2016 Gracenote Edna Valley Pinot Noir
For the 2016 Gracenote Pinot Noir, Winemaker Reed Renaudin selected grapes from the Edna Valley area of California's Central Coast, a region long acclaimed for its prize-winning Pinots. Edna Valley's western entrance is just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, providing for a long and cool growing season that's exceptional for growing Pinot Noir grapes. The wine is perfectly balanced, nicely concentrated and both floral and fruitful. Savor this deliciously delicate Pinot Noir stunner before it's all gone!
2015 Mariposa Madera Blanco Fresco
The refreshing and delightful 2015 'Blanco Fresco' is comprised of fruit selected from vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, Central Coast and Coastal Valley. It's an artful blend of four varieties whose historic homes can be traced to France's Rhone Valley: Rousanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc. It's a Rhone inspired wine that pairs beautifully with lighter fare, or can be chilled and savored on a hot summer day.
2015 Il Bello Puglia, Italy Sangiovese
Puglia is an incredibly unique region because of its dry heat that's phenomenal for growing olives and grapes. Those high air temperatures are moderated by cool breezes off the Mediterranean, providing evening and overnight "relief" to the grapevines during the growing season. That's how they're able to produce perfectly ripened grapes that the local vintners use to make arrestingly expressive wines. The 2015 Il Bello is such a wine. Crafted from Puglia-grown Sangiovese grapes, it's a bright and delicious expression of quality Italian winemaking craftsmanship and Puglia's extraordinary setting for producing world-class wines.
2016 Maison des Jardins Coteaux de Bessilles, France Carignan
Many times, an exceptional wine is born from exceptional inspiration and the 2016 Maison one such wine. Carignan was once a component of the red blends of Spain's Rioja region. With their somewhat rough tannins, they brought body and aging potential to those blends. However, when crafted as a single-variety wine or the main component of a blend, Carignan's tannins need to be "tamed" to some degree, and that is accomplished through the cellar process of carbonic maceration. Maison des Jardins utilized that process to soften the 2016 vintage of its Carignan, and the results are mind-blowingly delicious. Not only is the wine ready to drink now, but it's a rich and fruit-driven elixir that's easy to love.
2016 Scoperta Puglia, Italy Falanghina
The Falanghina is an ancient grape that has endured through the centuries, but it wasn't until recently that Falanghina has enjoyed a cult-like fandom for its uniquely satisfying tropical and honeysuckle notes, and Scorpeta makes an outstanding rendition of the variety - rich, soft, floral and bright. It's a wine deserving of a special place in the history of Italian wine.
2016 Quail Hollow Winery Clarksburg, California Chenin Blanc
The same unparalleled cooling breezes from San Francisco Bay that influence the Napa and Sonoma valleys ensure a slow, even growing season in Clarksburg, placing the appellation among California's premier winegrowing regions. In fact, many of the most renowned winemakers in Napa and Sonoma have been coming to Clarksburg to buy their wine grapes since the 1970s. That's especially true of Chenin Blanc, a variety that takes particularly well to the Clarksburg microclimate. Quail Hollow Winery produces a stunning rendition of the variety, one that is crisp, clean and brimming with engaging fruit and nut flavors.