95 Point Sbragia Family Chardonnay

Sbragia Family

Chardonnay Napa Valley Gamble Ranch Vineyard 2004

$492/case, $41/bottle

Wine Spectator

95 Points

Special Designation: Highly Recommended

“This big, rich, flamboyant Chardonnay delivers a wallop of flavor, with tiers of smoky, toasty oak, buttery pear and fig notes and hints of citrus and fresh earth. Yet for all its size and dimension, this manages to have a measure of elegance. The finish sails on, revealing extra flavor nuances. An excellent combination of a great Chardonnay vineyard with a winemaker who knows the site. Drink now through 2010.”

Stuning New Wines From Walter Hansel

Here are the latest two wines from Walter Hansel: a wine that always leaves our premises as fast as we can get it in.

We've made reference to the "Rocchioli-esque" and "mini Kistler" comparisons but the bottom line is: for many years, Walter Hansel has crafted delicious Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that wows the fans and critics alike.

91 points is the average Robert Parker score for a Walter Hansel wine. Pair that with a price tag that will have you shaking your head in disbelief, and you have world class, highly regarded wines with an everyday price. Here is the latest Pinot and Chardonnay from Walter Hansel – we were allocated 10 cases of each of these, and then it's gone…

2005 Walter Hansel Winery Chardonnay Cahill Lane Russian River Valley

$444/case, $37/bottle

Wine Advocate #168

Robert Parker

92 Points

Drink 2006-2013

Similarly styled to the Estate with wonderful intensity, but tighter, more elegant as well as full-bodied, the 2005 Chardonnay Cahill Lane offers up hints of honeysuckle, pears, white peaches, currants, minerals, and toasty oak in the background. It will provide impressive drinking over the next 5-7 years. Kudos to Stephen Hansel for keeping prices so realistic.

2005 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir The North Slope

Russian River Valley

$444/case, $37/bottle

Wine Advocate #168

Robert Parker

91-93 Points

Drink 2008-2015

"A blockbuster Pinot, the 2005 Pinot Noir The North Slope boasts deep, sweet, jammy black cherry notes interwoven with crushed rocks, flowers, and underbrush (or is it peat moss?). Medium to full-bodied, with excellent acidity, elegance, and purity as well as a savory mouthfeel, this terrific effort will provide immense pleasure between 2008-2015. Kudos to Stephen Hansel for keeping prices so realistic."

--

--
Cheers,

Jon Kelvey

Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg CA, 95448
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16
Jonkelvey@gmail.com

Cult-Zin Alert: New Gamba Moratto!

SPECIAL PRE-RELEASE

IN-HOUSE FIRST WEEK OF MAY

RESERVE YOURS NOW

GAMBA 2005 MORATTO VINEYARD ZINFANDEL RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

$489/case

A Special Vineyard Designate From Gus Gamba

Please take special note of this one; it definitely falls into the “WOW wine” category. Having marketed his wine since the first release, Gus takes good care of us with regard to allocations; however, it is a very limited release.

You should be aware that last year’s 2004 Gamba Moratto (93 Pts Parker) sold out in a couple of months. Do not hesitate on this wine. We will have the wine at the beginning of May, and start shipping thereafter.

The Moratto Vineyard – Russian River Valley

Just north of the Gamba Estate is the Moratto Vineyard. Owned and tended by Robert Moratto, these 87 year-old grapes have been organically dry-farmed since their beginnings and grown on gently sloping hillsides.

Moratto tasted a Gamba Zinfandel some years back, and it immediately became his favorite Zin. He knew that Gus needed to see his vines: Gamba was the only one that could articulate in the glass what Moratto was trying to express in his vineyard.

For years, Moratto tried to convince Gamba to buy his grapes to no avail. Finally, in 2003, Moratto went to Gus and told him that several quite well known winemakers, who must remain nameless wanted his grapes (think wineries beginning with “R” & “C”, for starters.) Gus asked him, “Why didn’t you just sell the grapes to them?” Moratto replied, “Because I was waiting for you.” The rest is Zin-history.

