Chanson Père et Fils    

Founded in 1750, Chanson Pere & Fils originated with the first generation of wine merchants who began trading in Beaune during the 18th century, and is now owned by Bollinger S.A. (Champange) of Ay, France. Both Chanson and Bollinger specialize in products based upon Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. The House of Chanson cultivates about 40 hectares located in some of the most desirable Premiers Crus areas in Beaune and neighboring villages of Savigny and Pernand Vergelesses.

Beaune vineyards are notable for their size and the variety of the wines they produce. The vineyards of this wine capital could be described as a Cote d'Or in miniature and in fact represent an eigth of the vinyards in the Cote d'Or region. The common characteristic of the Beaune wines, and particularly the premiers crus is their finesse and their freedom from any earthy taste. In their individuality, however, they offer a full range of nuances.

Link to brief  product descriptions

 Link to Chanson Web Site

 

Desert Wind Vineyards, a new Washington brand, was launched by the Fries and Jenkins Families of Duck Pond Cellars.

Ruah means wind, breath or spirit in Hebrew and is also translated into "the breath of God that created life". This word was chosen for its literal meaning of wind and the way it sounds when spoken, but the other connotations added to its symbology.

The concept to create this new brand began with the idea to create a blended red wine. Our intent was to make a Bordeaux-like blend using our Washington fruit, this objective in turn led to the creation of Desert Wind. Desert Wind was first the name of the vineyard site. Coined by Jo Ann Fries, it referred to the climate in eastern Washington where the vineyard was planted. To our family, Desert Wind came to be synonymous with the superior wines it was capable of producing and thus was translated into the winery name.

Though our family holdings span Washington and Oregon, Desert Wind is located solidly on the Washington side. Using only fruit from our vineyard on the Wahluke slope, the wines are all designated as Columbia Valley, WA. With plans for a new production facility and tasting room to open in 2002 in the Prosser area, the Desert Wind picture will be more complete. The first release consists of four wines: 2000 Semillon, 1999 Merlot, 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1997 "Ruah", a red blend.

Creating a new identity gave us the freedom to veer from our tried and true practices of making value wines and experiment with smaller lots of fruit, longer barrel aging techniques and basically create something very unique and personal. The blending trials for the first vintage of Ruah went on for over a year, the label design even longer. What we came up with are wines and a package that our family is very, proud of.

Click here to travel to the Desert Wind web-site.

Click here to see more details on select Desert Wind products.

 

Manfred Breit
Piesport/ Mosel

 The Breit family has been producing wines since 1654. Their name, their quality, and their dedication have survived numerous wars, as well as economic and family upheavals over the ensuing 350 years. Today, 90% of the Manfred Breit production (60,000 liters +/-) is white wine, with the majority being of the Riesling variety. The focus and distinct quality of the Manfred Breit products mark this group as a winner in every area.

Manfred Breit products represent a tradition of excellence everyone should know!

Product descriptions: Click here.

 

The Vineyards of Rietine

Southerly exposed vineyards are on land 1,476 feet above sea level and are considered without question to be one of the best areas in Chianti Classico.

The property is currently composed of 19.76 acres in Chianti Classics DOCG and Riserva; 4.94 acres Tiziano; 4.41 acres White Wine and Vinsanto; and 19.76 acres of Olive Trees. The vineyard consists of: 3500 vines (old plantings) per 2.47 acres and 5500 vines (new plantings) per 2.47 acres. Owner, Mario Gaffuri-Lazarides, and his wife, Galina, personally oversee all aspects of viticulture and production to assure their high standards are met, consistantly.

Product descriptions: Click here.

 

    

Pomerol - Saint Emilion Grand Cru - Lussac-Saint Emilion - Bordeaux Superieur - Bordeaux

Direct Web-site Link

CHATEAU BUSQUET
APPELLATION:  LUSSAC-SAINT EMILION A.O.C.
LOCATION: This property is situated north of the commune of Lussac.
THE VINEYARD: There are approximately ten hectares under vine, 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is made up of different parcels around the Chateau, on limestone soil.
VINIFICATION: Together with Chateau le Castelet, this vineyard is the special responsibility of Dominique Robin who believes that traditional methods should be married to modern technology to produce the best quality possible from each parcel of vines. Vinification in stainless steel vats lasts between 20 and 30 days according to the vintage, to produce fruity, aromatic wines. The wines are well-balanced, without excessive tannin, for drinking young. They also seem to age well. So far oak barrels have only been used in experiments at this Chateau.

