MOET AND CHANDON, “IMPERIAL” Epernay, Champagne, France, NV

The world’s most loved CHAMPAGNE!  The flagship of the Champagne house Moët & Chandon, "Impérial" is the most accomplished and universal expression of the house style and Champagne itself. It reflects both the diversity and similarities of the three champagne grapes and the richness of the region’s best vineyards to reveal the magic of the birthplace of sparkling wine!

• VIVACIOUS
• Apple
• Pear
• Yellow Peach
• Lemon
• Yeasty
• Delightful

Moët Impérial is an extremely accomplished assemblage of over 120 vineyards, in which the Pinots predominate for intensity and structure (35% to 40% Pinot Noir, 45% to 50% Pinot Meunier) with a hint (10%) of Chardonnay for freshness.  The synergy between fruit and yeast is revealed through maturation. The ageing process is almost twice as long as the legal requirement.  The use of 30% of carefully selected reserve wines complete the assemblage and enhance its harmony, complexity and consistency.  This wine has earned its success with substance and consistency.  Year in and year out it is a remarkable wine.

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CHARLES DE FERE, CUVÉE JEAN-LOUIS, Blanc de Blanc, Brut, France, NV

Jean-Louis Denois, a sixth generation Champenois from a well-established Champagne producing family.  He decided to create his own sparkling winery in 1981 in Fère-en-Tardenois, twenty miles outside of the Champagne appellation. Instead of being bound to grapes from one region as is the Champagne tradition and laws, he wanted the flexibility of using a variety of different grapes and purchasing the best grapes each year, believing that other regions had the potential to create sparkling wines of superb quality without being very expensive.  The Jean-Louis Cuvée is highly praised for it's quality and affordability.  Wine Enthusiast – 87 Points, Best Buy and Washington Post – Highly Recommended

• VIVACIOUS
• Bright 
• Fruity Aromas 
• Apples 
• Apricots 
• Hint of Honey 
• Smooth Finish

Charles de Fère wines are made using Chenin Blanc (40%), Ugni Blanc (20%) and various other grapes that change each year to ensure that our style remains consistent.  The grapes come from many of France’s exceptional wine growing regions: Loire Valley, Charentes, Burgundy, Gers, Languedoc and the PACA region (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur).

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Tempranillo, PEDERNALES, Texas

Tempranillo is Pedernales Cellars premier varietal and the heart of their winemaking efforts. In the early 1990s, Larry and Jeanine Kuhlken planted their first vineyard outside of Fredericksburg, Texas. They were pioneers as Hill Country grape growers with only a handful of wineries operating in Texas. It was also a time for experiments with different grapes varieties and viticultural practices. Over time, with carefully managed yields, and as the vines matured, the vineyard started producing consistently high quality fruit with bold, intense flavors.

• Rich Black Cherry
• Raspberry
• Earthy 
• Mineral 
• Spiciness 

This wine is made with fruit from the Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country, the wine was aged in French and American oak barrels. An excellent example of Pedernales Cellars making some of the best wine in the state. Their estate vineyard has expanded over the years and today consists of 17 acres mostly planted with hot weather varieties such as Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, Albarino, Monastrell (known as Mourvedre in French), Garnacha (Grenache in French) and small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Their plantings and winemaking style is natural for a boutique winery focused on making small lots of hand crafted wines.

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Claret, BECKER, Texas High Plains, Texas

"LES TROIS DAMES" has graced this label for years in honor of the matriarchs of grape growing in the Texas High Plains; Eunice Hunter, Laverne Newsom and Dorothy Cooper. This great trio of ladies have a state full of grateful Texas wine drinkers and wine makers indebted to them. It is them and their families who lead the states grape growing. Recognition of them from Becker Vineyards, one of our states most successful wineries, is a right and good thing.

