Selections of the most interesting Online Fine Wine Auctions.
Posted in Wine For Sale on Oct 21st, 2008
67,00 EUR (3 Enchères) Fin: mardi oct.-28-2008 20:10:00 CETEnchérir | Ajouter à la liste d’Affaires à suivre
***** MAGNIFIQUE***** ORNELLAIA 2005 RP 95 DEPART A 1 € SANS PRIX DE RESERVE”20 ans de la propriété”Le Super Toscan des américains Mondavi et italiens FreshcobaldiBorn in a cooler than usual year, the aromatic complexity and freshness of the 2005 Ornellaia reflect [...]
Posted in Wine News on Jul 9th, 2008
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
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.
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.
The location of the Dry Creek Valley can be seen in this satellite photo
Posted in Wine News on Jul 7th, 2008
From this valley comes the wine we are pouring
We really dig the bright fruit and sweet nose
You can taste the Sonoma County sunshine
That makes these exquisite grapes grow
Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
Do not hesitate to drink a little more
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs
We’ve been waiting a long time, my darling
For a Pinot Noir this earthy and rich
Now here’s a glass full of ruby-red contentment
With mild tannins and a lingering finish
Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
One bottle of ‘05 and two of ‘04
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs
Well the ‘04 is ripe and dark and complex
With fruit-driven flavors of berry
But the ‘05 is a just little bit jammier
With spices, plum, and black cherry
Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
Drink all you want – they’ll make some more
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs
2005 Sonoma County Pinot Noir
Appellation: Sonoma County
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Harvest: August 31, 2005
Brix: 24.7
Total Acids: 0.63g/100ml
pH: 3.48
Alcohol: 14.5%
Cooperage: Aged 14 months in French oak barrels (80% new)
Release: April 2007
Production: 311 cases
2004 Pinot Noir
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Blend: 96% Pinot Noir, 4% Syrah
Harvest: August 12 to October 10, 2004
Total Acids: 0.61g/100ml
pH: 3.61
Alcohol: 14.7%
Cooperage: Aged 14 months in 97% French oak barrels and 3% Hungarian barrels (54% new oak)
Release: July 1, 2006
Production: 615 cases
Rules and restrictions:
Thanks to stick-in-the-mud buzzkilling state legislators, wine may only be delivered to the following states:
If your state’s not on the list, you’re out of luck… for now. Keep up with the ever-changing laws over at ShipCompliantBlog.com, and/or sound the alarms with your state assembly person through FreeTheGrapes.org. Meanwhile, all Federal, state and local laws are complied with in providing this wine.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 5th, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better than that, as is the case with today’s wine from Cima Collina.
SECRET SATURDAY SAVINGS ALERT!: Pssst. You want Free Ground Shipping on today’s superior selection? Just order 6 bottles or more and enter coupon code PINOTSPY at checkout!
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT! We don’t oft do repeats. When we do, you can be assured that its only because it is a wine that we love very much. Today’s wine is a beautifully bright and delicious Pinot Noir from Monterey County.
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Cima Collina to uncover the truth about their 2006 Pinot Noir. Our assets report that the wine is among the best Pinot Noir they have tasted. If true, secure an ample allocation for our Operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished
Current Winery: Cima Collina
Wine Subject: 2006 Monterey County Pinot Noir
Winemakers: Annette Hoff
Backgrounder: The first time we featured a Pinot Noir from Cima Collina, Agent Red had a difficult time infiltrating the winery. It was worth the effort, though, because now Cima Collina is a fully vetted Wine Spies winery and our Operatives can count on being privy to their best releases. Today’s Monterey County Pinot Noir is among the finest we have had the please to taste and we recommend to our Pinot-loving Operatives that they scoop up this limited-availability wine – before we run out.
Look – Deep and perfect ruby-red with great clarity, a springy bounce and thin, widely-spaced legs that run down the glass at varied speeds
Smell – Richly layered and warm, with deep fruits of cherry, mild forest floor, fresh earthen spices and toasty oak
Feel – Cool, light and round, this wine speeds its was across the front palate and then grips first at the front of the tongue, where a slight warmth and dryness makes its way to the back of the mouth.
