Graileys Fine Wines Blog

A fantastic time was had by all who attended our annual Dom Perignon Dinner this year and had an outstanding line up of vintages.

Does it get any better?  A vertical of Chateau Haut Brion with every vintage and bottle served showing exceptionally well, paired with some fantastic plates from Chef Sharon Hage. I think not.

A wonderful evening was had by all who attended, from the first glass of 1983 Haut Brion Blanc which was flat out brilliant to the ever so old but still kicking 1958 vintage this was one to remember.

The whole night was a highlight but special mention to the stunning 78 vintage still showing bags of fruit, the 90 was pure silk and the 82 standing head and shoulders above all others and getting better as the night progressed.

We even paired the wines with great music from each vintage, and at one point as the wine and conversation flowed we found ourselves doing Madonna’s’ Vogue’ from the great year in wine and music 1990.

Bravo!

Like many of the best winemakers, Ehren didn’t go to oenology school.  In fact he started off as a tour guide at Joseph Phelps.  Soon though he was moonlighting at Marcassin under Helen Turley.  Helen recognized his talent and installed him as her assistant winemaker at Turley Wine Cellars.  About a year later Helen had a falling out with her brother Larry and Ehren was left to run the show at Turley Wine Cellars.  In short order, Ehren turned the winery into the best producer of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah on the planet.  He left Turley in 2013 (Turley Zins haven’t been the same since) to devote his energies to his own winery, Failla.

Somehow Aril coaxed Ehren to takeover viticulture and winemaking for their microwinery a few years back.  Since we’ve never had a bad bottle of wine from Ehren we agreed to sit down this week and taste through Aril’s wines.  We were absolutely blown away by their 2013 Estate Cabernet.  It reminded us distinctly of Eisele Cabernet (both Eisele Vineyard and Aril’s estate vineyard are in Calistoga). It’s a must buy in the legendary 2013 vintage.

2013 Aril Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 
$123.95 per bottle (lowest price in the U.S.); 48 in stock

Organically farmed vines located north of downtown Calistoga.  Naturally fermented and then raised entirely in French oak (60% new).  Very rare with just 10 barrels produced.

Sometimes wine lovers and collectors (ourselves included) are entranced by the “Shock of the New”. The latest new wines or newly discovered wines take up all of our attention. But in getting caught up in that chase we forget about the fantastic wines that already exist and in fact are one of the reasons why the new producer is making wines from the region in the first place! In nowhere else is this phenomenon more apparent than in the Napa Valley where wineries even we’ve never heard of sprout up like mushrooms with price tags more suitable for Beluga.

Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is one of those oft overlooked legendary producers. We recently had a bottle of their 1987 and it forcefully reminded us how good this wine is especially in great vintages like 1987. 2013 is a superlative Napa Valley vintage and one of the best we can remember. In a great vintage like 2013 looking to the timeless producers who make wine that has the proven ability to improve over time makes imminent good sense to us. The fact that we have the wine at the best price in the US only makes it more so.

BUY NOW

http://www.graileysfinewines.com/2013-beringer-private-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon-7.html

One of the best things we do at Graileys is taste new wines (it’s also one of the worst: we taste A LOT of dogs so you won’t have to) so it was our pleasure yesterday to taste the 2012 Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde.  Of course, Guigal is best known for his famous Cote Rotie “La Las” (La Mouline, La Turque; and La Landonne; all three of which we dearly love) but he makes other great wines including the Brune et Blonde Cote Rotie.  The quality of the 2012 was so exquisite that we thought it was on par with his La Las and to test our theory we pulled the cork on a 2012 La Mouline to taste them side by side.  The La Mouline was of obvious high quality but very young and tight while the Brune et Blonde was open for business with all the hallmarks of a superb Guigal La La.  Frankly for drinking now and over the next couple of years the Brune et Blonde is better than the La Mouline.  Bottom line, this wine merits buying by the case!

It’s finally Friday! A great highlight this week was when Lisa Togni, daughter of Napa’s revered OG winemaker- Philip Togni- of Philip Togni Vineyard stopped by Graileys to share with us the terrific lineup of 2014’s. There was a new freshness and energy running through these classic Cabernets with rounder, fleshier textures, riper fruit and tremendous approach-ability. The flagship 2014 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon still holds its signature savory, deep mineral tones with vibrant fruit racing throughout the palate. Still very focused and in it for the long haul, this stunning Cab is for the deepest parts of any serious collector’s cellar to be awaken twenty plus years down the road… but then again, it is Philip Togni…

2014 Philip Togni Vineyard Tanbark Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Philip Togni Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Philip Togni Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Philip Togni Vineyard Ca ‘Togni