Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, September 20, 2008
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person
       Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

This Saturday we will be visited by representatives of Wine Warehouse, Scott Halterein and Paul Chatterton, pouring wines made by some old and familiar favorites.  The wineries are currently owned by Gallo but with family members of each winery selling to Gallo still in charge of some aspect of production.  Next month we are scheduling a similar event featuring imported wines that are either owned by Gallo or represented by the Gallo organization.  Gallo may have made its mark in the bulk wine business but you can bet it does know its way through the fine wine field.

2006 Mirassou Chardonnay, Monterey County
9.50
The Mirassou family has been growing grapes and crafting superior wines in the Livermore Valley of California since 1854 and today David Mirassou represents the sixth generation to run the winery.  The grapes were primarily sourced from Monterey County and were blended with a small percentage of Viognier to add a subtle layer of floral character.  The wine displays fruit flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, and green apple.  These primary flavors are complimented by secondary flavors of pear, melon, citrus, and floral characters.  Subtle oak influences contribute a subtle creamy and vanilla character, resulting in a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine.

2006 Bridlewood Estate Winery Chardonnay, Monterey County
11.99
The winery is situated between the little towns of Los Olivos and Santa Inez and specializes in Syrah, but their Chardonnay isn’t too shabby.  In fact, it is a lovely wine representing great value.  This aromatic Chardonnay displays ripe aromas and flavors of nectarine, mandarin oranges and fresh apples.  Notes of vanilla and spice lead to a rich mid-palate structure and on to a lime and mineral finish.

2007 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris, Sonoma Coast
15.95
MacMurray Ranch was purchased from the Porter family by famed actor Fred MacMurray in 1941.  Hollywood was work, but the ranch was home for Fred for 50 years.  He raised his family on the ranch and today Kate MacMurray, Fred’s daughter, still lives on the ranch and functions as an ambassador for the winery.  The Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris possesses an expressive fruit-forward character, exhibiting rich aromas of fig and white peach. The bright aromas and complex varietal characters of citrus and elements of spice add both weight and interest to the wine.  The flavors of peach, spicy pear and citrus meld together in a rich core, resulting in a round mouth feel which complement its crisp, clean finish.

2007 Mirassou Pinot Noir, California
9.99
This wine displays flavors of strawberries, pomegranates, and cherries.  These flavors are enhanced by floral and spice characters.  This wine is at its best if enjoyed within its youth, but should be able to age in the bottle for up to three years.

2006 MacMurray Pinot Noir, Central Coast
15.95
Grapes from Olson Ranch in the Santa Lucia Highlands, contributed to the final blend of this wine.  The grapes were harvested throughout the early morning to ensure the fruit was kept cool for fermentation, and were picked at the peak of ripeness during September through mid-October.  The grapes were de-stemmed and cold soaked prior to fermentation for optimal extraction of color and flavor.  A percentage of the must underwent natural fermentation and the remainder was inoculated with a mixture of Burgundian yeast strains for complexity, mouth-feel and depth of flavor.

2005 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County
9.99
At the end of Prohibition in 1933, Louis M. Martini began building a new winery in St. Helena, a few miles north of the town of Napa.  It is here that the Martini family winemaking continues today.  This Cab was crafted from several of Sonoma County’s most prestigious appellations and blended to bring together the unique characteristics of each, creating a balanced wine.  The wine offers many layers, featuring aromas and flavors of red cherry, blackberry and fresh sage with an underlying dry creek dustiness.  Subtle herbal notes are complemented by additional layers of chocolate and vanilla, resulting in a complex, yet easy drinking, wine.

Saturday, September 20, 2008
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person
       Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

This Saturday we will kick off with two Sauvignon Blancs that show the differance by which that varietal can be vinified.  Then, after addressing the Conundrum, we will proceed to some interesting reds that one rarely, if ever, encounters.  After all, exploration and discovery give value to wine tasting events and the party atmosphere adds to the joy factor.

2007 Mason “Pomelo” Sauvignon Blanc
8.99
The Pomelo bottling from Mason Cellars was so named due to its resemblance to the fruit of the same name: a large citrus fruit from Malaysia that is thought to be the progenitor of the grapefruit.  The grapes come from Lake County, and are 95% cold fermented and 5% barrel fermented.  This process produces a crisp, fruity style showing subtle hints of grapefruit and floral nuances in the nose and mouth along with honeysuckle and a hint of vanilla.

2006 Chimney Rock Fume Blanc, Napa
18.50
The Sauvignon Blanc from Chimney Rock represents the opposite end of the spectrum from the Pomelo, above.  Here, the must undergoes malolactic fermentation, lees stirring and whole-cluster pressing.  To retain some crispness of character, a small portion is fermented in stainless steel, the opposite of Pomelo.  The wine’s bouquet is lime, lychee, melon and honeysuckle.  The palate is fruit filled and medium bodied, with excellent acidity leading to a long, crisp finish.

