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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 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

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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 Levendi Estates.

OPERATIVE WINE REQUEST ALERT: Today’s wine comes to you thanks to our Operatives, who demanded that we return to Levendi for their Symphonia Cab!

FREE SHIPPING ALERT: Enjoy Free Ground Shipping on six or more bottles, with promotional code CABSPY

Mission Codename: The Wine Gods have smiled upon us

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Our Operatives loved the previous Levendi Cabernet Sauvignon that we featured here. Send Agent Red to Napa Valley to investigate claims that Levendi Estates has crafted an ‘04 Cab that beats wines at twice the price. If verified, procure a suitable quantity for our Operatives to enjoy

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Levendi Estates

Wine Subject: 2005 Symphonia Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley

Winemakers: Alison Doran

Backgrounder: The Wine Spies have had the great fortune to bring you some of the finest wines available anywhere. Of particular note are the handful of stellar 2004 California Cabernet Sauvignons featured here in recent months. If 2004 was a great year for Cali Cabs, then 2004 was an especially great year for those born in California’s Napa Valley. Today we send Agent Red, this agency’s red wine expert, to Levendi Estates, where he discovers today’s remarkable Cab. Read his tasting notes and mission report below for a complete profile of today’s wine.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Hearty concentration of color that goes garnet to burgundy at the wines heart. The wine maintains great concentration of color right out to the edge of the glass. On swirling, the wine maintains its depth, but reveals a deep and juicy clarity with no murk. The wines bouncy surface and skinny legs contribute to the wines distinctive good looks

Smell – Bright and deeply aromatic on opening, with aromas of sweet cherry, mild spice, unique roasted tangerine peel, rose petals and red Swedish fish candy. After a little time in the air, the wine brightens as fresh fruits emerge, compelling you to inhale deeply, again and again. Eventually, the aromas become so enticing that you are reminded to actually taste the wine!

Feel – Round and full, the wine initially hovers across the front palate before it becomes full-on mouth-coating with structured medium tannins

Taste – Big and delicious, with balanced fruit and smoky cherry, blueberry, vanilla, sweet oak and dark plum with a hint of dusted dark chocolate

Finish – Begins dusky, then finishes sweet and fruity, with delicious sweetness, tartness and flavors that tail off slowly with a slight dryness

Conclusion – After we first feature Levendi here, our Operatives flooded us with requests for today’s Levendi wine. They loved the previous wine, but were very eager to taste today’s 2005 Symphonia Cabernet Sauvignon. Having just spent a few hours with the wine, I now know why! This wine is beautiful and bright, with a depth and sincerity that makes it a delicios on-its-own wine that is the sort that is fun to discuss as you enjoy it. I paired mine with a spicy penne pasta with arugola – which is a challenging pairing for any wine to stand up to. The spice and the tartness might tend to overpower other wines, but this Cab, with its bright acidity and solid flavors not only hold up, it compliments. If you tried our previous Levendi Cab, this is a sure-win. If you love most Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, you must try this fantastic win from our friends at Levendi.

Pairing Update – Later in the evening I called my asset at the winery to ask her if she had any desert pairing recommendations for the Symphonia. She recommended dark chocolate or chocolate cheesecake. I thanked her and instantly called Agent Sparkle, who was due to return from a mission. Sparkle returned to the safehouse with a fresh chocolate cheesecake. The pairing was remarkable. Perfect and delicious!

Mission Report:

For your enjoyment, what follows is a retelling of our original mission report:

“Awake, Mortal!”, the voice thundered.

I shot up from my slumber – and promptly banged my head… on the ceiling? I looked around. Outside a window the countryside streaked past.

I remembered that I was on a train, traveling from Montenegro where I had taken some R & R time – to Greece, where I would be doing some deep background research on the origins of wine.

Looking at my watch I realized that I still had a few hours before I reached my destination. As I lay my head back down on my pillow, a voice bellowed, “You dare to sleep in my presence, Mortal?!”

My eye snapped open and, to my horror, I found that I was no longer on the train. Instead, I seemed to be in a huge atrium that was surrounded by pillars. In the center, a large figure sat atop what appeared to be a throne.

A deep laugh thundered from the man and then, “Fetch me a fresh amphora and come here, Mortal, my thirst is strong this day! Ariadne is in her chambers pining for Naxos, and Ikarios is busy tending the vines and arguing with shepherds again, leaving me unattended!”

