Andy Erickson tasting at Wine Watch

Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - 07:00 PM

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"Drinking wine is just a part of life, like eating food." - Francis Ford Coppola

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Just a few tastings remaining this year and after tomorrow night's Krug Dinner at Hakkasan the Fountainbleau Hotel on Miami Beach there are only two tastings remaining for 2014.  If you can't make it tomorrow night and you are a serious Krug fan check out our Vintage Krug tasting on next Friday night but as of today this event has sold out so we can only put you on the waiting list as we only have 15 seats here at the Wine Watch for our seated events.

We just put this event on the calendar a week or so ago and although we usually do not do events in the store in December, it is not every day that we get to break bread with one of Napa Valley’s top winemakers so when I heard that Andy Erickson was in town I had to put this tasting on the schedule. 

Andy has worked for some of the biggest names in Napa Valley like Harlan Estate, Staglin and Screaming Eagle.  Today, he is focusing on his own labels and is consulting for some big names from around the world like Mulderbosch Winery in South Africa. 

Join us as we welcome Andy to the Wine Watch to introduce the newest releases from South Africa’s Mulderbosch Winery and the latest release of his own wine Leviathan.

This is a stand up walk around tasting and Wine Watch Catering’s Toni Lampasone will be making some tasty treats to accompany the wines and the fee for this event is $45 + Tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

 

Wine Tasting with Andy Erickson at Wine Watch
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
7:00 PM

 

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Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch 2011                  
Price: 15.00         Sale $13.20          Case $153

A powerful nose of guava, lime zest and ripe pear braced by honeysuckle and orange blossoms. A juicy palate with opulent passion-fruit, following through from the nose and finishing off with tart grapefruit characteristics. The refreshing acidity is perfectly counteracted by a creamy mid palate and subtle oak-derived spice. The 2011 vintage is a more fruit-driven style that is fresher and drier comparing to the 2010 vintage. A delightfully accessible wine that is mouth-wateringly moreish.

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Mulderbosch Chardonnay Stellenbosch 2011                    
Price: $20.25       Sale $17.82          Case $207

Pale straw in appearance with green hues. The complex nose exudes ripe apricots, freshly shelled almonds, subtle oak spice and delicate frangpani leading onto a richly layered palate bursting with flavour. The creamy, velvety mouth feel is offset by racy mineral freshness which persists long into the finish.

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Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2012                                                      
Price: $

(88 Pionts)  "The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc is blended with 8% Semillon and sees extended lees contact in barrel. It has plenty of green pepper, nettle and asparagus scents on the nose that has plenty of personality too. The palate is well-balanced with gooseberry and asparagus on the entry, a fine line of acidity and a slightly phenolic finish that just needs a little more tension. Otherwise, this is a fine Sauvignon Blanc." The Wine Advocate

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Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2014    
Price: $12.50       Sale $11.00          Case $128

On arrival at the cellar, these early picked, specially selected grapes where vinified in the same manner in which an aromatic white wine would be, with the aim of producing a fresh, aromatic style of Rose.

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Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2012         
Price: $22.50       Sale $19.80          Case $230

Dark ruby in appearance, with bright plummy hues. The nose shows spicy aromatics of cedar wood, anise and pencil shavings punctuated by intense cassis and mulberry notes. The palate is firm with a chalky tannin structure and pronounced savory character. Subtle oak flavors perfume the palate providing balanced tone and length.


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Leviathan Red North Coast 2011                              
Price: $54.75       Sale $48.18          Case $559

As always, our goal with Leviathan is to capture the best of California in every vintage. In 2011, cool temperatures and a long growing season delivered fruit with vibrancy, great color and nuanced aromatic expressions. Upon opening the bottle, notes of Luxardo cherries, olallaberries, rose petals, Teuscher truffles and wet stone exude from the glass. The tannins are firm on entry but, the texture broadens and spreads across the palate. 23 months of barrel aging have rounded the wine and given it a juicy, fruit-forward appeal, with nuances of French oak and a lingering finish that will leave you reaching for glass after glass. A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 13% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot

 

 

Menu

 

Pork and vegetable dumplings with Black vinegar

chicken Pesto Mozzarella Panini

Tuna and scallion tartar with avocado aioli on Sesame Crisp

Beef Satay with Hoisin BBQ

 

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Andy Erickson has lived and worked in the Napa Valley since 1994, having redirected his efforts away from engineering and medicine, and toward growing grapes and making wine.  Solidly hooked after his first harvest at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Andy went on to study enology at UC Davis while working with Spottswoode and Saintsbury wineries. After receiving his graduate degree, Andy officially embarked on an early winemaking career that would span over ten years between Harlan Estate, Staglin Family Vineyards and Screaming Eagle.

Moving from full-time gigs to a range of independent consulting in 2011, Andy now has his hands in some of the most spectacular fruit grown in Napa Valley— currently Dalla Valle, Arietta, Dancing Hares Vineyard and Ovid—while also at the helm of his own brands, Favia Wines and Leviathan. Additionally, Andy is leading the winemaking program at the historic Mayacamas Vineyards and consulting for the Mulderbosch project in S. Africa,  while continuing to cultivate his predisposition for growing things, creating, building, cooking, fermenting, preserving, and of course, enjoying the end results from all of the above.
Andy proudly lives in Coombsville, Napa Valley, with his viticulturist wife, Annie, and their two daughters.

 

LEVIATHAN

Founded by Annie Favia and Andy Erickson in 2004, Leviathan’s goal is to produce the best California red wine in a given vintage drawing on vineyard sources across the state forming a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot.

Tapping into their collective 35 years of industry experience in both the field and cellar, and with stints at some of Napa Valley’s most heralded properties, this couple crafts Leviathan from the best of what California has to offer every year.

"Blending is one of the most enjoyable and most creative parts of the winemaking process,” says Andy. “Every year we are offered fruit from amazing vineyard sites, each one delivering interesting blending components from different varieties.

Fitting these together like a puzzle creates Leviathan. It allows us to push the envelope, try new things, and have an outlet to give people something unique and, frankly, pretty damn delicious. What I love about Leviathan is that, if you look closely, you can pull out the nuances of the individual varieties. But the wine also has a character all its own.”

With all of the other projects I work on, for Favia, as well as for my winemaking clients, the focus is always on producing single vineyard, site-specific wines. With Leviathan I have complete latitude to create something unique from many different parts. It is like a puzzle, and very fun and exciting. California is rich and diverse in terms of grape-growing regions, and I love working to create something that reflects the best that California has to offer.”

Leviathan is a rich, full wine with vibrant texture. Its complex flavors are derived from a unique blend and is carefully fine-tuned to create a bold, complex, enticing wine. Though this blended wine is worthy of cellaring, it can be consumed in its youth, showcasing its bright, fruit-driven character and is an incredible value relative to its peers.