2012 Nicali Red Wine

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$55 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

This is the second year in a row we have taken the entire vintage of Nicali Red Wine.  We featured this wine in 2014, and here’s what I said then. . .pretty much status quo accept the date on the bottle:

This is why you belong to the Carpe Vino Wine Club and a good reason to step up to the $75 club.  The 2011 Nicali Proprietary Blend was made by one of California’s most talented, highly regarded winemakers, Celia Welch (named Food & Wine magazine’s 2008 Winemaker of the year), who is also responsible for the incredibly popular cult wine, Scarecrow.  Celia made just 45 cases of Nicali Proprietary Red in 2011, and Drew scooped up 42. . .most of which will be consumed by Wine Club members.

This wine is a gutsy, 50-50 blend of Nicali Vineyard cabernet sauvignon and California-sourced zinfandel and a great example of Celia’s of how Celia’s risking-taking pays off big time.

Nicali is part of the Napa Valley’s Lindstrom Wines, where Celia Welch has been winemaker since 2005.  Her Lindstrom Cab is made from Nicali Vineyard fruit, grown in the heart of the Stags Leap District.

Gary’s Tasting Notes:  I’m really a fan of this wine, and I always take home my fair share early. . .it just doesn’t stick around long.  The Nicali presents elegantly in the glass with a rich, deep garnet hue.  It is fresh and fragrant, with intense blueberry and blackberry flavors.  Ready to drink now, the tannic bite is modest, but spirited enough, memorialized with a bracing and succulent finish.

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