Ellman Wine Tasting at Wine Watch

We have an incredible line-up of tastings for the next few weeks as I feel it is my most important job to bring these new wines to our wine drinking people and let you know what is available in South Florida.  

This is one of our neighbors here in Fort Lauderdale, Lance and Neil Ellman who 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.  

Join us as we try the new releases with Neil and Lance from the Ellman brothers as well as a few older releases from their cellar.  

Wine Watch Caterings Toni Lampasone will be making a few courses to accompany the tasting wines and the fee for this tasting is $55 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Ellman Family winery Tasting at Wine Watch Thursday, March 12th 7pm

2011 Ellman Family ALEXIS SKYE Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Price: $51.75    Sale $45.54    Case $528

Our Pinot Noir grapes come from the Gap's Crown Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast AVA. Situated a few miles in from the coast and influenced by the coastal fog and cool Pacific ocean air via the Petaluma Gap, the grapes are grown in an environment where Pinot Noir thrives.

This wine is firm and focused, expresses vibrant minerality, with blueberry and wild berry, floral scents; gaining velocity, depth and length. A lovely wine that shows off its focus and pure density.

James Suckling Review     92 POINTS Minerals, flowers and strawberries on the nose. Full-bodied, with wonderful refined tannins and fresh fruit. Balanced and refined. Super fine. Racy and intense. Pure and very pretty. Drink or hold.  EFV 11-Jun-2012

2011 Ellman Family AMANDA Pinot Noir Russian River Price: $56.25    Sale $49.50    Case $574

We have been searching for the highest quality Russian River Pinot and we believe we found it in Amanda. We obtained the fruit from Copain Vineyards which is a top class vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The fruit delivered and the wine is drinking beyond expectations.

Elegant and delicate, this delicious wine is loaded with fresh, snappy watermelon and raspberry flavors that show spicy, floral scents. It gains depth on the finish and lasts a solid 30+ seconds. Wine Watch Review EFV 15-Feb-2011

Amber Ridge Vineyard fruit only produced 50 cases. Fresh cherry raspberry pie like fruit on the nose typical of Russian River Pinot Noir bouquet. A nice amount of zesty acidity to freshen things up on the palate. Candied cherry fruit and a nice amount of floral notes on the finish.  Finish 35+ Very Good+   

2010 Ellman Family BROTHERS BLEND Proprietary Blend Napa Valley Price: $63.00    Sale $55.44    Case $643

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.

Wine Watch Review: 60% Cabernet, 40% Merlot, George 3 and the Merlot is Lake Cynthia red and plum like fruit on the nose with some fresh herbs and earth nuance milk chocolate spice. Fresh and bright red currant on the palate with smooth tannins and a nice amount of spice on the finish. A well balanced effort that should improve with some more time in the bottle.  Finsih 40+ Excellent EFV 15-Feb-2011

2010 Ellman Family Proprietary Blend JEMMA Napa Valley Price: $74.25    Sale $65.34    Case $758

The core component of our Proprietary Blend is Cabernet Sauvignon from the Beckstoffer Vineyards. This valley floor vineyard, located on the western side of the Valley, produces fruit with profound flavor, intensity and depth.

This beautiful wine is tight and focused, impressive on the finish, where the flavors flow freely and last for a solid 60 seconds. Dense and chewy with complex, dark berry, mocha, cedar and plum flavors.

  (90 POINTS) Cabernet Sauvignon comprises 95% of the blend, along with 5% Merlot. Sourced from the Beckstoffer Georges III vineyard, this wine shows the enormous ripeness and softness that vineyard is known for, with rich, opulent black cherry jam and mocha flavors, blaanced by acidity and tannins. There's a lot of new oak. Drink now - 2018. Wine Enthusiast Review  EFV March-2014

Wine Watch Review Georges 3 is primarily 95% Cabernet and 5% Merlot. A bit more complexity on the nose with toasty oak spice and vanilla. Notes of dark coco and new leather. A lot of juicy fruit on the tongue with more power and complexity showing on the finish. Firm tannins.  Finsh 45+ Excellent+  EFV 15-Feb-2011

2008 Ellman Family Proprietary Blend JEMMA Napa Valley

2007 Ellman Family Proprietary Blend JEMMA Napa Valley

Menu

Wild Mushroom Soup with Bacon Cornmeal Steak Fries  

Crispy Duck Breast with Roasted Vegetable Tartlette

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!

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.