Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, January 29, 2011
4 to 5:30 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

The Leese-Fitch Adobe is a historical landmark built in 1836 in the town of Sonoma’s Plaza. It was named after Jacob Leese and Henry Fitch who were brothers-in-law to General Mariano Vallejo, the founder of the town of Sonoma. This label is from the Other Guys portfolio of Don Sebastiani and Sons which in 2005 was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Don and the boys have built up this operation to a total case production of over 2 million cases a year. We selected this line because it represents excellent value at the price.

2008 Leese-Fitch Chardonnay

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

This bleached straw colored wine has aromas of fresh squeezed Meyer lemons, lime zest, and minerals. The palate exudes mouthwatering crisp green apple, grapefruit, and lemongrass, finishing with rich acidity, integrated French oak, and a touch of spearmint. The 2008 harvest in Clarksburg produced great acid driven Chardonnays. The Chardonnay was assembled from three vineyard blocks; one in Northern Clarksburg for intense apple nuances, and two vineyards right off the delta. One of the vineyards on the delta using a trellis system called sprawl, grows an old Wente Chardonnay clone. This clone develops great lemon nuances with a creamy mid-palate. Part of the allure of this wine comes from blending in some Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg to preserve a mineral nature and rich acidity. Some Chardonnay from Paso Robles, and Monterey, along with a dab of Viognier from Paso, created a lovely bistro-style Chardonnay with good character and brilliant acidity.

2008 Leese-Fitch Pinot Noir

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

The wine displays ripe cherry and strawberry notes overlaying a complex mix of jasmine, clove, cinnamon and earthy spice notes. On the palate, the wine expresses fleshy Bing cherry flavors and textures framed by rich toffee and cola flavors, backed by sweet vanilla and toasted oak. The wine finishes with rose petal and candied violets with the sweet finish of dried cranberries, cherry vanilla and wild strawberry. This wine is 100% Monterey County Pinot Noir which was aged on oak for 9 months before gentle racking and fining. It presents nice oak flavors without being overly oaked, allowing the true Pinot Noir flavors to stand forward. This is a wine that pairs well with grilled flank steak or sautéed Salmon.

2009 Leese-Fitch Merlot

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

This crimson colored Merlot is offers dark chocolate aromas which are underscored by ripe huckleberry with a hint of cassis. On the palate the wine is concentrated with deep, dark fruit such as black cherry, boysenberry and blackberry pie notes. It finishes with white pepper spice and French oak vanilla notes.

2008 Leese-Fitch Zinfandel

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

With a brilliant ruby color, this Zinfandel blend has intriguing aromas of wild raspberry, smoky cedar, strawberry jam, clove spice, and white pepper. You can tell there is input from an old vineyard in the Amador Foothills. There is a noticeable brambly spice with dark currants, candied cranberry, wild strawberry, dark caramel, cinnamon roll, and savory rhubarb. The finish lingers with toasted marshmallow, plum sauce, tamarind, and black cherry. This is great grilling wine. The smoky oak notes of this Zin would pair wonderfully with the caramelized flavors in glazed ribs, chicken, or pork.

2009 Leese-Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

Deep ruby in color, this cab has aromas of roasted peppers, black cherries, savory dill, and toasted cedar. The palate is full of blackberry fruit, cherry reduction, orange marmalade, marjoram, and dark brown sugar. This blend has very good weight with layers of fruit balanced with mid-palate structure. The wine finishes with nuances of dark chocolate, dried cranberry, vanilla bean, and molasses with toasty French and American oak nuances.

Saturday, January 22, 2011
4 to 5:30 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

The estate vineyard surrounding the winery, Rodney’s Vineyard, is named in honor of Fess’s late son-in-law, and was the first vineyard developed. With a total of 118 acres planted, this vineyard provides the foundation of the Rhone wine program and has already produced several award winning Syrah and Viognier bottlings. The newest acquisition known as Fess Parker Ranch, Camp Four, is a 1,400 acre parcel of land purchased in the spring of 1999. The initial 250 acre planting was completed and produced its first crop in harvest 2003. It is located slightly southwest from the winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. The warmer climates and loam soils of this site show great potential for producing fully ripened, mature fruit. You have only to taste these wines to experience what I’m talking about. Joining us this Saturday is Deborah Ellis, western regional sales director for Fess Parker.