The Wine

On the “flavor-per-ounce meter”, this one is off the charts. The key to this wine, and what sets Gamba Zins apart from most on the market, is the great acidity that exists even in these ultra ripe style Zinfandels. This is 87-year-old vine, dry farmed, Russian River Zinfandel at its very best. If you thought nothing could be more hedonistic and delicious than Gamba’s estate wine, think again…

Cherries, spice, blackberry, and hints of coffee meld with subtle tannins, toasty oak, and a caramel infused finish. The super ripe fruit is immense enough to hold up the well over 15% alcohol without being hot. The key once again is balance and acidity combined with gorgeously concentrated fruit. Pure hedonism in a glass! This was without a doubt THE highlight of the January ZAP tasting.

Gamba 2005 Moratto Vineyard Zinfandel $489/case

Is California Chardonnay too Oaky?

New wine from our "Sojourn" collection – a Russian River Wine Co. exclusive!

As most of you know, we aim to bring you wines bottled under our Sojourn label of the highest quality at very reasonable prices. We're able to do this because of our relationships with growers and winemakers, and because we do much of the work ourselves like hand labeling and capsuling the bottles.

Sojourn 2006 Russian River Chardonnay (10 cases produced)

$225/case $19.00/bottle

Here's a liquid sigh-of-relief for those of you seeking a vacation from oak heavy, buttery Chardonnay.

This ALL stainless steel/sur lie aging/zero percent malolactic white is bursting with true Chardonnay fruit, with lots of crisp green apples, kiwi, pineapple, lemons and grapefruit. This luscious Chard is perfect as a spring sipper. It's a worthy companion to that cracked crab or a scallop pan roast; or utilize it as a delicious by the case party wine.

--
Cheers,

Jon Kelvey

Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg CA, 95448
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16
Jonkelvey@gmail.com

Brand New Russian River Chard from Hobbs!

2005 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley $51/bottle

This wine is our ambassador for Russian River Valley chardonnay and is produced as a blend from select properties neighboring our winery and estate vineyard. The 2005 is opalescent, pale gold in color and fragrant with citrus blossom and lime rind. Abundant, full-bodied flavors of pear juice, ripe apple and toasted almond coat the mouth and frame a wine of considerable finesse that finishes with pleasing minerality. Alcohol 14.6%

Chicken Pad Thai and a Wine Pairing...

Although this blog is primarily consists of tasting notes, I do like to provide anecdotes, recipes and a little wine philosophy whenever possible (as in, when we aren't tasting hundreds of wines). Since spring is coming and along with it, spicy food and crisp "Alt-White" wines I have a little recipe to get you started on your summer cuisines Odyssey. I feel this would pair perfectly with a good Gewurz and of course, tasting notes on just such a wine follow the recipe....ENJOY!!

Chicken with basil and chili

Gai Pad Bai Graprau

1 lb chicken fillets

4 cloves garlic

20 green beans

20 fresh krapao (Thai) basil leaves

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp chili paste

3 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp sugar

1. Slice chicken, chop garlic, cut beans into 1 cm long pieces, chop basil leaves.

2. Heat oil in a wok or a pan, add garlic and roast for a minute. Add chili paste and roast.

3. Add chicken and stir-fry for two minutes. Add fish sauce, sugar and beans and continue to stir-fry.

4. Reduce heat and add the basil leaves.

Banyan 2006 Gewurztraminer Monterey County

$144/case

Banyan is collaboration between Moshin’s dynamic young winemaker Kenny Likitprakong and his father Somchai with the goal of creating wines that pair with the spicy cuisine of Somchai’s native Thailand. This full flavored, fleshy, off dry “Gewurz” works well to cool down and compliment the addictive burn of capsicum.