• SUCCULENT and POWERFUL 
• Red and Black Berries 
• Raspberries 
• Chocolate 
• Spices 
• Vanilla 
• Oak 

CLARET blends should only contain varieties that are authorized for use in the red wines of the Bordeaux region of France. Currently, the varieties are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Carmenere is another permitted grape, but rarely used except in red wines from South American. The term Claret has no regulated meaning or legal status so it is best to investigate how each winery is using the term. In the United States, red wines labeled as ‘Meritage’ (www.meritagewine.org) can be included in the category of Clarets and the term ‘Meritage’ is regulated with a legal meaning.

For more on the Becker Claret visit; http://vintagetexas.com/blog/?s=Becker+Claret&searchsubmit=

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Shiraz, MESSINA HOF, “DOUBLE BARREL” Cedar Crest Vineyards, Texoma, Texas

The vines that grew these grapes are in The Cedar Crest Vineyard which was planted in 1988; making them twenty-one years old in 2009 when the grapes were harvested. This wine is an example of what can be made from fully mature vines in Texas! And, it is delicious! The vineyard is owned by the Lattimores (supporters of the Grayson College – local Enology and Viticulture programs). The elevation is at 619 feet with sandy-loam soil just 4 miles south of the Red River; the Oklahoma and Texas border, in the heart of the Texoma AVA.

• EXPRESSIVE
• Black Cherry
• Black Currant
• Juicy Cherry
• Ripe Blackberry
• Raspberry
• Charred Barrel
• Earthy
• Long Finish

The quality and character in this wine always makes me wonder why there are not many more GREAT Texas Shiraz? 90% Shiraz, 10% Cabernet Franc, 12 months in new French Oak and 12 months new American Oak.  Messina-Hoff Winery was established in 1983, Paul’s family from Messina, Sicily,  Merrill’s family from Hof, Germany. continuing a great family tradition of making great wines and sharing good times. A family and tradition that will continue with their son Paul Mitchell has just received a Wine making Certificate from the University of California, Davis extension program. Paul began apprenticing under his father, Paul V. Bonarrigo, as a child and teenager, and he grew up working in all of the areas of the winery. Read more at the Vintage Texas Blog.

And please reply to this blog;have you tried this Shiraz?

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Chardonnay, Rodney Strong, Sustainably Grown, Sonoma County, California

Place Matters.  An early pioneer in Sonoma County, Rodney Strong was an acknowledged visionary who understood the potential that Sonoma County’s soil and climate held for producing world-class wines. He was the first to craft a single-vineyard Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the first to plant Pinot Noir in Russian River Valley and the first to produce a Chalk Hill Chardonnay.  
“Place is not everything. But place is the most important thing.” – Tom Klein, Proprietor

• SUPPLE
• Brown Spice
• Vanilla
• Lemon
• Apple
• Toasty Barrel
• Pear
• Pineapple

From the west and southwestern regions of Sonoma County, ideal for growing chardonnay grapes.  The cool maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean arriving reliably in the form of fog each summer evening maintains the bright natural acidity that is key to the balance of any fine Chardonnay, while the warm summer afternoons ensure plenty of ripe fruit character. A combination of estate grown and locally farmed fruit, grown in the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Sonoma Coast appellations make this wine delicious.

And please reply to this blog;

have you tried this Chardonnay?

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Chardonnay, Rombauer, Carneros, Napa Valley, California

The Joy of Wine is written on every cork, it is their philosophy of wine and food.  Partly an homage to Koerner Rombauer's great aunt, Irma Rombauer, who wrote the now classic book; The Joy of Cooking, and partly Koerner's ancestors from the wine growing region of Reingau, Germany, where wine is considered an essential complement to a meal.  For the Rombauer Vinyards; The Joy of Wine is a family tradition. 

