Today we’re in Oakville at another excellent Napa Winery – Plumpjack Winery

Today we’re in Oakville at another excellent Napa Winery – Plumpjack Winery. This is one of our Cabernet staples. This is one of the most consistent Cabernet wineries in the valley. We’ve been there several times and we’ve never been disappointed. Plumpjack produces several wines a Syrah, Merlot and 2 Cab’s - an Oakville estate Cabernet Sauvignon and a higher priced Reserve Cabernet. Honestly, although they are all great wines we prefer the Oakville Estate Cabernet. On to the review…

Joining the Cult – Plumpjack Winery 2007 Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – This is definitely one of our Napa favorites, we religiously purchase this wine every year. Although, you can never go wrong with a Plumpjack Cab, the 2007 is exceptional. The low rainfall for this vintage allowed for highly concentrated grapes which translated to very rich wine. On the nose the richness is apparent with the wines dark red fruit and plumb characteristic, with hints of vanilla from the Oak. This rich Cab coats your mouth with flavors of ripe dark fruit with hints of chocolate and vanilla which persists in a wonderful long finish. Another lovely wine.. Another must for the Cab lover. Drink now or over the next 10+ years. 94 points.

Today were at a lovely “rare find” - Lewelling Vineyards

Today were at a lovely “rare find” winery on the Valley floor in St. Helena. Tucked away in between the multi-million dollar wineries, is Lewelling Vineyards. The Lewelling family has been growing grapes in the region almost 150 years which make them the oldest family owned vineyard in the valley. This is a small production, no frills ,flair free winery that is all about wine and as the winemaker told us, if you found us you here to drink wine. The wine tasting was on a picnic bench right next to the vines, no need for a ritzy tasting room here - the wine speaks for itself. Lewelling produces 2 equally fantastic wines, a Wight vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and an estate Cabernet Sauvignon. The Lewelling wines are also prices less than $75 which on average is three times less than some Napa wines that do not even compare in overall quality so if your luck to come across any vintage considers it a real treat! We particularly enjoyed their Wight Vineyard Cabernet, so here is the review.

Joining the cult – 2005 Lewelling Wight Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – The delightful Napa Valley Cabernet comes from the vineyard named after the Wight family who own the winery. For us this wine is the perfect example everything Napa has to offer -the perfect climate, soil and winemaking expertise which creates a Cabernet that is voluptuous and elegant. Which is not always easy to obtain with wines over 15% acohol? This almost purple wine offers abundant dark red fruit with light notes of cedar on the nose, blending harmoniously with the dark cherry, and chocolaty oak flavors. This is a rich, rich wine so for us this it’s a sipper, no food required. We just love it! Drink now or over the next 20 years. 97 points.

Were in Cult Heaven -Vineyard 29 in the Napa Valley

Today were heading down south to the Napa Valley to look at a true cult winery- Vineyard 29. Located on a breath taking hillside in St. Helena Vineyard 29 is not your average winery it is a multi-million dollar eco-friendly state-of-the-art winery complete with a million dollar view of the valley. Like most cult wineries it’s “mailing list only” so you need to be on their mailing list to purchase wines and visits are by appointment only. We were lucky enough to be offered a one-on-one tour of the winemaking facility which boasts some of the most advanced equipment we’ve ever seen and have a tasting in their emasculate caves that contains their wine cellar. For their wines they make all the Napa staples – several Cabernet Sauvignon’s, a Cabernet Franc, and a couple Zinfandels, as well, as a Sauvignon Blanc. We were fortunately enough to try almost all their wines in multiple vintages. Although we are true Cabernet lovers, and Vineyard 29 produces some of the best Napa Cab, one wine that stood out for us was their Zinfandels... Why? Read the review…

Cult Wine – 2004 Vineyard 29 Aida Zinfandel - Although were not the biggest fans of Zinfandel, the 2004 vintage definitely caught our attention as it is not your typical California Zinfandel, this wine is made in a style that is so elegant we almost didn't know it was Zinfandel. Visually you do not see the difference since it like most Napa Zin’s are deep red/purple in color; however, on the nose you can tell this wine is more than meets the eye, the aromas of dark red fruit and Oak are very elegant and subtle. With an alcohol content of 15%+ your expecting a heavy, mouth numbing “ fruit bomb,” but this is quickly erased when you taste this wine as it is an un-typical harmonium blend of rich red fruit, sweet oak, and Zinfandel spice. It is so delicate you almost think your drinking a French wine. This wine sold me on Zinfandel forever... What a tremendous wine... Delightful! Drink Now! Tasted twice. 96 points.

