Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Patland Estate Vineyards Mystery Box Wine Deal!

 

Patland Estate Vineyards Mystery Box of Wine

It's not very often that you see a blog post here about a wine promotion.  In fact, this may be the first time!  But that is how excited and passionate that we are about this incredible deal!  Patland Estate Vineyards is once again offering their "Mystery Box" of wine for a limited time.  Keep reading...

Patand Vineyards Mystery Box

To tempt you even more, we've been given the green light to share with you what was in last year's Mystery Box.  If you purchased this, you did VERY well (but you already know that!).

Last year's box included nearly $1500 worth of wine.  The six amazing bottles of wine were:

  • 2008 Syrah
  • 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 2011 Malbec
  • 2012 Pinot Noir
  • 2014 Port
  • 2016 Sauvignon Blanc
What's In The Box?

What will be in this year's box?  We don't have all of the details but we know WITHOUT A DOUBT that you will receive some incredible wines for a fraction of the price.  Did we mention that the Mystery Box not only includes 6 incredible wines but also free shipping!  What a deal!

Six Mystery Wines for $499 and Free Shipping

This isn't some gimmicky wine club where you spend $49 and get $11 worth of wine (and most of that value is in the glass for the bottles).  Michael Patland of Patland Estate Vineyards has told us repeatedly that this is without a doubt his favorite promotion of the year and it is always a mind-blowing value for the consumer.  We cannot stress this incredible deal from an amazing winery!  Get it now.

This deal ends October 31st.  Visit Patland Estate Vineyards today to get this deal!











Monday, October 11, 2021

2017 LOBO Wines Pinot Noir Napa Valley

 

2017 LOBO Wines Pinot Noir Napa Valley

What a wonderful delight!  This 2017 LOBO Wines Pinot Noir was our very first introduction to Krys and Randy's label and we were really taken back!  When you typically think of Pinot Noir, the words powerful, bold and mesmerizing aren't necessarily the first adjectives that come to mind.  We think that winemaker Victoria Coleman has create something very unique and special here.  Dark mauve to medium purple in the glass, this wine shows off dominant aromas of black cherry, cranberry jelly and roasting spices.  This wine spent some time in the aerator and opened up to amazing flavors of strawberry rhubarb, cherry cordial, nutmeg and pepper in the glass.  This wine really grabs you and we caught ourselves checking the label more than once to make sure it was a Pinot.  This wine is made from single vineyard 100% estate grown fruit (our favorite) and we can't recall a more delicious Pinot Noir in recent memory.  It really is outstanding and has plenty of years of drinking left.  This wine will tend to develop and likely peak in 2024.

2017 LOBO Wines Pinot Noir Napa Valley label

ABV:  14.0%

Napa Valley, CA

Suggested retail price:  $50.00

Drink The Bottles score:  93+/100





Thursday, October 7, 2021

2019 Cline Family Cellars Petite Sirah Contra Costa County

2019 Cline Family Cellars Petite Sirah Contra Costa County

We're a little giddy over this new release from Cline Family Cellars.  To be honest, Petite Sirah doesn't cross our paths nearly as often as a more dominant Cabernet or Merlot.  But when it does, we are always very eager to taste it and share it with you.  The 2019 Cline Family Cellars Petite Sirah (Contra Costa County) is an inky purple wine in the glass that is immediately inviting and tempting.  Since this wine is very young, we decanted it for about 45 minutes prior to tasting.  The decant opened up this wine considerably and brought forth appetizing aromas of blueberry, mocha, dark chocolate and flecks of mild pepper.  While we often think of Petite Sirah as a straight-forward wine used primary for blending other red varietals, this one steps outside of that comfort zone.  Full and distinct blue and black berry compote flavors explode in the mouth, joined with mild spices, a whisper of vanilla and a finish of star anise against solid tannin that allows this wine to linger on the palate for several delicious moments.  This wine proves that  A) you don't have to spend a lot of money on wine to really enjoy it and  B) Petite Sirah, when made this well, can be enjoyed independently of any food.  Well done!

