The 2017 J. Lohr Cuvée POM is effusive with aromas of blueberry, marionberry, lilac, and cocoa powder. Vibrant acidity and persistent fresh berry notes resonate on the palate, leaving an angular structure sure to have lengthy cellar potential. With Paso Robles Merlot at its core, this lush wine recalls many of the best wines of Pomerol.

VINTAGE

Our J. Lohr Paso Robles vineyards emerged from a 5-year drought with remarkable quality in the 2017 vintage. The restorative rainfall exceeded the 20-year average by more than 25% in the appellation. Budbreak occurred in our Merlot block 5 at the Creston Vineyard during the first week of April. Bloom was also slightly delayed as we flowered at the end of the third week of May. An extreme heat event occurred in early September, which brought temperatures as high as 115 degrees along the California’s coast. Our Merlot crop was several weeks away from harvest and came through the heat spike unharmed. In this vintage we saw the highest level of flavor ripeness since the string of three great vintages from ‘12 to ‘14.

CUVÉE POM

Inspiration for J. Lohr Cuvée POM comes from the Grand Cru wines of Pomerol on Bordeaux’s famed Right Bank. These legendary wines are traditionally composed of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with sparse additions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. At J. Lohr, our winemaking team is given the freedom to emulate these great wines through the prism of our world-class Paso Robles fruit.

Our 2017 J. Lohr Cuvée PAU leads with aromas of red currant and cherry, enveloped in oak-inspired notes of cedar, cigar box, and toasted coconut. The flavorful red fruit entry delivers dense cherry, plum, and chalk with a bright and lasting age-worthy finish. Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, in the manner of classic Left Bank wines from Pauillac.

VINTAGE

Generous rains fell prior to the 2017 vintage, ending an unprecedented 5-year throughout California. Budbreak occurred a few days later than normal in 2017, which is typical for wet years. Crop set was light, with yields on this Cabernet block in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles reaching just 2.3 tons per acre. This late-ripening block of Cabernet Sauvignon was more than eight weeks away from harvest during a September heat wave, so it came through the heat spike unharmed. In this vintage, we saw a higher level of tannin structure and flavor ripeness, echoing the string of great vintages from ‘12 to ‘14.

CUVÉE PAU

The inspiration for this blend comes from the Grand Cru wines of the Pauillac district of Bordeaux, which are traditionally composed from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with occasional acccents from Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Our J. Lohr winemaking team is given the freedom to emulate these great Bordeaux wines through the prism of our world-class Paso Robles fruit.

We produce fine Etna Doc wines within the Etna Park, a magical environment and a treasure trove of extraordinary biodiversity, unique in the world. A territory that became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2013.

Made from gently pressed, very ripe, raisin-like grapes, this sweet Malbec comes from the vineyards that surround the winery, at 980 m.a.s.l. (3,215 ft.). It displays an interesting array of aromas: dark berries, tobacco, cloves and cinnamon. I recommend pairing it with cakes, Malbec poached pears and desserts with red berries or semisweet chocolate.

The Napa Valley Quilt Reserve Cabernet represents our winemakers' selection of the top two percent of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit
harvested. It is selected for its intensity, quality and complex expression of the region. This wine showcases the best of the Napa
Valley.

For Quilt Napa Valley, we focus on vineyards with well-draining, low-nutritive soils that stress the vines. The result of these soils is a grape crop with extraordinary concentration of flavor, color, and texture. While the majority of the fruit (70%) comes from the floor of the Napa Valley to achieve the richness and elegance desired, we also relied on some grapes grown at elevation on Napa Valley benchlands and hillsides for a final blend with more structure and complexity than we could have achieved had we used fruit grown solely on the Valley floor.

About the Brand

It all started in 1790 when the 25-year-old son of a Scottish prosperous cabinetmaker asked for a 300£ loan from his father to set up as a wine merchant in London. This ambitious young man was George Sandeman, the founder of Sandeman, who ended up establishing one of the world’s leading Port and Sherry wine businesses. From early on Sandeman specialized in these two great Iberian fortified wines and, following a usual practice in those days, began trading not from own offices but from Tom’s Coffee house, on Birchin Lane, London. Business was agreed on a ‘gentleman’s word’ and George soon gained an impeccable reputation, characteristic of The House of Sandeman to today.

100 Points! Perfect score for a perfect wine
At release in 2019, ‘Sandeman Quinta do Seixo 2017 Vintage Port’ was awarded a perfect score of 100 points by ‘Wine Enthusiast’ in the United States.

Produced exclusively from selected grapes grown at the namesake property, ‘Sandeman Quinta do Seixo’ is a superb Vintage Port, produced only in years that show the highest quality and the unique terroir identity of this centuries’-old estate, in the heart of the Douro region.

Sandeman Quinta do Seixo Vintage Porto is an exceptional wine produced from carefully selected grapes exclusively from Quinta do Seixo, a winery situated in the Cima Corgo sub-region, in Douro Region.