Today were in Yakima at Côte Bonneville, another Fantastic Winery!

Today were at one of the best wineries (in our opinion) in the west coast, Côte Bonneville. Tucked away in the fields of the Yakima valley this winery produces 4 styles of wine – two Bordeaux style reds, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Syrah and a Chardonnay. What is amazing about their wines are that they are fruit forward and balanced even though the winery is located in the middle of a desert like environment. We sat down with the winemaker and she explained that in order to achieve what that want they perform carefully planned irrigation and the grapes benefit from the very cool nights. There is no question that they understand their environment as their wines are truly spectacular. Unfortunately we were not able to try their DuBrul Cabernet Sauvignon since it was sold out, but we were lucky enough to try all their other wines… Here we go with the review…

Joining the Cult – 2004 Côte Bonneville DuBrul Vineyard. This is a lovely Bordeaux style blend composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (63%) and Merlot (37%). Although they grow all the Bordeaux varietals, this vintage doesn’t didn’t have them in the blend. Since the bottles were opened in front of us, we were concerned about the immediate drinkability of the wines. To our surprise the wine was supple right out the of the bottle, the color was dark garnet and the aroma and flavors were a delightful layers of rich red fruit with lovely plum backbone coming from the Merlot. The Oak is there but it does not mask any of the fruit, it is most apparent in the long spicy finish. With an alcohol content of 14.2, a PH of 14.2 and at total acid (TA) of 0.61 the balance it perfect.. Almost hard to believe it is achievable considering the climate this is just and testament to excellent vineyards management and winemaking techniques. This harmonium wine is a gift to the pallet and will offer even more treats in the future. Thanks to Kelly and Kathy for offering us such a wonderful wine tasting experience. Drink now or over the next 20 years. 95 points

This week - Yakima Valley and The Napa Valley = Cult Wine Paradise!

This week were offering a mixed bag.. Were going to take a small trip to Washington State to look at the wonderful reds from the Yakima region and then were heading to Napa, the Cultwino’s paradise. We’re visiting some of our cult candidates and some of Napa’s hidden treasures.. Stay tuned!

Beaux Frères - Were leaving Oregon with our regional favorite!

Were leaving Oregon this week with our regional favorite - Beaux Frères Vineyards. Tucked away in the valley, Beaux Frères is not the easiest winery but its hidden treasure… Beaux Frères is a small winery that produces only a few Pinot Noirs - a Willamette Valley blended Pinot to their two single vineyard Pinot Noirs. The beauty of the Beaux frères wines are there are always elegant- delivering complex fruit aromas and subtle earthy flavors that are delightfully seductive and linger in your mouth forever.. Now that your mouth is watering let’s review some wine.

Joining the Cult - 2006 Beaux Frères - The Beaux Frères Vineyard Pinot Noir- We are looking at the 2006 since it is our favorite of the recent vintages. In the glass you’ll notice extraction with a lovely ruby color. The first sniff reveals a blend new and old world aromas, integrated raspberry and strawberry fruit with the essence of Burgundian underbrush that does not overpower but compliments the delicate fruit. On the pallet the wine is smooth and generous - coating your mouth with layers of fruit and sweet tannins, finishing with complex notes that I cannot explain, you’ll need to try the wine for yourself. Although the alcohol is high, 14%+ the balance is exceptional, and everything note of this wine is on key. This wine has a character that will develop over time and offer a new experience every year. Drink now or over the next 15+ year! Experience Beaux Frères you won’t regret it. Tasted twice. 96 points

Penner-Ash Wine Cellars - More excellent Pinot Noir!

Today were in the rolling hills of Newberg, at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars- another winery where the wine is as beautiful as the scenery .. Like many of the wineries in the region Penner-Ash's focus is on Pinot Noir. Most of their wines are single vineyard Pinots, with the exception of their Willamette Valley Pinot which is made from grapes sources from ~10 vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Over the years we've enjoyed vintage after vintage of consistently excellent wines from Penner-Ash and for those who know and love Oregon Pinot, you would already know that Penner-Ash sources their grapes from some of the top vineyards in the region - the Shea Vineyard being one of them. The Shea Vineyard produces some of the regions best Pinots grapes and Penner-Ash translates that into one of the best Shea wines every year.

