| Todd's Case of the Week |
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A few months ago, I was approached about another opportunity by the winemaker himself… So I knew this was the “real deal”. The only catch? I cannot, under any circumstance, reveal where the wine comes from. Aaagghhh… So no backstory... let’s just get into the wines and I’ll tell you what I can… and just tell you to trust me on these. These wines come from an extremely talented winemaker in California. He has been featured in numerous magazines and received lavish praise from Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and Food & Wine, among others. (And by “he”, I could mean “She”). Total production is less than 1,000 cases. The wines are basically mailing-list only, and available at some of the country’s finest restaurants, like the French Laundry. (I was perusing the list… call me wishful…). And now… the wines… deals to follow… Block 7 “White” Sonoma Coast 2009 – From a highly reputable vineyard, whose wines sell in the $35 range. Now, here’s the real interesting kicker… the wine is unoaked! Just pure, unadulterated… wait for it… Chardonnay! I felt compelled to lead you on a bit… since so many of you have this craziness about Chardonnay. There is a reason it is the world’s most popular white wine, and this gem will convince you – it’s awesome! Amazing juice and no messy oak to get in the way. Perfect. [Schmitty] This is one of those Chardonnays that neatly splits the difference between California ripeness and Burgundian acidity. On the nose, very expressive, with aromas of peach, tangerine and pineapple all framed by a subtle whiff of vanilla and spicebox. All the aromas on the nose come to play on the palate--both fruit and wood flavors are well-expressed, but really well balanced. Medium-bodied, with a juicy mouthfeel and great concentration and length. A stunningly complete wine for the money. [Michael] That is a great deal. You can put my name behind best chard I’ve ever seen at that price. Yep. “This Chardonnay comes from a cool vineyard in the Sonoma Coast. The grapes were picked by hand and crushed immediately upon arrival to the winery. The fresh juice was then settled in stainless steel tank. The natural yeast on the grapes from the vineyard kicked off the primary fermentation which commenced for nearly 15 days. Malolactic fermantation was also naturally spontaneous. Finally, the wine was bottled after aging for 10 months in 100% stainless steel which helped to retain the wines crisp nature.” Winemaker note Block 7 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2008 - No need to hide the varietal here… and not enough of this to go around, I suppose… A blend of Somona Vineyards and simply declassified from this winemaker’s flagship wine, which sells for over $70 a bottle. Declassified? Around $50. Like the Chard, this Pinot’s winemaking model is Burgundy, but the fruit is all California. Which translates to a delicious Pinot Noir – it offers up the ripe cherry and raspberry fruit that the rgion is famous for, combined with an elegance and purity one would expect from Burgundy. For comparison’s sake, I poured this blind against two well-rated Pinots from the same vintage from the same region. That it clearly outshone them, at a fraction of their $43 and $52 price tags, was enough for me to get on board! I tasted the first bottle over 3 days, and it continued to shine – quite a feat for Pinot, but not surprising, given the winemaker’s use of only indigenous yeasts and his bottling of the wine unfiltered, both of which add to the unique complexities of this captivating grape. Spicy, earthy notes are mixed with cherry, black raspberry and pomegranate flavors, all backed up by vibrant acidity. “This wine is a blend of coastal vineyards located on the edge of the Sonoma Coast, in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Again as with the Chardonnay, these Pinot Noir grapes were hand harvested, hand sorted and 100% destemmed upon arrival to the winery. The de-stemmed fruit was fermented in small 1 ton fermenters which allows just enough mass to ferment at a lower temperature level than if in a large tank. The lower temperature levels allow the wine to retain its pinot character and prized aromatic fireworks. Upon completion of fermentation, the free run juice was gravity fed into 100% French oak barrels of which 30% were new. The barrels remained unmoved and un-racked for the entire élevage. This lead to maximum exposure to the fine lees which helps soften the mouth feel. Finally, after 16 months in barrel, the wine was racked with gravity to tank where it awaited bottling just a few short days later. “ Winemaker note In short, this is a limited offer of two truly delicious wines. All at a great deal. Oh… and what is the deal, you ask? The Deal – Chardonnay – as I said, this is slated to retail around $35. We’ll start the bidding at $17.99… Pinot Noir – Of course, I’m not going to ask you to pay $70… let’s start at $26.99… Okay, so right off the bat, we’re looking at 46% and 61% off… On any mixed case, I’ll knock an additional 37% off! That’s $11.33 for the Chard and $16.99 for the Pinot! Order 8 and 4... 7 and 5... whatever you want On six bottles mixed, I’ll take an additional 30% off! ($12.59 for Chard / $18.89 for Pinot) On three bottles mixed, I’ll knock an additional 20% off! ($$14.39 for Chard / $21.59 for Pinot) Supply is limited. Wine arrives FRIDAY.
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