Fresh elegant flavors of ripe Anjou pears poached with mulling spices, lychee, mango, candied orange rind and caramel all intertwine with a bright acidity and silky texture in this highly quaffable white. Open this one with your next Thai meal, Indian curry, or as a reflective “Tuesday night, just got home from work, I could sure use a glass of white wine.”

Is California Cabernet Too Big?

Dunham Cellars 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon IX Columbia Valley

(100% Cabernet Sauvignon)

$567/case, $47.25/bottle

Dunham Cellars is housed in an abandoned World War II airplane hangar in Walla Walla Washington. There, Eric Dunham, an ex-Navy man with a degree in Fluid Dynamics, crafts wines from the best vineyards all over Washington State.

Eric apprenticed at Hogue Cellars and was assistant winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 before starting his own winery in 1995. He's received numerous accolades, including a 91 Score from the Wine Enthusiast for this 2003 Cabernet.

We loved Eric's marriage of New World fruit-forwardness and "Frenchy" structure in this delicious and most decidedly "Un-California" Cabernet.

Tasting Notes: Ripe, rich Friar plum and Bing cherry really come together, weaving themselves around a central core of black cherry, clove, anise and pomegranate. A dusting of cocoa and fine grained tannins lead to a truly pleasing finish. This Cabernet has a beautiful structure perfect to drink now, or age nicely for 10-15 years.

Wine Spectator Collector's Alert! 94 Pts Top 100 Wine

We just tasted this, and absolutely loved it. So did the Spectator, placing it in their Top 100 for 2006. This is a big wine that should satisfy wine lovers on both sides of the pond with its convergence of old and new world styles.

2003 Bodegas LAN Rioja Edición Limitada

$606/case, $50.50/bottle

Score: 94

Special Designation: Highly Recommended

Issue: Sep 30, 2006

Top 100 Wines – 2006

Rank: #56

"Powerful yet graceful, this rich, ripe red delivers blackberry and currant fruit framed by coffee and toasty oak notes. Though thick on the palate, it remains fresh and focused, and the finish is clean and sweet, with floral and mineral grace notes. Drink now through 2012. 1,500 cases made."

--
Cheers,

Jon Kelvey

Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg CA, 95448
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16
Jonkelvey@gmail.com

Two Killer Zins, Each Under 300 Cases Produced

Here are two Zinfandels we've sampled recently that meet our criteria: small production, handcrafted and delicious. We don't have any fancy story about the winemaker or anything like that; it's just great Zin at a great price.

2005 Homefire Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Sonoma

$219/case, $18.25/bottle

(285 cases produced)

Here's one that we tasted and loved at the ZAP tasting in San Francisco a couple of months ago. It delivers plenty of classic old vine (in this case 50+ year old vines) Dry Creek Zin pleasure – zesty rich berries, nutmeg and mocha spice. The finish is lengthy and complex. To top it off, the price is refreshingly reasonable, given the ever spiraling price of what is purported to be "the peoples wine."

2002 Eric Ross Old Vine Feeney Ranch Zinfandel Russian River Valley

$333/case, $27.75/bottle

(250 cases produced)

Here's a real knockout. From the historic Feeney Vineyard (Carlisle also makes a Zin from here) comes this Russian River classic. It has a hypnotic nose of fresh tobacco, cedar, blackberry, spices, pepper and chocolate, with well integrated tannins. Sweet oak and dark fruit create a wine that's soft and balanced, with a long rich finish.

--
Cheers,

Jon Kelvey

Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg CA, 95448
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16
Jonkelvey@gmail.com

Exquisite Pinot from "Vineyard Of The Year"!

Exquisite Pinot from the Connoisseur’s Guide’s “Vineyard Of The Year”

2005 Miner Family Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir $60/btl, $720/case.

Rosella's vineyard is just a stone throw away from Garys’ Vineyard and is named after Rosella Francioni. Planted in part to the same La Tache clone as Garys’ as well as a Dijon clone, Rosella's vineyard has a slightly different, perhaps more exotic flavor profile than the Garys’ fruit. Receiving even more fog and ocean breeze than the nearby Gary's, Rosella's vineyard enjoys an extremely protracted growing season leading to optimal ripeness.

