Domaine de Nizas, 2006 Languedoc-Roussillan, France

The Domaine de Nizas was acquired in 1998 by John Goelet with the collaboration of Bernard Portet, co-founder of Clos du Val in Napa Valley. A visionary, who had by the 1970s the idea of ​​making great wines using the world's best soils. John Goelet an American of French origin, a direct descendant of the family Guestier (traders in Bordeaux), has always had a traditional wine-based finesse and elegance. He had already created Clos du Val in Napa Valley (California), Taltarni in Victoria (Australia) and Clover Hill in Tasmania.  

Domaine de Nizas is located in the South of France, on the outskirts of the village of Nizas near Pézenas in the heart of the Languedoc region. Located 20 miles from the Mediterranean Sea, the exceptional terroir of Pezenas as ideal for creating high quality wines, the traditional way, which express the character Mediterranean climate with low rainfall and dry, warm summers.

On a manually tended 200-acre vineyard, the estate is known for handcrafted limited-production wines. Their goal is to serve as a model in terms of elegance, complexity, balance and aging ability among Mediterranean wines. The winery crafts boutique-style, artisanal wines and emphasizes sustainable agriculture.

Winemaking in the Languedoc region in the south of France began as early as the 5th Century B.C.E., when Greeks planted vineyards along the coast near the city of Narbonne. Those ancient vintners no doubt realized that the region’s soils were special. The winery’s terroir offers a unique mosaic of three soil types. These soils are deep and provide excellent drainage while retaining moisture at root level, ensuring vines fully ripen without water stress.

The Villafranchian (pebbles, river gravel soil), often found in the Chateauneuf du Pape area of the Southern Rhone Valley, preserves the freshness of flavors and produces elegant and velvety tannins.  This soil type brings finesse and structure to the wines grown at Nizas, as well as a good acidity that allows the wine to age. It produces aromas of chocolate and coffee in Syrah.

The Basalt, a type of volcanic flow unique to the Pézenas area, creates fine, mineral aromas and elegant structure with flavor sensations of spice and licorice.

The Marne Calcaire (limestone-clay) when planted with Syrah, results in more powerful wines with red berries aromas.

70 percent of the Domaine de Nizas acreage is classified as Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Coteaux du Languedoc. The average age of the vines is 20 years, ranging from recently planted Syrah to 60 year-old Carignan. The varietals used in Domaine de Nizas wines include Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache in the AOC category as well as Syrah, Carignan, Viognier and Muscat Petit Grain in the Vin de Pays category.

Domaine de Nizas has been certified by the Bureau Veritas, an independent government bureau, which strives to protect the health of consumers and respect the environment. Domaine de Nizas obtained its sustainable agriculture certification in 2003 as a result of pioneering efforts to farm sustainably since their inception in 1998.

Domaine de Nizas practices sustainable agriculture by:

The vines are worked manually and a decisive approach is taken towards pruning, bud removal, lifting the wires, and if required, removing excess grapes.

The plantation of the vineyard with a long term view, conserving old vines with high quality potential such as our Carignan of 55 years old.

Favoring the biological life of the soils by using ploughing and grass rather than herbicides

Tracing each bottle of wine to a specific vineyard plot in order to more effectively control quality and segment any bottle variances to its origin in the vineyard

Minimally using selective fungicides and insecticides to conserve natural predators of vine parasites

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY

Grapes are harvested at optimum ripeness with a good balance of sugar and acidity. The trellised vines are machine harvested, however, the young vines and old vines are hand-picked. Transport of the grapes in tipping trailers or small crates for the hand-picked fruit to assure good condition of the grapes from the vineyard (white grapes are protected from oxidization).

The cellar is situated at Usclas d’Hérault (5 to 10 km from the vineyards), this former apple warehouse transformed into a winery offers a well-adapted solution for vinifying, ageing and warehousing wines. Located on 3000 m² on the edge of the village, the 1300 m² building was renovated and transformed in May in time to receive the harvest in 2001.