Taste – Sweet, fresh, bright and slightly tart with flavors of bing cherry, pomegranate, plum, cedar and mild forest floor
Finish – Long, lush and lingering, the flavors and feelings that this wine leaves behind develop and change over time, making it a wine to sip lovingly while take the time to appreciate its subtle nuances
Conclusion – Pure pleasure, this wine is everything you could wish for in a Monterey Pinot Noir. Attribute its great aromas, feel and flavors to the meticulous labor that went into making this wine. With daily attention to its progress, this wine was tended with care by winemaker Annette Hoff, who virtually lived with the grapes post-harvest to ensure the proper extraction on flavors and color. Annette’s attention to the grapes, coupled with her winemaking ability and her brilliance in selecting and sorting the fruit that went into this wine, all combine to deliver a wine that is exceptionally flavorful, fun to drink and even better to share over a great meal with friends and loved-ones.
Now that Cima Collina is a fully vetted winery, The Wine Spies are privy to their wines. When intel reports began flooding in about today’s wine, we only needed to ask Cima Collina for a private tasting.
To see how our relationship with Cima Collina began, what follows is our original mission report:
For more than a month, Agent Red had tried and failed to bring us a Cima Collina wine. Wine Spies HQ gave him one final chance to land this exceptional Monterey County Pinot Noir from fabled lady winemaker Annette Hoff. Read the mission report below to see how he finally managed to snare this great wine!
Not every mission goes as smoothly as I would like them to. While this particular mission did not go horribly awry, it did take me an awfully long time to complete.
I first learned of Cima Collina wines from an Asset of mine, a private informant that has alerted me to more than a few great Monterey-area wines. This Asset, we’ll call him ‘_Monte_’, sent me an alert on my SpyComm device and told me to rush to try what he called Cima Collina’s ‘perfect pinot’. Included in the alert was all of the intel he had gathered on the wine, the winemaker, the vineyard and the winery. Everything sounded impressive and I trusted Monte’s judgment, so I headed to their tasting room in the village of Carmel-by-the-sea, a few miles south of Monterey.
While I pride myself on a good sense of direction, Carmel initially proved a difficult place for me. The town uses no street addresses! Instead, people navigate their way around by heading to ‘addresses’ such as: “_The West side of San Carlos, between Ocean and 7th, in the Paseo Courtyard, behind Kocek Jewelers_”, which happens to be the Cima Collina tasting room. Well, after a few mis-turns, I finally found the tasting room, which also houses a lovely gallery where the works of local artist are on display. On tasting the wine, I was immediately impressed and knew that I should procure an allotment for our Operatives. I got the business card of the manager of the winery, and was on my way.
Rather than place the winery under further surveillance, I decided to take a more direct approach and simply ask for the wine. Sounds simple, right? Well, after extended rounds of phone-tag, I decided to visit Cima Collina at a then-upcoming tasting event in downtown Monterey. There were many wineries at this particular event and when I found the Cima Collina table, it was mobbed. After fighting my way to the front, I introduced myself to the Winemaker and explained my plight. She was sympathetic and told me to keep trying. She explained that her wines were very popular and that they had been inundated with purchase requests. So, I kept trying. And kept missing. Then at another wine event, I met the hard-to-pin-down manager himself. Because he was so busy at the event, he asked me to keep trying him.
More of the same ensued and then, finally, just yesterday we actually spoke on the phone – and we simply and jovially arranged to secure some of this fabulous Pinot Noir for our Operatives. Busy wineries don’t get that way without a reason. A busy winery is usually a sign that something special is going on. In the case of Cima Collina, it was all about their fantastic Pinot Noir, and this one is my favorites!
Posted in Wine News on Jul 4th, 2008
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!
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.
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.
The Montalcino region can be viewed in this satellite photo.
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.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 4th, 2008
ATTENTION: Are you looking for the Fritz Underground Winery Ruxton Chardonnay? If so, we are sold out. However, we are currently in Top Secret negotiation with the winery to secure an additional allotment of this very popular wine. Please check back throughout the day!
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better than that, as is the case with today’s wine from Castelo di Verduno.
