2012 Coruce Semillon - Wine of the Day

 2012 Coruce Semillon

$20

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2012 Coruce Semillon: This Antelope Valley wine is comprised of 90% Semillon and 5% Chardonnay and 5% Viognier. Whole cluster pressed and settled for 3 days and then racked off its solids. Cold fermented for 30 days in stainless steel tanks and then racked off its lees. The wine was then aged for 9 months in 4 year old French oak barrels.

This wine has a combination of aromas and flavors of apple, pear and fig with a touch of saffron spice and grass. Slightly round in style yet finishes with hints of tart lemongrass. Serve cold.

2010 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay - Wine of the Day

 2010 Calstar Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay

$35

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Straw colored, with aromas of baked apple, Meyer lemon and buttered pastries.  A great balance between bright, ripe apple and pear and toasted wheat.  Opulent and round on the palate, yeasty richness is followed up by baked pear, lemon curd and sweet oak.  The finish is carried through by honeyed fruits – apple, quince and pears- with a subtle spice of vanilla and clove.  Nuanced and luxurious.

The Sonoma Coast is a renowned growing region known for its cool microclimates that contribute to slow grape maturation and optimum ripeness.  The well respected and highly sought after Sangiacomo Vineyard produces a rich, palette-driven Chardonnay with great texture and nuance.

The Roberts Road Vineyard, located at the northern end of the Petaluma Gap with cobbled alluvial soil and bench deposits, has proven itself to be the ideal location influenced by morning fog, warm days and strong afternoon winds leaving the grapes plenty of hang time and development of distinct flavors.

2010 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard - Wine of the Day

2010 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

$135

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Packed with intensity, Anthem's first vintage from this famous Beckstoffer vineyards in St. Helena could not be a stronger introduction. On the nose, the 2010 Las Piedras is all dark fruits with loads of blackberries, black cherries and lingering hint of espresso bean. The palate is plush and full weight with more dark fruit, espresso bean, dark chocolate, mint, and a touch of sweet oak, as well as incredible length and complexity. Although very enjoyable now, this Cabernet will peak in 5-10 years and will continue to age and evolve well beyond that. 

2012 Ryan Cochrane Wines Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley "Solomon Hills Vineyard" - Wine of the Day

 2012 Ryan Cochrane Wines Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley "Solomon Hills Vineyard"

$43

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Solomon Hills Vineyard is located about seven miles from the ocean just outside the city of Orcutt in Santa Barbara County. The maritime influence combined with ocean floor sandy loam soil results in wines with bright fruit, good balance, crisp acidity and what is known as "Santa Maria spice". The lively nose jumps out of the glass, revealing a tightly-knit profile of fresh cherries, strawberries, hazelnuts, spice cake, violet and rose petal. The smooth, silky, light-bodied mouthfeel delivers notes of firm red strawberry, raspberry and cherry mixed with dashes of currant, caramelized orange peel, saddle leather, vanilla and gingerbread cookies. Delicate tannins transition to a sparkle of acidity on the finish. Beware...this wine goes down a little too easy.

2012 Oak Cliff Amber View Petite Sirah - Wine of the Day

2012 Oak Cliff Amber View Petite Sirah

$38

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A new release of the Petite Sirah varietal - this one from Northern Lake County. Deep purple in color with big nose of lavender, bacon and chocolate, this blockbuster offers a mouthful of boysenberries, blueberries and blackberries.  Stands up well to pork, game or beef, but soft enough to pair with chocolate or mixed berries.  This is a beautiful wine with lamb, wild boar, venison or virtually any savory game, Moroccan lamb tagine, chicken mole', strong cheese like stilton or camembert and even dark chocolates. 

2014 Essere Franco Sauvignon Blanc - Wine of the Day

2014 Essere Franco Sauvignon Blanc

$35

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The fruit for the 2014 Essere Franco Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Las Cerezas Vineyard in Napa Valley's Yountville viticultural area.  Aged 12 months in 80% new French Oak, this wine maintains a crisp acidic edge with a medium body. With fruit flavors of green apple and passion fruit, and a flowery peach nose, our Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for your afternoon picnic. Best served with grilled fish or white meats especially if prepared with a creamy sauce with spring vegetables.  

2013 Calstar Russian River Valley Pinot Noir - Wine of the Day

 2013 Calstar Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

$30

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Bright ruby violet, the wine leads with juicy fruit on the nose: cranberry, raspberry and pomegranate.  Notes of dark, unsweetened chocolate, bay leaf and sweet baking spices round out the profile.  In the mouth, the light body is carried by ripe, big red fruit notes that follow the aromas.  There is an impression of sweetness from the cola and vanilla notes but the wine is totally dry.  A long, juicy finish of strawberry, coffee and cherry rounds out the wine and brings the fruit into balance.

