Drink the Bottles

  The history behind PEJU Winery is absolutely mesmerizing and one that you will never tire of hearing.  It's a man with a dream, a vision and determination.   Tony Peju moved his family from Los Angeles to Rutherford and began selling his young wines out of a garage.  Throughout the years, a formal tasting room is added, additional vineyards, the iconic tower is built and the adult children join the winery full time.  While Tony passed away in 2023, he leaves a legacy and his footprint on Napa Valley wine.  Tony is often regarded as the father of Direct to Consumer (DTC) Wine Marketing. The 2023 Peju Winery Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is another stunning example of organically farmed fruit from winemaker Sara Fowler.  Fowler is celebrating her 20th vintage with PEJU this year and you can feel the love and terroir in every bottle.   Dark purple-black in color with swelling aromas of blackberry jam, blackcurrant, ...

  Bill and Kathy Collins were among the early pioneers of Napa Valley, determined to tell the world that Napa Valley was a fine wine growing region.  Conn Creek Winery was born about fifty years ago, and they have consistently produced delicious and high quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-styled wines.  Winemaker Jean Hoefliger's colorful past and experience helps him shape the future of the winery with expertise while paying homage to the famous Rutherford American Viticultural Area. 2020 was an exceptionally difficult year for Napa Valley and California wines.  A domino effect of a global pandemic, two major wildfires, smoke taint and overall low yields left scars (literally and figuratively) in the most famous wine growing regions of the United States.  Cabernet offerings plummetted by as much as 35% compared to the previous year and several producers simply did not release a 2020 vintage. Luckily, the  2020 Conn Creek Rutherford Napa Valley Cabnere...

  Whether you have heard of Spring Mountain Vineyard or not, it's a magical place with a storied history and a bright future.  With over 150 years of adventures under their care, this winery actually placed fourth in the "Judgement of Paris" international wine competition in 1976.  It's not too often that we get to taste a wine that has been bottled for over a decade, so we are honored to bring this gift to you today. We should start by stating that Spring Mountain Vineyard has one of the most extensive wine libraries not only in Saint Helena, but all of Napa Valley.  They have several tasting experiences available including wines from the last three decades.  This is a unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience for the oenophile who has "done it all".   The 2013 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette Napa Valley Red Wine features estate fruit and is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon (57%), Cabernet Franc (17%), Merlot (10%), Petit Verdot (8%), and Malbec ...

To say we were excited to try the elusive Cabneret Sauvignon from Meteor Vineyard would be a serious understatement.  We have heard about this small but mighty producer for many years, but to be quite frank, it's hard to find this wine!  Barry and Tracy Schuler purchased the Coombville property in 1998, recognizing that the lush volcanic soil and elevation was absolutely perfect to grow 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Of course, 100% Cab always has a big place in our hearts! The 2019 Meteor Vineyard Preseid Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a big, bold, expressive wine and everything you want and need from a Napa Valley Cab.  Juicy ripe blackberries, cassis and black plum on the nose against a gorgeous deep garnet color.  Blackberry cobbler, graphite, mocha and vanilla on the palate with a pleasant and lingering oaky finish.  This is wine is (insert bad word here) incredible!  This will age easily for the next decade and beyond.   ABV:  ...

The 2022 Etude Carneros Chardonnay Grace Benoist Ranch celebrates forty years of Etude Wines .  Since 1982, the winery has been producing lovely, approachable and memorasble wines.  The Grace Benoist Ranch was developed in 2000 and inludes seven Chardonnay clones, which make up this wine. Pale golden in the glass with rising apple crisp and honeycomb aromas up front.  Wet stone, lemon zest and a creamy, full mouth feel create a tasting experience that is not only solid, but quite pleasant.  There's almost an iced lemon loaf familiarity with this on the back end.  This is a very solid bottle and one that could be enjoyed now or easily for 3-5 more years. ABV:  13.6% Carneros AVA (Napa Valley) Winery:  Etude Wines Suggested retail price:  $40.00 Drink The Bottles score:  92/100  

  Hold on to your hats because we have a lot to unbox here!  We received these bottles just a couple of days ago and we pushed them to the top of the list because we were so &$%#ing excited to taste them!  Today we're going to discuss all things Silverthorn Reserve, including tasting and sharing our thoughts on these two bottles.  But before we share that, we want to introduce you to the brand and the man behind the label! If the name Drew Thorn resonates with you, it's because Drew was a driving force behind the immensely popular and wildly successful Sagamore Spirit brand for many years.  Drew learned so much about the business, operations, transparency, quality and what customers want during his tenure at Sagamore.  But how will that carry over into this new project? DTB:  What was the moment you knew you wanted to build Silverthorn Reserve after leaving Sagamore Spirit? DT:  I had conceived of Silverthorn Reserve many yearsago, but it had ...