2019 Cline Family Cellars Petite Sirah Contra Costa County wine label

ABV:  14.5%

Contra Costa County, CA

Suggested retail price:  $22.00

Drink The Bottles score:  91/100



 

Thursday, September 30, 2021

2018 Lagana Cellars Eritage Vineyard Chardonnay

 

2018 Lagana Cellars Eritage Vineyard Chardonnay

Fans of crisp, bright Chardonnay are sure to love the 2018 Lagana Cellars Eritage Vineyard Chardonnay.  This Walla Walla Valley selection isn't heavy and would be a perfect selection for sushi or a lighter baked fish dish.  Pale color yellow in the glass with stone fruits dominating the nose.  Wet river rock also makes an appearance.  In the mouth is a delightful and welcoming combination of more stone fruits, apple tart filling and hard pineapple candy.  This wine combines the right amount of sweetness and acidity, leading to a solid finish.  Best over the next 10 years.  This one is a reliable choice if you're looking for some Chardonnay to keep in your cellar.

2018 Lagana Cellars Eritage Vineyard Chardonnay label

ABV:  13.4%

Walla Walla Valley, WA

Suggested retail price:  $22.00

Drink The Bottles score:  89/100




Monday, September 27, 2021

2017 The Shepherd Estate Red

 

2017 The Shepherd Estate Red wine

It is always a pleasure working with a winery partner year over year and having the fortune to taste the same label but differing vintages.  We last tasted this wine for the 2014 vintage.  The 2017 The Shepherd Estate Red is once again a blend of Syrah, Zinfandel and Tempranillo.  All of the grapes are sources from estate vines and the mixture of each grape differs each year, depending on the quality of the grapes and the overall desired affect.  This wine is a dark inky purple in the glass and (although tough to see in the picture) the cork is nearly black and sexy.  Solid color to the edge of the glass.  Blueberry pie, cedar bark and plum primarily on the nose.  Baked cherry cobbler, vanilla bean and cremè de cassis are lovely flavors with hints of black pepper wrapped up in lush tannin.  These three grapes are always a favorite and this wine drinks very, very easily now or you can hold it for 5+ years.  Most of the wines are tasted unescorted by food, but this would pair well with a hearty cut tomahawk steak with seasoned potatoes.  And, as always, this wine is an incredible bargain at just $25 suggested retail.

2017 The Shepherd Estate Red wine label

ABV:  14.2%

Napa Valley, Carneros, CA

Suggested retail price:  $25.00

Drink The Bottles score:  89/100




Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Winery Adventure: Porter Family Vineyards

 

Porter Family Vineyards logo

Nestled 600 feet about the valley floor in the Coombsville Region of Napa Valley, you will find a winery that is off the beaten path.  This isn't just any winery.  It is a very special place with incredibly friendly people and delicious wines.  Porter Family Vineyards farms 14 acres of vineyards, concentrating primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  Here are some of the highlights of our recent visit to this magical place.

2020 Porter Family Vineyards Sandpiper Rosé

Our visit started with a semi-sweet and refreshing cool glass of 2020 Sandpiper Rosé.  We arrived at Porter Family Vineyards just before 1:30pm and the sun was in full force with a temperature reaching 90 degrees.  This wine was a welcome sight and very tasty!

Our Porter Family Vineyards Host, Luis

Our host for the tour and tasting was Luis.  He was super friendly, knowledgeable and has a true passion for the wines and the property.  A good winery host can make or break a tasting experience and we felt very lucky to have Luis show us around.  He told us that he is getting married later this year on the Porter property in the cave.  Lucky guy!

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at Porter Family Vineyards

Looking out at mature grapes never gets old.  The dark purple/deep blue color in the sun is stunning!

Tasting grapes at Porter Family Vineyards

We tasted both Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes from the vines at Porter Family Vineyards.  Shhh!  Don't tell the owners.  Just add it to our wine shipment.  Actually, Luis encouraged us to taste the grapes and while we thought they were perfect, Luis said that they still had about 3 weeks on the vines before harvest.  The Syrah grapes were very sweet and juicy.

Wine barrels at Porter Family Vineyards

We will never tire of this view.  The way the barrels are marked shows not only the dedication to detail that this boutique family winery has, but it also makes for great pictures and a very welcoming presentation when you enter the winery cave.  We just need to figure how to get one of these barrels back home for our wine cellar project.  (Hint, hint Porter Family - empty is ok with us!)

