Ellman Family and David Arthur Tasting at New River Fine Art Gallery on Las Olas

“Someone said drink the water, but I will drink the wine / Someone said take a poor man, the rich don’t have a dime / Go fool yourself, if you will, I just haven’t got the time / I’ll give you back your water, and I will take the wine.”

Frank Sinatra
The Voice

I always say every wine tasting should end up a party and I know that this one will as our good friend David Arthur Long will be there!  We have hosted several events with David over the years and the night usually ends with Tequila!!  The Ellman brothers will also be on hand this evening not only because they are big fans of David’s wines from Prichard Hill but they took their hobby of making wine to the next level and now have own vineyards in Napa.

Lance and Neil Ellman are locals here in Fort Lauderdale and are also customers of the Wine Watch!  These two brothers have a passion for wine and they decided to go to California to make their own.  Originally they bought into a custom crush facility and have managed to secure some excellent fruit sources to use for their two bottlings of Pinot Noir and their two Bordeaux inspired Blends.    Today they have taken their wine business to the next level and invested in some dirt to secure great fruit for the future of their new brand.

Join us as we try the new releases with Neil and Lance from the Ellman brothers as well as a few from our good friend David Arthur at New River Fine Art Gallery on Las Olas.  Tickets are $50 per person and you must sign up in advance:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-of-wine-art-tickets-28537205550

Ellman Family and David Arthur Tasting at New River Fine Art Gallery on Las Olas
Saturday, November 12th
6pm

2014 Ellman Family Sauvignon Blanc Caryn Renae Rutherford
NA

The first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc, they made 65 cases from a vineyard on Galleron Road. This wine has a good amount of green fig and melon fruit with light hay like earth notes. Fresh and clean style of Sauvignon blanc with green melon and fig fruit, nice weight on the palate with a zesty/mineral laced finish. Finish 40+ Excellent

2012  Ellman Family Alexis Skye Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Price $ 58.50       Sale $51.48          Case $597

Only 160 cases produced, they are at 800 cases total production right now and they will be at around 1500 cases soon. A pretty nose of fresh flowers, wild strawberry and red cherry fruit with notes of mint and incense spice. Tart red cherry fruit, smooth silky tannins with pretty floral notes and a hint of spice on the finish, a lighter fresher style of Pinot Noir from California. Finish 40+ Excellent

2013  Ellman Family Amanda Pinot Noir Russian River
Price: $54.00       Sale $47.52

Only 97 cases produced of this vintage and this wine has a good amount of red cherry pie like fruit with brown spices, cola and pretty floral notes. A good bit of red cherry fruit on the tongue with smooth, silky texture on the tongue with that brown spice and some earthy notes coming through on the finish. Finish 40+ Excellent +

2012 Ellman Family Brothers Blend Napa
Price: $55.50       Sale $48.84

Brothers Blend features a larger concentration of  Merlot coming from the Lake Cynthia Vineyard and a beautiful blend of other Napa Valley fruit. We tend to call this "our tribute to Pomeral".
This wine has a complex nose of red and black fruit aromas, with some dried herbs enveloping the aromatic profile. On the palate, it is focused on pure, rich layers of dark berry, cedar, tobacco, black licorice and dried herb, tightening on the finish, where the flavors push through.

2013 Ellman Family Jemma Napa
Price: $90.00       Sale $79.20

Deep, dark red color, with an inky purple hue. A complex nose of ripe black fruit, integrated toasty oak notes and subtle clove spice aromatics. On the palate, this is a tremendously impressive wine, bright in herb, cedar and cassis, with soft, integrated tannins. Concentrated, it maintains elegance despite the full-bodied luxuriousness, finishing in layered chocolate flavors that linger on and on. 90% Cabernet and 10% Merlot

David Arthur Wines

David Arthur Chardonnay 2012
Price: $69.75       Sale $61.38          Case $712

This is all purchased fruit as David planted Chardonnay up on Prchard Hill but found the land to be much more valuable planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. They doubled the production of Chardonnay with the additon of an Atlas Peak Vineyard to the Oak Knoll vineyard they were using but still only 618 cases produced. A very bright and focused wine on the nose with lemon drop candy, just a whiff of lightly toasted oak spice, lemon blossom. This wine has wonderfful concentration and depth of flavors on the second day with a ton of lemon dropcandy like furit and the perfect touch of oak spice on the finish, wonderfully balanced with a long layered finish, tongue tingly mineral notes. Finish 45+ Even Better on the second day!! Most Excellent

David Arthur Meritaggio Napa 2013
Price: $58.50       Sale $51.48          Case $597

Meritaggio is the brainchild of the Long Brothers. Wanting to fulfill his desire of producing a fine Meritage blend, David set out to find clones of the five classic Bordeaux varietals. On his travels, he came across Sangiovese, which stole the spotlight from any Malbec he had ever tasted. Bob had the brilliance to name the wine, ?Meritaggio? in honor of Sangiovese's Italian heritage.We have continued the Merritaggo'tradition ever since, always selecting the finest of our estate varietals for this special blend each year.?