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Get on the trail of Agent Baco Noir, and find some great wines along the way.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Castelo di Verduno
Wine Subject: 2001 Barolo Massara DOCG
Backgrounder:
Barolo, from the Langhe region of the Piedmonte of north-west Italy is considered among Italy’s greatest wines. Barolo is made from the bold and tangy Nebbiolo varietal. Unfortunately, most people don’t give these wines enough time to mature and as such people find the younger versions a little hot and poorly integrated. But when cellared correctly, Barolo is the most expressive wine made from the Nebbiolo grape with heavenly layer upon layer of tangy fruit, spice, floral scents and more.
The Barolo DOCG is located around the city of Langhe with the best Barolos coming from single named vineyards (like this one – Massara). These wines are meant to age for upwards of 25 years and shouldn’t even be drunk at an age of less than 7 to 8 years. This particular Barolo is just starting to reach its maturity. Expect a bold powerful wine at while young growing in finesse and elegance as they age.
Look – Clear dark ruby red and garnet hues, brick-orange edges with slow thick legs and a slightly viscous appearance.
Smell – Bold and tangy, 100% Nebbiolo in character, with tangy fruit including raspberries and blackberries, spicy pepper, toasted cedar with hints of licorice, tobacco and leather.
Feel – Initially smooth the bold dry and firm tannins kick in, this full-bodied wine is deep, tart and tangy in the mouth. Decante this wine and the tannins mellow, but the bold and tangy flavors continue to live strong.
Taste – Complex layers of tart raspberries and tangy sour cherry, spicy white pepper, with hints of tobacco, licorice and leather that emerge only after the bold fruit dissipates. Again, after some time, this wine mellows.
Finish – Long and clean with a crisp acidity that lingers with fruit, toasted cedar and hints of tobacco.
Conclusion – If you love big, bold and tangy Italian wines, then this one belongs in your collection. Attack this wine right after your open it and it hits you in the mouth like Mafia thug, but if you give it some time, it will sweet talk you like only an Italian lover can. At seven years old, this wine is just starting to show its potential, if you have the patience to cellar this wine, put a bottle or two away, of course, I can’t wait to pop-open my next bottle!
Agent Baco Noir had long since gone A.W.O.L. Various reports had been coming it that she had been spotted in the The Hills of Langhe, but most of these reports proved to be unsubstantiated. It was extremely discouraging to our Ops Center s many of the greatest Italian wines we’ve run were initially sleuthed by Baco.
Being relatively familiar with the area, I decided to make a trip out. Through back channels, I put the word out that I’d be in the area and I wanted to arrange a meeting with Baco. Hoping that a mutual friend might pass the word on.
A long day of flying into Milan, then a train to Torino and car to Alba. Upon my arrival into Alba I stopped into the _Retrogusto Wine Cafe’ Di Canaparo Andrea_ where Giuseppe, one of my local contacts handed me a large manila envelope and quickly scuttled away. Once I had some privacy, I opened the envelope only to find a selection of grainy black-and-white photographs of Baco enjoying wine at various cafes and wineries throughout the area.
At least we had some leads. The first lead took me to Castello di Verduno. One of the photos showed Baco in her signature high-heels and dark glasses talking to the winemaker. I visited the winery, they had little information on Baco’s whereabouts, but did confirm that she had stopped by. Even going as far as to say, that I’d probably also stop by and ask for information and that I should try the Tre Bicchieri 2001 Barolo Massara DOCG.
The wine was great, this wine was just starting to hit its stride, and while I’m not always fond of Agent Baco Noir’s antics, she’s got a knack for finding great wines.
The location of the Castelo di Verduno can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 1st, 2008
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
”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!.
The location of the Ceja vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jun 30th, 2008
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.
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.
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!
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!
Posted in Wine News on Jun 27th, 2008
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 Clos Pegase.
EXCLUSIVE WINE ALERT!: Welcome to the ONLY place in the WORLD to pick up a bottle of today’s wine. A great big thank you to our friends at Clos Pegase for letting us release this wine to our Operatives!
