, owner of Humanitas Wines.

Hi Judd,

Thanks for putting your wine where your mouth is! Or, for putting it where other peoples mouths are – as a way to help those in need.

You have our admiration and deepest respect for your efforts to make the world a better place and we can’t think of a better way, than through the enjoyment of a fine wine.

Not to toot our own horns overly, but your belief in social responsibility mirrors our own. You do a great job of taking action and effecting change.

We’re proud, today, to be a part of your mission and you have our thanks for allowing us to bring your Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir to our Operatives before it is available anywhere else!

Speaking of your new Pinot, its exceptional, and one that we are certain our Operatives will fall in love with. We appreciate the sense of terrior (the mystical French terms for a wines expression of place) that the wine conveys and think that the Gap’s Crown region produces a very distinctive and very delicious Pinot Noir!

Keep up the great work, Judd, and the great wine. You’ve made fans of The Wine Spies. Both of your wines, and your spirit!

The Wine Spies

Read Full Post »

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 Hill Family Estate.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!: Today’s wine is an fantastic Napa Valley Merlot!

SAVINGS ALERT!: Smart Spies stock up on great wines that we feature. And, when they enjoy 6 or more, we’ll throw in Free Ground Shipping, with coupon code: NAPASPY

Mission Codename: A Merlot to know

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Our Operatives snapped up our previous Hill Family Estates wine in record numbers. Send Agent Red back to Return to Hill Family Estate and procure a large allotment of their 2004 Napa Valley Merlot

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Hill Family Estate

Wine Subject: 2004 Napa Valley Merlot

Winemaker: Alison Green Doran

Backgrounder: To true wine lovers, Merlot is one of the finest wine varietals in the world. Today, Merlot continues to sell in record numbers across the US, outpacing all other varietals. Merlot is sincere wine for serious wine drinkers. If you think that Merlot is not for you, forget everything that you think you know about Merlot and embrace this spectacular example. Read Agent Red’s mission report, immediately following his tasting notes.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet to burgundy with great clarity. When swirled, this wine shows a bouncy surface and leaves behind chubby legs the crawl down the glass at varying speeds

Smell – This wine requires some time to open up, but eventually reveals a floral quality, along with rich dark aromas of blackberry, raspberry, sweetwoods and mild spices

Feel – Soft and round, light at first, then the wine grips gently at the your cheeks as it coats your mouth. The wine has balanced light-to-medium tannins that introduce a slight dryness that makes your mouth water

Taste – This wine present dark but delicate layers of blackberry, burnt raisin (tastes way better than it sounds, perhaps), cedar and a hint of kiwi fruit and a smaller hint of mild eucalyptus

Finish – A super long finish, with flavors that change from tart to sweet, leaving behind flavors that linger

Conclusion – Ahhh, another great wine from Hill Family Estate! This Merlot is rich and dusky and delicious, with great fruit that pops out as you swirl, sniff and sip. For great results with this wine, be sure to decant it before you serve it, or encourage your fellow drinkers to swirl away and revel in how the wine emerges as they do. If you love Merlot or not, I promise that this is one of the finest you have tried from The Wine Spies!

Mission Report:

Mission Brief:

The Hill Family could not be more qualified to make great wines. Since common wisdom holds that great wines are made in the vineyard, Doug Hill seems uniquely qualified, for his 25+ year wine odyssey started with him tending vineyards in the Napa Valley.

As vineyard manager for more than a thousand acres vineyards, Doug was responsible for the meticulous care of grapes for the finest wineries in the Napa Valley. His stewardship of the vines, it could be said, led to the creation of the finest of wines.

It was only natural that Doug should one day create his own wines, from his own vineyards – and that those wines should, of course, begin life in the vineyards themselves.

Today, the wines that the Hill Family Estate produces are grown in fields tended by Doug himself. Each of Hill Family’s wines show the care of the man and the character unique to each vineyard.

The Hill Family Estate Merlot is fantastic. Our friend, Ryan Hill, declares the wine to be his favorite of all of the great wines that his family produces.