David Arthur Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2011
Price: $132.00    Sale $116.16          Case $1347

Our “Three Acre” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, is sourced directly from a small three acre parcel that is planted exclusively to clone 337. This Vineyard is located directly in front of our winery.   The  Three  Acre  Cabernet  Sauvignon  style  is  one  that  is  layered  with elegance, power and depth.  A  dark  ruby-red  color  baked  cranberry,  raspberries  and  baked  plum; followed by spices of powdered ginger and hints of molasses,  coco  powder  and  toffee.  The  entry  is  rich  and  focused  with firm mid palate tannins, cherry-cassis and minerality.  The finish is long and chewy with chocolate-coffee like tannins.  Best from   2014 to 2025.

David Arthur Cabernet Sauvignon 1147 Elevation  2011
Price: $186.00    Sale $163.68       Case $1897.20

Always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, only 540 cases produced, 100% new French oak treatment. This wine has a very rich and forward bouquet of cassis and currant berry fruit, espresso, bittersweet chocolate, cigar box spice. A very decadent wine with sweet berry fruit, cassis, raspberry coulis, very thick but has lovely balance and a long finish that dark chocolate, toasty oak spice, very well endowed, this wine is even better on the second day by far the most improved of the four with a long layered finish. Finish 50+ Most Excellent +

A bit about David Arthur

Established by David, Joye and Bob Long in 1985, David Arthur is dedicated to producing handcrafted wines that express the unique terroir of our estate.  Despite the rough rocky terrain these vines hail from, year after year they produce wines with lush fruit character and silky tannins.

 From the 21 acres planted on our Pritchard Hill estate, we cultivate small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.  Our wines, Meritaggio, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Elevation 1147, are all crafted 100% from these estate grapes.

The David Arthur Estate is located high on Pritchard Hill, on the eastern side of the Napa Valley. Our hillside vineyards offer a breathtaking view of the valley floor 1200 feet below. The rough mountain terrain and rocky red soils provide ideal growing conditions for wine grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

We owe everything to the insightful vision of Donald Long, who realized the potential of this land in the early 1960s. A butcher by trade, with a keen eye for business opportunities, Donald slowly acquired over 1000 acres on the now infamous Pritchard Hill.

In 1978, Donald along with his 28 year old son David began the epic job of building roads, clearing land and finally planting wine grapes. Although David lacked a formal viticultural education, he learned hands-on by working in the vineyards and cellars of local wineries such as the Chappellet and Joseph Phelps. The first vintage of Chardonnay was harvested in 1985, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon in the nineties. As his experience and knowledge of the land grew, David learned the ability of these hills to grow the very finest wine grapes. Today, with the help of a highly insightful team, we continue to cultivate rich concentrated wine grapes that in turn help us craft distinctive and memorable wines.

David Arthur is dedicated to producing hand crafted wines that express the unique terroir of our estate. Despite the rough rocky terrain these vines hail from, year after year they produce wines with lush fruit character and silky tannins. From the 21 acres planted on our Pritchard Hill estate, we cultivate small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. Our wines, Meritaggio, Caberenet Sauvignon, and Elevation 1147, are all crafted 100% from these estate grapes.

In continuing with tradition, we produce a very limited amount of Chardonnay. We have found the highest quality grapes of this delicate variety thrive in the cooler temperatures of the Oak Knoll district in Napa. Our new project, Sauvignon Blanc, hails from vines grown in Yountville.

Three generations of the Long family have worked together to establish David Arthur as a world class producer of the highest quality wines. In this labor of love, everyone contributes their strengths to the strong group that makes up the David Arthur team. Brothers David and Bob along with Joye Long are co-owners, with David acting as General Manager. David works alongside his two daughters, Gretchen in charge of Marketing and Media relations, and Laura who runs the office and daily operations.

A bit about Ellman Family Vineyards:

Wine is our passion. We want people to experience the Ellman Family Vineyards boutique wines because we can assure you that it will be the perfect wine to satisfy your passion. We have been in the wine business for several years and have gained much knowledge of the industry. Although our background is in a successful family-owned sleep products business, we have spent much time honing our skills with many refined winemakers, attending various wine courses and seminars and conversing with friends in the wine business. Exploring the different areas across the Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast, has allowed us to gain insight into the numerous techniques used to make our Pinot Noirs, Cabernets, and Proprietary Blends.