2005 Conundrum White Table Wine
19.99
Conundrum is owned by the Wagner family of Caymus Vineyards, but stands on its own as a separate brand.  After experimenting with 11 different white wine grapes, the Wagners chose 3 varietals to form the foundation of the wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and, for its intriguing floral/tropical character, Muscat Canelli.  Small amounts of Sémillon and Viognier were added to enhance aromas of peach/apricot and honeysuckle.  Flavors of apricot, green melon and pear backed by notes of tropical fruit and spicy vanilla lead to a lush, creamy texture; and a crisp, balancing finish with lingering notes of citrus.

2005 Luna Vineyards Sangiovese, Napa
19.99
The vines for this wine are of a Brunello clone grown in the heart of the Napa Valley.  Some Merlot was added to contribute rich, berry flavors and Petite Sirah, as well, for tannins, color stability and longer aging capability.  The aromas of raspberries, black cherries, milk chocolate and rose petals come forward on the nose.  The Merlot supports a plump blueberry core on the mid-palate, accented by chocolate and hints of orange.  An interesting mineral note appears on the back of the palate, and firm, silky tannins hold the wine together.  The finish is a lush long trail of perfectly ripe, but not overripe, cherries.

2005 Edge Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
18.99
This is a blend of Cabernet and a small amount of Merlot to round out the edges. After destemming and crushing the Cabernet is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, a blend of cultured and native yeast are allowed to do the fermentation. The cap, (skins and pulp that rise to the surface during fermentation) is hand punched down or pumped over three times each day. The red wines go through extended maceration periods, usually 25 to 35 days, to allow for a more natural balance of fruit and tannins.  Edge spent 16 months in French and American oak barrels, of which 30% were new.  Black cherries, sweet spice and chocolate finish with a fine integration of oak and tannin.  It drinks wonderfully now, and will age well for five to eight years.

2005 Four Vines Tempranillo “Loco”, Paso Robles
29.95
This Tempranillo from the “Tres Cajones Vineyard” in Templeton is blended with Syrah and Grenache.  It is a wine of big structure and big fruit.  On the palate, juicy black fruit seems to resonate with rich tannins; proceeding to a long, rich oak finish.

Saturday, September 13, 2008
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

       Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

This Saturday Lisa Wherry will be here representing two Napa Valley wineries, Hess Winery and Trinchero Winery.  Both wineries have estate vineyards within the valley and both source grapes from other appellations as well.  The Trinchero family owns several wineries including Sutter Home, Montevina and Napa Cellars.  They grow grapes in their estate vineyards in Lake County (200 acres), Santa Barbara (525 acres) and Napa Valley (200 acres), and purchase grapes through contracts in other counties as well.  Donald Hess owns 4 vineyards in Napa Valley; 210 acres on Howell Mt., 180acres in the Carneros, 285 acres in the Mt. Veeder Hills area and 116 acres at Mt Veeder summit.  Besides wine, his passion extents to art and the winery features a museum where at least 25% of his collection is on display at any time.

2007 Trinchero Family Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Barbara
7.99
Most of this vintage blend came from the 525-acre Los Alamos estate vineyard in the rolling costal hills of central Santa Barbara County.  This cool, maritime-influenced site is tailor-made for this varietal.  Some additional ripe fruit characteristics were added this year by including warmer weather Lake County grapes as well as some from their Napa Valley vineyards.  This wine combines both the earthy, melon-like flavors of warm weather Sauvignon Blanc with the citrus and tropical fruit of cooler climate Sauvignon Blanc.  It is bright, aggressive and quite refreshing.

2007 Trinchero Family Chardonnay, Santa Barbara
8.99
Los Alamos estate vineyard in Santa Barbara County was the source for this bottling.  A majority was aged on oak, adding aromas of vanilla and caramel to the finished wine.  The balance of the wine was aged in stainless steel, retaining crisp varietal characteristics to balance the tropical flavors.  There’s a slight spice on the silky smooth finish.

2006 Hess Chardonnay, Monterey
8.99
Donald Hess also owns a vineyard in Monterey from where the grapes for this wine are sourced, producing a wonderfully textured, lush Chardonnay with bright acidity and an intrinsic fruit character.  The tropical character of the wine centers on mango, pineapple and citrus.  It is well balanced and ripe.  Wine Enthusiast rated this wine a Best Buy: “Good value in a classy, super drinkable Chardonnay.”