2013 Agnitio Pinot Noir Sun Chase Vineyard - Wine of the Day

 2013 Agnitio Pinot Noir Sun Chase Vineyard

$60

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The 2013 growing season was early, even and all-around excellent. A warm, dry spring brought early bud break, helped with canopy vigor and berry size, and created ideal conditions for flowering and fruit set under sunny skies. With the exception of one heat spike in late June and early July, temperatures were consistently in the zone for optimal vine activity, resulting in notably healthy vines as fruit went through veraison and began to ripen. This vintage gave us the extraordinary gift to pick what we wanted, when we wanted.

The 2013 Sun Chase Pinot Noir is our inaugural release of Pinot Noir. An incredibly vibrant wine, the aromas are complex and rich. Plums, black cherries, blackberries and flowers all jump from the glass, finishing with notes of cloves and sweet tobacco. This Pinot Noir has great structure and a strong backbone, with balanced mouthwatering acidity, soft tannins, and a long finish. This is definitely a wine to hold on to for a few years.

2013 Oak Cliff Cellars Wild Diamond Mourvedre - Wine of the Day

 2013 Oak Cliff Cellars Wild Diamond Mourvedre

$32

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Mourvedre is a grape native to Southern Rhone and typically found in Rhone blends, but rarely bottled as a single varietal. Our distinctive single varietal Mourvedre is a soft red perfumed wine with subtle flavors of blackberries and violets, a hint of clove and a dusty finish. Although this wine is a lighter style red, the fruit is bright with a surprisingly substantial mid-palate of fruit, making it a very versatile wine for a wide spectrum of foods – fish, pork, poultry and even desserts with berries.

The grapes in this wine all come from the Wild Diamond Vineyard in southern Lake County. At an elevation of 2,200 ft., this vineyard sits high above the fog line, with 5 – 6 hours of direct sunlight daily and then cooled by Pacific breezes at night coming across the Mendocino wind gap. Its red loamy soil is the result of ancient pre-civilization floods and contains rich nutrients that contribute to the density, acidity and color of these grapes.

V. Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon - Wine of the Day

 V. Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

$78

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The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% barrel fermented and barrel aged for 29 months in 80% new French Oak. A variety of cooperages were featured including Tonnellerie Ermitage, Taransaud, Tonnellerie Vicard, Tonnellerie Baron and others. The alcohol content is 14.3%.

Deep dark cranberry with hints of velvety red and purple, this wine is like an explosion of fruit like strawberries, cassis with touches of spices like basil, tarragon, tomato sauce lingering on Vanilla, cherry and pumpkin bread.  The mouthfeel has a soft velvety entrance evolving on tannins with soft dense fruit like black cherries, boysenberries lingering on plums, lavender and lilac.  

2014 Troon Black Label Vermentino, Applegate Valley - Wine of the Day

2014 Troon Black Label Vermentino, Applegate Valley

$29

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What a difference, keeping part of the 2014 Vermentino in barrels for a year. Aromas of wild cherry and blood orange, lightly pan roasted hazelnuts, gingersnaps and lemon blossoms. With deeper flavors of  marzipan, lemon tart and almond croissant. Bright and beautiful freshness of acidity, and finishing with a classic ripe apricot fatness stretching out the finish for hours and hours. One of the finest white wines ever produced at Troon Vineyard and on par with the finest vermentinos made anywhere in the world.

Rich and full on the palate, while still maintaining bright, refreshing acidity. The aromas and flavors flirt with hazelnuts and crisp fresh of the tree pears. The finish is long and complex. A perfect match for seafood and light pasta dishes.

2013 Playground Cellars Paso Robles Tempranillo - Wine of the Day

2013 Playground Cellars Paso Robles Tempranillo

$27

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Like our Howell Mountain Cab, we were at the right place at the right time. Through our connections we were able to stumble across enough for two barrels of this remarkable 100% Tempranillo that speaks to what Tempranillo is all about.

Vanilla cola swirls with cinnamon and allspice to blend into a burst of cherry and gold raspberry. The faint cedar and baking chocolate balances the fruit for a well-balanced finish of acid and tannins.

