$22.50 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

Here’s another stellar entry from the prolific Andrew Jones, a Paso Robles-based viticulturist by day, a driven winemaker off-duty utilizing fruit he encounters in his work.  Andrew’s portfolio includes Fiction Red Wine and Pinot Gris, Wonderwall wines and Hinterland, among others.  All are made in small lots—like this month’s selection. . .just 525 cases were produced.  His 2014 Field Recordings Carignan made our list because it is a unique grape (ever purchase a bottle?) and it is luscious, thanks to the infusion of 25% cinsault, another cult varietal.

Don’t be surprised if you see Andrew’s wines popping up in the shop from time-to-time.  Right now we have his 2013 Fiction Red Wine in 500 ml cans. . .that’s right. . .CANS!

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Freshly cut roses and a touch of cinnamon on the nose. Reminds me of Mother’s Day.  Strawberry candies, black licorice and grilled portabellas on the palate.  Silk-smooth finish.  Pour yourself another glass.”

Blend:  75% carignan; 25% cinsault

$24.99 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

For those of you who were beginning to think the Shiner brand was a one-trick pony, flash-in-the-pan wine brand. . .guess again.  After a drought of California proportions, we’ve finally tapped into a new wine pipeline in Paso Robles, one of the nascent hot spots for cabernet sauvignon in the Golden State.

The challenge in extending our line has been to stay true to our concept of “leverage our wine experience and contacts to source outstanding finished wine from across the west coast and market this juice under the Shiner Wine label”.  The other essential ingredient in our formula is to find great wines that can be marketed for $25 or less per bottle. . .and that has become increasing difficult to do.

That said, we searched far and wide to source our second offering:  Shiner 15.1, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles.  The numbering convention is simple:  2015 yields “15” and “1” refers to the release.  We’re hoping to deliver at least one more Shiner this year; perhaps two if we’re lucky.

Gary’s Tasting Notes:  I’m all atwitter about this second Shiner release, and it was worth the wait:  an absolutely rich and balanced wine at a price that will make the person responsible for administering your household budget smile broadly.

You like fruit?  15.1 delivers a boatload.  The dense blue berry flavor harmonizes gently with mouthwatering acidity and smooth tannins.  The finish has the persistence of the Bush family’s bottomless pit of presidential candidates.

I first tasted this wine using a Coravin Wine Access System (a device for extracting a single pour from a bottle without unsealing),  but relented immediately and uncorked the bottle.  After one night I sample it again, and 15.1 behaved like a Marine recruit graduating from Parris Island. . .a raw youth entered; a chiseled, mature warrior exited.

This wine rates a case in my cellar so I can track changes as it develops over time.  I truly loved this wine, and I insist you will, too.

Blend:  80+ cabernet sauvignon, enhanced by other Bordeaux varietals and Tempranillo

$57.95 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

We’re not going all Francophile on you, but we’re amping it up when it comes to the Old World, especially seeking out French wines.  Every time we cross into Burgundy or Bordeaux, I am reminded of how much we have to learn about wine and the complexity of the French market.  But that’s our problem, not yours.

This month’s baby step is into Burgundy, where we’ve tapped into one of the region’s most senior estates:  Bourchard Père & Fils dates back more than 280 years and nine generations to the first vineyard established by Joseph Bouchard in Volnay.  The family’s holdings benefitted from the French Revolution when son Antoine purchased land that had been confiscated from clergy and nobility.  Now that’s opportunism!

The centerpiece of BP&E is the Chateau de Beaune, owned since 1820 and a former royal fortress built in the 15^th century by King Louis XI.  Five of the original towers survive and cellars run underground up to 30 feet deep providing storage that includes more than 2,000 bottles from the 19^th century. . .the oldest being a Meursault Charmes 1846.  Now that’s history!

Kinda puts the wine biz in sharper focus.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Garnet color with violet shades.  Expressive bouquet of black fruit, leather and forest floor.  Smooth, delicate and perfectly balanced on the palate.  A very elegant wine.   Fruit aromas combined with light toasty notes.  Both fleshy and refined, Clos de la Mousse reveals its charms with delicacy.  Good ageing potential.”

Blend:  100% pinot noir

$24.99 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

For those of you who were beginning to think the Shiner brand was a one-trick pony, flash-in-the-pan wine brand. . .guess again.  After a drought of California proportions, we’ve finally tapped into a new wine pipeline in Paso Robles, one of the nascent hot spots for cabernet sauvignon in the Golden State.

The challenge in extending our line has been to stay true to our concept of “leverage our wine experience and contacts to source outstanding finished wine from across the west coast and market this juice under the Shiner Wine label”.  The other essential ingredient in our formula is to find great wines that can be marketed for $25 or less per bottle. . .and that has become increasing difficult to do.

That said, we searched far and wide to source our second offering:  Shiner 15.1, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles.  The numbering convention is simple:  2015 yields “15” and “1” refers to the release.  We’re hoping to deliver at least one more Shiner this year; perhaps two if we’re lucky.