TOP SECRET SAVINGS ALERT!: Our Operatives (and winged horses) will enjoy Free Ground Shipping on 6 or more bottles today if they enter this promotional code at checkout: SPYSHIP
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: On the advice of our Operatives, penetrate the Clos Pegase who is rumored to have a secret, soon-to-be-released Cabernet Sauvignon. If possible, secure the wine before it becomes publicly available
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Clos Pegase
Wine Subject: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker: Jan Shrem
Backgrounder: Want to buy today’s wine at your local bottle shop or, heaven forbid another online wine retailer? Forget it! The only place to buy this excellent Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is right here, dear Operative. Agent Red was able to secure an exclusive allocation of this 2005 Napa Valley Cab – before it is unleashed to the public. Read his tasting notes and mission report below
Look – Deep, rich ruby red in color with deep concentration of color right to the edges and throughout its dark garnet heart. The surface of the wine is tight and heavy in appearance; it settles quickly when swirled, leaving behind athick coating and chubby legs that crawl slowly down the glass
Smell – Rich and dark concentrations of ripe purple fruit, cassis, plum, cherry, violet, anise, oak, cocoa and a hint of freshly gound espresso
Feel – Bright and round at the beginning of the sip, the soft tannins go to work at the tip of your tongue, then roof of your mouth, then your cheeks, drying slightly as the wine coats your mouth
Taste – Complex and bold with brightly layered flavors of rich dark cherry, cassis, smoky light plum, blackberry, cocoa, subtle leather and a soft minerality
Finish – Long and slightly dry, with big and integrated flavors and flavors that linger
Conclusion – This is a really great wine that, even in its relative youth, shows, smells and drinks beautifully. It is bright and layered and really very yummy. This wine reminds us of a wine featured here recently that some would say is way overpriced, while others insist is God’s Gift – only this wine is, to us, the obvious choice (hint: the other wine rhymes with ”Milver Spoke”.
This special wine from Clos Pegas drinks brightly and beautifully now, but we cannot help but be excited for the pent up potential that the wine has for aging. If you buy a few bottles today, be sure to cellar a couple for up to 10 years or more.
Afterward – Decant this wine for an extended period for best results. After 4 hours, the wine becomes far more balanced, refined and way more tasty
Mission Report:
There I sat, pondering the bottle in my hand, when warm and golden rays of light began pouring from behind the label. I started, transfixed, as the light spread outward, filling the room and eventually enveloping me.
Looking around, I saw that I was no longer in my wine lab. Rather, I appeared to be in an ancient temple. The usual sounds of my lab were replaced by the stillest silence. This silence was soon broken by an ethereal female voice:
“Agent Red… Come, sit before me. Sit before Athena.”
Awestruck, I answered, “Huh?”
“Come, foolish mortal. I have a gift for you.”
On the high steps before me, a female figure in flowing white robes appeared. She sat at the top step, motioning me to come before her.
Tentatively, I made my way up the steps. My apprehension made her laugh, but she waited patiently as I climbed toward her.
She spoke again: “Your name is now Bellerophon. Later, some may refer to you as Perseus. A great battle lay ahead and you must rest – and prepare. To aid you in your travails, I give you this golden bridle as a gift.”
The bridle appeared in my hands, its shining surface glittering brilliantly.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “I am but a mere wine merchant.” I had tried to say ”spy”, but the word ”merchant” came out, instead.
“Silly Bellerophon,” She said. “Rest now, for tomorrow will bring the start of your greatest adventure.”
With this, she faded. In her place, an exquisitely comfortable-looking bed appeared. Feeling suddenly tired, I lay down upon it and fell fast asleep… Only to be awakened by warm breath upon my face, and a nibbling at my cheek.
Dreamily, I said, “Good morning, sweet… AHHHHHHH!”
A horse! Wait a second, this was no normal horse. This horse, wearing the golden bridle that Athena had given me, had… had… wings!
”Pegasus!”, shouted a voice that was not my own.
Turing around quickly, I saw that it was Agent White.
“YES!”, I replied. “Isn’t he beautiful?! Its miraculous!”
“Umm, Dude? It’s just a winged horse on a wine bottle. Sure, that’s some nice art, but, ’miraculous’?”
It was instantly apparent to me that I was back in my lab. Had I fallen asleep and dreamed this? Or had this beautiful bottle of 2005 Clos Pegase transported me to the ancient temple of Athena?
The location of the Clos Pegase winery and surrounding vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jun 12th, 2008
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 Renteria.
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Our Operatives were crazy for Renteria’s 2004 Carneros Pinot Noir from Knittel Vineyard. Return to our friends at Renteria and sample their 2005. If its as good as their ‘04, procure a bigger quantity this time around.
