Search results for "joseph phelps cabernet sauvignon"

Winemaker Notes The 2018 Carter Cellars Weitz Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is described as a powerful, opulent wine with a deep, layered character. It exhibits aromas of black fruit preserves, bay leaves, pencil shavings, and iron ore, with flavors of blackcurrant, plum, cherry, and spice, along with chocolate, leather, and earthy notes. The wine is full-bodied with a sturdy frame of tannins, a long, earthy finish, and the potential for long-term aging.  About Winery The origins of Carter Cellars began in the mid 1980's when the historic Carter House Victorian was built. When this small bed and breakfast became too popular for the crowd from the cities up and down the west coast the Hotel Carter was added and a restaurant (the highly regarded Restaurant 301) was needed for the guests. For the guests at the restaurant Mark Carter began compiling what has become (since 1998) a Wine Spectator Grand Award winning wine list. He began sourcing the best wines the world had to offer from first growth Bordeaux to the top Napa Cabernet and even the high quality, little-known gems that helped the wine list stand out. Because of the great recognition of the restaurant and its wine list Mark was able to host winemaker dinners with the likes of Dan Duckhorn and Nils Venge. Mark and Nils became fast friends at these dinners while sharing their all encompassing passion for great wines. Mark wanted to expand his love of wines and start a new age wine label devoid of a brick and mortar facility but sourcing only the best fruit from the most renowned vineyard in Napa. His goal was to create the best Napa Cabernet that could be made. Nils Venge, the superstar winemaker responsible for receiving the first "perfect score" on a domestic wine from Robert M. Parker Jr. while at Groth in 1985, seemed like the perfect match on this quest for perfection. Carter Cellars first vintage was in 1998 sourcing grapes from the steeply terraced Coliseum Block of the Hossfeld Vineyard. In continuing to source wine from top Napa vineyards Mark and Nils made a svelte Fortuna Block Cabernet from the ancient red volcanic soils of the Fortuna Vineyard in 1999. In 2000 Carter Cellars began a long and deeply rewarding relationship with the most iconic vineyard in the western hemisphere: the Beckstoffer portion of the original To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. Thus began the rise of the famed and highly rated Carter Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet, a wine that to this day continues to receive top scores from critics worldwide. In 2001 Carter Cellars deviated from solely making large and powerful Cabernet when they acquired Merlot fruit from the Truchard Vineyard in Carneros. This vineyard has varied soils and a marine-influenced climate which makes the ripe and rounded fruit which goes into our lush and ultra-premium Merlot. In 2004 Carter Cellars expanded again when they began sourcing Cabernet fruit from the Revilo Vineyard in St Helena right next door to some of the highest rated Napa Cabernet and farmed by Reg Oliver of El Molino. The Revilo Vineyard fruit makes for large and austere Cabernet with incredibly smooth tannins which benefit from some bottle age and will greatly reward those with the patience for fine wines. Mark and Nils began looking for a permanent home for Carter Cellars and for a small Napa Winery at which they could produce wines from estate grown fruit. In 2006 they founded Envy Winery on Tubbs Lane in Calistoga. This 17 acre property would specialize in Estate grown Merlot, Cabernet and Petite Sirah and would become the new home of Carter Cellars. In 2006 Carter Cellars expanded again. Still with an extremely small case production they made the Hossfeld Red Blend also from the Hossfeld Vineyard in Soda Canyon. This Predominately Merlot blend contains Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot and is modeled on one of Mark's Favorites: Chateau Petrus with a uniquely Californian side. In 2012 Carter Cellars added two additional exciting Cabernets vineyards to the portofilo: the Weitz Vineyard and Beckstofffer Las Piedras Vineyard. Long considered one of the gems of Turnbull Wine Cellars vineyard holdings, the Weitz Vineyard, also known as the Leopoldina Vineyard, sits on 62 glorious acres high on the Oakville Bench. The fruit from the vineyard is renowned for its profound structure, elegant rich texture and lingering acidity and minerality. The Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is a historic vineyard in the St. Helena AVA. Roughly translated to the stones or little pebbles, the vineyard sits at the base of Sulfur Creek on the southwest outskirts of St. Helena. Riddled with rocks, the soil is porous and provides ideal support for the vines and when matched with excellent farming techniques, the result is remarkable dense and concentrated fruit.