Once the grapes arrive at the winery the grapes are de-stalked (with the exception of the Carignan to be vinified under carbonic maceration) and gently put into tanks. Maceration is carefully controlled in order to naturally enhance the work that has already been done in the vineyard shooting for deep colors, intense and pure aromas, full-bodied and soft tannins.

After 15 to 25 days on the skins, the grapes are pressed and the resulting wine is then graded according to the quality of the press. The wines pass into oak barrels to complete the malo-lactic fermentation. The oak ageing of part of the wine to be included in the final blend aims to enhance the Mediterranean character of our wines without dominating it. The wines aged in tanks are regularly pumped over.

After 9 to 12 months, the wines are pumped over and blended in preparation for the bottling, when they are lightly filtered. They are then aged in bottle in our air-conditioned warehouse awaiting their launch onto the market.

Description and praise for the wine:

Domaine de Nizas 2006 Coteaux du Languedoc
This is a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. This wine is deep garnet in color, with fragrant aromas of blackberries, bilberries (European blueberries) and spices. The distinctive herbal notes commonly found in wines around the Mediterranean called garrigue—lavender, sage, rosemary and wild thyme—speak to the wine’s regionality and terroir. The palate is well-balanced and clean, becoming round and full-bodied, with soft, ripe tannins and a long finish. Enjoyable now or age for up to five years in a cool cellar. 

Wine Spectator - This elegant red, with interesting hints of juniper and savory herb to the red fruit flavors. Well-structured and balanced, with a succulent finish. Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. Drink now through 2014. Score: 90. —Kim Marcus, September 30, 2010.

Owen Roe, 2010 Sinister Hand, Columbia Valley

Owen Roe winery is named after Owen Roe O'Neill, a 17th century Irish Patriot from County Cavan, Ireland where winemaker David O'Reilly, one of 12 children, was originally from. Despite an age-old clan rivalry between the O’Neills and the O’Reillys, the two families were united in the opposition to Oliver Cromwell’s English tyranny over Ireland in the 1600’s. The photographs on all of his wine labels commemorate sites in Ireland where O’Neill lived, fought, and died. 

Adorned on the label is a giant picture of a severed left hand which turns out to be his own family’s crest. It tells a story of a rowing competition between the O’Reilly’s and the O’Neills. Whoever touched land first after rowing across the lake was to be rewarded with the land he touched. Lagging behind, one of the kinsfolk grabs his sword to cleave his hand and tosses it ashore to touch land first. He won the land and later ruled over it as king.  Each wine and each label depicts a different chapter in the Owen Roe saga, utilizing the back label to convey the story.

Owen Roe is committed to practicing the highest standards of winemaking. Since the first vintage in 1999, Owen Roe winery has been working to produce exceptional wines from fruit sourced from small vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley in Oregon and the Yakima Valley in Washington State, a place where the fruit ripens slowly and fully, resulting in excellent acidity and balance, in an effort to showcase the best expression of each variety.    

The interest in these areas is further enhanced by the remarkable diversity of soil types within each region; allowing them to create wines with distinctive and unique personality, even within the same varietal. They employ as natural practices as possible in the vineyards.  The principle of good earth stewardship is very important to everyone they work with, so no herbicides or pesticides are used in these vineyards. David O'Reilly is a firm believer in the principle that great wine comes from great grapes. All of the grapes are hand harvested, handled with minimal processing, small-lot fermented, and aged in French Oak barrels. 

Typically they are racked only once after malolactic fermentation. Once in the winery, only minimal and traditional handling practices are employed to gently coax the most authentic expressions of each varietal.

"Everything we do is meticulous," said O'Reilly. "What we do is totally uncompromised. It is a lifestyle that includes hard work, but the product is thoroughly rewarding."