Mission Status: Accomplished! (its better!)
Current Winery: Renteria
Wine Subject: 2005 Napa Valley Carneros Pinot Noir, Knittel Vineyard
Winemaker: Karen Culler
Backgrounder: The famous Carneros (or Los Carneros) region straddles the border between Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Most notably known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the rolling hills and the cool breezes that blow from the San Francisco (San Pablo) bay to the south provides an ideal growing climate for those varietals.
Look – Clear ruby-red and a luminescent glow, pinkish-orange edges and long slender legs that streak down the side of the glass when swirled.
Smell – Profound aromas of black cherry, sweet cherry jam, with hints of spice, gun powder and the absolutely required ‘Pinot’ earthy quality.
Feel – Smooth and velvety across the entire palate, surprising when compared to the bold nose on this wine. Medium-bodied with medium light acidity and medium tannic structure that leads to a texture that balances its minerality with a slightly creamy component.
Taste – Jammy fruit with cherries, hints of spice, very mild toasted oak and an earthy and herbaceous layers as well.
Finish – This Pinot finishes super clean and elegantly with a smooth finish that incorporates its flavor components.
Conclusion – There is a reason that the Carneros region is known for Pinot and this wine demonstrates why. Its bold nose, smooth and velvety texture and elegantly incorporated flavors, makes this wine a pure joy to drink.
Presented for your reading enjoyment, what follows is our original mission to Renteria:
With harvest nearing, I was only able to observe the Renteria family at work in their estate vineyards. This time of year, it is difficult to have a sit-down with most winemakers. Rather than go undercover using an assumed identity to gather intel, I decided to visit the winery to learn what I could from other on-site staffers.
My contact at the winery gave me a leisurely tour, detailing for me the rich history of the Renteria family and their love of growing the grapes that make up some of the finest wines in the world.
The family itself now owns 53 acres of vineyards in Napa and is planting 27 more. In 1997 they launched their own Renteria label and today produce 1,800 cases annually of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
While taking our tour, Oscar Renteria, who now runs the family business, gave a quick wave and a smile. As we watched him speaking animatedly with his workers, it was obvious that this was a man who was passionate about his business and about wine.
The site where the family is building its winery and wine caves is stunningly beautiful. While construction only just began this summer, it is clear that this will be a wonderful destination for wine lovers.
A trip to the makeshift tasting room after our tour was a perfect way to retreat from the heat of the Napa summer afternoon. Inside I learned more about the family history and about the love that ties this particular winemaking family to each other and to the earth that they farm.
With the help of consulting winemaker, the famous Karen Culler, Renteria is producing some fantastic wines. Of particular note to me was their Knittel Vineyard Pinot Noir, a great Pinot that is simultaneously a classic example and a tasty interpretation, born of a rich winemaking history, modern growing and production techniques, and, oh yeah, lots of love.
While it is not uncommon to find tenth-generation winemakers throughout Europe, America is too young a country for this to be possible.
Today in this country, there are a small handful winemakers whose families are becoming multi-generational artisan winemakers.
45 years ago, a young Salvador Renteria arrived in California from Mexico. He began work as a field laborer and worked his way quickly to vineyard supervisor. After years spent developing his own planting techniques, he got the attention of major wine producers like Beaulieu Vineyards, Clos Pegase, Cuvaison and Silverado – and went to work planning and planting these now famous vineyards.
Salvador went on to found his own vineyard management company where he put his love of the business to work as he managed some of the largest and most successful vineyards in the Napa Valley.
Salvador’s son, Oscar, grew up in the vineyards alongside his father, learning the family busniess from top to bottom. In 1993, Oscar took over management of the company and carried forth the traditions and the love of wine production that his father imbued him with. Working with select vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma’s Russian River, Renteria still grows world renowned grapes for clients that include William Selyem, Robert Mondavi Winery, Caymus, Rombauer and Duckhorn. By combining practical, generational field knowledge with innovative trials and experimentation, the Renteria family has found a balance which allows them to grow the finest grapes possible.
Karen Culler started her winemaking career as a child, making homemade wine with her father and grandfather in Ohio. Her job was to destem the clusters by hand.