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Winemaker Notes This Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux blend incorporates all four red varieties on our estate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. 2018 was a cooler vintage than average throughout the entire growing season, which allowed for long hangtimes – a combination that yielded wines of full flavor ripeness, moderate alcohols and mouthfeel, and beautifully vibrant aromatics. Bright red fruits interwoven with fresh violets and a hint of cedar interwoven pop from the glass. Red cherry and raspberry form the core of this wine’s bursting blend of flavors. A touch lighter than the rest of the Skipstone wines, Preface has a medium body, yet displays the classic Skipstone vineyard characteristics: purity of fruit, density, and freshness. \About Winery Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.

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2020 | JS 93 Vivid notes of tart cherry and underripe black raspberry and chappa- ral. Currants and olive leaf with fleshy tannins and white pepper offer a savory finish that contrasts the hints of vanilla. About Winery The name Martin Ray resonates deeply in the history of California Winemaking. Martin Ray was a pioneer, dedicated to crafting single varietal, region specific wine from 1943 through 1972 in Saratoga, in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Mentored by Paul Masson, he took a Burgundian approach to his winemaking, and developed what is now one of the most historical properties in California, known as Mount Eden.Nearly twenty years later, Courtney Benham stumbled upon 1500 cases of Martin Ray wine in a San Jose warehouse. Recognizing his good fortune, and his intent and drive to produce terroir driven wines, Ray’s historical significance and philosophy resonated with him. Courtney purchased the brand, and since 1990 has been committed to the production of artisanal wines worthy of the Martin Ray name.In 2003, Martin Ray Vineyards & Winery made its home in the Russian River Valley, one of the oldest continually working wineries in California. Today, Courtney and his winemaking team devote themselves to Ray’s ideology of making “wines of place”. They are relentlessat telling the story of wine. The depth of the portfolio offers those seeking a unique experience the chance to explore some of the most revered regionsin California. Fromthe Russian River Valley to Napa Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains, there is an abundance of phenomenal growing regions, great farming, and meticulous detail to vintages.  

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2018 | WA 94 The single-vineyard 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon The Warrior displays hints of cooling menthol, boisterous cherries, earthy loam and classic cigar-box notes. It's medium to full-bodied, slightly cool, silky and fine, with a long, elegant finish. 2019 | D 97 Warrior is an iron fist of a Cabernet that is profoundly structured with exotic layers of fruit, spices, florals, and a wealth of ironstone minerals. Swelling with a full-bodied richness of creamy textured blackberry and black cherry fruit, plus liquorice with hints of spearmint laced with tobacco. Pixelated tannins build the stature and presence of the wine on the palate, and the finish is long with wet slate. It is a complete and harmonious wine of freshness, power, and grace. About Winery Hundred Acre is not simply a winery—it is a legend carved into Napa’s hillsides. Founded by Jayson Woodbridge in 2000, its philosophy is one of uncompromising precision: fruit chosen berry by berry, wines born in underground caves called The Ring, and bottles crowned with a 24-carat gold ring as a symbol of perfection. From Morgan’s Way to Ark and Few and Far Between, each vineyard is treated as sacred ground, yielding Cabernets that have earned more than seventy-eight perfect scores. Inspired by the whimsical Hundred Acre Wood yet executed with obsessive craftsmanship, the estate has become a beacon of rarity and myth, where every release is both a treasure and a testament to the pursuit of the extraordinary.

