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Chardonnay “Sonoma County” 07
This is the wine we wanted to make in 2006, but had neither the raw material nor the facility to do so. In 2007, it all came together—a small, concentrated crop of Chardonnay and a premium winemaking facility giving us full control of the elevage. What is immediately noticeable in the wine is freshness. Where the 2006 was rich, this wine is vivid. Unencumbered by oak, the fruit and soil character are on display. A band of chalky minerality cuts through the green pears, grapefruit, and chamomile blossoms.
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Price: $20.00
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Chardonnay “Michaud” 06
If you are looking for an overtly fruity California Chardonnay, this is not the wine. If you want to “taste stones and shake hands with a mountain” perhaps you’re on the right track here. This wine, free of any oakiness, gives a clear translation of site. It is all about rocks and underbrush. There are hints of green pear and star-fruit in the nose, but the flavors are pure soil. Of special note is the texture of this wine, which grips the palate and invites contemplation. *5 CASES LEFT*
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Price: $40.00
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Chardonnay “Demuth” 07
A wine our sommelier friends seem to buy without fail. It is also for those who are not shocked by the thought of chewing on stones. Incredibly compelling plant material here: stressed out, old-vine Wente clone chardonnay on original rootstock growing out of very rocky mountainous soil. The wine smells of pressed white flowers, citrus oil and rock dust. The attack finds poached pears, orange sherbet, and minerals galore. A low-alcohol, age-worthy wine.
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Price: $35.00
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Chardonnay “Charles Heintz” 07
The 07 Heintz is a distant relative of the 06. It was born of a classic Sonoma Coast vintage: dry, cool, and consistent. Where the 06 was heavy on amplitude, this 07 is diamond cut. It hints at the exotica, but is held taught by ripe, cleansing acidity. Like a kernel of sun, enveloped by a cold mountain stream. Prepare for a bouquet of orange blossoms, kettle corn, and wet sand. The flavors include lemon oil, jasmine, and a chalky minerality. Needs time to reveal its true potential.
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Price: $45.00
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Chardonnay “Charles Heintz” Late Harvest (.375 ml) 06
This is a wine for hedonists. It boasts exotica usually reserved for forbidden Asian kingdoms—jasmine flowers, candied ginger, and mandarin peel. One swirl of the glass reveals other layers too---apple skin, freshly crushed cinnamon sticks, and a beguiling mineral character. The wine’s flavors are delivered with a surprising amount restraint. The warm lemon honey, baked apples, and toasted nuts coat your palate with limpid style. *8 CASES LEFT*
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Price: $30.00
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Indica 06
Bright, and lively on its feet. A wine of medium weight and moderate alcohol. Seductive and feminine with flesh in all the right places. Driven by Morello cherries, violets and freshly ground Moroccan spice. Reminds us of a young Dolcetto or a cru Beaujolais. *5 CASES LEFT*
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Price: $20.00
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Indica 07
The 07 Indica has less tannin and more satin. The additions of some cold-climate Grenache and Mourvedre produced unexpected high tones in the wine. Now the entire orchestra is playing. Bouquet of morello cherries, red plums, and rhubarb, accented with hints of baking spice. Tastes of sour cherries, dried blueberries, and something wonderfully herbaceous. The wine will transport you to southern France. And the 07 is rocking a screw cap! Twist and bliss.
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Price: $20.00
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Pinot Noir "Michaud" 06
This wine embodies our philosophy. There is no denying its provenance. It is Chalone—in all of its high-and-dry, limestone-and-granite glory. Where the 2005 bottling was broad, the 2006 bottling is deep. There are sour red cherries soaking in a spicy Christmas brew—something with cloves and nutmeg and cinnamon sticks. And there is that stone-y minerality, evident in all the wines from this noble site. Very taught and structured. Wants to rest, and rise another day. *4 CASES LEFT*
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Price: $45.00
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Pinot Noir "Klindt" 06
A darker, more brooding wine than both the Michaud and Hirsch. It is quite concentrated—the result of low yields—but still very alive with a ripe, rippling acidity. The fruit quality is noir-- black raspberries and boysenberries. These are not cooked berries, but the fresh, sweet-and-sour variety that make your mouth water. Accompanying the fruit is an earthy element like dried mushroom and damp forest floor—aromas you’d expect to encounter in these foggy coastal environs. *3 CASES LEFT*
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Price: $45.00
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Pinot Noir "Klindt" 07
Bob and Claudia’s vineyard sits in a “marginal area” bordering Roederer’s sparkling wine vineyards. This fact gives some insight into just how cool their microclimate is. All of this coolness translates to longer hang times for the fruit. And that means more complexity. This wine is concentrated without being heavy. There are the signature flavors/aromas of the Anderson Valley which we love: red raspberries & rose petals. Needs time or a serious decanting.
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Price: $45.00
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Pinot Noir "Hirsch" 06
This wine is inherently problematic. There is too little of it and nothing behind it in the pipeline. The 2006 bumper crop in David Hirsch’s vineyard provided a once-in-ten-year opportunity to get some of this highly allocated, internationally celebrated Pinot Noir. We got five tons and made 256 cases. Here, Pinot Noir’s orchestral prowess is on display. The seductive Mount Eden clone hits octaves so high, you wonder how such an elixir came from humble grapes. It’s as though a liqueur was made from rose petals and red raspberries. *2 CASES LEFT*
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Price: $55.00
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Pinot Noir "Carneros" 07
As our friend Rhett at Bounty Hunter said, “This is what Carneros Pinot should, but very seldom does, taste like.” From a vineyard bathed in cold ocean fog and benefitting from a patch of rare alluvial soil. Explosive bouquet of red plums, sour black cherries, and lilac. The attack displays Kevin’s deft hand with whole cluster fermentation—a dual between the sweetness of 07 Pinot fruit and the savory of herbaceous stems. Mouthwatering.
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Price: $35.00
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Rose 08
April sunshine in a bottle. It brings to mind eating al fresco by the sea. The wine smells like peach blossoms and watermelon rind and something wonderfully herbaceous. You can almost smell the rippling acidity coursing through the wine. The Pinot Noir stands tall in this wine. The flavor wheel spins, but most often lands on quince, unripe strawberries, and blood oranges. Is your mouth watering yet? Pale in color, low in alcohol, eminently drinkable. Buy it by the case and enjoy your summer.
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Price: $14.00
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