Portfolio Tasting with Hunneas Vintners

"A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry." Ecclesiastes 10:19

[FIRSTNAME], we have been following the handy work of Agustan Huneeus since his early days in his homeland Chile with the mammoth Concha y Toro winery and have been impressed by every one of his stops along the way turning around landmark Napa wineries like Franciscan Estates and Mount Veeder.  His return to Chile has produced some of the greatest wines that this country has to offer with his Veramonte label.  I visited this winery during my trip to Chile in August of 2008 and have to say that it was the most professionally run wineries that I saw on my journey along with Casa Lapostolle and Montes.  These wines present some of the best values that we can offer you if you like Bordeaux varietals.  Quntessa really speaks for itself as the property is not only incredibly beautiful but the wines are always among the best coming from Napa every year.
Portfolio Tasting with Hunneas Vintners
Wednesday, March 25th
7pm

Agustin Huneeus, Sr., embarked upon his legendary career as a winemaker over four decades ago. He founded premier wineries both in California and Chile, and guided others to worldwide acclaim. He is perhaps best known for his artistry and innovative techniques resulting in critically acclaimed wines crafted in the Bordeaux tradition. Wines and wineries achieving prominence under Agustin’s hand include Veramonte (Primus) and Concha y Toro of Chile, and Franciscan Oakville Estate, Mount Veeder, Estancia and Quintessa of California. He is considered a trail blazer with his Cuvee Sauvage, Napa Valley’s first wild-yeast fermented Chardonnay, and Magnificat, one of Napa Valley’s first Bordeaux style proprietary blends.

Agustin is recognized both as a philosopher and an artist. He has stamped his imprimatur on a school of thought that has profoundly influenced the California wine industry. To most vintners, a wine is a Chardonnay, perhaps, or a Zinfandel, or a Merlot. To Agustin, a wine is the embodiment of a place. Its heritage, its terrior, - its ‘somewhereness’, in his words - matters most. Meritage wines, those artful blends that pay tribute to the winemaker rather than to the variety, exemplify the Huneeus principle of "attaching wine to a place." Agustin’s famous Quintessa, has become one of the landmark Bordeaux style blends from the Napa Valley, this testifies to the wisdom of his philosophy of allowing the vineyard to express itself.

Agustin served as Chairman of the 1996 Napa Valley Wine Auction, and was awarded the Distinquished Service Award by the Wine Spectator Magazine that same year. He is the former president and current chairman of Franciscan Estates, a winery he brought from obscurity to world limelight. Along with his winery at Long Shadows Vintners, Agustin retains ownership in Veramonte and Quintessa. He resides at Quintessa Estates with his wife, Valeria, who holds a Ph.D., and is a scientist and viticulturist in her own right.

Tonight we will be tasting through the entire line-up of wines from the Huneeas portfolio with John Lampe, the Southeastern Regional Manager for these wines.  This tasting will be held in the store and Chef Mike Saperstein from Wine Watch Catering will be on hand pre-pairing a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines, the fee for this tasting is $35 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Tasting Line-up

Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Chile 2008
List $12.00       Sale $10.56
           
When Veramonte first introduced its Sauvignon Blanc in the 1990s, restaurants were progressive if they had even one Sauvignon Blanc by the glass. Today, Sauvignon Blanc is a favorite white wine with salads, ligher fare, sushi and all manner of Asian foods. Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is poised to take center stage with its racy and vibrant style.

Located alongside a creek that runs from high in the hills of El Mauco, Sauvignon Blanc vineyards at Veramonte are managed with air tunnels through the canopy, to preserve airflow and with specific canopy adjustments to manage sunlight all to retain freshness and aromatics. Carefully controlled fermentations in the winery also maintain the wine’s vibrant fruit and aromas. The wine is entirely fermented in stainless steel, never touching oak, so that its freshness and lively aromas and flavors.

Illumination Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007
List $42.75       Sale $37.62

On the northwest corner of the Quintessa vineyard, along the river, in Napa’s Rutherford AVA lies a small plot of well-tended Sauvignon Blanc (with grapes also from neighboring vineyards - this wine is 76% Sauvignon Blanc and 24% Semillon), the fruit for which this exceptional wine is made. While, the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, this plot’s micro-climate of cooler air and unique soil produce ideal growing conditions. Combine this with handcrafted winemaking and the result will illuminate your palate.

Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
List $12.00       Sale $10.56

Cabernet is arguably Chile’s top grape, producing rich, ripe wines from world-class vineyards. Veramonte sources Cabernet from the Colchagua Valley, a warm region with exceptional vineyard for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon every year. Extended maceration and aging in French Oak develops the richness and intensity while softening tannins for accessible wines upon release.

Veramonte Pinot Noir 2005
List $15.75       Sale $13.86

Notes of roasted grass with light smoke tobacco and spice smokey, dried earth dark cherry.  Smokey bacon fat notes on the palate with some nice dark cherry fruit a bit of a sundried quality with some nice spice.  Finish 35+   Good +

Veramonte Primus 2006
List $16.50       Sale $14.52
           
Primus is one of Chile’s top red meritage style wines, a blend of power and finesse that merges Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère, the lost Bordeaux grape.  Carmenère, a grape that was part of the best wines of Bordeaux until the 1800s, was transported to Chile where it thrives, contributing exotic spice and a rich, sensuous texture to blends.

Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
List $57            Sale $50.16

Faust, the wine, celebrates a legend which has inspired many great minds, among them the German poet Goethe, from whose masterpiece we draw our inspiration.  In Goethe’s most famous work, the aging scholar Dr. Faust barters his soul in the afterlife in exchange for another chance at youth. He gets his chance, yet ultimately his soul is saved by love.  Faust, the wine, celebrates a legend which has inspired many great minds, among them the German poet Goethe, from whose masterpiece we draw our inspiration.  In Goethe’s most famous work, the aging scholar Dr. Faust barters his soul in the afterlife in exchange for another chance at youth. He gets his chance, yet ultimately his soul is saved by love.

Quintessa Rutherford Napa 2005
List $146.50     Sale $128.92

Complex bouquet of black currant cassis berry fruit, dark chocolate, espresso and notes of fresh earth, sage and gravel like mineral aromas.  Elegant and supple-textured, with earthy currant, mineral, sage and ripe plum and berry flavors on the tongue smooth round tannins still a baby and a bit rough at the edges but has all the right stuff just needs a little time in the bottle to really shine. 10,000 cases produced Finish 50+ MOST EXCELLENT +

Menu

Assorted Cheeses, Seasonal Fruit, and crackers

Peppered Sirloin Carpaccio, Aged Cheddar, Crispy Shallots, Chive Aioli, Baby Spinach Salad, Crostini

Mahi Mahi Fingers with Papaya Agrideux

Lamb Meatloaf with Dried Cherries, Rosemary, and Roasted Yams