Custom wine storage at Porter Family Vineyards

Now that we have seen this incredible wine rack, we are absolutely obsessed and need one.  Luis told us that everyone asks about these during their winery visit, but they aren't for sale.  This is one of the most beautiful and unique wine racks we have seen in recent years.

The cave at Porter Family Vineyards

This pictures will give you a little better perspective of what our intimate tasting experience was like.  You have to be a wine club member (family member the call it) in order to visit with Porter Family Vineyards.  We are blessed that our friends Sarah & Richard are members here, which is the only reason this experience was made possible.  It was absolutely lovely!

Tasting lineup at Porter Family Vineyards

While the wine tasting line up likely varies throughout the year, this was our offering during our visit:
  • 2020 Sandpiper Rosé
  • 2018 Beverly's Chardonnay
  • 2016 Sandpiper Red Blend
  • 2016 Cave Dwellers Blend
  • 2016 Barre Azure Blend
  • and a "bonus" pour of the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
The toughest part of tasting these wines was deciding what to purchase.  Everyone in our party gladly purchased wines and we ended up with the 2016 Sandpiper Red and 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Snacks

As you know, the amount of food that is provided with each wine tasting (not all wineries offer charcuterie or light faire) varies greatly.  Since this was our second winery visit of the day and we had just eaten a tasty Mexican cuisine lunch, we didn't need much.  But the snacks that were served with the wines were perfectly paired.  They included:
  • Rosemary Marcona Almonds (2018 Beverly's Chardonnay)
  • Aged Gouda Cheese (2016 Sandpiper Red Blend)
  • Iberico Cheese (2016 Cave Dwellers Blend)
  • Porter Cabernet Chocolate Truffle (2016 Barre Azure Blend
Melissa at Porter Family Vineyards

Trying to decide which wines are your favorites can be a tough decision.  Luckily we agreed on just about everything.  I love this lady!

Porter Family Vineyards wine

Everyone of the red wines at Porter Family Vineyards was similar to this.  Gorgeous, opaque colors that went to the edge of the glass and boasted fragrant aromas.

Napa Scott enjoys Porter Family Vineyards

Wines, wines and more wines!  Thankfully Napa Scott kept detailed notes on what everyone ordered.  

Intimate tasting area at Porter Family Vineyards

All of the views in the cave are beautiful.  Here is another intimate area to taste the wines.  We felt very lucky to taste the main cave tasting area but this view is not bad either!

Four legged friends at Porter Family Vineyards

We met this four-legged cutie.  Winston belongs to one of the owners and he was quite happy to introduce himself to all of us on our way out.  Seeing this guy made all of us miss our pups back home.

Wine Tasting at Porter Family Vineyards

The team at Porter Family Vineyards knocked it out of the park for us.  Ken Bernards makes some amazing wines and the passion that the owners (and winemaker) have is evident in each bottle.  We couldn't ask for a better group of friends in which to experience wine country and make these memories.  We look forward to returning to this amazing gem during future Napa visits.  For more information on how to acquire wine or become a club member, please visit the Porter Family Vineyards web site.  You'll be glad you did!

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

2018 Knights Bridge Estate Chardonnay Knights Valley

 

2018 Knights Bridge Estate Chardonnay Knights Valley

The 2018 Knights Bridge Estate Chardonnay (Knights Valley) is a welcoming and affordable wine that can be presented as an every day sipper or for a lighter food wine.  While this particular vintage is no longer available from the winery's website, you can still find it readily available at many retailers.  In the glass is a medium golden apple color with crisp aromas of stone fruits, baked bread and vanilla.  In the mouth you easily embrace flavors of pear, vanilla bean, apple tart and lemon curd, leading to a solid and refreshing finish.  This wine is not overly oaked and should be drank in the next 2 years for optimum enjoyment.

2018 Knights Bridge Estate Chardonnay Label

ABV:  14.5%

Sonoma County, CA

Suggested retail price:  $39.99

Drink The Bottles score:  88/100


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