Today’s wine is lush, layered and deeply aromatic with a richness of taste, flavor and feel that are unique and very pleasing. This is a wine that conveys what commitment, beautiful vineyards, great fruit, tender care – and what the magical combination of these things taste like.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

Our satellite is temporarily off-line! Check back soon for an updated satellite photo.

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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 Verge Wine Cellars.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!: Today’s VERGE Syrah is a really special wine. If you love superb Syrah, pick up this stunner.

SAVINGS ALERT!: Enjoy FREE Ground Shipping with your purchase of 6 or more bottles when you use coupon code: SPYSYRAH at checkout

Mission Codename: The Verge of Greatness

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Respond to reports that Verge Wine Cellars has crafted a remarkable Syrah. If reports are accurate, secure a quantity for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: VERGE Wine Cellars

Wine Subject: 2006 Syrah Dry Creek Valley

Winemaker: Mike Brunson

Backgrounder: Syrah is the sole grape used to make the world famous Rhône wines of and Hermitage. It is also the primary component of most Rhône blends, including Chateauneuf du Pape and the wines of Côte Rotie. In Australia, the grape is called Shiraz. In California, Syrah runs the gamut between classic French style and the over-the-top styles of Australian Shiraz. We Spies prefer California Syrah as they tend to find a great balance between these, but also offer the unique characteristics that only California fruit can deliver… and today’s wine DELIVERS!

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep burgundy to purple with a deep and inky heart of purple, a bouncy surface and thick legs that move slowly down the glass

Smell – Beautifully and richly aromatic with a unique blend of spicy earth, black currant, pomegranate, forest floor, dusky earthen chocolate, and a hint of pencil lead and smoky meats

Feel – Supple, wet and big, mouth-coating with great medium structured tannins and a cheek drying pucker!

Taste – Delicious layers of flavors, including dark mixed berry, black cherry, darkest plum, dusted dark chocolate, blueberry and subtle but lush lavender

Finish – Juicy, rich, mouth-coating, and delicious with structured tannins and flavors that linger and linger and linger…

Conclusion – This is a great and BIG and delicious Syrah. Decant for best results. On opening this wine, the nose was superb but on first sip I was worried about its heat and intensity. After a few hours, the wine transformed and became fantastic. This is big Syrah, to be sure, but its also a very unique and balanced wine with incredible aromas and flavors. Way to go Mike and Jay! Keep making great wines…

Mission Report:

Once upon a time there was a Dragon and a princess. The dragon was very grumpy because ninjas had kidnapped his winemaker.

When the Princess learned of this she sent her army of mutant pygmy unicorns to rescue the winemaker, in order to restore the dragon’s happiness – which in turn would ensure the safety and happiness of her people.

For 80 days and 80 nights, the mutant pygmy unicorns scoured the lands, but were ultimately unsuccessful in locating the winemaker. The Princess, driven to take drastic measures, consulted with the wise wizard.

The wise wizard declared that they were on the verge of finding the winemaker and that they should not give up on their quest.

Verge… Verge…

I awoke with a start, the word Verge echoing in my head. Aw, crud! I was late for the tour and tasting I had scheduled with with Verge Cellars partners Mike and Jay.

Both exceptionally great guys, I crossed my fingers in hope that they would not be miffed at my tardiness. 30 minutes later I arrived for the vineyard tour and tasting. They ribbed me for a while, but that was all in fun. Besides, these guys have known me long enough to earn the right to rib.

We spent much of the day walking the vineyard, discussing their winemaking ways, enjoying their very unique and very delicious Syrah, and, finally, enjoying a big fat BBQ lunch – which was a perfect compliment to their stupendous wine.

Of note about this wine is that it loves to breath. Open it, decant it for a few hours and you’ll have a better wine on you hands than you tasted on first opening. The aromas mellow, the fruit emerges and the flavors become more balanced and delicious. We recommend at least two hours of decant for maximum enjoyment. As an experiment, I also tried this wine after 8 hours – and it was superb. While not necessary, and certainly not always convenient, decant is recommended.

The Wine Spies love this wine. Get some, before we run out… or the dragon’s winemaker goes missing again.

