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cabernet sauvignon

Frank Sinatra Wine Launches

Filed under: Wine

Can the Sinatra name sell wine? The Sinatra Family Estates has announced its first wine offering, Come Fly With Me, a limited-production 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.The winery partnered with the Frank Sinatra Estate and his three children (Tina, Nancy and Frank Jr.) to produce the wine. The wine is being produced from a five-acre vineyard site in Napa Valley, and only 500 cases will be bottled and are selling at a steep price of $570 for six bottles. The website says the wine has notes of cherry with hints of leather and spice and says it has a 92 rating but no indication of where that rating came from. Each vintage will be named after a Sinatra classic and the wine label features a logo of a record.

[via Limewire]

Wine Tasting: Fantesca Cabernet Sauvignon

Filed under: Wine

Summer may be within reach but no matter the season a great bottle of Cabernet always hits the spot. Fantesca's 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon soothes your stress away and satiates your wine desires with notes of deep earth and rich fruit. The combination of chocolate cherries, cassis and warms the soul while a hint of earth-scented spice perks up the palate. Fantesca Estate on Spring Mountain is known for its superb sun exposure and long growing season offered by the elevation and hilly terrain which makes for high quality wines with a lasting impression. With only 800 cases produced the $65 bottle is certainly worth purchasing. If you prefer to cellar it you can count on fifteen or more wonderful years of drinking pleasure.

*Disclosure: This bottle was provided as a sample*

Cru Vin Dogs Best In Show Wine

Filed under: Wine

There are plenty of wines out there with cute dogs on them but the Cru Vin Dogs area little different. If you put champion dogs on your label you've got a bit to live up to. The 2005 Best in Show Cabernet Sauvignon features a pastel pencil drawing by artist Jay P. Snellgrove of a German Shorthaired Pointer. The wine is made from the Jackson Selection of Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley. The original cuttings of this clone came from pre-phyloxera vines and the resulting wine is an intense spicy wine with hints of dark chocolate. 97 cases were produced and it sells for $75 a bottle.

Cru Vin Dogs pledges that a minimum of ten percent of sales revenue on all wines, art, and merchandise is split equally between Canine Companions For Independence and the Morris Animal Foundation's Cure Canine Cancer Campaign.

Is Now The Time To Buy Screaming Eagle?

Filed under: Wine

screaming eagle wineFor years getting onto the mailing lists for Napa Valley's big fruit bomb cult Cabernet Sauvignons has been no easy feat. You practically have to sell your soul to get your paws on Screaming Eagle or some of the other wines with the limited allocation and the highest reputations. But now, as Bloomberg's Elin McCoy puts it: the recession is making room for you. Those on the lists are dumping their allocations to save money and only purchasing from a few select favorites. Even restaurants are paring back their usual bottle grabs because the clientele is staying away from the deep end of the wine list.

If you believe in the long-term value of these wines now might be the time to grab a few and cellar them. Currently those who flip their allocations aren't finding a hot market for the wine but if you can hold onto them for a few years and the name brands regain their value you might have a nice investment on your hands.

Chilean Wines Making Impression on U.S. Consumers

Filed under: Wine

wineArgentina and Australia have both widened our national palates and expanded our wine vocabulary. As they have grown in prestige and density the U.S. has embraced their unique qualities and beamed with pride at the continued diversity of personal wine knowledge.

Another country home to the Southern Hemisphere is also prompting increased interest among oenophiles -- Chile. Although known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends exports for Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Carmenere and Syrah have increased in spite of the American recession. To capitalize on consumers' continued interest in the range of wines from Chile the 'Wines of Chile' is to open a new U.S. office in NYC.

If you're unfamiliar with Chilean wines I suggest you start with the Carmenere -- typically they are full-bodied and hold a deeply colored essence plus it sounds sensual when it rolls of the tongue.

Bailout Wine Bets On A Rebounding Dow

Filed under: Wine


Custom wine facility Crushpad has a unique answer to the financial crisis, Bailout Wine. The wine is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which will sell for $39 per bottle. But what makes this wine with the bear and bull label so unique is that for every 100-point drop in the Dow Jones from the date of purchase to the projected bottling date of August 14 2009, Crushpad will knock another $2 off the bottle. If the Dow rebounds the $39 price stands. Only 500 cases of Bailout will be produced but the company could still take a hit if the Dow tumbles. For example if you bought when the Dow was at 8,800 and then on August 14, 2009 it closes at 7,300 (let's hope not) you would pay just $9 a bottle and get your $30 back. The wine will be shipped after it is bottled in Summer 2009.