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Winemaker Notes Emily’s is our eponymous offering in remembrance of Emily Miner, co-founder of Miner Family Winery. This blend is as expressive and elegant as our muse. We honor her by crafting a decadent and rich wine layered with aromas of black fruit and hints of mocha, espresso and toasted oak. Truly iconic Napa Valley for a truly iconic woman. About Winery Founded in 1988 by Dave Miner, president of Oakville Ranch Vineyards, along with his wife Emily and his parents, Ed and Norma, Miner Family Vineyards produces small lot, handcrafted wines using fruit from Oakville Ranch, Ed and Norma's vineyard and other carefully selected California vineyards. Best known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, they also produce limited quantities of other varietals using a combination of old world winemaking techniques and modern technology. Their focus is on producing high end, reserve-style wines that reflect the unique characteristics of individual vineyards or terrior where those specific varietals grow best.

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Winemaker Notes The 2019 Ulysses Cabernet Sauvignon is an Oakville, Napa Valley wine known for its linear intensity, bright acidity, and persistence, featuring a blend of red- and black-fruited aromatics alongside forest undergrowth, chocolate, and mineral notes, with fine tannins and a lingering finish. A challenging vintage marked by heavy spring rains and late-summer heat spikes, 2019 required careful vineyard management and resulted in a wine of both power and finesse, with significant aging potential.  About Winery Ulysses winery was established in 2008 when Christian Moueix, a prominent figure in Bordeaux winemaking, acquired a historic vineyard in the Oakville appellation of Napa Valley. This acquisition involved the meticulous restoration of a property on the Oakville bench, formerly part of Charles Hopper's ranch, with a focus on dry farming and sustainable agricultural practices. Today, Ulysses produces a single Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, made with a minimalist approach and matured at the neighboring Dominus Estate, reflecting the exceptional terroir of its unique, gravelly soil. 

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Winemaker Notes Bright ruby-red. Penetrating aromas of black cherry, dried flowers and brown spices. Not as silky as the 2004 through 2007 vintages but boasts noteworthy refinement and savory intensity, with fresh, harmonious acidity giving the wine good focus and finesse. Excellent depth here if not quite the flavor development of vintages like '07 and '04. Still, this conveys a thickness of texture and a faintly exotic quality and finishes with very suave tannins. The summer was rather cool but steady, and there was enough warmth in September to ensure ripe tannins without burning off needed acidity, noted Bo Barrett. A fairly elegantly styled Montelena Estate.  About Winery Château Montelena, founded in 1882 by San Francisco entrepreneur Alfred L. Tubbs in Calistoga, Napa Valley, became world-famous after its Chardonnay won the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” tasting, where California wines triumphed over top French competitors. Originally built as a grand stone château with vineyards planted on rugged land, the estate went through periods of decline before being revitalized in the 1970s under Jim Barrett and winemaker Miljenko “Mike” Grgich. That historic victory put Napa Valley on the global wine map, and today Château Montelena continues to produce acclaimed Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon while preserving its legacy as a pioneer of California’s rise in fine wine.

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Winemaker Notes Hillside Select is a wine of a place, sourced from carefully selected blocks of Stags Leap District hillside vineyards. These grapes are small and deeply colored, with concentrated flavors enhanced by meticulous winemaking and extensive aging in French oak barrels. Hillside Select consistently expresses the voluptuous fruit, rich flavors, and velvety texture that characterize grapes grown in this renown AVA. About Winery Shafer Vineyards has produced classic Napa Valley wines for more than 40 years. Shafer’s wines, including its signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Hillside Select, are found in collectors’ cellars and on wine lists in top luxury hotels and restaurants throughout the world. The vineyard and cellar teams, led by winemaker Elias Fernandez, cultivate more than 200 acres of Shafer-owned vineyards, sources for the winery's celebrated Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, TD-9, One Point Five, Relentless, and Hillside Select. The winery has a decades-long commitment to sustainability. Beginning in the 1980s Shafer embraced farming techniques that eliminate insecticides and herbicides, and carefully conserve water resources. In 2004 Shafer became the first winery in the U.S. to go 100% solar.