This sought after fruit is handed over to Miner's master winemaker, Gary Brookman who also crafts vino at Grace Family and Carver Sutro. The result of bringing together such immaculate vineyard management, fruit and talented winemaking is evident in an equally stunning glass of Pinot Noir on your table. The only problem is keeping enough around to share with anybody else…

What a beautiful Pinot Noir! Toasted almonds, crushed coffee, raspberries and rose petals; we could just smell this all day! Yet only sniffing would mean missing out on the extremely smooth mouth feel, and deliciously exotic flavors. Roasted cherry, raspberry and cinnamon stand first then take a back seat for clove, cola and tobacco smoke on the long, smooth, but spicy earth kissed finish.

Jon Kelvey
Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg, CA
jonkelvey@gmail.com
1-800-477-0490 ext 16

EXTREMELY Limited Napa Valley Petite Sirah

As most of you know, we aim to bring you wines bottled under our Sojourn label of the highest quality at very reasonable prices. We're able to do this because of our relationships with growers and winemakers, and because we do much of the work ourselves like hand labeling and capsuling the bottles. We also make sure the juice is killer...

Today we have a minuscule production Napa Vally Petite Sirah from good friend Gary Brahnam; the perfect thing for that BBQ Tri-tip or even a curried leg of lamb. Grab yours while it lasts...

Sojourn 2005 Napa Valley Petite Sirah (5 cases produced)

$360/case $30/bottle

If you like to live on the wild side, immerse yourself in the new release of our 2005 Sojourn Petite Sirah. One whiff will engulf you in memories of Mom's freshly baked blueberry pie and figs enrobed in brown sugar. Suggestions of black leather and cherry pipe tobacco soon give way to dark berries and candied rose petals, with enough tannins to remind you this is serious as well as seriously fun stuff. The finish is long, smooth, silky, and completely memorable.

--
Cheers,

Jon Kelvey

Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg CA, 95448
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16
Jonkelvey@gmail.com

No time to keep up with our emails? Try subscribing to our tasting notes via a news feed!
http://feeds.feedburner.com/RussianRiverWineCompany

Three Killer Cabernets

I would like to pause here for just a moment to let everyone out there know that this is not merely a commercial blog with our wine offerings...although I do believe many of our tasting notes tell a story, I will be including articles of other types. We will be exploring the state of the wine industry today, glassware, winemakers and producers as well as behind the scenes looks at industry events. We do however, spend most of our time tasting wine at RRWC (over 2000 wines a year!) so I can't help but let you in on things like the Cabs posted below. For those awaiting more diverse blog content, stay tuned; this weeked we are attending the Rhone Rangers tasting in San Francisco....Until then, enjoy the notes!



2004 Elliot Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Rutherford

$360/case, $30/bottle

Smooth and fruit forward - loaded with black cherry, coffee, licorice, cocoa, smoke and velvety tannins; with all the aromas and flavors you look for in a fancy blockbuster Napa Cabernet. The only thing that isn’t fancy about this small production, big Cabernet is the price.


2004 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain

95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc

$780/case, $65/bottle

Ripe dark cherry fruit aromas are followed by dusty earth tones and spicy cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg and hints of black olive, cassis and gooseberry. The palate is rich and lush on the entry, carrying fine grain tannins to a broadening mid palate and long finish. This is a classic, age-worthy mountain Cabernet.


2003 Liparita Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Reserve Napa

92 Points Connoisseur’s Guide

$816/case, $68/bottle

A beautiful silk screened bottle makes this spicy rich crowd pleaser a joy to the eye as well as the palate. The aromas and flavors are deep and heady - powdered sugar dusted blueberry, currants, black raspberry, coffee, caramel, toast and just a hint of sage. An outstanding effort.

