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On the palate, the wine is rich, creamy, with a hint of nuttiness to the flavors of pear and peaches. Perhaps the most striking feature is the high acidity of the wine. This is what I had intended, but I have been impressed with how balanced the wine seems, despite having very high acidity.

The wine has a beautiful aroma of dark cherries, plums and spices. On the palate the wine is medium bodied with elegant flavors of red fruits with a hint of sweet vanillin and nutmeg. The tannins are smooth but will enable the wine to age for another four to seven years in the bottle.

The wine’s aromas can be described as a combination of black licorice, black cherries and red currants. On the palate the wine is medium to full bodied with medium tannins. The flavors are of cherries, toasted oak and a hint of sweet vanillin in the finish. The acidity is fairly firm for a wine of this weight, indicating that this wine will age for eight to ten years or more. I believe those of you familiar with our previous Blues Cuvee will notice the extra layer of complexity contributed by the addition of Malbec.

The wine has a beautiful, almost perfumey aroma, with hints of cassis and plums. On the palate, the wine is rich, has just a moderate trace of tannins, rich, succulent flavors and a long, complex finish accented with hints of toasty oak. This wine will benefit from 2 to 4 years of additional bottle aging. Enjoy with pork roast, prime rib and other savory meats.

The wine has the classic aromas of the Cabernet Franc grape. Sweet cherry aromas accented with hints of earthy tobacco and cedar. The wine is medium bodied with rich, complex flavors of cherries with a hint of sweet black licorice. Moderate tannins and balanced acidity will enable this wine to age gracefully for another two to four years in the bottle. This wine offers a complexity and depth of flavors comparable to wines costing much more.

The wine has the aromas of tropical fruit with hints of coconut milk and crème brulee. On the palate the wine has a rich creamy, oily texture followed by a long, crisp finish. The finish also has a slight toasty flavor. The wine displays a layered complexity which is the hallmark of superior Chardonnays.

A floral, spicy aroma with hints of spiced applesauce and hazelnuts announces the wine. On the palate, grapefruit-like flavors are just starting to emerge against the sharpness of crisp acidity. The lingering finish of fruit and a hint of toasted oak is enticing. Presently, there is a degree of leanness which will develop into richer, rounder fruit flavors and texture with six to eight months of additional bottle aging. The wine will continue to develop complexity and texture with an additional four to six years of cellaring. Enjoy with shellfish, ciopinno and sea bass dishes.

The wine has the aromas of poached pears covered with crème anglais, with hints of caramel and hazelnuts. On the palate the wine is medium to full-bodied with a rich, oily texture. The flavors are of pears with hints of butterscotch and butter on the finish. This wine would be best served very slightly chilled, and will peak within the next two years. Serve with scallops in white sauce, chicken, and fettuccine Alfredo, to name a few dishes.

The wine has floral, spicy, apple and straw aromas. On the palate the wine is rich, round and viscous with flavors of pears and roasted nuts. The wine also has a mineral quality accented by oak vanillin undertones. As with many Chardonnays from the cool Santa Rita Hills region, the wine has above average acidity, giving it a long crisp finish.

This vintage has the typical deep golden color that previous Mt. Carmel bottlings have displayed. The aromas can be described as hazelnuts, butter, oak vanillin, with hints of juniper. On the palate the wine has a medium body, with creamy, rich flavors of butterscotch, hazelnut and pralines. The finish is long and ends with a satisfying sweet note. The wine also has the characteristic mineral quality which is part of the Mt. Carmel identity. This wine will develop for another two to three years with careful cellaring. It is an excellent example of the melding of great California Chardonnay grapes with Burgundian winemaking techniques. Serve with lobster ravioli with white wine cream sauce, or a variety of seafood.

The wine has medium dark color. On the nose the wine has aromas of sweet, red currants, red licorice, cedar and a hint of mocha. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with moderate tannins and excellent acid balance. The wine is rich, silky and very complex. The finish is very long, and very complex, with an array of flavors and nuances swirling around your taste buds. The dusty tannins indicate that the wine would benefit from a decanting prior to serving. This wine will also benefit from additional bottle aging of four to seven years for enjoying at its’ peak of development. This is not a blockbuster style of Bordeaux blend, as produced by many North Coast wineries, but rather an elegant, finesse full and complex wine which will be a graceful accompaniment to meals.

This wine has the beautiful aroma of dark cherries with a hint of orange tea in the background. On the palate the wine has a rich, silky texture, with distinct flavors which meet a little resistance from moderate tannins. The tannins will dissipate with six to ten more months of bottle aging and allow the flavors to fully come forth. This is a perfect wine to chill slightly and serve with appetizers such as grilled vegetables and sausages, pâté, ripe figs and prosciutto to name a few. Although I believe that the wine’s charms are the most enjoyable now through early fall, I expect this wine to age for another two to five years in the bottle before the peak of maturity

Unlike my other red wines, Grenache elicits more fun responses from tasters which is perfectly understandable. The wine has exuberant cherry aromas with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate the wine is rich and soft initially, and then the silky tannins come forth, accentuated by acidity, leaving a dusty but long taste impression. With another six to twelve months of bottle aging the tannins will integrate with the flavors of the wine. You will notice that we have chosen to use plastic corks for this wine. This will reduce the incidence of cork taint to zero but will mean that the wine should be consumed within the next two years. This works perfect for a wine like Grenache which is enjoyed best when it is young. Chill slightly and serve with summer barbeques.