Many years later she attended the University of California at Davis to get her Master’s Degree in Viticulture and Enology (grapes and wine). After graduating from UC Davis in 1984, she started a 6 month internship at Robert Mondavi Winery in their Research Department. Six months turned into two years and when Robert Mondavi purchased Vichon Winery, Karen joined Vichon as Assistant Winemaker in 1986. In 1989, she became Winemaker.
In 1996 started her own label, Culler Wines, and began producing her well respected wines with the harvest of 1997. She also consults as winemaker to various other wineries in Napa Valley, such as Renteria, Wolf Family Vineyards, Ladera, and Rivera.
The Knittel vineyard is located in a prime site, south of Highway 12 on Los Carneros Road on the Napa side of Carneros. An experimental vineyard, it was planted by Renteria Vineyard Management in 1997. It has all of the aspects of a perfect Pinot Noir vineyard: planted on an east facing, gentle hillside on clay soils in a cool microclimate to five different Pinot Noir clones. The different clones not only add complexity but also impart various sensory components to the wine. Clone 115 is the largest block and adds depth and tannin structure. The Dijon clones 667 and 777 give the wine’s aroma the higher fruit tones, while the complexity and “spice” flavors come from the California selections, Calera and Swan.
The approximate location of Renteria’s Carneros Knittle Vineyard can be seen in this satellite photo.
The location of the new winery can be seen in this satellite photo
Posted in Wine News on Jun 10th, 2008
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…
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.
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.
The approximate location of Ceja’s Adobe Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on May 28th, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better than that, as is the case with today’s wine from Cima Collina.
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Cima Collina to uncover the truth about their 2006 Pinot Noir. Our assets report that the wine is among the best Pinot Noir they have tasted. If true, secure an ample allocation for our Operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished
Current Winery: Cima Collina
Wine Subject: 2006 Monterey County Pinot Noir
Winemakers: Annette Hoff
Backgrounder: The first time we featured a Pinot Noir from Cima Collina, Agent Red had a difficult time infiltrating the winery. It was worth the effort, though, because now Cima Collina is a fully vetted Wine Spies winery and our Operatives can count on being privy to their best releases. Today’s Monterey County Pinot Noir is among the finest we have had the please to taste and we recommend to our Pinot-loving Operatives that they scoop up this limited-availability wine – before we run out.
Look – Deep and perfect ruby-red with great clarity, a springy bounce and thin, widely-spaced legs that run down the glass at varied speeds
Smell – Richly layered and warm, with deep fruits of cherry, mild forest floor, fresh earthen spices and toasty oak
Feel – Cool, light and round, this wine speeds its was across the front palate and then grips first at the front of the tongue, where a slight warmth and dryness makes its way to the back of the mouth.
Taste – Sweet, fresh, bright and slightly tart with flavors of bing cherry, pomegranate, plum, cedar and mild forest floor
Finish – Long, lush and lingering, the flavors and feelings that this wine leaves behind develop and change over time, making it a wine to sip lovingly while take the time to appreciate its subtle nuances
Conclusion – Pure pleasure, this wine is everything you could wish for in a Monterey Pinot Noir. Attribute its great aromas, feel and flavors to the meticulous labor that went into making this wine. With daily attention to its progress, this wine was tended with care by winemaker Annette Hoff, who virtually lived with the grapes post-harvest to ensure the proper extraction on flavors and color. Annette’s attention to the grapes, coupled with her winemaking ability and her brilliance in selecting and sorting the fruit that went into this wine, all combine to deliver a wine that is exceptionally flavorful, fun to drink and even better to share over a great meal with friends and loved-ones.
Annette Hoff
Annette began her winemaking career in Napa Valley under Winemaker Bill Dyer at Sterling Vineyards. In 1994 Hoff was chosen to oversee the winery’s in-house, yet self-running experimental winery. She move south in 1996 to Carneros and Saintsbury Vineyards where she took the enology position and confirmed what she’d always known: Pinot Noir was her first love.
Her fondness for Pinot drove her west, far west, in 1998 when she went to New Zealand to undertake a study of that country’s approach to Pinot Noir production working at various wineries in a freelance fashion. But it was only a few months when Estancia called and asked Annette to become the winery’s Pinot Noir Winemaker in Monterey. So, she headed west, back to the states, where she discovered a region she became convinced could be Pinot Noir and winemaking heaven. In 2004 Richard Lumpkin went looking for a winemaker as passionate about the Monterey wine region as he had become. He found Annette and asked her to manage Cima Collina and make the wines. It was the chance to apply her knowledge of winemaking and enthusiasm for artisan wine from the ground up. Annette released her first Cima Collina wines in 2005.