From my research into ancient Greece and Greek mythology, this thundering figure could only be Dionysos, the Greek God of wine and fertility. How did I get here? Was I dreaming?

Playing along, I grabbed up a amphora of wine. He smiled warmly at me and took the amphora in one mighty hand. He lowered his nose into the mouth of the amphora and inhaled deeply. Smiling, he said, “Mortal, I have taught you well! You even put poor Ikarios to shame with your toil. Your wine making skills are nearly perfected. Perhaps I will grant you immortality after all.”

With this, he raised the amphora to me and shouted the word, “LEVENDI!”

Back in my train cabin, I blink the sleep away as the word echos in my mind. Levendi, Levendi. The word is familiar somehow… I quickly pullout my spy communicator and speak the word into its tiny microphone. An instant later, after completing its satellite connection to our W.I.N.E. (Wine Internet Nexux Engine) databases at Central Command, I am presented with these results:

1) A traditional Greek toast, “Levendi” acknowledges a hard day’s labor and achievement

2) A fine winery in California’s Napa Valley

Of course! Increasingly I had been receiving intel on Levendi Winery from my informants. Then and there, I decided to cut my trip short – and rush to taste Levendi’s wines!

See my tasting notes above…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of one of the vineyards, where today’s Cabernet Sauvignon was grown, 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 Burgess Vineyard.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!: We declare today’s wine to be the brightest and tastiest of all the 2004 Napa Cabs we have tasted to date, making this wine a stellar choice.

ALLOCATION ALERT!: Today’s wine is our fastest-selling wine ever. 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: CABSPY at checkout

Mission Codename: The Western Slopes

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: React to the flood of reports that Burgess Vineyard has a standout Napa Valley Syrah. If valid, secure an ample supply for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Burgess Vineyard

Wine Subject: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Bill Sorenson

Backgrounder: Our Operatives just can’t seem to get enough 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Cabs have become a favorite and its no surprise. If the 2004 vintage was a banner year for California Cab, then Napa take it to a whole new level, delivering wines of remarkable distinction and beauty. Today, we are honored to bring you a superb 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from Burgess Vineyard. Read Agent Reds tasting notes and mission report below, and be sure to take advantage of our Free Ground Shipping offer. We’ll ship the wine to you for free, with your purchase of 6 or more bottles. Enjoy!

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet to ruby at the edges, with great clarity through its deep, dark heart. The wine also has a pronounced spring to its surface and it leaves behind slow-moving legs that crawl slowly down the glass

Smell – Beautifully aromatic with layers of rich and bright mountain fruit. Present in refined abundance are blueberry, spicy blackberry, black currant and smoky plum with a fresh spice component

Feel – Supple and wet and big, mouth-coating with great soft to medium all-over-mouth tannins

Taste – Delicious layers of flavors, including dark mixed berry, cherry, spice, plum and

Finish – Hugely Juicy and rich, mouth-coating, delicious and supple, with soft tannins and flavors that go on and on forever. This delicious wine makes your mouth water and begs that you drink more of it!

Conclusion – Of all of the ‘04s we have had the great fortune to taste of late, this remarkable gem from Burgess absolutely exudes brightness, fun and boldly delicious flavors. This is no overbearing Napa Cab as some tend to be. Instead, what you get with this wine is a brilliantly balanced wine with just the right amount of gusto, and fruit that jumps right out of the glass, enlivening your senses and reminding you of just how great a great wine can be.

Mission Report:

In which Agent Red has enjoyed a few glasses of today’s 2004 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon – and finds himself waxing poetic. Or does he?

An Ode to Burgess and their fanTAStic 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Millenial
Generational
Dedication
Preservation

Your wines appeal
they make us feel
a connection
to the Mountain Howell

Maceration
Vinification
Fermentation
Mere words
The true soul of your wine shines
in the tall pours that I desire

Succulent
Juicy
Delicious
Bright fruit
Deep roots
Your ‘04 Cab is beyond compare

In which Agent Cuvee, sensing that Agent Red is not the Pablo Neruda of wine, steps in and stops Agent Red from writing any more _poetry.

Okay, Red, put down the pen and go get some rest. I got this one.

Greeting Dear Operatives. Agent Red had to, umm, leave. I’m taking over this briefing.

All of us here at Wine Spies Central Command agree: Bill Sorenson is a winemaker of remarkable talent. All of his wines shine with a uniqueness and distinctiveness and all of his wines taste great. The fantastic Howelll Mountain fruit grown on the Burgess estate doesn’t hurt, either.