A tip of the spy hat goes to Agent Ruby for providing the inspiration for the wacky dream sequence above. Have a mission idea? Please feel free to submit it!

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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 Verge Wine Cellars.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!: Today’s VERGE Syrah is a really special wine. If you love superb Syrah, pick up this stunner.

SAVINGS ALERT!: Enjoy FREE Ground Shipping with your purchase of 6 or more bottles when you use coupon code: SPYSYRAH at checkout

Mission Codename: The Verge of Greatness

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Respond to reports that Verge Wine Cellars has crafted a remarkable Syrah. If reports are accurate, secure a quantity for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: VERGE Wine Cellars

Wine Subject: 2006 Syrah Dry Creek Valley

Winemaker: Mike Brunson

Backgrounder: Syrah is the sole grape used to make the world famous Rhône wines of Côte Rotie and Hermitage. I is also the primary component of most Rhône blends, including Chateauneuf du Pape. In Australia, the wine is called Shiraz. In California, Syrah runs the gamut between classic French style and the over-the-top styles of Australian Shiraz. We Spies prefer California Syrah as they tend to find a great balance between these, but also offer the unique characteristics that only California fruit can deliver… and today’s wine DELIVERS!

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep burgundy to purple with a deep and inky heart of purple, a bouncy surface and thick legs that move slowly down the glass

Smell – Beautifully and richly aromatic with a unique blend of spicy earth, black currant, pomegranate, forest floor, dusky earthen chocolate, and a hint of pencil lead and smoky meats

Feel – Supple, wet and big, mouth-coating with great medium structured tannins and a cheek drying pucker!

Taste – Delicious layers of flavors, including dark mixed berry, black cherry, darkest plum, dusted dark chocolate, blueberry and subtle but lush lavender

Finish – Juicy, rich, mouth-coating, and delicious with structured tannins and flavors that linger and linger and linger…

Conclusion – This is a great and BIG and delicious Syrah. Decant for best results. On opening this wine, the nose was superb but on first sip I was worried about its heat and intensity. After a few hours, the wine transformed and became fantastic. This is big Syrah, to be sure, but its also a very unique and balanced wine with incredible aromas and flavors. Way to go Mike and Jay! Keep making great wines…

Mission Report:

Once upon a time there was a Dragon and a princess. The dragon was very grumpy because ninjas had kidnapped his winemaker.

When the Princess learned of this she sent her army of mutant pygmy unicorns to rescue the winemaker, in order to restore the dragon’s happiness – which in turn would ensure the safety and happiness of her people.

For 80 days and 80 nights, the mutant pygmy unicorns scoured the lands, but were ultimately unsuccessful in locating the winemaker. The Princess, driven to take drastic measures, consulted with the wise wizard.

The wise wizard declared that they were on the verge of finding the winemaker and that they should not give up on their quest.

Verge… Verge…

I awoke with a start, the word Verge echoing in my head. Aw, crud! I was late for the tour and tasting I had scheduled with with Verge Cellars partners Mike and Jay.

Both exceptionally great guys, I crossed my fingers in hope that they would not be missed at my tardiness. 30 minutes later I arrived for the vineyard tour and tasting. They ribbed me for a while, but that was all in fun. Besides, these guys have known me long enough to earn the right to rib.

We spent much of the day walking the vineyard, discussing their winemaking ways, enjoying their very unique and very delicious Syrah, and, finally, enjoying a big fat BBQ lunch – which was a perfect compliment to their stupendous wine.

Of note about this wine is that it loves to breath. Open it, decant it for a few hours and you’ll have a better wine on you hands than you tasted on first opening. The aromas mellow, the fruit emerges and the flavors become more balanced and delicious. We recommend at least two hours of decant for maximum enjoyment. As an experiment, I also tried this wine after 8 hours – and it was superb. While not necessary, and certainly not always convenient, decant is recommended.

The Wine Spies love this wine. Get some, before we run out!

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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 Ceja Vineyards.

LIBRARY RAID ALERT!: Our good friends at Ceja love our Operatives. For this sale, they dug deep into their personal library, making available the last 10 cases in the world of today’s wine. THANK YOU, CEJA! We are honored!

