07 Virage (Napa Valley): Definitely one to watch; big, succulent & spicy Cab Franc from (mostly) Carneros coming your way in Oct 2010 $45 B+ # 07 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard (Napa Valley): About as superb (& pricey) as it gets in the Valley. Beguiling. $265 A # 07 Araujo Estate Syrah Eisele…
Month: July 2010
Context Is Everything: Araujo Estate vs. “The Score”
Bart Araujo is an intense man. It’s obvious when you meet him, if you’re paying enough attention. And you’d have plenty of opportunity to pay attention during a visit to his Araujo estate, which for me began not in the vineyard, but in the winery’s offices. We were standing in front of empty bottles of…
1WineDude TV: Candid Conversations With Napa’s Next Gen Winemakers
What do you get when you gather five young, “next-generation” Napa vintners around a table and talk shop? Besides “buzzed on some really good juice,” I mean? Essentially, that’s the question I was hoping to answer when I worked with the Napa Valley Vintner’s Association to set-up a round-table discussion with some of Napa’s best…
1WineDude TV Episode 15: Underground Wine Road at Benziger
Although the term terroir gets tossed around like confetti at an Italian wedding these days, there are several (mostly family-owned and –operated) wine properties in Napa and Sonoma that are taking the idea seriously. One such property is Benziger, who biodynamically farm grapes and make wine in a beautiful section of Sonoma County. So much…