[via Decanter]

Bottles to Bring: Silverado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Filed under: Wine

We've talked about how the 2005 Bordeaux keeps looking better and better but 2005 was also a good year in Napa Valley bringing both a large quantity of grapes and a high quality. Silverado Vineyards took this as a challenge, making a roughly six percent reduction in the filed and then declassifying another 20% early in the blending. The result is their 25th vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. It's still young but deliciously drinkable with with notes of plum and earth with a finish that reminds me of the slightly spicy smell of leaves in the hot sun of summer. It's a good wine to bring because it can be opened now or tucked away for a while. At $45 (or in the mid thirties depending on where you shop) it's not so expensive that you'd be mortally crushed if it ends up being opened at the night but it's pricey enough and known enough that it makes a good impression. And on a personal note, it will always have a place in my heart because it's what I opened while watching the 2008 election returns.

JAQK Cellars

Filed under: Wine


There's a new arrival on the wine scene bound to whet your appetite and stir your inner gambler. JAQK Cellars, a playful take on the Jack, Ace, Queen and King of cards, is offering eight distinctive limited production wines this season. From the High Roller 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon to the Charmed 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, this creative and alluring brand pairs a healthy dose of frivolity with the enticing draw of a smoky, high-end casino. Completing the selection are Black Clover 2006 Merlot, Soldiers of Fortune 2006 Shiraz, Pearl Handle 2007 Chardonnay, 22 Black 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bone Dance 2006 Merlot, and Her Majesty 2007 Chardonnay. The bottle will cost between $23 and $70 but their four-bottle gift boxes offered for the holidays range between $120 and $220. I'd be willing to bet this California-based wine will increase your odds of enjoyment.

Shepard Fairey Art on Kenwood Artists Series Wine

Filed under: Wine

I've been a fan of artist Shepard Fairey for years but he has sprung into the mainstream lately. Not only has his Obama poster been a key part of the campaign but Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art hosting the first museum survey of Shepard Fairey's street art. Now Shepard Fairey has his own wine. Kenwood Vineyards has commission a piece from Shepard Fairey for the 30th Anniversary Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon. The choice is a bit of a departure from a series that has featured artists like Van Gogh and Picasso but the 2004 vintage will showcase Fairey's "Peace Woman."

The 2004 Artist Series has a nose of black currant, Ceylon tea leaf and dark chocolate with flavors of black currant, Italian plum, cocoa and spice. it can be enjoyed now or cellared. The wine was aged in small French oak barrels for 30 months and the final Artist Series blend was assembled from the best of these barrels, with a small percentage of Malbec included for additional complexity and polish. Following bottling, it was cellared at the winery for 18 months prior to release. There were 2,146 cases were produced and it sells for $70 a bottle.

M by Michael Mondavi Wine

Filed under: Wine

After reading the ins and outs of the Mondavi clan in The House of Mondavi book, I'm even more intrigued to see what former Mondavi CEO and chairman Michael Mondavi has cooked up with his first wine. The 2005 M by Michael Mondavi is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from his Animo vineyard in Atlas Peak, Napa. The wine was aged for 22 months in French oak and bottle aged for a year.

You can pick up M by Michael Mondavi this fall for a steep $199. In a recent interview with Steve Heimoff, Mondavi explained how he reached this price. He explained that his team bought a bunch of top cult wines and did a blind tasting asking themselves how much they would pay for each wine. Because their wine came out strong they prices it below some of the super-pricey cult wines and above some of the ones it showed better than. Of course the costs of managing the 15-acre vineyard were also a factor.

Heimoff's interview also reveals that Mondavi has learned his lesson about rapid expansion. He says that at his Folio Wine import and production company they have just two rules, only work with those they respect and want to spend time with, and only sell wines they would like to serve to family and friends.

