Category: #napa

20181028_165359-1.jpgAnd along comes flavor.  Kimberly Jones is a well-known wine broker.  She has put together some of the most sought after craft wines ever.  When I found out she had partnered with – perhaps my favorite wine maker of all, Anna Monticelli, I just had to find a bottle and try. Anna makes wines for several wineries but one of my faves is of course Pina.  It took awhile to find a bottle, they are in high demand and not in many places.

The 2014 is, well, a slide into decadence.  The fruit bursting flavor that pops when you open the bottle, dark cassis, blackberry, chocolate-continues to pop inside your mouth.  Just the perfect balance of fruit and acid that makes the mouth water uncontrollably.   Rich textures of velvet and satin coat the mouth and throat.  The rich dark fruit of blackberry, chocolate with notes of toasted oak.  Light tannins that just aide and enhance the experience.  WOW what a wine. All of this and under 50$. It is way too easy to drink the whole bottle, but just settle in and do it.  Believe me you will not regret.  Just stay put though..

Enjoy this wine with a fine meal or just by itself.

$$$

 

 

Sometimes you just run across a wine that you want to marry, or at least keep as a mistress. Sex with wine-don’t pretend, you know you have thought about it. Well this is one of those.

Once you pull the cork you are automatically hit with oh the Garden of pleasure, violets, roses and plumeria, ( I was just in Hawaii). Smell is actually 90% of taste. All of my senses are in overdrive now, and I am already tasting, my mouth is flowing juices like an excited virgin. The immensely dark juice pours into the glass. So intriguing, inviting and yet mysterious.

As I pour the wine into my mouth I am hit with WOW just amazing amounts of fruit. Succulent and supple. The intense concentrated flavors that are packed in here are so hard to define individually. But, man oh man, you definitely get the plum, black cherry, licorice. On the end you will note coffee and chocolate. The pleasures of the body all in one bottle. The rich velvety touch of the juice touches my soul. I feel a euphoria coming over me. The long finish with ever so light tannins envelops me, taking control. I am entranced now, my body is begging for more. And more it shall have. I must go now I am about to have a relationship with my wine.

On a more serious note. The Baxter family continues to provide excellence. Phil Baxter Jr. has followed in his fathers footsteps-providing some of the best wines in Napa. Some old world nuances mixed with new world style. Beautiful.

20180227_173610.jpg

This is one of the best wines you will ever have. Not much on the market so if you find it buy it.

$$$

Enjoy

The Holidays require me to open up the cabinets and put out the best for dinner.  This year brought about a dilemma, choosing one.  After careful consideration and consultation with the wife (who enjoys researching the wines), I chose Moone Tsai Napa cab 2009.  Needless to say it was a good choice.  Known as one of the “Rock Stars” of the wine world, he has solidified his reputation with Moone Tsai and his own Melka brands. He studied under some of the great wine makers of Bordeaux and Napa. Now he produces some of the best and highly sought after wines in Napa.

2009 was by all known as a great year-pretty much world wide.  Moone Tsai exhibits all of the reasons why.  Full bodied, highly aromatic balanced and intense.  I decanted for three hours–just as an FYI.

As soon as I opened the bottle I thought I had been transported back to the Garden of Eden.  Wow, just wow. the aromas took over the house, who needs pot pouri.  I could close my eyes and feel that I have been transported.

The dark juice that pours into the glass only hints at what is to come.  Slowly the juice draws into my mouth.  Instantly the saliva flows.  Oh my my.  So many flavors all at once.  Licorice, cassis, and oh so many berries.  My right leg started to shake.  Raspberry, blueberry, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, coffee, it just seemed as the kitchen pantry of spices and the fruit keeper were all passing through my senses at once.    The finish was long and in depth, never missing a single flavor note.  (I think I can still taste it).  By decanting for so long I had reduced the tannins and really opened up the flavors.  I took a single sip when it was first opened and it was definitely tight.  But the decanting process really just opened it up and softened it all around.   Pairing it with rare prime rib was just the ticket.

Hope you all had a joyous Christmas.  Cheers and

Enjoy

$$$$$$

you see my choices.  All very very very good wines, and of course the prime rib.

Altra cabernet hails from Atlas Peak, Napa.  It is the “child” of Margo Culcasi and Gerry Moffit, a fitting tribute to a long lasting friendship.  Gerry is the winemaker and is also associated with Kapcsandy, Blankiet and Grace Family.  These wines are of course some of the premier wines of California. So my expectations were high going into this.

Whoa, the nose just about rips through your soul.  The smell of freshly pressed fruit erupts through the air making the nostrils quiver.

Once you pour the juice into your mouth, the rich depth and complexity overloads the senses.  The mouth is watering uncontrollably.  So much is going on.  The taste of cherry, casis, chocolate with hints of wood (cedar) all explode in the mouth.  You would expect big bold tannins that make you pucker.  Instead you have these soft, lovely elegant tannins  that are just beautiful to the mouth.  And, all of these flavors very gradually recede…over like a month.  This is been one of life’s most pleasant experiences.

Enjoy

@80

wp-1462905639354.jpg