As someone who believes in working with the best, O’Reilly insists on feeding his crews in Oregon and Washington at lunchtime with fresh food. He hires a cook to serve lunch daily. The crew sits down for the meal and talks about the work of the day or things they hear in the industry. If O’Reilly is in town, he joins them for a meal.

Everything O'Reilly does is also thoroughly Irish. "I like to tell people that I got involved in the business to follow an Irishman's dreams," said O'Reilly with a wink and an Irish brogue that comes and goes. "Imagine making a living by drinking!"  He jokes of course, because O'Reilly is dead serious about wine making. Although he enjoys the high ratings bestowed on his wines, O'Reilly says he is more satisfied with great taste.

In a relatively short time these spectacular wines have built an excellent reputation among the restaurants and shops of not only Washington State, but also New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.  His wines generally sell out every vintage, and his beautiful labels are immediately recognized by consumers.

Owen Roe's 2010 Sinister Hand blend is a Chateauneuf-du-Pape-style blend composed of 71% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and 5% Mourvedre. A small crop of intensely flavored fruit in 2010 means fewer bottles than usual of an especially big Sinister Hand. Deep purple. Dark fruit aromas are accompanied by juicy raspberry and cranberry preserves, with herb and savory spice accents. The first sip of this wine surprises the palate with soft, supple flavors of raspberry jam and currant. The mid-palate opens up to a complex layering of minty eucalyptus, black pepper and leather and finishes with a structured backbone of earth and spice. The overall palate is vibrant and lush, with fine tannin structure and a medley of earth, hint of coffee and baking spice accenting the layers of fruit.  Syrah adds pepper, Grenache adds raspberry jam. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, smooth tannins, and a long finish.

It's not an unfamiliar sight to see O'Reilly touring the hills surrounding the Yakima Valley in his Ford Explorer, scouting out vineyards. Although a designated appellation, the Yakima Valley has been under the radar for many years, with the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley appellations garnering most of the attention. O'Reilly, a stickler about fruit, is convinced that the Yakima Valley has yet to yield all its gems in the hills surrounding the desert floor. With a cool, dry climate and shallow soils on top of volcanic rock, Yakima Valley vines produce smaller grapes with high acidity and lower pH levels - exactly what O'Reilly wants for a balanced wine.

There is no shortage of grapes here, but at times it has been a battle to convince local growers that less fruit of higher quality will be their best fiscal bet. Eastern Washington crop farmers are used to big yields - 5 to 10 tons of fruit or more per acre.

The Columbia Valley AVA is Washington's largest viticultural region covering just over 1/3 of the land mass of Washington state. Within the Columbia Valley AVA lie all of the AVAs of Washington except the Puget Sound AVA and part of the Columbia Gorge AVA. Many different micro-climates are found within this larger region and these influence quite heavily the Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Chardonnay grown here. The arid soils, warm days and cool nights provide perfect conditions for fruit forward balanced wines.

Story compiled from excerpts from Christina Kelly at AvalonWine.com, and other sources found on the web including;
http://www.avalonwine.com/Owen-Roe-Winery-New-Vineyards-New-Winery.php, 
http://www.northwest-wine.com/owen-roe-winery.html
www.winepeeps.com
www.owneroe.com

Anthill Farms Syrah, 2009 Peters Vineyard, Sonoma Coast

Anthill Farms is a collaborative effort between three guys who met while working at Williams Selyem in the Russian River Valley. They joined forces in 2004. The three young winemaking partners, Anthony Filiberti, Webster Marquez, and David Low, focus on extreme cool climate sites on the far coast of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The emphasis at Anthill Farms is on the vineyards and have named their winery Anthill Farms to emphasize the many tiny individual vineyards that form “the link between place and product.” The trio avoid calling attention to themselves, preferring to bring notoriety to their winegrowers. Wine & Spirits magazine wrote that the team produced two of the most exciting syrahs that they tasted in 2011. 

