$24.95 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

Whitehall Lane is one of the blue-chip, old school wineries in Napa that year-in, year-out produces extraordinary wines from their 140 acres of vineyards on the valley floor.  With roots dating back to 1979, the label has been owned by the Leonardini Family of San Francisco since 1993.  It produces cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir and blends.

This month, we’re featuring the Tre Leoni Red Wine, an interesting blend that is affordably priced and versatile enough to pair with a steak or a burger. . .or to just sip with friends.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Aromas of dark cherry, cocoa and a touch of oak excite the senses. Flavors of violet, plum and blackberry tantalize the palate. This 2012 is a full-bodied wine with plenty of structure on the mid-palate and soft tannins on the finish. The Tre Leoni is a wine for all occasions including casual BBQs and weeknight dinners.”

$28.00 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

There are just small quantities of two vintages remaining on the planet of the Emery label.  This was a wonderful Sonoma-based project that was dismantled a few years ago when the owners went their separate ways:  one kept the property; the other the inventory, which was acquired by a Sierra foothill winery in a new partnership.

You’ll probably recall a tasty little cabernet sauvignon called “Unbridled” that we sold a few years ago. . .more than 100 cases to be exact.  This was another Emery product, and the estate cab that we’re presenting this month is a huge value—one to be taken advantage of now if you approve. . .because they ain’t makin’ no mo’.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “A dense, opaque cabernet offering a smokiness along with graphite and black currants in the nose with hints of toast, sandalwood and spice. On the palate, generous flavors of wild berry, bittersweet chocolate and earth tones. Full bodied and expansive with wonderful integration of wood, tannin and acidity. Fantastic layering.”

$70 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

This is the third time we’ve featured a Korbin Kameron wine as a club selection.  Named for two of Jenny and Mitchell Ming’s children, the estate vineyard is at 2300 feet in the Mayacamas Mountains straddling Napa and Sonoma Counties.  Korbin Kameron focuses on Bordeaux varieties, and five are showcased in this complex blend.

Beyond four family members working for the winery, the winemaker for that past year is Timothy Milos, who got started in the business in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  He’s got an impressive resume with stops at Stags Leap Wine Cellars, Opus One and Cliff Lede.  He studied enology and viticulture at U.C. Davis.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “An intoxicating aromatic perfume of rose petals, eucalyptus, and anise. The mouthfeel is silky and opulent with a complex palate of black currants and stewed cherries and an added hint of rhubarb pie. The 2010 Kristin is truly a harmonious wine and one of the best that our vineyard has produced.”

$28.00 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

There are just small quantities of two vintages remaining on the planet of the Emery label.  This was a wonderful Sonoma-based project that was dismantled a few years ago when the owners went their separate ways:  one kept the property; the other the inventory, which was acquired by a Sierra foothill winery in a new partnership.

You’ll probably recall a tasty little cabernet sauvignon called “Unbridled” that we sold a few years ago. . .more than 100 cases to be exact.  This was another Emery product, and the estate cab that we’re presenting this month is a huge value—one to be taken advantage of now if you approve. . .because they ain’t makin’ no mo’.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “A dense, opaque cabernet offering a smokiness along with graphite and black currants in the nose with hints of toast, sandalwood and spice. On the palate, generous flavors of wild berry, bittersweet chocolate and earth tones. Full bodied and expansive with wonderful integration of wood, tannin and acidity. Fantastic layering.”

$59.95 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

From the Mount Eden web site:  “Mount Eden Vineyards is a small historic wine estate perched at 2000 feet overlooking Silicon Valley, in the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Founded in 1945, it is recognized as one of the original “boutique” California winery properties, focusing on small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Mount Eden’s lineage of estate bottled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is the longest in California.  Planted in austere, infertile Franciscan shale on a cool, exposed mountaintop, these low-yielding estate vineyards have consistently produced world-class wines for over a half-century. In 2007 Mount Eden acquired an additional 55-acre wine estate in the Saratoga foothills, which was christened Domaine Eden.

“Since 1981 Jeffrey Patterson has guided the winemaking and grape growing at Mount Eden.  His emphasis is on wine growing rather than winemaking; and an obsession with gentleness and naturalness in the handling of the grapes and wines is his ongoing passion.”

Winery & Vinous (96 pts.) Tasting Notes:   “For this vintage of Estate Chardonnay I will do something I rarely do, which is to sit back and let the critics describe the wine for you.  Here is Antonio Galloni, who formerly wrote for Robert Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, and now has his own on-line publication Vinous:

Mount Eden’s 2011 chardonnay is simply magnificent. Intense and tightly coiled from the very first taste, the wine pulsates with energy, texture and pure class. Bright citrus, lemon oil, flowers and crushed rocks are all vivid in the glass, but it is the wine’s exceptional balance that stands out most.  The long, vibrant finish is a thing of beauty. In 2011, Winemaker Jeffrey Patterson did not make a reserve; instead all of the juice went into the straight chardonnay.  Readers who want to understand why the Santa Cruz Mountains is one of the world’s great terroirs for chardonnay should start here. Quite simply, the 2011 chardonnay is a, reference-point for California. The only question is how long it will take to come around.  Drink 2018-2031–96 points

$23 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

This wine is a project headed by William Sherer, a sommelier for 25 years who holds the designation of “Master Sommelier”; he is one of just 140 in the world to earn this highly coveted distinction.  He has headed wine programs for some of the most elite chefs in the nation—including Michael Mina and Charlie Potter—and currently he is at Redd, a highly acclaimed restaurant in Yountville.