2009 Fess Parker Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County

List price 18.00; our price 15.95

Crisp, clean aromas of apple, pear and pineapple combine with yellow melon, white flowers and a touch of oak to create this refreshing Chardonnay. On the palate lush citrus flavors followed by distinct layers of apple, honey, pear and a hint of light cream & lemon couple with great texture and balance making it a wonderfully food friendly wine. This is a fine Santa Barbara Chardonnay, with a wonderful amount of tropical fruit, little evidence of wood, with crisp acids, and a nice, medium-body.

2009 Parker Station Pinot Noir

List price 14.00; our price 11.99

This second label from Fess Parker is produced from a mix of purchased fruit and selected lots from the estate. Geared for early drinking, it is fruit forward, with cherry, plum and strawberry flavors, overlain with clove and other spices, and just a hint of toasty oak. This medium bodied Pinot Noir is round, balanced and eminently drinkable.

2008 Fess Parker Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara

List price 19.00; our price 15.99

Captivating scents of black cherry, strawberry and raspberry mingle with a touch of nutmeg and clove. On the palate, the flavors of cranberry, dried sage, vanilla, clove and raspberry combine elegantly with a touch of oak. Here is your perfect red wine for salmon, duck or lamb seasoned with Mediterranean spices.

Fess Parker Frontier Red, Lot 102

List price 11.99; our price 9.99

According to Robert Parker: “One of California’s finest values is Fess Parker’s non-vintage Frontier Red. A kitchen sink blend of mostly Rhone Ranger varietals, it is a dead-ringer for a California-styled Cotes du Rhone. Notes of pepper, black cherries, spice box, roasted herbs, and smoke are present in this lush, medium-bodied, richly fruity offering. Meant to be drunk upon release, it is an ideal choice for shrewd consumers looking for a delicious red that works with an assortment of culinary dishes.”

2007 Fess Parker Big Easy

List price 29.95; our price 25.50

With The Big Easy the winery is paying homage to one of its favorite cities; the culinary mecca is a great supporter of Fess Parker wines. It is made from Camp Four fruit incorporating other varietals along with Syrah. The blend is 92% Syrah and 8% Grenache. Notes of blueberry, blackberry, smoked meat, and vanilla are found on the nose along with flavors of black cherry, blackberry compote, cinnamon, black pepper and vanilla on the palate. This is a meaty, well structured blend leading to a long lengthy finish with its dense chocolaty tannins. The finish is dry and its tannins are subtle.

Saturday, January 15, 2011
4 to 5:30 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

Proprietor Ken Volk has been making Santa Barbara and Central Coast wines for more than a quarter century. Perhaps best known as the founder of Wild Horse Winery, Ken has earned a reputation for crafting world-class wines, particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Santa Maria Valley. The vineyard and winery property was formerly the “original” Byron Winery (the present Byron Winery is located next door), established by Ken Byron Brown in 1981. In 1994 the winery was acquired by the Robert Mondavi Winery Corporation. Ken Volk purchased the building and land at the end of 2004, after over a year of negotiations. The sale included the winery and vineyard only – no brands, no wine, and no on-going business venture. The emerging success of this winery “fixer-upper” is all Ken Volk. On hand to pour the wines and discuss his product line will be Mike Brown, national sales manager for the winery.

2007 Kenneth Volk Chardonnay, Santa Maria

List price 19.95; our price 14.99

Whole cluster pressing and barrel fermentation helped to create this distinctive and rich Chardonnay. It has aromas of toasted oak, wet slate, along with fruit aromas of apple, pear, and mandarin. Fruit flavors continue on the palate with a rich mouth feel and balanced acidity. This wine won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

2007 Kenneth Volk Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara Co.

List price 22.00; our price 19.99

Although known for his Pinot Noirs primarily from the Santa Maria Valley, Volk sources the grapes for this wine from adjoining areas as well as from the Santa Maria Valley. Hopefully one day we can concentrate on his Pinot Noir line-up from this valley that is home to some of the best Pinot producing vineyards in the state: the defining Bien Nacido Vineyards, as well as the Santa Rita Hills to the south. The leafy aromatics and red fruit flavors of this wine are followed by firm tannins. This is the perfect wine to enjoy with duck comfit and with mushroom dishes. The ageing in French oak further adds to its complexity.

2008 Kenneth Volk Negrette, Caleri Vineyard, San Benito County

List price 19.00; our price 15.99

Negrette has its own distinct aroma and flavor profile. It shares some of the characteristics of both Syrah and Pinot Noir. This wine has aromas and flavors of bramble fruit and cherry with spicy, old vine gaminess. It is a deeply pigmented wine with relatively low tannin and a silky smooth texture.