We recently had the great fortune to taste through all of his current release red wines and it was his Cab that really stood out as our favorite. With bright fruit, a tender mouth feel and a rich finish, this wine is not a massive monster Cab that bullies your senses. This is a refined wine that is real pleasure to spend quality time with.

During our tasting, we found ourselves discussing this wine at length. It was really interesting to pull apart and describe in detail all of the aromas and flavors that the wine conveys. With its bright acidity, we suspect that the wine would pair nicely with most anything. We were hoping to enjoy it with the meal we had planned for later that evening, but Agent Red seemed to have enjoyed most of the remaining bottle, leaving none for our dinner. Alas. At least it led to some poetry that we can tease him about – once he returns from his latest mission!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the lush Howell Mountain, in Napa, 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 Burgess Vineyard.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!: We declare today’s wine to be the brightest and tastiest of all the 2004 Napa Cabs we have tasted to date, making this wine a stellar choice

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

Mission Codename: The Western Slopes

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: React to the flood of reports that Burgess Vineyard has a standout Napa Valley Syrah. If valid, secure an ample supply for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Burgess Vineyard

Wine Subject: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Bill Sorenson

Backgrounder: Our Operatives just can’t seem to get enough 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Cabs have become a favorite and its no surprise. If the 2004 vintage was a banner year for California Cab, then Napa take it to a whole new level, delivering wines of remarkable distinction and beauty. Today, we are honored to bring you a superb 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from Burgess Vineyard. Read Agent Reds tasting notes and mission report below, and be sure to take advantage of our Free Ground Shipping offer. We’ll ship the wine to you for free, with your purchase of 6 or more bottles. Enjoy!

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet to ruby at the edges, with great clarity through its deep, dark heart. The wine also has a pronounced spring to its surface and it leaves behind slow-moving legs that crawl slowly down the glass

Smell – Beautifully aromatic with layers of rich and bright mountain fruit. Present in refined abundance are blueberry, spicy blackberry, black currant and smoky plum with a fresh spice component

Feel – Supple and wet and big, mouth-coating with great soft to medium all-over-mouth tannins

Taste – Delicious layers of flavors, including dark mixed berry, cherry, spice, plum and

Finish – Hugely Juicy and rich, mouth-coating, delicious and supple, with soft tannins and flavors that go on and on forever. This delicious wine makes your mouth water and begs that you drink more of it!

Conclusion – Of all of the ‘04s we have had the great fortune to taste of late, this remarkable gem from Burgess absolutely exudes brightness, fun and boldly delicious flavors. This is no overbearing Napa Cab as some tend to be. Instead, what you get with this wine is a brilliantly balanced wine with just the right amount of gusto, and fruit that jumps right out of the glass, enlivening your senses and reminding you of just how great a great wine can be.

Mission Report:

In which Agent Red has enjoyed a few glasses of today’s 2004 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon – and finds himself waxing poetic. Or does he?

An Ode to Burgess and their fanTAStic 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Millenial
Generational
Dedication
Preservation

Your wines appeal
they make us feel
a connection
to the Mountain Howell

Maceration
Vinification
Fermentation
Mere words
The true soul of your wine shines
in the tall pours that I desire

Succulent
Juicy
Delicious
Bright fruit
Deep roots
Your ‘04 Cab is beyond compare

In which Agent Cuvee, sensing that Agent Red is not the Pablo Neruda of wine, steps in and stops Agent Red from writing any more _poetry.

Okay, Red, put down the pen and go get some rest. I got this one.

Greeting Dear Operatives. Agent Red had to, umm, leave. I’m taking over this briefing.

All of us here at Wine Spies Central Command agree: Bill Sorenson is a winemaker of remarkable talent. All of his wines shine with a uniqueness and distinctiveness and all of his wines taste great. The fantastic Howelll Mountain fruit grown on the Burgess estate doesn’t hurt, either.

We recently had the great fortune to taste through all of his current release red wines and it was his Cab that really stood out as our favorite. With bright fruit, a tender mouth feel and a rich finish, this wine is not a massive monster Cab that bullies your senses. This is a refined wine that is real pleasure to spend quality time with.