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Winemaker Notes This blend of our generous and supple 2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is dominated by Oakville Ranch Vineyard. Located in the hills among famous neighbors Dalla Valle, Pedregal and Backus vineyards, Oakville Ranch produces powerful, rich, structured wines. Cabernet Sauvignon wines made from two other vineyards along Skellenger Lane were blended in to add expressive fruit character and lush tannins. Each component of this blend spent four weeks fermenting on skins to ensure that the tannins and fruit flavors were balanced. The resulting wine is rich and vibrant, offering vivid flavors of blackberry, raspberry, cassis and mocha. About Winery Sojourn Cellars was founded in 2001 by two tennis friends, Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley, who shared a passion for great wine and tennis. They started with small bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from exceptional vineyard sources. Over the years, Sojourn Cellars has grown into a boutique winery producing highly acclaimed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their hands-off winemaking style allows the character of the vineyard sites to shine through in the wines.

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2023 | JS 96 Generous aromas of blackberry, chocolate covered cherries and espresso give way to a full midpalate filled with black cherry and berry flavors, accented by dusky dark cocoa and toffee notes. Fine-grained tannins offer structure from start to end, with a velvety finish layered with ripe, lingering black fruit flavors.   About Winery  Founded in 1885 by Gold Rush Forty-Niner John Benson, Napa Valley's Far Niente prospered until Prohibition forced its abandonment in 1919. In 1979, Gil and Beth Nickel purchased and meticulously restored the stone shell, excavating North America’s first modern wine caves and successfully resuming winemaking with their 1982 vintage. Far Niente, which translates from Italian to "without a care" or "sweetness of doing nothing", has grown to become a benchmark Napa Valley producer.

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2014 | WA 94 This blend of 99.5% Cabernet and 0.5% Petit Verdot reminds us of berry compote on first smell. It is confident and dense as it coats your palate. Rich mocha flavors and pointed scents of spice fill the center of the wine. The tannins are fine and slightly chewy. This wine will age beautifully for years. About Winery Zeitgeist Cellars is a collaboration between husband and wife, Mark Porembski (winemaker at Anomaly Vineyards and Lost Cellars) and Jennifer Williams (former winemaker at Spottswoode Estate and current winemaker at Arrow&Branch and Ziata). We make the wine ourselves at Behrens Family Winery. In pursuit of fine wine at fair prices, we employ conscientious selection at each step while doing the work ourselves. We’ve committed to a handful of carefully chosen vineyards, sort vigilantly through the fruit at harvest, and bottle only the best barrels. Our goal is to be thoughtful in our approach and simple in our methods. We make each exceptionally small batch of wine ourselves and guide them carefully through fermentation and aging. The results are two beautiful Heritage white varietals and a small stable of excellent Cabernet Sauvignons.

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2020 | D 95 It's a fashionable, complex, and complete wine showing a deep ruby-purple in the glass and attractive aromas of spiced blackberries, kirsch, perfumed violets, cassis, and tobacco spices. Medium-bodied with compact, juicy dark fruits and firm, elongated, elegant tannins and iron-like minerality on the length finish.   About Winery  Grgich Hills Estate was founded in 1977 by Croatian immigrant and world-renowned winemaker, Miljenko "Mike" Grgich, and Austin Hills of Hills Bros. Coffee fame, after Mike's Chardonnay at Chateau Montelena won the 1976 Paris Tasting. This landmark event, where a California wine beat top French wines, earned Napa Valley international recognition and inspired Grgich to pursue his dream of owning his own winery. Grgich Hills became known for producing high-quality, food-friendly wines using natural and sustainable farming practices, becoming a leader in the Napa Valley wine industry and achieving the prestigious Regenerative Organic Certification in 2023. 

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