The 2009 Sonoma Coast Syrah comes from the Peters Vineyard. The Peters Vineyards sits right outside Sebastopol in western Sonoma County. Randy Peters and his father-in-law, Tom Mukaida, farm this vineyard outside of Sebastopol in western Sonoma County. The southern slopes of these hills form the northern edge of the Petaluma Gap, which rushes cool, marine air from the Pacific Ocean inland. These Syrah and Viognier vines, which Randy planted for them just a few years ago, occupy less than an acre at the lowest edge of this cool, foggy vineyard.  Originally an apple orchard, this vineyard was replanted in the early 80's, has lots of hot, daily sun exposure but is close enough to the coast to get morning and evening ocean fog. This cool, foggy vineyard produces dense, meaty fruit that is fully developed and loaded with complexity for an Hermitage-like expression. This vineyard's soil composition is a rich Goldridge Sandy Loam. 

Though Anthill Farms focuses on producing exceptional pinot noir from a broad range of North Coast vineyards, their last few releases of syrah caught our attention. The properties are managed with intensive and meticulous farming practices, with minimal ecological impact. As for winemaking, there *are two unchanging goals: to make wines that express the growing site and the characteristics of the vintage above all else, and to make wines that, simply put, taste good. These goals require gentle handling from crushing to bottling, judicious use of oak, and, perhaps most importantly, leaving the wine alone as much as possible.

The partners themselves farm many of the small plots where they buy their grapes, and the results of this labor of love are remarkably seductive wines that combine concentration and finesse. Because of the demand in their highly sought out wines, the company has grown from producing 200 cases in 2004 to 1,800 in 2009 to over 2700 in 2011. In 2009 Food & Wine Magazine named Anthill Winery the Most Promising New Winery.

The dark purple fruit, though rich, does not sit on the palate at all heavy or flabby, but is expressive and keeps you digging your nose back down deep into the glass again and again for another whiff of that black pepper spice.

This wine’s nose exhibits pronounced resinous aromatics alongside a bouquet of morello cherry, violets, river stone, and meat. The mid palate is simultaneously powerful and weightless.

The experts weigh in:

97 points - Wine & Spirits:
'The body of this wine is straightforward. It's stemmy and meaty, what Syrah should taste like,' commented Eric Railsback of RN74... .The aroma of the wine is what kicked several tasters into overdrive, trying to capture their reaction in words. Taking a step back from the pure sensuality this offers as it plumps up with air, it's possible to imagine that stemminess evolving into the scents of green peppercorn, black peppercorn, basil and thyme, a high note of meadow flowers, intoxicating to smell. Meanwhile, the texture of the wine is about as luscious as it could get while the flavors remain savory. The tannins are fine, without any spike, creating a kind of effortless friction as if rubbing against the nap of velvet." (10/11) 

93 points - Rhone Report:
"Very peppery and gamey, the 2009 Anthill Farms Syrah Peters Vineyard has knockout cool-climate aromatics of peppered beef, violets, black raspberry, sappy herbs, and crushed rock like minerality on the nose. Similarly textured to the Sonoma Coast, with beautiful polish to the tannin, and a suppleness that keeps you coming back to the glass, it firms up nicely on the finish and should age for 7-8 years, if not longer. I'd like a touch more depth through the middle here, but this is still one solid bottle of wine. (Dec 2011)"

92 points - Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar):
"Opaque purple. Shows a compelling array of red and dark berry and floral scents, with complicating spice and mineral nuances and an intriguing hint of apricot. Spicy, precise and energetic, with sappy raspberry and blackberry flavors, a jolt of cracked pepper and slow-mounting smokiness. The spice and floral qualities carry through an impressively long, insinuating finish, which leaves sweet red fruit notes behind. (May/Jun 2011)"

Sonoma Coast
The Sonoma Coast AVA in California is an extensive wine region stretching from San Pablo Bay to Mendocino County and covering an area of 500,000 acres (202,000ha). The Pacific Ocean is the main influence on the cool climate here, bringing lots of rain and foggy mornings. There was a time when the region's climate was deemed too cool and marginal for growing grapes. However, most vineyards are planted on ridges, keeping them above the fog and exposing them to the ripening forces of the sun.