Pahlmeyer's "Jayson" Chardonnay and Red

Jayson by Pahlmeyer wines will be in house the week of April 2, orders will be shipped out thereafter. To insure you get your fair share, reserve yours today.

2005 Jayson by Pahlmeyer Chardonnay - $39.75/bottle

In some years, Pahlmeyer chooses to declassify some of their wines and release them under the Jayson label. These are barrels that barely missed being big brother Pahlmeyer.

They are given the same oak program in the same fancy barrels; it's made by Erin Green, just like the Pahlmeyer, the whole works. It delivers a great deal of pleasure at a portion of the Pahlmeyer price.

The 2005 Jayson Chardonnay offers aromas of orange blossom, Meyer lemon and honeyed notes. The palate provides citrus, orange blossom and biscotti flavors that finish with crisp minerality on the finish.

2004 Jayson by Pahlmeyer Red - $56.25/bottle

92 Points

Wine Spectator

Drink now through 2012.

"Firm, ripe and complex, with vivid red currant and black cherry fruit that's well-defined, structured and supported by firm, integrated tannins. Ends with a nice flash of toasty oak and mineral notes. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot."






--
Cheers,

Jon Kelvey

Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg CA, 95448
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16
Jonkelvey@gmail.com

Gamba-Cult Zinfandel Greatness!

Gamba 2005 Old Vine Zinfandel – Russian River Valley

$40 bottle/$480 a case

Easily our most requested zinfandel, this viscous, heady wine should be more in demand than ever, given its increasingly legendary status, and the fact that Robert Parker has finally "discovered" what we knew all long about Gamba.

The century-plus-old Gamba Vineyard is nestled alongside some of the most exceptional old vine Zinfandel vineyards in the Russian River Valley appellation. Some consider Gus Gamba a maverick for his almost fanatical vineyard management techniques: a labor-intensive, hand hoeing, dry farming, organic approach. The vineyard yields only ½ to 1 ton per acre, producing incredibly intense fruit.

This is serious Zin: powerful, but not muscular, the qualities some call "hedonistic" completely integrated with a smoothness and lush drinkability. The 2005 vintage is another striking example of what Gus coaxes out of his 106 year-old vines: jammy fruit, lavish oak, a rich texture, and a seamless presentation.

Tasting Notes: Gus Gamba himself describes the '05 as: "A little more solid, somewhat like a cross between the 2000 vintages' intense purity of fruit and spiciness and 2001's richness and stone fruit characteristics. That being said, it's still a left-of-center Zinfandel, when people drink it; they'll know its Gamba."

In any case, this is a complex Zin, full of finesse, and it serves as annual confirmation of Gus Gamba's status as a Zinfandel alchemist of the highest degree.

--
Cheers,

Jon Kelvey

Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg CA, 95448
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16
Jonkelvey@gmail.com

Could This Be the Cabernet Deal Of The Year?

Galleron.

This email is a personal account of our buyer, David's initial experience with these wines last week. It was only moments later that Gary duplicated that challenge for me and I had much the same reaction as David: these are beautiful wines!


Good friend and winemaking legend Gary Galleron, who has made wine at Whitehall Lane (he put them on the map), Grace Family, Hartwell, Vineyard 29, Del Dotto, Seavey, S. Anderson and Chateau Montelena, among others, stormed into my office Friday afternoon, plunked down a bottle of his 2000 Napa Cabernet and exclaimed, "Taste this and tell me 2000 was a bad year, I dare you."

Being someone who has never turned down an opportunity to hone my corkscrew skills, I opened the bottle (actually 2 bottles, he had also brought a bottle of his '02) right here at my desk, and poured a glass for each of us. I don't know how the 2000s are holding up in your cellar, but this one was gorgeous, full bodied, beautiful fruit, silky texture, smoke, cassis, cherry, cocoa, Rutherford dust and a big finish – all those things you look for in a fancy Napa Cabernet.