Joining the Cult - Penner-Ash Wine Cellars 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir - We're choosing this Willamette blend since it is one of the most consistent blended Pinot Noirs from Oregon. For us, this wine expresses the essence of New World Pinot. Every year this wine is made in a rich fruit forward style, delivering red fruits on the nose and pallet. The 2008 follows this standard with a nose of red fruit with a hint of Oak. The flavour go hand-in-hand with this style offering rich raspberry and cherries with a finish of oak and spice flavors. This wine is an early drinker as the tannin's are always approachable and with a final PH of 3.85 and a total acid of 4.8 G/l this wine is not designed for aging. This wine provides everything you would ever want in an Oregon Pinot Noir. Drink it now! 90 Points

Oregon Wine Country - Domaine Serene - Nice Wines, Poor Service...

Today we're at one of Oregon's best known wineries - Domaine Serene. This beautiful winery is located in the rolling hills of Dayton. Like most of the wineries they specialise in Pinot Noir, with a couple Syrah's and a Chardonnay. Their flagship wine is the Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir that is consistently good every vintage - 90+ points in our books.

We also had the luxury of trying so of their Single Vineyard Pinots that were also very nice.. Unfortunately, we were not 'blown away' by their Pinot's, although the tasting environment was not ideal, it appeared that the focus of the day was the tour bus that arrived with 30 thirsty seniors. We waited far too long to be served and time between pours was VERY long. For us this is a good example of how to ruin the experience, since for us wine tasting/reviewing wine is all about the experience. Although, we especially like the 2006 Winery Hill Pinot Noir as it expressed a lovely Burgundian character and the Jerusalem Hill which was a delightfully fruity Pinot based on our winery experience were choosing not too review their wine at this time...

Oregon Dundee Hills - Spectacular Pinot Noir's at Bergström Winery

Today were in lovely Newberg at the Bergström winery. Anyone who loves Oregon Pinot should know about Bergström, not only is their winery located in one of the most scenic area's on earth, but their Pinots match the amazing view - Spectacular. All the Pinots we tried were all from the "not so great" 2007 vintage, but they were all great wines - demontrating that you can make great wine on off vintages if your winemaker is talented. As I just mentioned all the Pinots were really nice, however, the two wines that stood out were 2007 Shea's vineyard Pinot Noir and the 2007 Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir. Both showed wonderful conplexity with aroma's and flavours that tell you they're young in age, but mature in style. I can't wait to try them when they are mature - mature.. Overall we prefered the Bergström Vineyard Pinot so here is the review...

Joining the Cult - 2007 Bergström Wines Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir - Although the 2007 growing season did not provide the ideal conditions for producing stellar Pinots, you would never know that when you taste this wine. Demonstrating near perfect extraction with an almost garnet colour and a wonderful nose of red fruit with a slight delicate earthy undertone. The flavours are spicy and fruit forward with an amazing complexity. What amazed us about this wine was how it delicately enveloped your mouth with silky tannins and a wonderful long finish. It is such a young wine that offers the complexity of a wine 10 years its senior, but still offering the red fruit of a young wine.. Drink now or over the next 10 years. Wow! Thanks! 94 points

Oregon Wine Country - Argyle Winery - Always a hit!

Today were looking at another one of our favorite Oregon Winery's - located in the city if Dundee in a lovely Victorian style converted farmhouse. Argyle's focus is mainly Pinot and Sparklers, but they also make lovely Chardonnays. Although we will be looking at their Pinots, it is important that we mention their Sparkling wines. They are really good! The Extended Tirage Brut is one of the best Chardonnay & Pinot Noir sparklers we've tasted from the new world and the Argyle Brut provides the standard in which New World sparkling wine should be judged. This a a must go winery on your wine tour as their wines and staff are always top notch! Now for the review.

Joining the Cult - 2006 Argyle Winery Cowhouse Pinot Noir. For this review we are going off the standard release to look at at one of Argyle's limited release wines. We're chose this wine since it was a treat to come across. After a day of tasting distinctly Oregon Pinots (which we love) we came across this lovely Oregon Pinot that had a dash of Burgundy. As first glance you know this is a new world Pinot as it is a lovely garnet colour, but it was the nose that caught us off guard. It provided a lovely Oregon/Burgundian nose, of underbrush and red cherries - a very pleasant surprise. The flavours follow suit with red cherries with a lovely earthy, spicy finish. As always the Argyle wines are perfectly balanced. Drink Now or over the next 10 years. 91 points.

Oregon Wine Country - This week were in Oregon wine country

Oregon Wine Country - This week were in Oregon wine country, to start of the week we'll look at one of our favorite wineries, Domaine Drouhin - the famous Maison Joseph Drouhin's of Burgundy's foothold in the new world. The beauty of their wine is that they are distinctly new world wines produced with decades of Burgundian understanding of Pinot Noir. We have never tasted a Domaine Drouhin wine that was not gorgeous approachable wines. To start this week we'll look at their entry level Pinot, 2005 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Willamette Valley.