SAVINGS ALERT!: If you are lucky enough to grab 6 or more bottles of this great wine before we sell out, use coupon code SUPERSONOMA and we’ll give you Free Ground Shipping

EXCEPTIONAL WINE ALERT!: Ceja Wines are among our favorite California wines. Today’s wine is fantastic. We only wish there was more of it available…

Mission Codename: The Final Syrah

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Respond to Top Secret communication from Ceja Vineyards, stating that their final ten cases have been made available, exclusively for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Ceja Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2004 Sonoma Coast Syrah

Winemakers: Armando Ceja

Backgrounder: Agent Red and our field Operatives fell in love with Ceja Vineyards Vino de Casa, a Red Blend featured here recently. What made such a big impression on Agent Red was what he described as “a perfect 50/50 flavor profile that, remarkably, evenly layers Pinot Noir and Syrah to give the wine 2 distinctly different flavors – an even balance of the two grape varietals made to create a remarkable red blend”. For todays mission, Agent Red returns to Ceja to taste their Syrah and to determine if this wine, this Sonoma Valley Syrah, is among the best he has tasted in California. Read the full mission briefing below for full details.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Ruby red to burgundy in color with perfect clarity with a deep and darkening heart of garnet, a bouncy surface, concentrated color to the edges fat, tightly-spaced legs

Smell – Dark, rich, juicy and and earthy with beautiful hit of fruit of dark stonefruit, blackberry, cherry, mild raspberry and mild smoked bacon

Feel – Round and slightly cooling at first, then slightly grippy with soft tannins that dry the lips, cheeks and tongue

Taste – This wine presents delicious and juicy Syrah flavors, but with a slight brightness that makes it unique. Here you will find balanced savory and fresh flavors of dark cherry, plum, smoky blackberry, white pepper, leather, rhubarb and cedar

Finish – Long, dry and slightly tart, this delicious leaves behind lingering and mouth watering flavors

Conclusion – Ceja wines always impress me with their drinkability, their spirit and their quality. Today’s wine is no exception. The only negative is that we could only get our hands on ten cases! I can’t complain, though, we are really honored that our friends at Ceja would give us their last ten cases. This exceptional wine is an easy drinker, but it has its sincere side, with deep flavors and rich aromatics. Enjoy now, and if you have the patience, cellar a few bottles for up to seven more years for a different experience.

Mission Report:

Ceja wines are SO good that this is the fourth time we have featured them here. Presented here, for your knowledge, is a re-telling of our first mission to Ceja Winery:

Between missions I was enjoying some downtime at my favorite Napa wine lounge, when an urgent dispatch came through on my Wine Spy handheld. Central Command had received a flurry urgent inquiries for a GREAT red wine – for less than $20.

“Leave your misconceptions behind”, was the clear directive. “Find us a wine that drinks well above its price, and find it TODAY!”

I had just one problem: I was hungry!

I asked the owner of the lounge where I could pick up great Mexican food. Before he could answer, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning as I reached instinctively for my corkscrew I saw young man with a flashing smile.

“Like Tacos?” he asked.

“Uhh. Yeah. Love ‘em,” I replied.

“And great wine, too?”

“Who doesn’t?” I said.

“Follow me,” he said.

After a short car ride later we turned into the driveway for Ceja Vineyards, a winery that I had heard only great things about.

Stepping out of the car, the aromas hit me. Spices, beans, grilled meat and… red wine.

The young man, who introduced himself as Ariel Ceja, led me into a small outbuilding adjacent to the tasting room. Inside was smiling woman who hugged me as I entered. Ariel introduced me to his grandmother and invited me to sit down. Inside this room, the aromas were intoxicating.

Ariel handed me a glass of red wine, explaining that this was their family’s favorite wine. A deep sniff, a swirl and a taste was all it took for me to fall in love with their wine. The tacos were incredible as well and we laughed and shared stories. And more wine.