Bonny's Vineyard 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

Filed under: Wine

Does the name Justin Meyer ring any bells? At first I didn't recognize its significance either but as I delved more into the story behind Bonny's Vineyard I gasped with realization -- Mr. Meyer was the co-founder of the super Cab of Napa, Silver Oak! For some of you that may not be very exciting but in my household there was a time when Silver Oak was king of the wine cellar for my father. Not only has the Meyer name been attached to this mega-wine but the next generation of Meyer's has recently created a new Cabernet Sauvignon aged in only 100% new American Oak barrels which sustains a 13.19% alcohol. Named for Justin's wife, Bonny, and the vineyard purchased long ago in her name, this wine eases out of the Napa Cab mold with grace while continuing a high-quality family tradition. $135

French Maid Wine

Filed under: Wine


In keeping with White Rocket Wine Company's niche of bringing new brands of high quality, affordable wines to the new generation of wine drinkers comes French Maid Wine. Each of the five varietals from the French 'Old World' Languedoc region is given a 'New World' spirit. Offering a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, each French Maid Wine brings French terroir to the newbies of the wine world on a smaller budget of only $12 per bottle. For the connoisseur who prefers more luxury priced wines this may not be the bottle of choice but as an introduction to wine it just may fit the bill.

B-Side Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

Filed under: Wine

Remember B sides, the flip side of a 45 record or cassette that featured a song that wasn't as popular but was, in many cases, better than the single on the other side? Don Sebastiani & Sons is applying that concept to wine with a new wine brand called "B Side." The first release of B Side Cabernet Sauvignon features grapes from vineyards on the "flip-side of Napa Valley" a few miles from the "glamour wineries along Highway 29." The grapes are sourced from areas such as Pope Valley, Chiles Valley, Wooden Valley, Stags Leap District and lower Calistoga. The vines in these areas yield smaller, more concentrated fruit which create Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignons with classic berry and cassis flavors. The 2005 vintage is described as having classic Bordeaux aromas of currant and ripe plum and recommended pairings include braised short ribs with horseradish and parsnip mashed potatoes, Miso glazed black cod over steamed rice with spring onion dim sum, or arugula salad with fresh strawberries, goat cheese and black pepper.

There were 9,860 cases produced of the 2005. B Side Cabernet Sauvignons will be sold at price points from $20 to $30 a bottle and will be offered mainly at upscale restaurants and key independent retailers.

[via Wine & Spirits Daily]

Date Night Wine

Filed under: Wine

Can sharing a bottle of wine keep a couple together? Businesspeople turned wine couple, Suzanne Phifer-Pavitt and her husband Shane Pavitt, have created Date Night, a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon as a nod to their marital happiness. The couple hatched the plans for their own winery dream after several years of wine-fuelled date nights. And they hope that their Date Night wine will inspire other couples to open a bottle and share dinner, conversation and closeness.

Phifer Pavitt Wines has become known for its annual Pick-Up Party when customers arrive to collect their purchases and enjoy food, friends and music by local musicians. Customers enjoy adding their favorite 'date night' experience on the chalkboards that adorn the winery's barn wall. Now website customers can add their date night experiences online at the Date Night Wine website.

The grapes are sourced from Arthur Spencer's Lakespring Vineyard in Pope Valley, the winemaker is Ted Osborne. The 2005 Phifer Pavitt 'Date Night' Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a release of just 300 cases. The wine spent 17 months in barrel (65% new French) before being bottled. It sells for $75 a bottle. The 2006 Date Night Cabernet Sauvignon will be released around October/November 2008.

Trivium Wine

Filed under: Wine

Three men, a winemaker, a viticulturalist, and a market have collaborated on a new tiny-production artisanal Napa Cabernet. The 2005 Trivium, named for the Latin term for a three-way crossroad, is made up of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Les Ivrettes, a vineyard in which their daughters played while growing up in St. Helena. Les Ivrettes means 'the little tipsy ones' in French, a reference to the parties which the young women hosted in the vineyard adjoining their homes. The vineyard is located within the The Lewelling Vineyard, which was established in 1864 by viticulturalist Doug Wight's great-great-grandfather, pioneer horticulturist John Lewelling. Doug Wight is the fifth generation of his family to farm grapes in the Napa Valley. Together with esteemed winemaker Jack Stuart and marketer Stuart Harrison, he has created a wine with notes of cherry, cassis and spice and rich blackberry flavors. There were just 318 cases made and it sells for $60 a bottle.


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