Now that Cima Collina is a fully vetted winery, The Wine Spies are privy to their wines. When intel reports began flooding in about today’s wine, we only needed to ask Cima Collina for a private tasting.
To see how our relationship with Cima Collina began, what follows is our original mission report:
For more than a month, Agent Red had tried and failed to bring us a Cima Collina wine. Wine Spies HQ gave him one final chance to land this exceptional Monterey County Pinot Noir from fabled lady winemaker Annette Hoff. Read the mission report below to see how he finally managed to snare this great wine!
Not every mission goes as smoothly as I would like them to. While this particular mission did not go horribly awry, it did take me an awfully long time to complete.
I first learned of Cima Collina wines from an Asset of mine, a private informant that has alerted me to more than a few great Monterey-area wines. This Asset, we’ll call him ‘_Monte_’, sent me an alert on my SpyComm device and told me to rush to try what he called Cima Collina’s ‘perfect pinot’. Included in the alert was all of the intel he had gathered on the wine, the winemaker, the vineyard and the winery. Everything sounded impressive and I trusted Monte’s judgment, so I headed to their tasting room in the village of Carmel-by-the-sea, a few miles south of Monterey.
While I pride myself on a good sense of direction, Carmel initially proved a difficult place for me. The town uses no street addresses! Instead, people navigate their way around by heading to ‘addresses’ such as: “_The West side of San Carlos, between Ocean and 7th, in the Paseo Courtyard, behind Kocek Jewelers_”, which happens to be the Cima Collina tasting room. Well, after a few mis-turns, I finally found the tasting room, which also houses a lovely gallery where the works of local artist are on display. On tasting the wine, I was immediately impressed and knew that I should procure an allotment for our Operatives. I got the business card of the manager of the winery, and was on my way.
Rather than place the winery under further surveillance, I decided to take a more direct approach and simply ask for the wine. Sounds simple, right? Well, after extended rounds of phone-tag, I decided to visit Cima Collina at a then-upcoming tasting event in downtown Monterey. There were many wineries at this particular event and when I found the Cima Collina table, it was mobbed. After fighting my way to the front, I introduced myself to the Winemaker and explained my plight. She was sympathetic and told me to keep trying. She explained that her wines were very popular and that they had been inundated with purchase requests. So, I kept trying. And kept missing. Then at another wine event, I met the hard-to-pin-down manager himself. Because he was so busy at the event, he asked me to keep trying him.
More of the same ensued and then, finally, just yesterday we actually spoke on the phone – and we simply and jovially arranged to secure some of this fabulous Pinot Noir for our Operatives. Busy wineries don’t get that way without a reason. A busy winery is usually a sign that something special is going on. In the case of Cima Collina, it was all about their fantastic Pinot Noir, and this one is my favorites!
Posted in Wine News on May 23rd, 2008
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 Mahoney Vineyards.
Enjoy Free Ground Shipping on 6 or more bottles when you enter coupon code PINOTSPY (discount applied at checkout)
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Substantiate reports that Mahoney Vineyards, in California’s Carneros region, makes an incredible Pinot Noir
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Mahoney Vineyards
Wine Subject: 2004 Carneros Pinot Noir
Winemaker: Ken Foster
Backgrounder: The Carneros region, which straddles Napa and Sonoma Counties, is famous for producing incredible wines. Particularly Pinot Noir. When reports from numerous Wines Spies field assets suggested that Mahoney Vineyards had created a perfect Pinot Noir, Agent Red was dispatched to investigate. Read his tasting profile and following mission report to learn what makes today’s wine so special
Look – Ruby red with perfect clarity, an ultra-tight surface that quickly settles quickly to perfectly still when swirled, leaving behind chubby and widely-space legs that crawl down the glass
Smell – Deeply aromatic with a rich nose of blueberry, raspberry, sweet cherry, fresh earthen anise, and the slightest flinty gunpowder
Feel – Silky and light up-front, cool then slightly warming, with a unique combination of soft tannic dryness and a soft creaminess
Taste – Delicious, with layers fruit and spice with deep cherry, smoky raspberry and blueberry with mildest sage, mildest leather and flint
Finish – This wine has a finely hewn finish that starts big, with a slight tartness and fruit – but then turns soft, delicate, elegant and slightly dry
Conclusion – Today’s wine is another deeply impressive California Pinot Noir, this time from Carneros, a region with a reputation for producing legendary Pinot Noir. This Pinot has a fantastic and very unique mouth-feel, deep layers of aromas and flavors, and a delicious finish that keeps you sipping and sipping. Enjoy this wine on its own or with most foods. Its balance and acidity make it easy to pair with most meats, cheeses or seafood.