Joining the Cult - 2005 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Willamette Valley - What we notices first was the extraction, wonderful ruby colour - which is more typical of new world, than old world. On the noise- there's lots of strawberry, raspberry overtones with a hint of tar and spice. On the palette- the strawberry aroma's are translated into a very delicate strawberry flavour with a delightful finish of pink grapefruit ... Like always their wines are well balanced and the wine will only get better with age. Drink Now. 92 points.

A True Cult Winery - Jaffurs Wine Cellars

Were going to close off the the week of in Santa Barbara with an excellent Garagiste style winery in the heart of the city of Santa Barbara, Jaffurs Wine Cellars. Jaffurs is not your typical boutique winery and its not the easiest place to find, as it is literally in the garage of their winery building. This is the perfect example that you do not need a fancy storefront to sell great wine. There is no flash here, you just enter the garage and taste their wines and let me tell you they are all spectacular. Their wines are all very delicate fruit forward Rhone Varietal wines, for us the 2008 Roussanne stood out in for the whites out as it was really lively with both nice fruit and floral characteristic. The reds were all excellent, unfortunately they were already sold out of their premier UPSLOP Syrah, but the next best Syrah was the Thompson Vineyard, but honestly not by much, all their Red are truly beautiful works of art … Now for the review

Joining the Cult – 2007 Jaffurs Wines Cellars - Thompson Vineyard Syrah - A wonderfully rich fruit forward Syrah, although it was aged in new French Oak the Oak was not overstated ( we noticed this with most of their wines, the Oak takes a back see to the fruit.) There were aromas of dark red fruit with earthy undertones, the wines full body and rich flavors envelop your pallet with dark fruit and the distinct syrah spiciness. The tannins are firm, however, they still approachable and will soften with age. This wine is gorgeous, voluptuous wine that should be enjoyed now and later.. I really can’t wait to drink this one again in a couple years.. Thanks! 96 points.

2006 Coquilicot Estates Mon Amour Bordeaux style blend

Today we’re back in Los Olivos tasting Coquilicot Estates Vineyard. Did I ever mention that Los Olivos is a really cute quaint little wine town? We really hope it stays this quaint as we really enjoyed hopping from one friendly wine boutique to another.. Back to Coquilicot, pronounced ko-klee-ko which is the French name for the Red Poppies that adorn all their wines and merch. Before I go into the wine, I have to say they we were very impressed by their marketing. The storefront boutique is really quaint and you have the option also enjoy your in wine and food (theirs or your own) outside and if you’re really daring (or feeling good) you can join in on a game of Bocce. Honestly, since we had never heard of Coquilicot, it was the marketing that lured us in. Now for the wine…

The first wine we tried was the 2006 Coquilicot Estates Mon Amour Bordeaux style blend. This wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon 21% Merlot 19% Cabernet Franc 6% Petit Verdot 6% Malbec, a typical Left bank Bordeaux style blend..With a dark garnet color we were excited to try a French style blended wine in this region... Since everything was French, we were expecting a French style wine; unfortunately one sniff of the wine it was obvious that the nose did not live up to our expectation. The nose is all plumb, bordering on prune or oxidized aromas. We found this very odd, so we asked when the wine was opened to confirm that it was not “old” wine. Although it was only opened a few hours earlier, to satisfy our curiosity a “fresh bottle” was opened and decanted. The aromas were a bit livelier, but the plum was still there. The wine flavor followed suit, baked fruit. The wine also missed on the balance; with the PH of 3.8 the wine lacked acid and age-bility. This is a good example of how the hot climate affects the wine style; unfortunately, the wine was nothing like we expected. No Rating.
At the end of the week will look at their 2007 Estate Syrah, which we quite enjoyed. Stay tuned!

Joining the Cult - 2008 Melville Vineyards Carrie's Pinot Noir

Joining the cult - 2008 Melville Vineyards Carrie's Pinot Noir - Today’s Pinot's pick is from the Santa Rita Hills in Lompoc. Our tasting was composed of several of Melville's Pinot and Syrah offerings, however, the Carrie's Pinot stood out from the bunch. The color was a dark garnet and offered an delightful concentration of red fruit on the nose.. What is noticeable immediately is the absence of Oak aromas and based on a conversation with the vinery staff this wine see's no new Oak, just neutral Oak. What an inspiring thought- get the benefits of the Oak's natural oxidation without Oaking out the wonderful fruit this wine has to offer. I love it! The wines flavors’ follow hand-in-hand with the aromas - delightful deep red fruit with slight earthy and floral undertones with a full of body and a lingering finish. Although this region can provide wines with high alcohol, which can reduce of the acid in the wine and overall balance, this wine still maintains good balance even though it contains an expressive 14.9% alcohol. The tannins are also very approachable, but will round out over over time. Drink now or over the next few years.. That is if you can store the bottles that long... Thanks for the exceptional wine - 96 points.