2013 Essere Franco Malbec - Wine of the Day

 2013 Essere Franco Malbec

$95

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The fruit for this delicious wine was sourced from the Las Cerezas Vineyard in the Yountville AVA of Napa Valley.  Aged 18 months in 80% new French Oak, this medium to full bodied wine has flavors of dark berry and chocolate, with a touch of black pepper. It carries a crisp acidity with ripe plum aromas on the nose. It pairs incredible with Italian foods, and has quickly become our favorite wine to make since we bottled our first stand alone Malbec in 2007.

Only 116 cases produced

2014 Omen Sierra Foothills Red Blend - Wine of the Day

 2014 Omen Sierra Foothills Red Blend

$20

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Omen, Red Blend is an explosion of flavors and intensity. From spices to cassis and dark cherry notes, the complexity of the blend transcends into subtle notes of leather and dark chocolate. The mouth feel is rich with luscious and elegant tannins. A very bold and powerful wine that is still approachable and balanced. 

Omen is great with steak, ribs, and duck. Any kind of barbecue will be complemented well by this wine. One of my favorites is a charcoal baked camembert with herb crackers as an appetizer. For dessert, I highly recommend a dark chocolate torte. Bon appetite! 

In order to create the complex foundation of Omen, we work with a vibrant community of distinguished vineyards across the Sierra Foothills. Each block has been fermented separately to be able to preserve the single characteristics of the variety and the vineyard. The blend is then created and aged in 30% new oak for 8 months. 

GV Cellars 2013 Queensland Solano County Green Valley - Wine of the Day

GV Cellars 2013 Queensland Solano County Green Valley

$29.96

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This estate blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Syrah - or Shiraz as the Aussies call it - has medium tannins and a robust structure. With a rustic nose of wet red bricks and a finish of graphite and currents, this southern hemisphere-styled wine will be a favorite with bolder dishes of lamb or beef.

2013 Coruce Chardonnay - Wine of the Day

2013 Coruce Chardonnay

$23.95

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The wine is comprised of 95% Chardonnay, 3% Viognier and 2% Semillion.  Whole cluster pressed and settled for 3 days and then racked off the solids.  Cold fermented for 26 days in stainless steel tanks and racked off the lees and aged for 12 months in 3 year old French oak barrels.

The wine has a combination of flavors and aromas of hazelnut, pear, green apple and pineapple with a lingering toasty finish.  Nice acidity

Howell Mountain - Wine of the Day

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Howell Mountain received its designation as an AVA in 1983, and is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA. Howell Mountain is located on 14,000 acres in the Vaca Range on the northeast side of Napa Valley. Most vineyards on the Howell Mountain are planted between 1,400 feet and 2,200 feet placing them above the fog and cool winds from San Pablo Bay. The soil in the appellation is volcanic with good drainage, causing the vines to struggle and place all of their efforts into the fruit. The region is known for Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel.

2014 Troon Black Label Syrah Reserve, Applegate Valley - Wine of the Day

2014 Troon Black Label Syrah Reserve, Applegate Valley

$50

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It is stunning that a wine can be concentrated, yet light on its feet. Applegate Valley Syrah reminds of the wines of the northern Rhône in the way in blends power and elegance. Floral and spiced on the the nose with tart black pepper aromatics and butcher shop flavors. While this wine can be cellared for a decade it is enticing enough to drink tonight. Perfect with prime rib or grilled pork chops.

2011 Petrified Forest Cabernet Sauvignon - Wine of the Day

 2011 Petrified Forest Cabernet Sauvignon

$48

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"Aromas of black cherry, pepper, cola, and toasty oak.  Rich and silky texture with firm but yielding tannins.  The blackberry and black cherry fruit is complemented by the spice, pepper, and oak notes.  Drinking nicely now, but will age well for 10 years or more."  Leigh Meyering, winemaker (January, 2014).

2013 Oak Cliff Cellars Wild Diamond Syrah - Wine of the Day

 2013 Oak Cliff Cellars Wild Diamond Syrah

$45

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Syrah is known as the king of Rhone: single varietal for northern Rhone red wines and one of three primary grapes for the blends from southern Rhone. As a softer alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah still is known for its thick skin and big tannins, resulting in wines that are age-worthy and stand up to heartier dishes. This Syrah is elegance in the glass, with predominant notes of blackberry and black pepper and hints of anise, earth and leather.

The grapes in this wine all come from the Wild Diamond Vineyard in southern Lake County. At an elevation of 2,200 ft., this vineyard sits high above the fog line, with 5 – 6 hours of direct sunlight daily and then cooled by Pacific breezes at night coming across the Mendocino wind gap. Its red loamy soil is the result of ancient pre-civilization floods and contains rich nutrients that contribute to the density, acidity and color of these grapes.