A Connoisseur’s Cellar, Part 8: American Classics to Avant Garde
Part 8 takes us through the Connoisseur's domestic collection, which is an impressive mix of classics like Dunn, Ridge, Corison, Mayacamas, and Eyrie, as well as well-priced gems from trailblazers of the New Californian ilk, with a bit of everything in between. Ariana Rolich
An Important Note:
These wines are in professional-quality wine storage, and we’ve just spent 3 days there inspecting every bottle in the cellar. Because of the large volume of wines they are not available for quick delivery - we can’t bring them back to the store at one time, but we expect to take them in here over the next couple of weeks. Please inquire if you have any questions about this.
Arnot-Roberts 2011 Santa Cruz Mountains Fellom Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
**This wine is in the warehouse and will not be available for pick-up or delivery until after Labor Day.** Fellom Ranch's Cabernet is planted at 2200 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountains' Montebello Ridge on unique soils of Franciscan chert, sandy loam, clay, and Serpentinite. This is the most powerful of Arnot-Roberts' three Cabernets, boasting dark berries, cedar spice, thyme, and orange oil on the nose and broad, concentrated flavors of cassis, red plums, sweet tobacco smoke, and a long, dark, earthy finish. Only 6.5 barrels were produced.
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Out of Stock
- red
- 0 in stock
- $74.99
Division 2015 Washington Chenin Blanc L'Isle Verte
*This wine is in the warehouse and will not be available for pick-up or delivery until after Labor Day.* Kate Morris and Tom Monroe spent some time working for wineries in the Loire Valley; you could say this is their domestic Chenin Blanc love letter from previous travels there. From vines planted in the 70’s in the Willard Vineyard in Yakima, Washington, this wine impresses with ripe yellow peach, apricot, and quince flavors. The palate is sustained by bright acidity, and finishes with lush undertones of orange marmalade and honeysuckle.
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Out of Stock
- white
- 0 in stock
- $19.99
La Clarine Farm 2012 Sierra Foothills Josephine + Mariposa Grenache Mourvèdre
Josephine + Mariposa comes from a unique and expressive vineyard of gravelly loam over yellow slate, planted to head-trained Grenache and Mourvedre. The folks at La Clarine Farm were surprised by how similar the two varieties' aromas and flavors appeared during and after fermentation (indicating that a distinct terroir was shining through). Energizing aromas of sour cherry, citrus oils, peonies, and purple grape skins; the palate is bigger-boned than the other La Clarine reds, with sturdy tannins, sumptuous black fruit, raspberries, brambly black currant, and a broad, stoney mineral tone. AR
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Out of Stock
- red
- 0 in stock
- $19.99
La Clarine Farm 2012 Sierra Foothills White No. 1
A blend of Viognier (47%), Marsanne (41%), and Petit Manseng (18%), the Marsanne spent 24 hours on its skins before being pressed and the Petit Manseng took until May of 2013 to fully ferment. The result is cloudy and unfiltered in appearance but nevertheless crisp and refreshing. Bursting with aromatic mountain flowers and chamomile, this is round, gingery, and held aloft with delicate acids. A complex apéritif, a late summer sipper, and a perfect foil for sheep's milk cheeses. JK
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Out of Stock
- white
- 0 in stock
- $19.99
La Clarine Farm 2012 Sierra Foothills Piedi Grandi
La Clarine Farm’s wines are a fantastic example of how California’s wines can be both fresh and complex at the same time. Winemaker Hank Beckmeyer spotted a plot of Nebbiolo grown on volcanic soil beside a vineyard that he sources Syrah from. Some grapes were purchased, but the resulting wine did not impress. Hank drew inspiration from a biography of John Cage and his methodology of using chance and chaos to compose music, and he decided to use a similar strategy through flipping coins to construct a blend of the Nebbiolo with Mourvedre and Syrah. The resulting wine holds some of Nebbiolo’s floral aromatics and tannic grip with a bit bright, raspberry fruit and touch of earthy tar. Enjoy with all of your American/Italian favorites. John Rankin
Only La Clarine Farm could pull off a fresh and interesting blend of Nebbiolo and Mourvèdre (with a splash of Syrah and Sémillon) like Piedi Grandi! Sun-kissed strawberry plants, red currant, and orange spice on the nose, with a light and pleasing palate of wild cherry blossoms, intense acidity, and hints of damp, herbal earth. Ariana Rolich
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Out of Stock
- red
- 0 in stock
- $24.99
La Clarine Farm 2015 Sierra Foothills Cedarville Cedarville Vineyard Mourvedre
While working in the music business in Germany, Hank Beckmeyer and his French wife, Caroline Hoel, caught the wine bug while traveling throughout Europe. They later moved to the United States and purchased a property in California’s Sierra Foothills in 2001. La Clarine Farm’s winemaking approach is minimalist: neither industrial yeasts, sulfur dioxide, nor new oak are used in the cellar. Cedarville Vineyard is organically farmed, lies upon a south-facing exposure on decomposed granite soils, similar to those in the Northern Rhone. With a lithe and sinewy texture, this Mourvedre impresses with dried black cherry and dark brambly fruit flavors, as well as licorice and sous bois undertones. Jonas Mendoza
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Out of Stock
- red
- 0 in stock
- $29.99