During our tasting, we found ourselves discussing this wine at length. It was really interesting to pull apart and describe in detail all of the aromas and flavors that the wine conveys. With its bright acidity, we suspect that the wine would pair nicely with most anything. We were hoping to enjoy it with the meal we had planned for later that evening, but Agent Red seemed to have enjoyed most of the remaining bottle, leaving none for our dinner. Alas. At least it led to some poetry that we can tease him about – once he returns from his latest mission!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the lush Howell Mountain, in Napa, 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 Hans Fahden Winery.

Superior Wine Alert!

This is an exceptional wine and we are astounded that it sells for so little. We featured this wine as an exclusive pre-release and now we’ve been able to secure an additional allocation. For EXTRA SAVINGS, be sure to use the promotion code SPYHANS for free ground shipping on orders of six or more.

Mission Codename: It turns out that you can improve on perfection!

Operative: Agent Cuvée (under the watchful eye of Agent Red)

Objective: Send rookie Wine Spy, Agent Cuvée, into friendly territory, on his inaugural mission to return with the new vintage of Hans Fahdens great Cabernet Sauvignon – before the winery even releases the wine

Mission Status: Accomplished! (way to go Agent Cuvée!)

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. When featured here, the wine was a smash hit and sold out very quickly. Today we are proud to bring you their newest vintage. Read Agent Cuvée’s tasting notes and mission report below to see how this vintage compares to the 2003

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep burgundy color with a dark black-plum heart and chubby legs that are slow to form – then quick to streak down the glass (unique!)

Smell – A big blast of concentrated aromatics of cherry, ripe blackberry, oak, smoke, soft leather and mild spice

Feel – Initially soft and then the wine expresses medium to big tannins as it coats and then drys the mouth

Taste – This vintage is as delicious as the last, with juicy flavors of dark smoky blueberry, blackberry and plum, with earthen mushroom, mild leather and oak

Finish – Long-lasting, all over mouth flavors that taper off beautifully as the wine dry and coats your mouth

Conclusion – Here is what Agent Red said about the 2003 vintage:

If you love great Cabernet Sauvignon wine that possess balance, character, flavor and great aromatics, this is a great wine for you. I believe that this wine drinks like a $50 or higher-priced cab and have told this to the folks at the winery. Their answer is simple: “People keep telling us to raise our prices. This is the perfect reason to keep them low. We want everyone to be able to enjoy our wines and we will continue to create great wines at a fair price”. The Wine Spies look forward to their next vintage!

Here’s what I say about this 2004 vintage:

This wine has many of the same qualities, but is even better!

For your best experience with this wine, decant for a few hours as it will soften and its aromatic qualities and deep flavors open up. This wine is certainly ready to drink now, but I have to think that it will only approve with a little bottle aging. When you purchase some today, be sure to get bottles to enjoy now, but also cellar some. You’ll thank me both times!

Mission Report:

Agent Cuvée here, reporting on my first ever solo-mission. Today I am a full-fledged Wine Spy!

Agent Red recruited me six months ago, at my place of work at one of Monterey’s best wine establishments. I can’t blow my own cover by telling you where I work, but Agent Red calls me a “Big Wheel” in the Monterey wine scene.

Its because I am so well known in Monterey that Wine Spies Central Command sent me on this particular mission. I need to keep my legend in tact so mission to other regions will be my de rigueur.

For this mission, I had to infiltrate Hans Fahden – and return with their new Cabernet Sauvignon. “Easy,” you say? Under normal circumstances, maybe, but I had to grab the wine before the wine was even released to the public!

The Wine Spies featured Hans Fahden’s superb 2003 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and our Operatives loved it (see Agent Red’s previous mission report, below). It was a great wine and Wine Spies Operatives snapped it up and we sold out quickly.

On visiting the beautiful winery in Sonoma County’s Mayacamas Mountains, overlooking the town of Calistoga, I am taken by the serene beauty of the place. On meeting its people, I understand why the wine has the sweet flavor of Amour; the third generation winemaking family that grows the grapes here pour their hearts into their craft.

It turns out that I didn’t have to resort to any sort of clever tactics to procure a pre-release quantity of this wine. Agent Red had called ahead to the winery to tell them to expect me. I was given a tour and a tasting and, within minutes, the winery had graciously offered us a handful of cases to share with our Operatives.

And so, dear Operative, my first mission, while not all that intriguing, ends with great success. I am very pleased to be able to bring you this fine wine today and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Cuvée, Out.

For those operatives that are interested, 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.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

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

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