We gather the finest grapes from the Russian River Valley Vineyards. Then our skilled winemaker creates our fine Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignons.  Our wine master has helped us to achieve just the right flavor and taste that you are searching for in a fruitful, delicious bottle of wine.

Every bottle of wine created by Ellman Family Vineyards is made from the finest grapes from the Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast.  We believe a fine wine is something to share with loved ones and friends and will create wonderful gatherings.  At Ellman Family Vineyards, we concentrate on every detail of the wine making process to insure every bottle of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and our Proprietary Blends stand out.

When we set out to start making wine, we were determined to remain steadfast in only using the highest quality wine making techniques, wine making materials and resources.  Because of our love of a fine wine, we make wines for the wine enthusiast, who will enjoy pairing a great wine with great food.

Our clientele is important to us and our winemakers strive to insure every bottle of wine they purchase is a delight and wonderful experience.

Through our thorough research before entering the wine industry, we found that the finest grapes in the planet were located in Napa. Our proximity to the region allowed us to personally select our favorite varietals for our wines. Our Pinot Noir grapes come from the cool ocean climate of the Sonoma Coast which allows for the grape flavor and sugar development to simultaneously reach the perfect point, resulting in a well-balanced fruit. The grapes for our Bordeaux blends come from some of the greatest vineyards in Napa Valley. We look for growing conditions to developing the rich, nuanced flavors worthy of our flagship blend.

Each bottle of wine created at Ellman Family Vineyards has our personal seal of approval. From the grapes that we select to the winemaking techniques we employ to the barrels we utilize, has been carefully chose by us. We understand that each and every step is integral in creating the perfect bottle for our consumers.  We invite you to enjoy our wines as we do!

Great wines come from great vineyard sites and here is a bit about the vineyard sites that the Ellman Brothers use to make their wines.

Amber Ridge Vineyards

Amber Ridge Vineyard is situated in the upper Middle Reach area of the northern Russian River Valley. Amber Ridge is a pedigreed vineyard that has brought forth many famous single-vineyard Pinot Noirs. The 22 acres of rolling terrain were planted to Pinot Noir on bilateral vertical trellising. The clonal mix includes Pommard 5, Calera and Dijon clones 115, 667 and 777 using 101-14 rootstock to limit vigor. Amber Ridge Vineyard grapes produce a distinctive Pinot Noir. The aromatics of the wine are dried black cherries, anise and coffee with a background of red stonefruit.

Broken Rock Vineyards

Broken Rock Vineyard is located on the eastern ridge of Napa Valley at the foot of Atlas Peak near Soda Canyon. This 48 acre vineyard is perched on a steep, western facing slope with remarkably rocky soil. Developed by Bill Hill, the wines produced at Broken Rock Vineyard exhibit intense color extraction ranging from deep garnet to purple-black, with rich ripe berry flavors and aromas.

Coombsville Vineyards

Coombsville Vineyards are located east of Napa Valley. This 65-acre property benefits from the cool breezes and fog from nearby San Pablo Bay to produce rich, opulent grapes during a long growing season. The Bordeaux varieties grow on gently sloping terrain in smaller cluster.

Gap's Crown Vineyards

The Gap’s Crown Vineyard is located in Petaluma, Sonoma Coast on the west side of Sonoma Mountains, its’ rocky soils combined with the winds from the Petaluma Gap create a challenging growing environment; however the vineyard consistently produces great fruit.  Wines from this cool climate are very dark, feature dark cherry flavors and have an excellent tannin and acid backbone required for aging.

Lake Cynthia Vineyards

Lake Cynthia Vineyards, located in the Napa Valley, is a wonderful source for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Proprietary Blends. The vineyard’s microclimate features foggy mornings, warm days and cool bay breezes. The soils in the vineyard consist of moderately to well-drained rocky soils on old alluvial fans which produce extraordinary Cabernet’s.  Because it is located on the east side of the valley, it receives more hours of afternoon sun, which results in an excellent balance of a large amount of light without too much heat.  With less respiration of grape acids due to the cooler temperatures and greater ripening of fruit due to the longer sunlight and “hang-time” prior to picking, make it a perfect vineyard for our Cabernets.

Yates Family Vineyard

The Yates Family Vineyard is located on the slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, which is located in the hills between the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. The 35-acre steep, hillside vineyards, were replaced by the Yates' family in the early 19080s to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. At an average elevation of over 1,100 feet, the site, with its combination of micro-climates and volcanic soils, produces incredible grapes with intense fruit flavors. The Yates Family Vineyard is also home to the historic ghost winery that was built in the 1800s.