2014 Essere Franco Chardonnay
$50
This full bodied Chardonnay is a true expression of Coombsville, specifically the Berry Lane Vineyard, with it’s layered complexity and soft yet sophisticated tannic structure. You will taste light vanilla notes and stone fruits on the nose followed by a creamy hazelnut finish. Aged 12 months in 80% new French oak.
Only 70 cases produced!
This wine hails from a single vineyard, the Reverence Vineyard in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley. Aged 18 months in 80% new French Oak. With aromatics of black cherry and dried tobacco leaf, this wine will jump out of the glass as you taste its complexity with firm and silky tannins. A big bodied Napa Valley Cabernet with an elegant finish.
Only 87 cases produced.
Photo of the Spring Mountain District by David Toomey for Qorkz.
The Spring Mountain District gained AVA status in 1993, and is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA. Located on 8,600 acres, the appellation sits on steep terraces of the Mayacamas Mountains that separate Napa Valley from Sonoma Valley. Elevations on the mountain range from 400 feet to 2,600 feet above sea level. The region contains mostly residual upland soils with only a few areas of alluvial soils at the lower elevations. The soils are derived almost equally from sandstone and Sonoma volcanic formations which are predominately composed of Andesite. This mix of sedimentary and volcanic rocky soils distinguishes the region from adjacent mountain areas. Spring Mountain is the coldest appellation in the Napa Valley. In the height of growing season, strong cold winds and low lying fog permeates the region. The vast majority of the wine produced in the Spring Mountain District is Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Zinfandel.
Dried sage and toasty oak nose with hints of dark fruit and blackberry preserve over dark baking chocolate and currants. Its structure is complete with an earthy complexity and a long finish. A pleasant reminder of why Napa Cab is king.
The grapes for the 2012 Counter Punch Merlot were hand-harvested on September 28, 2012 from the Los Carneros AVA of Napa Valley at 24.0 Brix. "Classic" and "Perfect" are just two accolades being bestowed upon the 2012 Napa Valley growing season and harvest. Textbook conditions saw near-ideal spring bud break, steady flowering, even fruit set, and a lengthy stretch of warm days and cool and often foggy nights during the long summer months. Late and light rains held off until the grapes found optimal ripeness, bringing exceptional quality to the crush pad and into the cellar.
The fruit arrived at the winery in small 1/2 ton bins where destemming and hand-sorting occurred. Fermentation proceeded in a small bin for eight days. The free-run was transferred directly into neutral barrels for settling. After settling, the young wine was racked from the neutral barrels into new American oak barrels (from trees grown in Minnesota) where it aged for an additional year. The wine was polish filtered and bottled in April 2014.
Photo of the Mount Veeder wine region by David Toomey for Qorkz.
Mount Veeder received its designation as an AVA in 1993 and is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA. Located on 15,000 acres in the Mayacamas Mountains, the steep mountain face gives the vines the benefits of more direct sunlight and better drainage. Mount Veeder has high elevation and volcanic soil that imparts the region's distinctive flavor characteristics of eucalyptus, herbs, and florals. Given its proximity to the Los Carneros region, Mount Veeder benefits from the cool fog and ocean breezes off the San Pablo Bay. The cool and moderate climate on Mount Veeder extends the growing season and produced fruit that is well rounded and balanced in its acidity. The region is known for producing Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Viognier, and Zinfandel.
Photo of the Diamond Mountain District by David Toomey for Qorkz.
The Diamond Mountain District received its AVA designation in 2001. The region sits on 5,000 acres and is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA. Located in the Mayacamas Mountains, Diamond Mountain's unique feature is its higher elevation than most of the growing regions in Napa Valley. The higher elevation allows the vines to sit above the fog line and receive a few extended hours of direct sunlight daily. The soil is volcanic, porous, and well draining which forces the vines to struggle and put all of their efforts into the fruit. Given the warm sunny days and cool nightly breezes, the area has a significant diurnal temperature variation. The region is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Coombsville photo by David Toomey for Qorkz
Coombsville received its designation as an AVA in 2011. Situated on 11,000 acres, Coombsville is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA. Coombsville ranges in elevation from near sea level at the Napa River on the west to 1,900 feet at the ridge of the Vaca Mountain Range. The Coombsville soils consist of rock, gravel and, some areas are layered with volcanic ash generated from the slow erosion of nearby Mount George. Proximity to San Pablo Bay contributes cooling effects of marine air and fog occurring almost daily during the growing season, maintaining a constant cool temperature to offset the warm daily sun. This allows for a longer growing season than other Napa Valley growing regions and allows the fruit the time on the vine required to develop a strong balance of tannin and acidity. Like most of Napa Valley, the region is dominated by the production of Cabernet Sauvignon, but also produces Chardonnay, Syrah, and Pinot Noir.
This Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and concentrated with well-defined acidity and lush tannins. Dark cherry, currant, and blackberry abound in the aroma, followed by a chocolate, herbal flavor profile wrapped in cassis and black cherry. The blend of vibrant fruit and earthy notes are made complete with a long finish and smooth, lingering tannins. This wine is amazingly approachable now and will age gracefully for a solid 10+ years.
Photo of Solano County Green Valley by David Toomey for Qorkz
The Solano County Green Valley AVA received its designation as an AVA in 1982 and is located on a four-mile stretch of Solano County, California. Situated to the south of the Napa Valley AVA, Green Valley is greatly affected by neighboring San Pablo Bay. Due to its proximity to the Bay, the soils of the AVA are sandy and alluvial in nature and are considered very well draining. The climate is dominated by bright sunny days with the cool breezes and fog coming off of San Pablo Bay in the mornings and evenings. The area is known for its production of Merlot and Syrah.
Our 2012 'Truchard Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Carneros region of Napa Valleybegins with leather and smoke, then opens to ripe cranberry and raspberry fruit with a hint of smoked meats. 'Earth' comes to mind - followed by black cherry juice, maybe some ripe tomato, mushrooms and cinnamon. On the palate, the wine is so inviting, with strawberry jam, vanilla, rhubarb, truffle & cinnamon all wrapped around a hint of caramel apple. Think either a big, thick salmon steal grilled with some hickory chips or a tasty rib-eye grilled just past rare. Throw in a little acoustic guitar, good friends, some heady conversation, and you've got the perfect setting to enjoy this truly stunning wine.
This Pinot Noir is still very young, will cellar for years to come and needs some decanting, if only in the glass, for the full bouquet to evolve. Brilliant garnet in color, the flavor profile starts out with cherry/black cherry and cedar, and as the wine opens up with flavors of orange zest, fig, butterscotch, cardamom and black tea, with a long, silky finish. Pair this wine with turkey, ham, salmon and savory vegetarian dishes like stuffed mushrooms or ratatouille.
Napa Valley received its designation as an AVA in 1981. Situated on 43,000 acres, Napa Valley is home to sub-appellations Los Carneros, Howell Mountain, Wild Horse Valley, Stags Leap District, Mt. Veeder, Atlas Peak, Spring Mountain District, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Chiles Valley, Yountville, Diamond Mountain District, Coombsville, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, and Calistoga. The Napa Valley floor is flanked by the Mayacamas Mountain Range on the western and northern sides the Vaca Mountains on the eastern side. The floor of the main valley gradually rises from sea level at the southern end to 362 feet above sea level at the northern end in Calistoga at the foot of Mount Saint Helena. The Oakville and Rutherford AVAs lie within a geographical area known as the Rutherford Bench in the center of the valley floor. The soil at the southern end of the valley consists mainly of sediments deposited by earlier advances and retreats of San Pablo Bay while the soil at the northern end of the valley contains a large volume of volcanic lava and ash. Several microclimates exist within the area due to various weather and geographical influences in the different sub-appellations. The open southern end of the valley floor is cooler during the growing season due to the proximity of San Pablo Bay while the sheltered, closed northern end is often much warmer. The eastern side of the valley tends to be arid because winter storms tend to drop much more precipitation on the western mountains and hills. Napa Valley is known for its world-class production of Cabernet Sauvignon but also produces Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir,Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
What happened on the date January 28 in the history of wine
Read MoreHere at Qorkz we like wine, food, and sharing our experiences with other wine lovers. We are thrilled to offer our new blog Qorkscru to share the joy of wine culture, along with the great stories and products of our wineries and winemakers. Cheers from our wineries the whole Qorkz team and we hope you enjoy Qorkscru!