The 2002 of course was kick-ass: rich, ripe fruit spiced with black pepper and smoky oak. Smooth, polished tannins beautifully framing the layers of dark, rich valley floor fruit. and luscious waves of blackberry, cherry, berry, cassis, cedar wood and vanilla.

A couple years ago, we sold a ton of this wine at around $50/bottle, and it was a good value the. We've now struck a deal with Gary to offer this to you for $279 a case. That's right, about half price for fancy-schmancy expensive tasting Cabernet crafted by a legend. I cannot stress what an opportunity this is.

2000 Galleron Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

(100% Cabernet - 75% Taplin Vineyard/25% Morisoli Vineyard)

$279/case, $23.25/bottle

2002 Galleron Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

(100% Cabernet - 60% Morisoli Vineyard/20% Taplin Vineyard/20% Galleron Vineyard)

$279/case, $23.25/bottle





Jon Kelvey-Wine Broker
Russian River Wine Company
jonkelvey@gmail.com
1-800-477-0490
http://feeds.feedburner.com/RussianRiverWineCompany

Jus Soli: 285 Cases of True Cult Zinfandel (Plus a stunning Pinot and Syrah to boot!)

Jus Soli

One of the main reasons for Jus Soli's success is "young turk" winemaker Tom Garrett. Tom started his career in the wine industry at Wine Spectator where he spent 5 years as the West Coast Tasting Coordinator. Tom decided making wine was more fun than writing about it. A five-year apprentice tour took him through Turley Wine Cellars, Joseph Phelps Winery and Robert Mondavi Winery. Along the way, Tom launched Detert Family Vineyards from grapes grown on his family's vineyard in Oakville. Then in 2002, the collective effort of Jus Soli Winery emerged. In addition, Tom is also the assistant winemaker and general manager at Revana Family Vineyards. There he assists winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett, whom he considers the greatest of a string of great teachers/winemakers with whom he has worked.

Jus Soli 2005 Dry Creek Zinfandel $300/case - $25/bottle (285 Cases Produced)

Last years' version of this cult zin was great, but slightly less hedonistic than the inaugural vintage.

This one is back to form with a vengeance – classic pedal to the metal Zinfandel. This powerhouse Zin is packed with super ripe Dry Creek raspberries, with currants, pepper and licorice in abundance, with a silky finish of black cherry nectar spiked with cloves and stirred with a cinnamon stick.

Jus Soli 2005 Sonoma Valley Syrah $288/case, $24/bottle (290 Cases Produced)

Sourced from a 4 acre Syrah vineyard near Kenwood in the heart of the Sonoma Valley, this Syrah is just gorgeous: mouth-coating sandalwood, leather, smoky bacon fat and blackberry pie, with judicious amounts of violets strewn about. This wine looks smells and tastes magnificent, with fine grained tannins, sweet fruit, and a long, intriguing mineral-laden finish.

Jus Soli 2004 Mendocino County Pinot Noir $240/case, $20/bottle

From a 35 year old Mendocino vineyard uniquely bordered by the west fork of the Russian River comes this delicious Pinot that tastes as wonderful as examples at twice the price. Sweet aromas of strawberry, dried-cranberry and red-cherry lead, with intriguing background notes of spice. The flavors echo the aromas, with hints of plum, vanilla and mild baking spices joining in. The texture is full and plush, but also more structured than past vintages, finishing with pleasant tannins.

Jon Kelvey
Russian River Wine Company
jonkelvey@gmail.com
1-800-477-0490 ext 16




--

97 Parker Point El Nido Clio

These wines also subject to prior sale; contact me with your interest!