Our 2002 Hoo Doo Red continues to evolve and become a finer wine with each new vintage. The blend for our 2002 bottling is 53% Syrah and 47% Cabernet Franc from the same vineyards that produced our Syrah and Blues Cuvee bottlings. All the component wines were aged for an average of 16 months in a blend of French (75%) and American (25%) oak barrels. The wines were lightly fined in the barrels to remove any excess harsh tannins, and then blended a few weeks prior to being bottled. This wine has the power of fruit and moderate tannins that are not generally found in wines in this price range. The wine will benefit from three to five years of additional bottle age, if the consumer wishes to cellar a few bottles.

The 2000 Lusso marks the second and last year of experimentation with Italian red grapes for our winery. After this vintage it became clear to me that I was stretching myself in too many directions and it would be wise for me to reign in the number of varietals I will concentrate on

This 2000 Merlot will be our final bottling of this great varietal grape. In an effort to trim down our product line and also to concentrate on the new direction of our Blues Cuvee blend, in which Merlot plays an important role, also offering Merlot did not seem to make sense anymore. Those of you who have enjoyed and collected our Merlots in the past should have one more reason to savor and relish what few bottles you may have yet to open from your cellar. From this year forward, look for the Merlot grape to make its distinctive contribution to our Blues Cuvee blend.

Our wine is fermented at cool temperatures in a refrigerated tank for almost one month. After the wine is dry it is racked off the lees and allowed to settle again in another tank until it is prepared for filtration and bottling in late January. The result is a wine that has retained all of its’ wonderful delicate variety aromatics, and has fresh lively flavors and a crisp finish. This is a great summer wine but will also be a delightful accompaniment with dinner throughout the year.

The aromas of this wine can be described as spicy, smoky, with a hint of black licorice. On the palate the wine is rich, smooth, with complex layers of textures and flavors. This wine can be enjoyed in the near term but will also develop for another four to six years in the bottle. Because of the small production this wine will only be available through the winery. Only 105 cases produced.

It has been very rewarding to see that since the establishment of the Santa Rita Hills appellation there has been a great deal of positive press and consumer interest in the wines from this area. We’ve enjoyed great success with our vineyard designated Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noirs from our Estate vineyard – Fe Ciega, and wines from the Mt. Carmel and Sanford & Benedict Vineyards. I thought it would be very appealing to add a more affordable bottling of a Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. This inspired the blending of a small lot of wine from Fess Parker’s Ashley’s Vineyard with smaller amounts of wine from Fe Ciega and Mt. Carmel Vineyards for added complexity.

The wine has aromas of black cherries, cigar tobacco with a slightly herbal edge. On the palate, the wine is immediately rich, soft with silky smooth tannins and a long, viscous finish. The flavors are of black fruits with a hint of toasted oak in the background. This wine is very enjoyable now and will improve with no more than 1 to 2 years of additional bottle aging.

The aroma of the wine is smoky, spicy, with hints of red plums. On the palate the wine is medium bodied with elegant flavors and a silky texture with firm acidity. This wine will age for three to five additional years of bottling aging.

The wine is currently somewhat inhibited by the wines’ moderate tannins. The low crop level has concentrated the flavors and tannins of the wine. Allowing the wine to breathe in the glass for thirty minutes or so will enable the aromas and flavors to emerge.

The wine has an incredibly complex array of aromas. I perceive aromas of raspberries, cedar and orange tea. On the palate, the tannins are very well balanced resulting in a very smooth, satin-like texture. The flavors are of raspberries with a hint of cocoa in the background. The finish has a slight peppery flavor. This may be our most drinkable Syrah upon release that we have produced. It should continue to improve with another two to three years of bottle age. Serve with spicy Mediterranean dishes and grilled meats.

Visually, the wine exhibits a very deep dark color. The aromas are of black cherries with hints of lavender and thyme. On the palate the wine is rich on the entry, with dense flavors of black cherries and a hint of the flavor of walnuts. The wine has some chalky tannins at this point which will meld into the wine within two to four years of additional bottle aging. We are very pleased with this example of cooler climate Syrah. Serve with spicy Mediterranean dishes and grilled meats.

The wine has the aromas of red fruit and dark cherries, with hints of spice, smoke and pepper. On the palate the wine is moderately rich, with medium tannins and medium to high acidity. There is a persistent quality to the flavors. The wine has a sweet, slightly toasty, oaky finish. The wine is currently just overcoming bottle shock and will begin to reveal its full aromas and flavors within the next two to three months. I believe this wine will reach full maturity with another four to seven years of bottle again. Serve with pork, venison and other game meats.

Just in time for the Holidays and the perfect wine to sip during a cold winter's night, is our first ever Port! This Port was made from very ripe Syrah grapes that I received from Alisos Vineyard in 2003. These grapes came from the same area that produced the outstanding 2001 Alisos Vineyard - Syrah - Rex. Only one barrel of wine was made, so this also is very limited. It was bottled only in the smaller 375 ml. bottles. Only 53 cases of these half-bottles were produced.

The wine has a medium ruby color. The initial aroma I experience is one of green tea. After airing in the glass for a few minutes, I began to smell a mixture of coastal sage, cherries and a hint of toasted vanillin. On the palate the wine is medium bodied with flavors of cherries, and roasted walnuts. The wine has moderate tannins, indicating that it will benefit from decanting, if serving soon, and also further cellaring for four to seven more years. This wine will accompany choice cuts of beef, served with peppercorns and wine reduction sauces, and other hearty meals.