CHATEAU LA GRASIDE
APPELLATION : BORDEAUX A.O.C. (Red)
LOCATION: 5 kilometres (3 miles) south of Libourne in the commune of Cadarsac.
VINES: 50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.
WINE-MAKING TECHNIQUES and WINE CHARACTERISTICS: Chateau La Graside Red is traditionally made in stainless steel vats. It is supple and full of fruit, thanks to the relatively high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%). This wine may be enjoyed young or may be kept for a few years. Chateau La Graside Red is a good basic wine to have in a cellar, enabling connoisseurs to wait for our other more tannic wines to mature with age.

CHATEAU LA GRASIDE
APPELLATION: BORDEAUX ROSE A.O.C.
LOCATION: 5 kilometres (3 miles) south of Libourne in the commune of Cadarsac.
VINES: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot.
WINE-MAKING TECHNIQUES and WINE CHARACTERISTICS: Chateau La Graside Rose is traditionally made in stainless steel vats. It is full of fruit and aromatic thanks to the very high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%). The grape juice stays in contact with the skins only for a few hours, before extraction. Fermentation is natural and lasts two weeks. This wine can be enjoyed young when served cool.

CHATEAU SANSONNET GRAND CRU
APPELLATION: SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU A.O.C.
HISTORY: In 1846 Chateau SANSONNET belonged to the Duc Decazes, Peer of France. It was then sold to General de Coutard, who bequeathed it to his daughter, Vicontesse de Montaudon. In 1892 the property was acquired by Prosper Robin, who built the existing chateau.
For four generations since then the vines and the wine of Chateau SANSONNET have received the care and attention of the Robin family.
LOCATION: Chateau SANSONNET is situated to the east of the town of Saint Emilion, on the edge of the plateau. The vines are planted in limestone soil on a rock subsoil right to the very edge of the rocky outcrop.
THE VINEYARD: The eight hectares of vineyards are planted with 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The average age of the vines is 30 years.
VINIFICATION: The Chateau produces a wellstructured, generous wine with a good ruby color and agreeable vitality. Vinification methods are traditional but make use of modern equipment. The wine spends two years in oak barrels about one third of new barrels each year before bottling. When young, the wine Lends to finish a little harshly due mainly to the effect of the rocky subsoil, but this softens and disappears with age. The subsoil plays an important part in the character of the wine as there are barely 30 centimeters of topsoil
Thanks to this combination the vines do not suffer from the summer heat as the roots force their way far down into the rock to provide constant moisture for the vegetation. Thus it is possible to obtain excellent maturity in most vintages.

AWARDS: The wines of Chateau SANSONNET have won many prizes and medals over the years, the first being that awarded to Prosper Robin in Antwerp, Belgium on 30th August 1894, two years after he acquired the property.

Source: Les Vins Robin

 

A Brief History

Estrella River Winery was founded in 1977 by Cliff and Sally Giaccobine, wealthy Los Angeles real estate developers who moved to Paso Robles seeking a more tranquil life. Subsequently, Estrella River Winery and Hoffman Mountain Ranch established the reputation of San Luis Obispo for wine growing in modern times.

The original winemaker at Estrella was Gary Eberle, Cliff Giaccobine's halfbrother. In 1978 Tom Myers, an Enology graduate of UC Davis, joined ERW as assistant winemaker, then when Gary Eberle departed Estrella River Winery to found Eberle Winery in 1982, Tom Myers became chief winemaker. During the decade of the 1980's Estrella River Winery developed a solid reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and other varietals such as Zinfandel and Gamay Beaujolais.

In 1978 Classic Wines of California, a wine only distribution company, became the exclusive California distributor, for Estrella River Winery. In 1992 CWOC purchased the Estrella trademark, cased goods and bulk inventory. CWOC remains the distributor within California.

Estrella Today

Under CWOC ownership Estrella has been repositioned in the high volume value varietal category, with emphasis on the 1.5 liter package, although 750m1 packages are produced. The winemaking has moved to Sonoma County to take advantage of scale economies accruing to Classic Wine's several operations in Sonoma.

Estrella competes favorably in quality with Mondavi Woodbridge, Glen Ellen and Fetzer Vineyards. We feel Estrella is superior to all three. Judge for yourself.