• SUPPLE
• Vibrant Tropical Fruit 
• Grapefruit
• Lime
• Cantaloupe
• Pineapple
• Vanilla
• Fig
• Apricot
• Richness

Just north of San Francisco is the cold San Pablo Bay famous for it's cold winds and thick fog.  On the north coast of San Pablo Bay is the appellation known as Los Carneros, Spanish for The Rams.  During the day, as the sun heats up the vineyards and mountainsides of Napa Valley to the north, the rising hot air draws cool air and fog from San Pablo Bay. The intrusion of fog over Carneros in the early afternoon moderates the vineyard temperatures, providing just the right conditions for growing cool-climate varietals with crisp acidity and moderate sugar levels. One of the best regions for growing Chardonnay.

And please reply to this blog;
have you tried this Chardonnay?

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Shiraz, Nugan , "Vision", Riverina, New South Wales, Australia

James Halliday, Australia’s most respected wine-writer praised Nugan Estate’s rise stating; “Nugan Estate has arrived on the scene like a whirlwind...”  The Nugan Estate is quickly becoming recognized as one of Australia’s rising stars in premium wine production.  Nugan Estate's wines are sourced from the family’s vineyards ensuring they benefit from being estate grown. The Nugan Estate owns 590 hectares of vineyards in Australia’s finest wine growing regions of Riverina in New South Wales, King Valley in Victoria and McLaren Vale in South Australia – making them the 18th largest vineyard holders in Australia. In addition, Nugan Estate sources premium quality grape from the renowned Coonawarra region of South Australia.

• EXPRESSIVE
• Ripe Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Spice
• Toasty Oak
• Elegant Tannins
• Earthy

Nugan Estate is a premium producer of estate grown wine based in Griffith, New South Wales.  It is part of the Nugan Group, which was founded in 1940 on fruit and vegetable packing and expanded in the 1970s into juice production – later becoming one of the largest exporters of niche juice products to Asia. This success resulted in our CEO, Michelle Nugan, being recognised as a Telstra Business Woman of the Year and Australian Export Hero.  In 1993 Nugan Group further diversified its operations planting vineyards and selling fruit under contract. From there, winemaking was a natural progression.  Today Nugan Estate is the 18th largest vineyard holder in Australia. In addition, Nugan Estate sources premium quality grape from the renowned Coonawarra region.  Family operated by Michelle, Matthew and Tiffany Nugan, Nugan Estate is one of Australia’s Top 20 Wine Exporters and is complemented by a premium wine portfolio, extra virgin olive oil and the award winning Griffith restaurant, Michelin.


And please reply to this blog;

have you tried this Shiraz?

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Cabernet Sauvignon, MOUNTAIN VIEW, Central Coast, California

“Some of the best values in the marketplace have come from Mountain View.  Smart consumers should be buying these wines.” –Robert Parker
50% Monterey grapes and 50% Northern Paso Robles grapes; excellent vineyard sources with talented and experienced wine making with American oak aging for 12 months, a little Merlot blended in (8%) was added for balanced juicy flavors; this is the most interesting and delicious wine at this price point.  

• POWERFUL 
• Berry Fruit 
• Black Cherry
• Cranberry,
• Cedar 
• Earthy Base Tones

From its inception, in 1978, Mountain View winery has forged strong relationships with growers in order to produce reasonably priced wines of superior quality. With growers located in regions that offer strong varietal character and exceptional value, including Monterey, Amador, Carneros, Lake County and the Central Coast. Mountain View Vintners are committed to the pursuit of ecologically sound practices whenever and wherever possible in the production process of premium quality varietal wines. In the Monterey and the Central Coast vineyards their growers have adopted sustainable farming methods and are happy to report environmentally sensitive results along with quality and economic benefits from the changes to "let the 'green' soil do its job naturally" have been realized. Their packaging is also “green” oriented as all glass bottles are produced with 75% recycled glass and our cases are made from 85% post-consumer recycled paper. And, the label printer, Galaxy Press, was the first printer in Northern California to achieve “green” certification and all labels are made from water based products so that they are biodegradable. Quality and substance is what we find in every bottle of wine from the Mountain View Vintners.

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