West Coast Wine Club - July 2012
Learn the finer points to many of the wines we offer each month. Our club wines are expertly researched and selected for quality, value and uniqueness and every one has an interesting history. Here are some of the wines we are offering this month:
Chatter Creek Winery - Woodinville, Washington
2007 Blend 105 Columbia Valley
Gordon Rawson started making wine as a hobbyist over twenty years ago while he was working for a fine wine distributor in the Seattle area. In 1987, he parlayed his enthusiasm for winemaking into a job at Columbia Winery where he had the opportunity to work with Master of Wine, David Lake. David’s style of management was to have his staff involved in all aspects of the winemaking process that allowed Gordon to both observe and participate in the artistic side of winemaking. Early in 2000, he departed Columbia Winery to focus solely on Chatter Creek. Chatter Creek specializes in handcrafted varietal wines that emphasize the diverse terroir of Washington State. Production is styled after class European wines, focused on the Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. Chatter Creek wines are small lot products from vineyards where Gordon works hand-in-hand with the growers to obtain the best possible fruit. The fruit is gently handled, and fermented in small one-ton fermenters. Chatter Creek wines are aged in seasoned barrels so as to not overwhelm the subtle nuances of the terroir. Gentle technique in the cellar produces elegant wines that are balanced, with classic old world style, and containing new world fruit and finesse. Blend 105 is named in honor of Chatter Creek receiving the 105th Washington State Winery License. With over 700 wineries in the state now, it shows how far Chatter Creek's roots and expertise go back. Blend 105 is made from 49% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Syrah, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec. Why such an eclectic blend? Gordon says it best, "Wine making is a combination of science, art, and federal regulations. I find blending to be more interesting when I abandon the 75% federal rule for varietal wines, and let whimsy take me where it will." This wine sparkles with bright, ruby color. The nose, ripe and forward, is an aromatic blend of violets, cassis, and black cherry. A complex palate starts with cassis, then warming to plumy cherry and blueberry fruit. The finish continues the interplay of the fruit and terroir, framed in by notes of toasted almonds and vanilla bean. Overall this is a wine that boasts of tremendous balance and attentive winemaking. Drink now through 2015. Only 650 cases produced.
Stephen Vincent Wines - Petaluma, California
Stephen Vincent Wines is managed by three men, Stephen Vincent Situm, Bob Goyette, and Hossein Namdar, who collectively represent over 100 years of experience in vineyard ownership, management, winemaking, sales, and marketing. Steve began his career in the wine industry with the Gallo Sales Co. in 1962. In the intervening 49 years, his experience in the production, marketing, and sales of premium and ultra-premium wines has been instrumental in the building of many major brands including Robert Mondavi, J.Lohr, Louis Roederer, and Foppiano. At Stephen Vincent he oversees the marketing and distribution, and acts as a consulting partner on all winemaking decisions. Founder of the early Boutique Winery, La Crema, Bob Goyette later honed his skill as a winemaker at the Benziger Winery. Combining his French Heritage with his New England upbringing, his winemaking style is to let traditional winemaking methods guide him while keeping an eye on the creative use of modern technology to create superior wines of great value for the current market. Today, Bob leads the winemaking team at Stephen Vincent Wines and manages the daily operations of the corporation. Hossein Namdar has been in the wine business for 25 years as a vineyard owner and manager in Lake County and the Sonoma Coast regions of California. A founding partner of Stephen Vincent, Hossein now consults with the company on matters of strategic planning, vineyard management, contractual arrangements for grapes and wine purchases, and winemaking. Collectively, winemaking is their passion and each harvest they select fruit from their own Lake County and Sonoma Coast vineyards and seek out superior lots of wines from North Coast and Central Coast appellations that they feel will blend harmoniously to produce wines of exceptional quality.
Stephen Vincent Wines - Petaluma, California
2010 Merlot California
This full-bodied Merlot is comprised of 95% Merlot along with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Most of the grapes come from the Monterey AVA. This massive AVA encompasses the entire Salinas Valley. The Salinas Valley, affectionately known as ‘America’s salad bowl’, is one of the country’s most important agricultural assets, and hosts the majority of Monterey County’s large viticultural businesses. The valley is a funnel, with its mouth opening onto Monterey Bay. Here, fog rolls in between the Santa Lucia and Gabilan mountain ranges. The fog cools the valley early in the morning, while at midday a cool blast of wind sweeps through. Daytime temperatures rarely exceed 75 F. With scant annual rainfall and predominately sandy soils, the valley would be arid if not for the irrigation from the Salinas River. One of the world’s longest growing seasons gives the Monterey AVA characterful wines with balanced acidity. These factors help produce a Merlot with bold plum and berry flavors that produce a long finish. A combination of French and American oak adds toasty complexity and just the right amount of soft tannins to enhance the structure of the wine.
Stephen Vincent Wines - Petaluma, California
2010 Sauvignon Blanc Lake County
The first Lake County vineyards were planted in the 1870s. By 1900 Lake County wines were winning awards in international competition, and the region was earning a reputation for producing some of the world's greatest wines. However, in 1920 Prohibition forced an end to Lake County wine production. Most of the vineyards were eventually ripped out and planted with other crops. Lake County's re-emergence in the wine industry began in the 1960s when a few visionary growers discovered the area's wine grape potential and began planting new vineyards. From less than 100 acres in 1965, vineyard acreage has grown to over 8,800 acres today and is expected to double in the next few years. Sauvignon Blanc is widely planted in Lake County because it produces fantastic wines. The grapes for this Stephen Vincent offering are from their Kelseyville Vineyard. These grapes have a rich flavor that works perfectly with the stainless steel fermentation process to create a crisp, delightful wine. This Sauvignon Blanc is dry, with a refreshingly tangy acidity, showing fig, honey, and melon with hints of Meyer lemon and crisp apple.
Back to your shopping cart