Gary’s Tasting Notes:  I’m all atwitter about this second Shiner release, and it was worth the wait:  an absolutely rich and balanced wine at a price that will make the person responsible for administering your household budget smile broadly.

You like fruit?  15.1 delivers a boatload.  The dense blue berry flavor harmonizes gently with mouthwatering acidity and smooth tannins.  The finish has the persistence of the Bush family’s bottomless pit of presidential candidates.

I first tasted this wine using a Coravin Wine Access System (a device for extracting a single pour from a bottle without unsealing),  but relented immediately and uncorked the bottle.  After one night I sample it again, and 15.1 behaved like a Marine recruit graduating from Parris Island. . .a raw youth entered; a chiseled, mature warrior exited.

This wine rates a case in my cellar so I can track changes as it develops over time.  I truly loved this wine, and I insist you will, too.

Blend:  80+ cabernet sauvignon, enhanced by other Bordeaux varietals and Tempranillo

$49.95 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

Carpe Vino has been doing business with David Arthur Winery for at least a decade, and owner David Long presided over one of our most successful winemaker dinners (back in the day when we hosted such events).  Here’s a bit of background from the winery web site:

“The history of David Arthur Vineyards and the Long Family in the Napa Valley reaches back a half-century to the 1950s. At that time, Don Long began steadily investing in land on Pritchard Hill. He owned a small grocery business in Menlo Park, and had long been interested in the California wine industry. His vision and commitment to build a legacy and business for his family led to the acquisition of nearly 1,000 acres.  Nearly two decades later, in the late 1970s, that vision came to fruition when his son David began planting vines on the property.  In 2007, David’s daughter Laura joined the family business to run the daily operations. Today, two generations work together to continue the family tradition at David Arthur Vineyards. With the release of the 2010 vintage, the Long Family celebrated 25 years of winemaking.”

Winery Tasting Notes:  A light pale straw color with green hues offers bright aromas of gravenstein apple, pineapple and guava, followed by stone fruit, lightly toasted oak and filberts. The palate is broad and expansive throughout with a subtle briny minerality. The finish is persistent with flavors of Asian pear, white figs and baked apple. Best from 2014 to 2020.

Blend:  100% chardonnay

$20 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

Winemakers Elly Hartshorn and Jenny Sargent have embarked on just what may be the most inventive, thought-provoking and exciting viticulture projects in California—at least in my estimation—even though it is likely that the amount of wine produced will be decidedly modest.  With all of the wonderful potential growing sites in the Golden State, Hartshorn/Sargent have set their sights on San Francisco.  That’s right. . .this pair of 30-something adventurers are determined to make wine from grapes grown in neighborhoods across The City. . .hence the brand, “Neighborhood Vineyards”.

Click here for the full story behind Neighborhood’s plan, but the short story is they have planted their first 349 pinot noir vines on a south-facing slope in Benral Hill.  That makes theirs the first vineyard to produce fruit since the earthquake of 1906 when every vineyard in San Francisco was destroyed.

The first wine will be made with the 2016 vintage, and Hartshorn and Sargent hope to plant more vineyards in The City with the help of volunteers.  For now, their brand is populated with wines made from Central Coast fruit, including this month’s albarino selection.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Made in the traditional style of Rías Baixas Albarino without malolactic fermentation and without oak, this wine is pure and vibrant, with a slight salty characteristic. Mandarin orange and tangerine peel begin in the aromatics and run clear through to the finish. The round mouth feel is beautifully balanced by a somewhat crisp acid structure. Be careful, I’ve on one (or maybe two) occasion put down an entire bottle while weeding in the vineyard.”

Blend:  100% albarino

$20 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

Winemakers Elly Hartshorn and Jenny Sargent have embarked on just what may be the most inventive, thought-provoking and exciting viticulture projects in California—at least in my estimation—even though it is likely that the amount of wine produced will be decidedly modest.  With all of the wonderful potential growing sites in the Golden State, Hartshorn/Sargent have set their sights on San Francisco.  That’s right. . .this pair of 30-something adventurers are determined to make wine from grapes grown in neighborhoods across The City. . .hence the brand, “Neighborhood Vineyards”.

Click here for the full story behind Neighborhood’s plan, but the short story is they have planted their first 349 pinot noir vines on a south-facing slope in Benral Hill.  That makes theirs the first vineyard to produce fruit since the earthquake of 1906 when every vineyard in San Francisco was destroyed.

The first wine will be made with the 2016 vintage, and Hartshorn and Sargent hope to plant more vineyards in The City with the help of volunteers.  For now, their brand is populated with wines made from Central Coast fruit, including this month’s albarino selection.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Made in the traditional style of Rías Baixas Albarino without malolactic fermentation and without oak, this wine is pure and vibrant, with a slight salty characteristic. Mandarin orange and tangerine peel begin in the aromatics and run clear through to the finish. The round mouth feel is beautifully balanced by a somewhat crisp acid structure. Be careful, I’ve on one (or maybe two) occasion put down an entire bottle while weeding in the vineyard.”