2004 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Alto Moncayo – Campo de Borja, Spain – 94pts Parker $46/btl

"The estate's mid-level effort is the fairly priced Alto Moncayo. This wine is spectacular, and represents the perfect foil for grilled steak. Even richer, fuller, and more muscular than the 2003, with riveting intensity and palate staining extract, the 2004 Alto Moncayo is inky/purple, full-bodied, and rich. This pedal-to-the-metal offering should age handsomely for a decade." – Robert Parker

2004 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Aquilon – Campo de Borja, Spain – 97pts Tanzer. 96pts Parker $181/btl

"Incredibly seductive aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry

liqueur, cherry cola, candied licorice, smoky bacon and exotic

tobacco. Vibrant and fresh, with amazing depth and

sweetness to its concentrated dark berry and cherry flavors.

Almost viscous in texture but shows outstanding vivacity and

lift on the palate, thanks to its supple tannins and gentle acids." – Stephen Tanzer

"The 1,000 case luxury cuvee, the 2004 Aquilon, was fashioned from the winery's oldest vines and best material. Revealing nearly off the chart ripeness, richness, and intensity, it will undoubtedly be controversial, separating traditionalists from more progressive tasters, but I loved it. It will be interesting to see how this tour de force in winemaking ages. It is the vino equivalent of a Hummer four-wheel drive vehicle." – Robert Parker

2004 Bodegas El Nido Clio – Jumilla, Spain – 97pts Parker $55/btl

"The consulting winemaker at Bodegas El Nido is Chris Ringland of Barossa Valley fame. The 2004 Clio is 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 70% Monastrell (from 63-year-old vines) which received malolactic fermentation in new oak followed by 26 months of aging in new French and American barriques. A glass-coating opaque purple, it exhibits a sensational nose of earth, mushroom, leather, blueberry, and blackberry jam. On the palate the wine is supple-textured, complex, with vibrant flavors of spicy blue and black fruits and a big-time WOW factor. This is a totally hedonistic effort with exceptional length and balance. It is remarkably light on its feet for such a powerful wine." – Jay Miller

--
Cheers,

Jon Kelvey

Russian River Wine Company
132 Plaza St.
Healdsburg CA, 95448
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16
Jonkelvey@gmail.com

Opulent Merlot from Pride Mtn, Switchback, Foley Vineyards Assistant Winemaker

Corte Riva's owners Romel Rivera and Lawrence Cortez have quite a history, and judging from the quality of their wines, quite a future.

Corte Riva winemaker Romel Rivera is Bob Foley's assistant at Pride Mountain, and also Foley's Hourglass, Switchback Ridge, School House and Robert Foley Vineyards projects.

Rivera has 25 years experience in the business, and his stylish Merlot is testimony to his time spent working for some of Napa's absolute best wineries. Partner Lawrence Cortez' past employers include Hans Kornell and Clos Pegase. Lawrence is also the cellar master at Pride Mountain.

Fruit sources for this exceptional merlot are Kenefick Ranch and a little from a vineyard in Carneros belonging to Clos Pegase. This is a powerful, polished and elegant Merlot with enough stuffing to merit laying down a few bottles. The wine press has acknowledged their efforts also, with Parker giving the Corte Riva Merlot a 91 score.

The Wine:

Corte Riva 2004 Merlot Napa $612/case $51/bottle

If you pick up only one Merlot this year, this should be the one! The Corte Riva 2003 is a gorgeous ruby hued, abundantly perfumed Merlot with aromas of dried cherry and anise. The flavors are lively: Mocha, violets, vanilla and dark fruits, more of that licorice tinged cherry, and a ridiculously long finish. Below is Robert Parker's take on this wine.

Wine Advocate #168

Robert Parker

91 Points

Drink 2006-2014

"Corte Riva's 2004 Merlot is a wonderful successor to the brilliant 2003. Aromas of chocolate, underbrush, blackberries, cherries, licorice, and espresso roast emerge from this deep, opulent, full-bodied Merlot that coats the mouth. It is ideal for drinking over the next 7-8 years."

Jon Kelvey-Winebroker
Russian River Wine Company
Healdsburg, CA
jonkelvey@gmail.com
1-800-477-0490 Ext 16