Mission Report:
I make no bones about it, I sometimes find Agent White’s discussions on upgrading our W.I.N.E. (Wine Internet Nexus Engine) system, frightfully boring. The W.I.N.E. system is our proprietary and top secret system that, in simple terms, assists us in finding superior wines for our Operatives.
Making my way to the computer lab, I took a deep breath and braced myself for another of Agent White’s endless soliloquys.
Agent White was grinning widely. A bad sign to be sure.
“Ready to begin?” he asked.
“Uh, sure,” I lied.
“I’ve been working on a new algorithm that will make it easier to determine the likelihood that future vintages of particular wines will be better than previous vintages.”
“Wonderful,” I said. “Sounds great! Let me know know how that turns out.”
“Let S be any finite set, ƒ be any function from S to itself, and x0 be any element of S. For any i > 0, let xi = ƒ(xi−1). Let μ be the smallest index such that the value xμ reappears infinitely often within the sequence of values xi, and let λ (the loop length) be the smallest positive integer such that xμ = xλ+μ. The cycle detection problem is the task of finding λ and μ.”
I blinked at him, suddenly realizing that the blank expression on my face probably revealed my disinterest.
He went on: “I call this my Tortoise and the hare algorithm.
’Hare’… ‘hare’… That reminded me of a well-regarded vineyard I had recently heard of, Haire Vineyard.
Perking up, I grabbed my spy-handheld and, pretending to take notes as Agent White droned happily on. I punched in “Haire Vineyard” and set the Nexus to work. In an instant, a few wines and wineries were revealed. I narrowed my search based on my own favorite search criteria and was presented with a single result:
Mahoney Vineyards. 2004. Carneros Pinot Noir. Haire Vineyard.
As I read about the wine, I nodded and made “mmm, hmmm” sounds. The wine seemed fascinating and I logged a mission request with HQ.
I’ll spare you the rest of Agent White’s discourse. Needless to say, if it hadn’t been for his lecture, I never would have found today’s really superb Pinot Noir.
The Carneros region has consistently wowed me with its quality wine production – particularly Pinot production. Today’s wine is a beautiful example of delicious Carneros Pinot.
The location of the Haire Vineyards can be seen in this spy photo.
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SUPERBE 1 BOUTEILLE DE PETRUS 1990 EUR 101,00 |
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EXCEPTIONNEL CHATEAU CHEVAL BLANC 1947 EUR 51,00 |
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CHATEAU DYQUEM 1999 LUR SALUCES EUR 76,00 |
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CHATEAU MARGAUX 1996 MILLESIME RARE 99 100 PARKER EUR 151,00 |
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CHATEAU LATOUR 1987 EUR 51,00 |
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2 x CHATEAU CHEVAL BLANC 1983 EUR 76,00 |
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CHEVAL BLANC 2004 EUR 122,00 |
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1 BOUTEILLE PETRUS 1 9 8 6 EUR 202,00 |
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Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne 1999 Jeroboam EUR 1.510,00 |
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CHATEAU SOCIANDO MALLET 2005 LOT DE 3 EUR 61,00 |
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Château dYquem 1998 EUR 96,00 |
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Introuvable Sauternes Chateau CLIMENS 1961 Barsac EUR 60,00 |
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1 BOUTEILLE PETRUS 1 9 9 0 EUR 227,00 |
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1 BOUTEILLE PETRUS 1 9 8 9 EUR 226,00 |
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1 BOUTEILLE PETRUS 1 9 8 2 EUR 560,00 |