Information Source: Estrella Winery

HACIENDA WINE CELLARS

BACKGROUND

Hacienda Wine Cellars was founded in 1973, in Sonoma Valley, by Frank H. Bartholomew, former President of United Press International and occupied the land where European grape varieties were first commercially planted in America. Count Agoston Haraszthy, a Hungarian nobleman, acknowledged as the "Father of Modem California Viticulture", collected 100,000 grape cuttings from France, Italy, Germany, and Spain, starting in 1857 the vineyards which surrounded Hacienda and made it a historic landmark.

Steven MacRostie joined Hacienda as winemaker in 1974. His first wine, a 1974 Chardonnay, took a gold medal at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair; fine Sonoma wines and the Hacienda label have been synonymous ever since. Crawford Cooley purchased a majority interest in Hacienda in 1977 following a successful career in the venture capital field of investment banking.

In 1992, the Franzia family purchased the rights to the Hacienda label and cased goods inventory. The family markets and distributes the brand on a national basis through their subsidiary, Classic Wines of California.

The Hacienda label now encompasses a "Clair de Lune" series of four varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and White Zinfandel, packaged in 1.5 Liter and 750 ml, in order to appeal to a wider audience for Hacienda's fine varietal wines. The term, "Clair de Lune", or moonlight, was first used with Hacienda's Chardonnay by Frank Bartholomew. His love of classical music, especially Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune", and the area in Sonoma where Hacienda was located, Valley of the Moon, prompted its use as a proprietary name.

Link to:   HACIENDA WINE CELLARS -- 2001 AWARDS

Information Source: Classic Wines of California (a Hacienda Wine Cellars Subsidiary)

 

Greenwood Ridge Vineyards takes its name from the coastal ridgetop where our grapes are grown. Our vineyard overlooking Anderson Valley in Mendocino County has been expanded to 16 acres since 1972, four each of White Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. At 1400' above sea level, the rolling ridgetop property is above the fog and frost in the new Mendocino Ridge appellation.

Owner and winemaker Allan Green has earned a reputation for producing world class wines in small lots (total annual production is 7000 cases) since 1980. This is demonstrated by the selection of Greenwood Ridge vineyards as one of the top 30 American wineries three times in recent years (Wine & Spirits Magazine) and by recent "Best of Show" awards for seven different wines
.
  Link Directly to Greenwood Ridge

 

Near the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the lush Yadkin Valley of northwest North Carolina, lies the largest estate winery found in North Carolina. Shelton Vineyards is well known as a winery of distinction.

Link directly to the Shelton Vineyards web site.   

 

  
Since our first vintage in 1988, Seven Hills Winery of the Walla Walla Valley, has grown to crush 120 tons of fruit adding Syrah, Pinot Gris and White Riesling. Our emphasis has always been to augment and elevate the expression of terroir arising from the meticulous viticulture of our chosen vineyards.

The Seven Hills vineyard is sited on deep, well-drained Ritzville silt-loams, with a slight northern slope. Sun exposure is excellent. The vines are "own-rooted," the way things used to be done in California and France in pre-phylloxera times. Vines this old are a precious winemaking resource the winery treats them with great respect. Fruit from Windrow Vineyard was the predominant source of our 1998 Walla Walla Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and composed 50% of the blend of our Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. While Windrow shares a similar microclimate, and terroir with Seven Hills Vineyard, the vineyard is managed with an emphasis on traditional viticulture and personal attention to the vines. Windrow Vineyard adjoins the Seven Hills Vineyard and sits at the southern end of the Walla Walla Appellation.   

Link directly to the Seven Hills Web site.

Source: Seven Hills Winery

 

1999 PINOT NOIR

Elke Vineyards is owned and operated by Tom and Mary Elke. The 1999 Elke Pinot Noir is the third vintage under our family label, but we have been growing premium wine grapes in the Napa Valley since 1979 and in Anderson Valley since 1990. We've teamed with winemaker Tom Farella, producing small lots of wine from our estate-grown Pinot Noir since 1985, and he feels this vintage is our finest to date.

The Vineyard
We are convinced the cool, coastal, Anderson Valley in Mendocino County is ideal for the "persnickety" Pinot Noir grape. Our wine comes from a single vineyard, i.e. "Donnelly Creek" just outside the town of Boonville. We are part owners of and we manage this 50 acre vineyard. We grow 4 clones of Pinot Noir used in our blend, two tried-and-true field clones and two French clones (Pommard 5 and Dijon 113). More and more recognition for this region has brought winemakers from all over the state seeking premium Pinot Noir fruit. We are expanding our position as grape suppliers and producers of small amounts of wine. Grape buyers include lci/La Bas (at Au Bon Climat), La Crema and Sterling Vineyards.