2007 Kenneth Volk Mourvèdre, Enz Vineyard

List price 22.00; our price 19.99

The Enz Vineyard Mourvèdre is one of the oldest planting of that varietal in California. In its 86th growing season, these ancient head-trained vines produced a beautiful well balanced crop of small-berried clusters. Traditional winemaking techniques and aging in French oak helped to craft this delicious wine. Ripe fruit aromas and exotic spice are followed by flavors of blueberry, cherry and licorice.

2006 Kenneth Volk Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles

List price 22.00; our price 19.99

Paso Robles has a rich history of winemaking and grape growing beginning in 1797 when the first wine grapes were introduced to Paso Robles by the Franciscan missionaries at the historic Mission San Miguel Arcangel, where Father Junipero Serra planted more than a thousand vines. Though known primarily for its Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon remains the leading variety for the Paso Robles appellation, accounting for 38 percent of the region’s wine grape acreage. This brilliant, deep ruby red wine shows aromas of crushed cherries and a hint of chocolate playing against flavors of ripe fruit. It is balanced and restrained.

Saturday, January 8, 2011
4 to 5:30 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

Congratulations to all who have survived the past year as well as the holidays and are now emerging from the aftermath. It is time to get back on track with our weekly wine regimen as the bottles keep arriving and the wine keeps flowing. Fortunately, ours is an intellectual pursuit in an effort to better understand grape growing, wine making and sensory perception; and not just be looking for a buzz. The next Saturday, the 15th, we will host the Kenneth Volk Vineyards and winery representative, Mike Brown. The following Saturday, the 22nd, we will be joined by Deborah Ellis of Fess Parker Winery. Please engrave these dates into your memory or at least scratch them onto your calendar. These are great wineries deserving of our rapt attention.

2007 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Blanc, Alcace, France

List price 14.95; our price 12.99

Schlumberger makes this wine with equal proportions of two grape varieties : Pinot Blanc and Pinot Auxerrois. It is a dry wine combining the freshness of one with the aromatic qualities of the other. It is quite close to Chardonnay and is well-balanced, dry and fresh on the palate, with very attractive, fine fruit. This Alsatian wine is known for its suppleness, its emphatic fruitiness and its ability to easily go with a large range of dishes.

2008 White Oak Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley

List price 14.95; our price 9.99

Bill Myers moved from Los Angeles to the Alexander Valley in the 1970s and began making wine; he quickly became recognized for producing wonderful Chardonnay, Zinfandel and what was to become White Oak’s flagship wine: Sauvignon Blanc. It has typical grassy herbaceousness but performs more in the grapefruit genre. Even in the finish there is a slight expression of grapefruit bitterness. This is a very good food wine with a fresh, crisp finish.

2009 Pedroncelli Chardonnay, Dry Creek Valley

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

When we hosted the Pedroncelli Winery a few months back, we did not include the Chardonnay, a shameful omission we will correct here and now. While the refreshing citrus, melon and tropical fruit aromas and flavors predominate, the blend of the stainless steel fermented and barrel fermented cuveees adds both fruit-forward qualities and complexity. The wine finishes clean, crisp and light.

2008 Puerto Viejo Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

List price 9.00; our price 7.99

This wine remained on its lees for six months in stainless steel vats with micro-oxygenation and with French oak staves; 15 percent of the wine was aged eight months in French and American oak barrels. It is a well-done, affordable Cabernet with all the qualities with a black-fruit bouquet, and showing ripeness, depth and solid tannins in the mouth. The flavor profile of cola, blackberry and chocolate works just fine, and the finish is long and hints at bitter chocolate and cedar.

2007 Boutari Xinomavro, Naoussa Greece

List price 18.00; our price 15.99

Boutari Naoussa was the first Grecian bottled wine available in Greece (1879) and is the benchmark among Greece’s premium red wines. It has won many awards over the last 50 years both in Greece and internationally. It is also the #1 selling premium red wine from Greece worldwide. It has typically a rich bouquet of ripe red fruit, blackberry and plum, together with sun-dried tomato and the aromas derived from ageing: cinnamon and wood. It has a rich body, good balance and structure, with soft tannins in its finish.

2007 Estancia Meritage Reserve, Paso Robles

List price 20.00; our price 16.99

he blend in this Meritage is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 12% Petit Verdot. It is a deep violet wine with crimson edges. The bouquet shows ripe black cherries, licorice, mountain herbs, mocha and fine integrated oak. It is thick, deep and explosive. Chocolate dipped black fruit is enveloped in rich sweet oak. The firm, structured, ripe tannins accompany a long, fruit driven finish.