Midnight Cellars 2013 MoonCraft |
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SPECS
Zinfandel 35%
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100% Paso Robles fruit from an iconic California vintage
Ray and I teamed up with winemaker and owner, Rich Hartenberger, of Midnight Cellars to bring you a red blend that is big, fruity, and juicy. It is essential to mention that this wine is a complete expression of both Rich and our personalities: bold and full of spirit. Ray and I had so much fun at Midnight Cellars because Rich is, to put it bluntly, a hoot. He is always smiling and embraces life to the fullest, which is clearly expressed in his wines. Midnight Cellars has arguably one of the best Zinfandels on the planet; luscious and bursting with red berries, voluptuous, and spicy on the finish which is why we wanted it to be a significant part of the blend. Ray and I also agreed that we wanted to build on the red fruit exuberance of the Zinfandel, so we incorporated Syrah in to the blend. The Syrah from Midnight offers a lot of strawberry and raspberry flavors as well as black pepper and spice. The Sangiovese (my personal favorite) was a selfish addition; when we tasted the quality of the Sangiovese in-barrel, it blew us away. We loved how the Sangiovese was drinking, lush and full of life. Rich was hesitant to let us use the Sangiovese because there was only a small amount produced; however, we begged him to let us use his prized Sangiovese and to our great pleasure, he agreed. To round off the blend, we added a touch of Merlot to give the wine structure, a depth of complexity, and softness. This wine is a perfect partner for BBQ,
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Laetitia Winery 2015 Draconis Pinot Noir |
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SPECS
Clone 115 50% (red fruit, spice, medium color and body)
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![]() Crafting a clonal Pinot Noir blend with Laetitia was more like a dream come true than a business deal. I still have to pinch myself, from time to time, as a reminder that I’m not making it all up. Ray and I went straight from the Paso Robles airport to Arroyo Grande to meet with winemaker Eric Hickey. It was literally the first thing we did in California. Initially, we had hoped for a simple meet and greet – not entirely sure that we would be able to convince Eric into collaborating with us. We had set up an appointment more for fun than anything else. It is well known to everyone at Julio’s that Ray is a HUGE Laetitia fan. The estate Pinot Noir is by far his favorite California Pinot retailing under $25. While wine blending with Eric was a mere hope lingering on a cloud somewhere in the back of our minds, I must give Ray tons of credit because he wasn’t going to leave that winery without at least trying… When we met Eric, I knew immediately that we were going to get along. Eric is a cool guy, super down to earth and genuinely kind. He led us out of the tasting room and instructed Ray and I to hop in his truck and the next thing I knew, we were bouncing around through row after row of Pinot Noir vines. It was a beautiful day and quickly we forgot that just moments ago we were collecting our luggage at the Paso Robles airport. In the tasting room, there are single bottlings of each Pinot Noir Clone grown on the property. Eric was nice enough to let us try a few of these bottlings. That’s when we talked to Eric about the possibility of creating a Pinot Noir blend based off of our favorite clones. We were overjoyed and bursting with glee when Eric agreed to help us with this vision. The next thing we know, Eric is leading us to the barrel room. Ray and I walked the long aisles stacked to the ceiling with barrels, grinning from ear to ear like spoiled little children who just got their way. We pulled samples from many different barrels and discussed which clones we favored and would like to work with.
The label design used for Draconis is also used for an exclusive Whole Cluster Pinot Noir bottling that is sold exclusively in their Tasting Room. When we were at the winery, Ray and I literally fell in love with this label and were beyond thrilled when Eric allowed us to use the design for Draconis.
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Victor Hugo 2013 Contemplations |
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SPECS
Malbec 60%
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![]() We wanted to offer our customers a red blend that is completely different than MoonCraft but equally as wonderful. Thus, Contemplations was born. This is a unique spin on a Meritage blend. Meritage is a phrase used in the United States for blends that are constructed using classic Bordeaux varietals, the red grapes being: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot. Most often, Meritage red blends are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Prior to sampling any of the barrels, Ray and I had our hearts set on crafting a blend that was heavy on Malbec as we absolutely adore the Victor Hugo Malbec. Moreover, domestic Malbec is a fairly rare anomaly and the Victor Hugo Malbec is no doubt one of the finest coming out of California. While at the winery in Paso Robles, we had the pleasure of hanging out with Vic Roberts. Vic is an honest and humble man who takes great pride and care in his craft. It was a unique contrast to our time at Midnight Cellars as Vic took a much more analytical and methodical approach to our project. We got a chance to explore the winery and taste through multiple barrel samples that Vic had collected prior to our arrival. At a picnic table outside the winery, we sat down together with our beakers and measuring tubes in hand constructing this special blend like mad scientists. Our hearts swelled with joy when we tasted the Malbec barrel sample for the first time, which confirmed our initial instincts – the Malbec was simply to die for!! After working through more barrel samples, Ray and I both agreed that adding Merlot and Cabernet Franc to the Malbec was the most compatible mix of flavors, being complex while still smooth and rustic. The name “Contemplations” was decided upon the next morning, over a cup of coffee. Ray and I were sitting at a small café in the center of downtown Paso Robles and wondering what we could possibly call this blend that would encapsulate the deep, dark, complexities of the wine while staying true to the identity of the winery. I started to search for information regarding the works from playwright and author Victor Hugo and stumbled upon a mention of his book of poetry titled “Les Contemplations”. When I suggested this idea to Ray, he grinned from ear to ear – this resonated deeply with the way we both feel about this wine – a work of deep concentration and energy from three passionate people colliding together to one definitive goal. I hope with each sip, you too, contemplate all that is good and delicious in your world. |
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Cuvee 1717 Selection Belles Annes by Pierre Gimonnet & Fils |
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SPECS
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A tribute to history, health, and happiness! |
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