Postscript: After filing my report with Central Command, I spent the balance of the day with the Ceja family, eating, drinking, roaming their vineyards. It was hard to leave at the end of the day, but at least I left with a feeling that this day had been among my luckiest – and most rewarding – as a Wine Spy. I got to spend time with great people and enjoy their hospitality. And their great wine.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The approximate location of Ceja’s Adobe Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

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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 Broman Cellars.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!: Today’s Napa Valley Syrah is among the most unique, deeply robust and delicious examples that we have come across

ALLOCATION ALERT!: With fewer than 300 cases produced, we were only able to get our hands on a small quantity. Be sure to take advantage of this offer – before we run out

SAVINGS ALERT!: Enjoy FREE Ground Shipping with your purchase of 6 or more bottles when you use coupon code: NAPASPY at checkout

Mission Codename: Wine is Life

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Operatives have been clamoring for a great California Syrah, particularly one with good bottle age. In order to keep our Operatives happy, send Agent Red to the Napa Valley to retrieve an excellent Syrah

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Broman Cellars

Wine Subject: 2001 Syrah

Winemaker: Robert Broman

Backgrounder: Robert Broman has been ‘in wine’ for more than 30 years. As winemaker for some of the most prestigious wineries in the world, Robert Broman has perfected his skills, making some of the most precious wines. Today he brings his depth of skill and accomplishment to bear in making his own wines under the aptly named Broman Cellars, where he makes wines of remarkable distinction. Read about Agent Red’s accidental discover of today’s great wine, and his tasting notes and mission report below to and see what makes this Syrah so unique

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet to burgundy with a deep and inky dark heart. The wine also has a pronounced spring to its tight surface and it leaves behind supremely thin and slow-moving legs that crawl slowly down the glass

Smell – Beautifully aromatic with a layers of rich blueberry, blackberry, black currant, dusky earth, leather and smoky meats

Feel – Supple and wet and big up front, then mouth-coating with great soft to medium all-over-mouth tannins that grip the entire tongue, cheeks and roof of the mouth

Taste – Delicious layers of giant flavors, including dark and jammy mixed berry, black cherry, and dark plum with subtle dusted bakers chocolate and soft spice

Finish – Hugely Juicy and rich, mouth-coating, delicious and supple, with soft tannins and flavors that go on and on forever

Conclusion – This delicious, remarkable and intensely flavorful Syrah is unlike any other Napa Syrah we have tasted. This wine imparts intense dark flavors and a richness usually reserved for the almighty Napa Cab, making it a standout wine, even among other brilliant Syrahs. This robust Syrah reminds this spy that the masterful winemaker infuses his or her wines with their own personality. In the case of today’s Robert Broman is written all over it; The wine is big, serious, genuine, hearty, bold and sincere. If you are a lover of great Syrah, and you particularly love BIG Syrah, this is certainly a wine for you. Enjoy!

Mission Report:

Holy WOW, did I score with today’s amazing Syrah. Finding it was an accidental act of possible intuition.

While perusing my local bottle shop (in disguise, of course) I spotted a bottle that practically leapt off the shelf. While I had received intel briefings about Broman Cellars, I had not yet had the occasion to taste their wines. Luckily, the label yelled out to me to take the bottle off of the shelf.

To the eye, the labels on all Broman wines stand out with a distinct dimensionality that no other label possesses. The feel of the label is also unique; The paper used is deeply thick with a soft cloth-like feel. The printing reminds me of the finest engraved printing that one would find on a classy invitation. All combined, these attributes were my personal invitation to purchase the wine – and take it back to the Safe House for tasting and analysis.

I chose the Broman 2001 Syrah as I love wines with some bottle age.

When I opened the wine, a rush of boldly beautiful aromas nearly floored me. I love rich and big-nosed wines. A quick sip told me that this was a wine that needed time in the air to stretch out, so I spent the better part of an hours swirling, sniffing and admiring the wine. When it came time to finally sip, the wine had become more balanced and way more flavorful.

As you know, all of the wines that we bring you are great – but when we come across one that is very special, we issue alerts. It was obvious that I would be issuing a superior Wine Alert for this wine.

I conducted a thorough tasting of the wine and then left it open for a few hours. On my return to the wine for another taste, I was rewarded by even more goodness! Further harmony had found its way into the wine and the fruit really emerged, mellowing out some of the oak that w