The Vintage
Anderson Valley experienced a cool Spring and a long, slow growing season. However, a dry, mild fall permitted the grapes to be harvested in mid-September with a good balance of sugar and natural acidity. This cooler, extended growing season produced grapes with fully developed flavors and excellent structure.

Vinification and Ageing
Our winemaking goals require a variety of techniques in the winery. On the crush pad, the grapes are completely destemmed, then gently pumped to small open fermenters and one tank. The must was inoculated with a Burgundy yeast. For this vintage, we maintained separate lots of the four clones. Eleven months in barrel with one racking, a "wild" malo-lactic fermentation and, finally, bottling without fining or filtration yielded a very natural wine with minimal handling and maximum expression of the location.

Winemaker's Notes
For us, the subtleties of Pinot Noir are what make it so enticing. This wine shows the depth and complexity that sets the stage for a very elegant wine. The aromas and flavors are of rich, ripe raspberry and strawberry fruit over a distinct cedar and smoke spice backbone. The earthy complexity will intensify with bottle ageing. Medium body with a lengthy, velvety finish.

The Numbers

Alcohol: 13.8% pH 3.82 Total Acidity 0.63 Residual Sugar: Dry

Oak Ageing: 11 months Barrel: Francois Freres, Bertranges 25% new Release Date: Aug. 2001 Production: 993 cases / 750 mL

Information source: Elke Vineyards

 

HISTORY
The now famed Stone Wolf Vineyard was discovered by Art and Linda Lindsay who partnered with Scott and Diana Price of Chicago in the acquisition. Stone Wolf is a fully mature vineyard with the vines being 16-20 years of age and in excellent health. We felt this was a business which everyone could participate in, and they do, the youngest member being 3 and the oldest 79. Its gratifying to sweat in the vineyards, work in the cellar and finally hand someone a bottle and say "here, this is what we do." We feel a real sense of accomplishment and pride and sharing our wines with others is the ultimate reward.

Stone Wolf wines were first released in 1998 and have already become a major player in both the Pacific Northwest and select markets throughout the U.S. "We wanted to make wines that represent the outstanding quality of Oregon, ones that blend well with food and of course that we can be proud of. Our market response is telling us that they are ready for our style of wine making" said Art Lindsay.

WINE MAKING STYLE
Our goal from the beginning has been to create "food friendly" wines, without excessive oak flavors, high tannins or any other elements that hide the true taste of the grape. We feel that the natural flavor of a wine is the flavor that best accents foods. With an appreciation of fine food comes an understanding of how quality wines enhance the meal. Therefore, we create enjoyable wines that complement rather than overpower the cuisine. Our "food friendly" approach to wine styling stems from the fact that both families enjoy entertaining and sharing their kitchens with friends and relatives. "One of the greatest thrills is pairing the wine and food to perfect harmony, and when that occurs it's a melody, dazzling the palate and senses", says Linda Lindsay. "As to quality," says Diana Price, "if a wine is not up to our exacting standards, it will not go into our bottles."

THE VINEYARD
This enchanting vineyard consists of 45 acres of which 5 acres has been set aside for the winery structure. "One of the vineyard management systems we have embraced in the last three years is the `LIVE' program, a system used extensively in Europe for sometime but relatively new to the United States. It is a system of viticulture that does not rely on a lot of chemicals, designed for sustainable agriculture in order to leave the land better than we found it. We have observed substantial quality improvements in the grapes every year since introducing this program".

The vineyard consists of several blocks, each matched to soil variations and subtle climate variations, all considered ideal for the vines. Some 16 acres are devoted to Pinot Noir, 9 acres to Müller-Thurgau and the remainder to Chardonnay. The Müller-Thurgau is devoted to the wine company's award winning dessert wine called Idylle. All vines are on their own rootsock and include premium clones such as Pommard.

WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES
When harvest time is close we look at the numbers daily to be sure we pick at the optimum moment. We also take the less scientific route and base the final picking decision on the flavor profile of the fruit, and of course the forecast weather. We attempt to keep our Brix between 22 and 23, which yields wines of moderate alcohol, about 12%. The Chardonnay goes through malo-lactic fermentation and is aged in both oak and stainless in order to retain the correct flavor balance. The Pinot Noir is aged anywhere from 11 months to almost 2 years, based on our tastings, moving slowly until the wines have reached their optimum quality. The Pinot Noir is aged in 3 different French cooperages, varying in age from new to 5 years. This gives us the ability to blend the delicate Pinot Noir grape into a pleasing, delightful wine.