OUR STORY

Belle Glos showcases distinctive Pinot Noirs produced from California’s most noteworthy coastal wine-growing regions.

While each vineyard location lies near the Pacific Ocean, the climate differences are significant, varying with the amount of fog, wind, sunlight, and soil type at each site. Each Vineyard Designate is crafted to distill the purest essence of the locale into elegant expressions of California Pinot Noir.

Owner/winemaker, Joe Wagner chose the name Belle Glos (pronounced “BELL GLOSS”) to honor his grandmother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner. Lorna was a co-founder of Caymus Vineyards, an inspirational figure to Joseph and an avid lover of Pinot Noir.

BELLE GLOS 2020 LAS ALTURAS PINOT NOIR
Scarlet red in color with an aromatic medley of gooseberry, raspberry, and cranberry with hints of ginger, black pepper, and shaved milk chocolate. Dark fruit on the palate with flavors of wild berries, milk chocolate, toffee, black cherry, and ground nutmeg. Rich and structured, this wine has beautiful acidity that lingers through to a long, mouthwatering finish.

TASTING NOTES: Beautiful garnet color. Rich apple aromas that quickly give way to tastes of almond, honey, dried cherry and salted caramel on the palate. A lingering subtle oak finish. Medium bodied, classy, and bright.

RECENT AWARDS: Gold Medal 93 points, USA Wine Ratings 2022

A unique and delicious aperitif wine made by mixing 2/3 fresh apple juice and 1/3 one-year-old Calvados (a brandy spirit made from apples) then aging it for three to four years in old oak barrels at the Manoir La Brière des Fontaines estate in Normandy, France. 

Can be enjoyed neat or over ice as an aperitif. Enjoy in craft cocktails. Pairs beautifully with prosciutto-wrapped melon appetizers. A wonderful compliment to apple or chocolate desserts. Also use for cooking and making sauces for seafood.

One wine of absolute quality
Opus One is the realized dream of two men: Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and Napa Valley vintner Robert Mondavi. Together, our founders set out to create a single wine dedicated to the pursuit of uncompromising quality. This singular mission shapes every vintage, today and for generations to come.

Abundant spring rains, nearly double the annual average, saturated the soil and provided ample water for the growing season. The first signs of budbreak were observed in the vineyard on March 27th; a full 15 days later than usual. This delay led to later bloom and veraison. However, warmer temperatures toward the end of summer accelerated the fruit’s development and maturity. Picking began on September 10th, a couple of days earlier than average. Harvest lasted four weeks, and activity in the cellar proceeded at a calm and steady pace.

The Opus One 2019 has intense aromas of black plum, blueberry, black currant, and dried rose petals, accentuated by mineral undertones. The creamy, satiny texture is framed by fine-grained tannins. The freshness and soft glow of acidity create a subtle tension with dark fruit flavors, savory herbs, espresso, and cocoa. A delicate dark chocolate bitterness lingers on the finish.

Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon 78%, Merlot 8%, Petit Verdot 6%, Cabernet Franc 6% and Malbec 2%

Skin Contact: 22 days

Barrel Aging: 19 months in new French oak

Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe tannins, as approachable in youth as in maturity. Since its founding in 1972, Caymus has become renowned as a consistent leader in the production of Napa Valley Cabernet. Grapes for this wine are farmed in a range of Napa’s sub-appellations – from Coombsville to Calistoga – with fruit from the valley floor creating lushness and the hillsides providing backbone. Diversification enables us to make the best possible wine in a given year, featuring layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe berries.

Inspired by the classics of Saint-Émilion, the 2019 DAOU Reserve Seventeen Forty is a Cabernet Franc driven wine with a harmonious complement of Merlot. Beguiling aromas of blackberry cobbler, raspberry, crème de cassis and cherry pipe tobacco anticipate hints of toasty oak, black licorice and pencil shaving. Lush and full bodied, this wine bestows rich flavors of cherry, black plum, dark chocolate and blueberry compote with lovely accents of Zante currant, graphite and cinnamon. Solid structure and fine-grained tannins support a lengthy, focused finish, leaving notes of plum and boysenberry underscored by cocoa and black truffle.

2020 Nickel & Nickel C.C. Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford

TASTING NOTES

The 2020 C.C. Ranch is all about finesse, with lifted plum and floral aromatics opening onto a beautifully plush palate. Ripe raspberry and plum flavors are underscored by seductive spicy notes, with soft tannins gently supporting the wine from entry to completion. With fruit that grows brighter and fresher as the wine progresses to the finish, this Rutherford Cabernet may be one of the most approachable and mouthwatering of the vintage.

VINEYARD DESCRIPTION

C.C. Ranch is planted in Rutherford, along the slope of a knoll west of the Silverado Trail. The vineyard grows classic Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon on well-drained, gravelly loam soil and receives a variety of exposures, depending on the block and location. The vines are well balanced and the canopy is opened up to give good light exposure. Nickel & Nickel produces wine from 15 select acres of this 115-acre vineyard.