2006 Hess Chardonnay, Su’skol Vineyard, Napa
19.95
This fine wine offers a delicate bouquet with aromas of pear, and apple, with hints of lemon, mandarin orange, and pineapple.  In the second layer, shades of caramel add complexity from the oak toast.  The palate is seamless with good mid palate viscosity, adding both weight and dimension.  Apple-citrus flavors, subtle and well integrated oak, and a nice backbone of acidity lingers well into the finish and brings the focus of the wine back to the fruit forward flavors.

2005 Trinchero Family Merlot, Napa, Santa Barbara, Monterey
8.99
This Merlot was sourced from some of California’s premier, cool-climate; coastal appellations; contracted vineyards from Monterey (48%) and estate production from Santa Barbara (41%) and Napa County (11%) were blended to enhance complexity, balance and varietal accuracy.  The wine is lush, rich and smooth with ripe, juicy fruit and mouthwatering acidity.  The blend was enhanced with the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon (18%).

2004 Hess Cabernet Sauvignon, Allomi Vineyard, Napa
22.75
This vintage displays ripe plum and black licorice followed by cedar, currant, and toast.  The flavors are expansive starting with black cherry and finishing back to fleshy plum.  The texture of the wine lets you know it’s a Cabernet; deep and concentrated, but supple tannins round out in the after taste, then dovetail into a dark chocolate finish.

Saturday, September 6, 2008
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

We are following up the successful Spanish wine tasting of last week with a trip to Italy, Europe’s vineyard land for the last two thousand plus years. This accounts for the fact that more varietals exist in Italy than in any other country in the world. Each and every army marching through Italy stopped long enough to plant cuttings from the last campaign. The Zinfandel vine, for instance, probably came from Croatia. While in Italy last summer, Zola and I were treated to some of the best examples of Primitivo we’ve ever had. This Saturday we will be sampling 3 whites and 3 reds (2 are Primitivos).

Santa Margherita Prosecco, Brut, Valdobbiadene
14.99 Discounted from 17.99
Nestled in the Valdobbiadene hills of the eastern Veneto is one of the most wonderful wine growing regions. Besides Soave and Valpolicella there is the native grape, Prosecco. It is used to make a highly flavored dry and delicate sparkling wine. With peach and apple aromas, this fresh and balanced sparkling wine has fine perlage with a refreshing nutty finish. It is pleasantly dry with a well-balanced acidity, which makes the wine fresh and lively. Prosecco di Valdobbiadene is excellent as an aperitif, ideal with seafood dishes and after meals with light desserts.

2007 A-Mano Pinot Grigio, Venezie
9.99 Discounted from 10.99
Besides a very nice Soave, A-Mano produces this charming Pinot Grigio that is a clean and fresh aperitif wine. Of course, its refreshingly crisp acid makes it a delightful food wine, as well. It shows a fruit focus towards apples and peaches and is all too easy to quaff.

2006 Teruzzi & Puthod Terre di tufi, Tuscany
Magnum 25.00 Discounted from 30.00
This Bianco from Tuscany is a blend of Vernaccia (80%), Chardonnay (7%), Malvasia (7%) and Vermentino (6%). The color is straw tending toward gold. The bouquet is intense and fruity with light notes of vanilla cream, tangerine, citrus and pineapple. It is full-bodied and rich yet with firm acidity. It is fresh and flavorful showing notes of citrus zest, walnuts and a pleasant touch of toast on the finish. Enjoy with hors d’oeuvres, first courses, all types of seafood, white meats with sauce, delicate red meats, roast veal and carpaccio.

2005 Barba Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
9.99 Discounted from 12.95
The vineyards of Fratelli Barba are but a short distance from the Adriatic Sea. Normally, the Montepulciano varietal from the Abruzzo region is less than perfect. The alcohol levels can be bothersome or the wine can be too weak due to overharvesting. With the Barba brothers, we get one of the best day-to-day wines in all of South Italy. It has good viscosity, with a muscular structure and offers full cherry and plum fruit on the nose and palate with notes of almond on the finish. The wine is full-bodied and elegant throughout. It is perfect with hearty seafood, pizza and olive tapenade.

2006 A-Mano Primitivo, Puglia
9.99 Discounted from 10.99
Primitivo is the Italian Zinfandel and A-Mano is a stunning example of the varietal: concentrated, elegant, deep and rich. The raspberries jump out of the glass to herald the aromas to follow, blueberry, tar, leather, anise and cedar. The complexity evolves and the soft, velvety tannins linger on the long finish.

2006 Layer Cake Primitivo, Puglia
14.99 Discounted from 16.95
This Zinfandel, ala Puglia, is opaque and purple-colored with a nose of jammy black cherry and blackberry fruit, truffles, tar, and spice. It is warm and rich in the mouth; the ripe fruit is well supported by the depth of the structure. Most notable are the mocha-chocolaty notes that serve to enrich the wine.