Tasting with Huneeus Vintners Portfolio

“Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age.”
Colin Powell

We have good news for you- check out this tasting at the store next Wednesday night!

Tasting with Huneeus Vintners Portfolio
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
7:00 PM

We have been following the handy work of Agustin 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. Quintessa 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.  And Agustin recently acquired the Flowers winery on the Sonoma Coast and then the Prisoner label that specializes in a Znifandel Blend.  We will be showing wines from all of these estates this evening with John Lampe, the Southeastern Regional Manager.  Wine Watch Catering will be on hand to serve up a few tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines.  The fee for this event is $35 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Portfolio Tasting with Huneeus Vintners at Wine Watch
Wednesday, May 26th
7pm

South of the Boarder:

2009 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Chile
Price: $11.25
Quantity in Stock: 52

Sea salt and white grapefruit and lemon citrus with notes of fresh green herbs white pepper spice. Light and refreshing on the tongue with a nice savory edge very refreshing with just a note of sea salt. Finish 35+ Very Good

2007 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserve Chile
Price: $14.00
Quantity in Stock: 35

A fairly complex bouquet of fresh herbs and cola notes to the dark cherry berry fruit and light spice on the nose. Smooth and silky on the tongue with fresh cherry and raspberry fruit echoing the herbs and spice through the finish, more than just a light quaffer. Finish 35+ VERY GOOD +

2008 Ritual Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley
Price: $17.75
Quantity in Stock: 17

A good amount of earthy and herbal notes this is a bit more on the Chilean side of the spectrum with herbacioiusness but fairly complex a good amount of fresh berry pie like fruit raspberry and red cherry berry fruit. Fairly complex on the tongue with layers of red berry fruit a nice hand of spice and fresh earth notes. Finish 40+ Excellent

2008 Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Chile
Price: $12.00
Quantity in Stock: 5

(85 Points) Medium-weight and focused, with a nice beam of black cherry, grilled herb and slightly bittersweet cocoa powder. Drink now. 20,000 cases imported. -JM Wine Spectator Issue: Feb 28, 2009

2006 Cruz Andina Malbec Mendoza
Price: $18.75
Quantity in Stock: 49

(91 Points) Very grippy, with lots of espresso- and cocoa powder-dusted grip driving the lush blueberry and plum fruit, fig sauce and linzer torte flavors. Dense but driven, with the grip moving authoritatively through the muscular finish. Needs to stretch out in the cellar. From winemaker Álvaro Espinoza and the owners of Chile's Veramonte winery. Best from 2011 through 2014. 980 cases made. -JM Wine Spectator Issue: Feb 28, 2010

2006 Veramonte Primus Colchagua Valley Chile
Price: $16.50
Quantity in Stock: 43

Fresh plowed black earth and black spices toasty oak black cherry black currants and porcini mushrooms old world style and a good amount of that dried green herb that defines Chile. Big and chewy with well rounded tannins very forward and appealing well balance and fresh through the finish over delivers on the $$ great length on the finish. Finish 40+ Excellent

Sonoma Coast

2006 Flowers Chardonnay Camp Meeting Ridge Sonoma Coast
Price: $86.75
Quantity in Stock: 12

Citrus aromas of lemon with notes of vanilla bean and mineral are followed by layers of honeysuckle and lemon butter. The bouquet is punctuated with hints of jasmine, pear, and crushed stone minerality. Flavors are rich and spreading on the palate with lingering acidity and flavors. Enjoy now or cellar to enjoy the intriguing complexities that come with aging.
Vineyards

The grapes for Camp Meeting Ridge Estate Chardonnay originate from our well established west-facing blocks containing both Old Wente and Dijon clonal selections which consistently yield a powerful wine of great concentration, depth, and expression of terroir.

2006 Flowers Pinot Noir Andreen Gale Sonoma Coast
Price: $58.25
Quantity in Stock: 5

Dark ruby color. Aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry and red plum with hints of mineral, dried herbs and orange blossom. Rich & well balanced in the mouth. Ample, elegant structure and lively acidity. Long supple tannins. Drink over the next 3 years.
Vineyards

Fruit sourced from our estate vineyards in the coolest regions of the Sonoma Coast appellation, including Camp Meeting Ridge, Frances Thompson and Sea View Ridge. As we continue to tighten the focus of terroir, this sixth release of Andreen-Gale expresses our vision of the Sonoma Coast more than ever. This vintage, 100% of the fruit was sourced from our estate vineyards. Our mothers would be proud.

Zinfandel Blend

2008 Orin Swift Prisoner Red Blend Napa
Price: $37.50
Quantity in Stock: 36

(90 Points) I love what he’s done with his 2008 The Prisoner, a blend of 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, and Grenache. With over 15% alcohol, this is a big, sexy, fruit bomb boasting abundant amounts of black, blue, and red fruits along with pepper, spice box, earth, and herbs. It tastes like the unmanipulated essence of the fruit of a Mediterranean vineyard. Soft tannins, medium to full body, and a heady mouthfeel make this a seductive wine to enjoy over the next 2-3 years.  This is an innovative project from owner/winemaker Dave Phinney. The winery’s name comes from the names of his parrots.  Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009

Napa Valley

2006 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $50

In 2006, a cool, wet spring gave us a late start to the growing season. Summer was mostly cool with some heat spikes, ideal for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Harvest came a little late following some warm and cool spells in August and September, and moderate weather during harvest allowed for fully ripe, intensely flavored fruit. At harvest, the grapes are double sorted and crushed at Quintessa, and then cold macerated and fermented in oak and stainless steel tanks. Faust is aged for 18 months in 25% new and 75% once-used French Oak- Charles Thomas, Winemaker

2006 Quintessa Red Meritage Napa
Price: $127.50
Quantity in Stock: 5

Quintessa 2006 opens with sweet and inviting aromas of bright black fruit with red fruit undertones.  It announces itself dramatically with a full lush entry, developing into a broad, rich black fruit laced with a touch of mocha, licorice, sandalwood and vanilla spice.  With tremendous density, concentration and ample fine tannins, this vintage is full and dramatic early and will age gracefully.-  Winemaker Charles Thomas

A bit about Agustin:

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 Distinguished 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,  Quintessa, Flowers, and the Prisoner. 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 Huneeus portfolio with John Lampe, the Southeastern Regional Manager for these wines. This tasting will be held in the store and Wine Watch Catering will be on hand prepairing a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines, the fee for this tasting is $35 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.