“Willi”, as he is known, became enamored with Spanish varietals after a trip to Spain.  Now he makes a red and white, both from California-grown Spanish varietals, in what he calls a “hands-on custom crush”.  His long-term plan is to someday get more deeply involved in the business of winemaking, but for now he’s committed to his day job.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Albarino is a native variety of Galicia, Spain and Minho, Portugal that produces Rias Baixas and Vinho Verde respectively. Known for being quintessential seafood white with a core of crisp lemon fruit and almost saline minerality.  Aromatic flavors of Meyer lemon, orange blossom and jasmine flowers, clean mineral finish. Touch of creamy lees on mid-palate.”

$23 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

This wine is a project headed by William Sherer, a sommelier for 25 years who holds the designation of “Master Sommelier”; he is one of just 140 in the world to earn this highly coveted distinction.  He has headed wine programs for some of the most elite chefs in the nation—including Michael Mina and Charlie Potter—and currently he is at Redd, a highly acclaimed restaurant in Yountville.

“Willi”, as he is known, became enamored with Spanish varietals after a trip to Spain.  Now he makes a red and white, both from California-grown Spanish varietals, in what he calls a “hands-on custom crush”.  His long-term plan is to someday get more deeply involved in the business of winemaking, but for now he’s committed to his day job.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Albarino is a native variety of Galicia, Spain and Minho, Portugal that produces Rias Baixas and Vinho Verde respectively. Known for being quintessential seafood white with a core of crisp lemon fruit and almost saline minerality.  Aromatic flavors of Meyer lemon, orange blossom and jasmine flowers, clean mineral finish. Touch of creamy lees on mid-palate.”

$28.00 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

There are just small quantities of two vintages remaining on the planet of the Emery label.  This was a wonderful Sonoma-based project that was dismantled a few years ago when the owners went their separate ways:  one kept the property; the other the inventory, which was acquired by a Sierra foothill winery in a new partnership.

You’ll probably recall a tasty little cabernet sauvignon called “Unbridled” that we sold a few years ago. . .more than 100 cases to be exact.  This was another Emery product, and the estate cab that we’re presenting this month is a huge value—one to be taken advantage of now if you approve. . .because they ain’t makin’ no mo’.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “A dense, opaque cabernet offering a smokiness along with graphite and black currants in the nose with hints of toast, sandalwood and spice. On the palate, generous flavors of wild berry, bittersweet chocolate and earth tones. Full bodied and expansive with wonderful integration of wood, tannin and acidity. Fantastic layering.”

$23 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

This wine is a project headed by William Sherer, a sommelier for 25 years who holds the designation of “Master Sommelier”; he is one of just 140 in the world to earn this highly coveted distinction.  He has headed wine programs for some of the most elite chefs in the nation—including Michael Mina and Charlie Potter—and currently he is at Redd, a highly acclaimed restaurant in Yountville.

“Willi”, as he is known, became enamored with Spanish varietals after a trip to Spain.  Now he makes a red and white, both from California-grown Spanish varietals, in what he calls a “hands-on custom crush”.  His long-term plan is to someday get more deeply involved in the business of winemaking, but for now he’s committed to his day job.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Albarino is a native variety of Galicia, Spain and Minho, Portugal that produces Rias Baixas and Vinho Verde respectively. Known for being quintessential seafood white with a core of crisp lemon fruit and almost saline minerality.  Aromatic flavors of Meyer lemon, orange blossom and jasmine flowers, clean mineral finish. Touch of creamy lees on mid-palate.”

$70 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

This is the third time we’ve featured a Korbin Kameron wine as a club selection.  Named for two of Jenny and Mitchell Ming’s children, the estate vineyard is at 2300 feet in the Mayacamas Mountains straddling Napa and Sonoma Counties.  Korbin Kameron focuses on Bordeaux varieties, and five are showcased in this complex blend.

Beyond four family members working for the winery, the winemaker for that past year is Timothy Milos, who got started in the business in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  He’s got an impressive resume with stops at Stags Leap Wine Cellars, Opus One and Cliff Lede.  He studied enology and viticulture at U.C. Davis.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “An intoxicating aromatic perfume of rose petals, eucalyptus, and anise. The mouthfeel is silky and opulent with a complex palate of black currants and stewed cherries and an added hint of rhubarb pie. The 2010 Kristin is truly a harmonious wine and one of the best that our vineyard has produced.”