Santa Barbara Wine Country - Pinot Noir

Today we head further south in to Santa Barbara County to look at some Pinot. The first Pinot we will discuss is The Hitching Post 2006 Highliner Pinot Noir. But before we go into the wine let briefly discuss The Hitching Post II and its claim to fame.

The Restaurant the Hitching Post II was popularized by the film Sideways. The feeling I got from the film was that The Hitching Post II was a wine lover's destination, however, it is quite the opposite. It's a very quaint family style restaurant, who's actual claim to fame is not so much their wines, but their B-B-Q and let me tell you their B-B-Q it GOOD! So good, the wine took a back seat...Actually, I think the wine was in the trunk. The place is so popular with the local that the line up was out the door... Our meal was fantastic, the NY Strip that was cooked to perfection and seasoned with their our spacial spices they call "magic Dust." I think it's mostly salt and garlic powder, but it worked magic on the steak! The rest of the meal was pretty standard, and the service was excellent.. Okay..Now for the wine.

Joining the Cult - 2006 Hitching Post Highliner Pinot Noir - The Hitching Post wines are not so much Cult wines in terms of their quality and prices, they've receive their cult status by the film Sideways. The first wine we tried was the 2006 Highliner Pinot Noir. This is their top end offering and was the most concentrated and age worthy. The wine is a blend of Pinot from several of the more prominant Santa Barbara vineyards such as Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict to name a couple. The wine was a dark garnet colour with light fuit, earthy aromas with a touch of Oak. On the pallet the wine was a bit astringent, the tannin's were firm and not as well rounded as I would have expected from their top wine. The wine also lacked complexity showing light fuit flavour and prominant Oak. Perhaps it will provide more complxity with age. 84 points.

Joining the Cult - wine of the day: Tensley Vineyards - 2008 tensley Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard. Although the tasting room is tucked away in the back of a wine boutique on a side street in the quaint village of Los Olivos, Tensley wines does not match this persona. The Syrah's produced by Tensley are exceptional, expressive and the Colson Canyon stands out from the rest. It is a voluptuous fruit forward style Syrah, not your typical Shiraz style with heavy oak. This wine all fruit- From the fine aroma's of Rasberry and Blueberry to the pallet of dark Cherry's, Raspberries and spice. The Oak is there, but in the back end to round out the wine. The wine is exceptionally balanced with approachable tannin and with enough acid to keep it aging for the next 8-10 years. Drink now or over the next few years.
Exceptional Syrah. 97 points.

This weeks focus will be on the California's Central Coast, famous for both cool climate and warm climate grapes that grow a short distance from each other. The most popular of the cool climate varietals in this region is Pinot Noir which received somewhat of a revival since its focus in the film Sideways. This region also received is cult wine status by producing some of the best U.S. Rhone varietal wines (Syrah bring the most prominent) made by the pioneer "Rhone Rangers" John Alban (Alban Vineyards) and Manfred Krankl (Sine Qua Non). These pioneers produce the regions cult classics that are a treat to come across, but unfortunately the average wine lover doesn't always have the opportunity to taste these sought after wines since they are limited production and are "mailing list" only. For this reason we will focus on the wines everyone can acquire and although these wines do not walk the red carpet or are priced like high end sports cars, they are definitely worth joining the cult.

Cult wine of the day - Stratus Vineyards 2007 Stratus Red

Cult wine of the day: Closing of this weeks focus on Canadian Cult wines is Stratus vineyards 2007 Stratus Red. The Canadian wine that has been served to the Queen and the president... Another wonderful creation by Niagara wine Legend J.L. Groux, from one of the best vintages in recent years. This wine is an uber blend of more red varietals (maybe even some white) that I can count on my hand. It is Groux's blending genius that makes Stratus Red a stellar wine every vintage. Perfectly balances, lively red fruit, a bit of spice and a touch of oak, and silky tannin's with a perfect finish. Need I say more... This is one of the best blends I've tasted from the vintage. Excellent now and will be better in 5+ years. Tasted futures, not yet released. 95 points.