2010 Pride Merlot

  $59.99

In 2010, harvest ranged from October 18th for our earliest block of Merlot to November 6th for the latest, with the majority picked during the last eight days of October. The final blend incorporates 10% cabernet sauvignon from our Rock Arch and Carolyn's vineyard blocks. This wine is not shy: heady notes of bright blue fruit burst forth before even lifting the glass. Blueberry, blackberry and dark black cherry notes saturate the palate, revealing a thick, dense wine with plenty of stuffing and a bit more weight and extraction than our lovely 2009. Merlot is a grape variety prone to "shatter," or incomplete pollination of its flowers, which is something that actually helps with concentration in the finished wine due to the enhanced exposure of the grape skins to the sun and air. A light shatter in 2010 due to spring rains, combined with some additional mid-season crop thinning once the shoots stopped growing, made a lighter-than-average crop that was able to ripen to perfection.

 

  $58.79

GHOST BLOCK NAPA CABERNET 2010

Winemaker Notes from Rob Lawson:

2010 was a late, challenging and wet vintage (depending on when you picked). A lot of qualitative decisions were made throughout harvest resulting in excellent quality.

Tasting Notes:

The 2010 exhibits the typical distinctive flavors of Ghost Block and the Rock Cairn vineyard. Finesse oriented with an elegant balance and structure. Bright floral aromatics, such as rose petals and tobacco. A full-bodied cabernet that attacks with loads of dark berry fruits, cocoa and nutmeg. The palate is supported by the lasting finish of black cherries and coffee.

• Varietal Content: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Alcoholic Content: 14.5%
• Total Acidity: .59
• pH: 3.99
• Cooperage: Aged 24 months in French Oak, 60% new
• Release Information: 6,000 six bottle packs, May 1, 2013

 

 

Breca Garnacha 2010, Grenache Wine  $15.19

Origin: Spain - Spain

Characteristics: Oh lord! This is a dark horse of a black red wine –I might mistake this beast as an elegant Port for its cavalcade of deep, dark, ripe fruit plum and cherry fruit, brown spices, floral fragrance, and then the palate. Ripe and round like ripe plums whose sweet flesh are thrown into relief by their tart and zippy skins and yet for all its density this is still dynamic and engaging, alive and flexing. This is enormous. 15.5% Wine review by Nicholas Livingston, January 2013

Expert Review Wine Advocate, October, 2012 94 Points - "The estate’s oldest vines are utilized for the 2010 Breca, also 100% Garnacha from vines that were planted between 1925 and 1945 in decomposed slate and gravelly clay soils. Yields were less than one ton of fruit per acre, and the wine was aged in old large French oak foudres. This is an amazing terroir of steep hillsides and ancient head-pruned vines. Black raspberry, truffle, kirsch, lavender and liquid rock-like characteristics emerge from this astonishing wine. Frankly, I was at a loss for words when I tasted it. It may be the most amazing wine I have ever tasted at this price in over three decades. The wine world is changing, and Jorge Ordonez and his associates deserve a huge amount of credit for producing something this remarkable at this price point. Consumers should fill their trunks with these beauties. Just when you think you’ve tasted the wine world’s greatest values, along comes the Bodegas Breca. Founded in 2005 by Jorge Ordonez, this bodegas has 650 acres, mostly old vine Grenache vineyards planted on hillsides at an altitude of 2,850 to 3,000 feet. All the vines were planted between 1925 and 1968, and yields average between 0.4 and one ton of fruit per acre." - wine review by Robert Parker

CIRRUS SYRAH 2003

Retail $55.29

As Jean Engelbrecht gained knowledge and an understanding of California wine, and in particular those from Napa, he was drawn to the wines of Silver Oak Cellars, their philosophy and the focused way they ran their operation. Drawing a parallel to his own family estate in South Africa, Rust en Vrede, he noted that both wineries focused on producing only red wine, and even further, concentrating on a specific wine – Cabernet Sauvignon for Silver Oak and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Merlot for Rust en Vrede.
Inevitably Jean met Ray Duncan, proprietor of Silver Oak, and a friendship was formed which included visits to both continents. The synergy that developed between the two families, their mutual love for wine, and the challenge to produce a wine together, led to the formation of The Cirrus Wine Company. In 2004 Jean’s longtime friend and business partner, Ernie Els, became part of this exciting venture that was now formed between the three families.
As the wine was to be produced in South Africa, it was a natural decision to produce a Syrah. The view taken by the partners was one of starting off small, and to ensure that the venture was laying a strong and solid foundation for the future. As it turned out, their maiden vintage, 2003, was a great vintage in South Africa and the result is one that all involved are extremely excited about. This wine is the expression of the long-term view between three families that believe wine, above all should bring people together.

Vinification / Maturation:This wine was matured for 18 months in a combination of new French and American 300 l barrels.
This wine:Appearance: Inky black
Bouquet: Savoury aromas reminiscent of the Rhone Region make the initial impression. Cinnamon spice and violets emerge as the wine opens up. The fruit component is made up of dark fruit aromas. Hint of perfume.
Palate: The structure of the wine on the palate is the outstanding component. A delightful thickness in the mouth, well-defined velvety tannins, leading into a lingering finish. Pleasing vanilla spice notes and blackcurrant fruit on the mid-palate.
Impression: Leaning very much toward a Rhone Style of Syrah, this wine is bold and expansive. It certainly makes a powerful statement.
Grape Variety: Syrah 97%/ 3% Viognier Vintage: 2003Origin: Coastal RegionWinemaker: Louis StrydomAnalysis: Alcohol on label: 14,5 vol%Acidity: 6.8 g/lpH: 3.67Res Sugar: 2,9 g/l