Blend:  100% albarino

$24.99 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

For those of you who were beginning to think the Shiner brand was a one-trick pony, flash-in-the-pan wine brand. . .guess again.  After a drought of California proportions, we’ve finally tapped into a new wine pipeline in Paso Robles, one of the nascent hot spots for cabernet sauvignon in the Golden State.

The challenge in extending our line has been to stay true to our concept of “leverage our wine experience and contacts to source outstanding finished wine from across the west coast and market this juice under the Shiner Wine label”.  The other essential ingredient in our formula is to find great wines that can be marketed for $25 or less per bottle. . .and that has become increasing difficult to do.

That said, we searched far and wide to source our second offering:  Shiner 15.1, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles.  The numbering convention is simple:  2015 yields “15” and “1” refers to the release.  We’re hoping to deliver at least one more Shiner this year; perhaps two if we’re lucky.

Gary’s Tasting Notes:  I’m all atwitter about this second Shiner release, and it was worth the wait:  an absolutely rich and balanced wine at a price that will make the person responsible for administering your household budget smile broadly.

You like fruit?  15.1 delivers a boatload.  The dense blue berry flavor harmonizes gently with mouthwatering acidity and smooth tannins.  The finish has the persistence of the Bush family’s bottomless pit of presidential candidates.

I first tasted this wine using a Coravin Wine Access System (a device for extracting a single pour from a bottle without unsealing),  but relented immediately and uncorked the bottle.  After one night I sample it again, and 15.1 behaved like a Marine recruit graduating from Parris Island. . .a raw youth entered; a chiseled, mature warrior exited.

This wine rates a case in my cellar so I can track changes as it develops over time.  I truly loved this wine, and I insist you will, too.

Blend:  80+ cabernet sauvignon, enhanced by other Bordeaux varietals and Tempranillo

$20 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

Winemakers Elly Hartshorn and Jenny Sargent have embarked on just what may be the most inventive, thought-provoking and exciting viticulture projects in California—at least in my estimation—even though it is likely that the amount of wine produced will be decidedly modest.  With all of the wonderful potential growing sites in the Golden State, Hartshorn/Sargent have set their sights on San Francisco.  That’s right. . .this pair of 30-something adventurers are determined to make wine from grapes grown in neighborhoods across The City. . .hence the brand, “Neighborhood Vineyards”.

Click here for the full story behind Neighborhood’s plan, but the short story is they have planted their first 349 pinot noir vines on a south-facing slope in Benral Hill.  That makes theirs the first vineyard to produce fruit since the earthquake of 1906 when every vineyard in San Francisco was destroyed.

The first wine will be made with the 2016 vintage, and Hartshorn and Sargent hope to plant more vineyards in The City with the help of volunteers.  For now, their brand is populated with wines made from Central Coast fruit, including this month’s albarino selection.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Made in the traditional style of Rías Baixas Albarino without malolactic fermentation and without oak, this wine is pure and vibrant, with a slight salty characteristic. Mandarin orange and tangerine peel begin in the aromatics and run clear through to the finish. The round mouth feel is beautifully balanced by a somewhat crisp acid structure. Be careful, I’ve on one (or maybe two) occasion put down an entire bottle while weeding in the vineyard.”

Blend:  100% albarino

$57.95 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

We’re not going all Francophile on you, but we’re amping it up when it comes to the Old World, especially seeking out French wines.  Every time we cross into Burgundy or Bordeaux, I am reminded of how much we have to learn about wine and the complexity of the French market.  But that’s our problem, not yours.

This month’s baby step is into Burgundy, where we’ve tapped into one of the region’s most senior estates:  Bourchard Père & Fils dates back more than 280 years and nine generations to the first vineyard established by Joseph Bouchard in Volnay.  The family’s holdings benefitted from the French Revolution when son Antoine purchased land that had been confiscated from clergy and nobility.  Now that’s opportunism!

The centerpiece of BP&E is the Chateau de Beaune, owned since 1820 and a former royal fortress built in the 15^th century by King Louis XI.  Five of the original towers survive and cellars run underground up to 30 feet deep providing storage that includes more than 2,000 bottles from the 19^th century. . .the oldest being a Meursault Charmes 1846.  Now that’s history!

Kinda puts the wine biz in sharper focus.

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Garnet color with violet shades.  Expressive bouquet of black fruit, leather and forest floor.  Smooth, delicate and perfectly balanced on the palate.  A very elegant wine.   Fruit aromas combined with light toasty notes.  Both fleshy and refined, Clos de la Mousse reveals its charms with delicacy.  Good ageing potential.”

Blend:  100% pinot noir