THE PROPRIETORS
Scott Price is an Orthopedic Surgeon in the Chicago area. "Diana and I have a passion for wine and now we are lucky enough to turn that into an adventure we can all participate in" says Price.

Linda Lindsay is the driving force behind Stone Wolf Vineyards. She has the tenacity and view of the big picture that is required for a successful wine company. She also has a long background in wine, having grown up with a father in the wine business for over 20 years. "There was always wine in our home," she says, which introduced me at a young age to the art form of wine. "I'm thankful to my father for the skills and palate I have today. He was and still is a great teacher."

Art Lindsay, also a vital part of the family team is more detail oriented and greatly involved in the viticulture side of winemaking. "We both walk the vineyards weekly, observing and making any required adjustments to our farming program." He looks at the vineyards as a huge garden "that needs constant attention and care."

The two families at Stone Wolf are dedicated to making a quality statement with their product, a wine that any Oregonian would be proud of, and a wine that anyone would be proud to purchase for a friend. They are perfecting the legend of Stone Wolf and creating a legacy for their children and generations to come.

Link to Stone Wolf Vineyards Awards Information.

Information source:  Stone Wolf Vineyards

 

1999 Amelia Rose Cuvee Pinot Noir
Bottled: 21August 2000
Production: 856 cases

This Cuvee is the first of its kind released by Torii Mor. The very best barrels of Pinot Noir from our finest Yamhill County vineyards were selected for this wine.

As with all of our Pinot Noir fruit from 1999, the grapes arrived with excellent physiological ripeness, deep color, and very balanced sugar and acids. After a cool spring, the bloom in early summer was a couple of weeks later than average. The set, pushed to late June, was fairly even and berry sizes were larger than those in 1998. Summer was significantly cooler compared to the previous summer. Miraculously, yet another warm, dry Indian Summer October followed with little or no rain, leading to fully ripened clusters at harvest. "The beauty of 1999 is the balanced, even ripening which occurred without either drought stress and subsequent raisining or rain and dilution of flavors.

The wine comprising the Amelia Rose Cuvee was fermented by native yeast in small lots, pigaged twice daily, pressed very gently, and racked into a variety of French oak. After racking in the spring, it continued to age in barrel until it was ready to bottle in August. As with all Torii Mor Pinot Noir, the Amelia Rose Cuvee was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Reflective of the name, this elegant, very pretty and velvety wine begins with a nose of blackberry, sweet leather, and barrel spices. The mouthfeel is very ripe, soft, and round with rich flavors layered with blackberries, leather, and well-integrated barrel toast unfolding on the palate. The finish is juicy and warm.

2000 Rogue Valley Pinot Blanc
Bottled: 20 April 2001
Production: 592 cases

2000 is the first vintage of Torii Mor Pinot blanc. Two lots of fruit from the same growers (Griffin Creek) near Ashland, Oregon were blended together to make this wine. The first lot was picked 29 September from Griffin Creek Vineyard. Its average elevation is near 1500 feet and the vines are grown there using the Scott Henry trellis system. The Griffin Creek lot was picked at perfect ripeness with brilliant acidity. The second lot was picked 20 October from the Pleasant View Vineyard. Its average elevation is 1700 feet and the vines are grown using vertical shoot positioning. The clusters were allowed to hang longer at this site in order to develop about 30% botrytis to add rich, honey character to the wine. This fruit came in beautifully ripe and juicy.

Upon arrival at the winery, the fruit was whole-clustered and gently racked to stainless tanks to settle for one or two days before racking to a variety of French oak barrels. Both lots were barrel fermented in 15% new oak using several carefully selected yeast strains. The wines were aged "sur lies" for about 5 months with stirring once a week to encourage a rich, creamy texture in the mouth. The two lots were blended before bottling, resulting in a Pinot blanc with beautiful peach and tropical fruit character with nice acidity.

This very pleasing blanc with the color of pale straw begins with a nose of pineapples, creamy papayas, peaches, soft minerals, and lightly grilled bread. The flavors mirror the nose with pineapples and ripe Braeburn apples. The mouthfeel is generous and emollient, and finishes with delicate Mandarin oranges, apples, and a hint of citrus rind. This wine and oysters are soulmates.

Information source: Torii Mor

Direct links to Galleron: http://www.galleronwine.com

and their product reviews: http://www.galleronwine.com/pages/reviews.html

Source: Galleron