A beautifully balanced chardonnay with a delicate nose of red apple, citrus and hints of wet stone. Barrel fermented and aged in French Oak (20% new) creating just enough acidity in the round mouth-feel. On the palate, flavors of red apple, pear, Meyer lemon, vanilla and pie spice. A super-long finish offering notes of nutty caramel and brioche. Buy This Wine
Created solely from the rich and intriguing Musque clone of Sauvignon Blanc; fermented and aged in stainless steel barrels. Aromas of ripe pineapple, spice and honeycomb. A soft mouth-feel with juicy acidity. Complex yet integrated flavors of green apple, pineapple, Asian pear, spice and minerality, honeydew melon and citrus with tropical notes on finish. A real patio pleaser! Buy This Wine
An intriguing nose of strawberry pie enhanced with subtle notes of leather. Juicy yet balanced acidity with soft tannins. Strawberry, raspberry and red cherry are the predominate flavors with notes of cinnamon and earthiness as the wine opens up. Hints of milk chocolate in the long finish. Buy This Wine
A very well-made Pinot that causes pause for thought. Bright fruit on the nose with aromas of cherry, ripe strawberry and just a hint of leather. Soft tannins on the palate with balanced acidity. Flavors of red berry, cherry, raspberry and strawberry with just a kiss of sweetness on the finish. This wine is still quite young and should improve over the next few years. Buy This Wine
“A single, great vineyard sight can express itself and be transparent through to a bottle of wine. You can actually taste the vineyard’s character in the glass.” Jamie Kutch – Kutch Wines Pinot Noir
I’ll admit it; I love single-vineyard wines. There is something about the nuance and singularity that speaks volumes me. When drinking a single-vineyard wine, I like to imagine the vineyard, its rows of vibrant vines offering abundant fruit. Sometimes I’ll even go techie and try to find pictures of the vineyard on Google so I can be even more anchored to the very spot that produced the wine in my glass. If I’ve personally walked amongst the vines of a particular vineyard, I can return with just a tip of my glass and a bit of imagination.
I wanted to learn more about these special wines. But not from the perspective of the wine drinker, I wanted to learn from winemakers themselves. So with the help of a few talented single-vineyard winemakers, here’s what I learned in a nutshell. The winemaker’s ultimate duty to single-vineyard wines compels him/her to draw on the incalculable variations of each vintage to bring forth the true voice and personality of the vineyard. When made well, a single-vineyard wine will convey a very specific sense of place, nuance and art. Obviously not all vineyards produce fruit with enough unique characteristics to be worthy of vineyard designation. Vineyards, like people, all have something to say, but not everything said is worth your attention. Continue reading »