Scribe Winery 2004 Atlas Peak, Napa Valley Syrah

Scribe winery Syrah Napa Valley (Atlas Peak) 2004

Andrew Mariani and his partners, wine-industry veterans Kristof Nils Anderson and Andrew Avellar (Mariani's uncle), are growing 35 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Reisling and Sylvaner. 

The vines are still too young to harvest fruit, so for now, the trio buys grapes from Carneros and leases vineyard property in Napa on Atlas Peak, which they call Scribe Outpost East. 

Scribe's 2004 Syrah from the Outpost East vineyard has rich, dark fruit and a lovely earthiness.

The aromas of this fine Syrah are slow to emerge, but when they do, they deliver the goods: layering scents of sweet dark cherry syrup, violet, dried orange, date sugar and dry-cured beef in a plush and sophisticated melange. Things are much more forthcoming on the palate, where bright notes of Santa Rosa plum contrast darker, deeper flavors of cherry syrup, sweet tobacco, earth and forest-floor spice. 

The finish is lingering, palate-coating and beautifully balanced and its richness pushes the wines unresolved tannins almost entirely rearward. This one will be tremendous with braised beef short ribs or flashy lamb roasts right now, and may yet improve for another few years.

119 cases produced.

"Scribe Winery is exquisitely imperfect. This is where the sheen of Wine Country ends and its patchwork, outlaw lore bubbles to the surface. It’s where the dust billows over an irregular dirt road, escorted by a long row of palm trees that beckon you back toward the coarse hillsides and corrupt histories and overgrown, feral sweetness to a turn-of-the-century hacienda wiling away its hours in a state of gauzy, dilapidated bohemian grace.

It’s where Andrew Mariani, his brother Adam, their uncle Andrew Avellar and Napa-based winemaker Kristof Anderson spend their hours making a neglected property whole again, and almost coincidentally, crafting.  To read the rest of this article in Sonoma Magazine: www.sonomamag.net and search Scribe

Unti’s 2007 Dry Creek Syrah

Unti’s 2007 Dry Creek Syrah comes primarily from the winery’s six acre benchland  vineyard, which has been the mainstay of their Syrah program since 1997.  The vines were planted in 1991 using bud wood obtained from the Durell vineyard in Sonoma.  

Since 2004 this vineyard has been farmed following natural cycles without the use of pesticides or herbicides.  Mick Unti keeps the yields extremely low in this vineyard to ensure that this wine is dense and packed with intense dark fruit aromas and flavors.  The color is a deep black cherry.  The nose is spice, leather, violet, pepper, and a light smoke.  The wine itself is full bodied with great balance and structure, showing intense and concentrated blackberry and black cherry fruit with the pepper, bacon, earth, and smoke you look for in a good 100% Syrah.  Its firm tannins will allow for many years of development, anywhere from 4-10 years to show its best. 

The Unti winery is a small family owned operation that specializes in red varietal wines of Rhone and Italian varietals with vineyard personality.  Their benchland property is planted with 25 acres of Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, and Grenache Noir.  The winery property is planted with 35 acres of Syrah clones 383, 470, 174, and 877, Zinfandel, Grenache Noir, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Barbera, Montepulciano, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc and Vermentino.  In total, the winery produces about 6500 cases per year.  

George and Mick Unti believe the Dry Creek Valley’s climate is ideal for growing classic Mediterranean grape varietals.  When they are farmed for quality these varietals show attributes of expressive fruit, ripe tannins, and balanced acidity.  Their wine making process employs modern techniques of long pre-fermentation maceration, open top tank fermenters, basket pressing, and aging only in new and used French oak barrels to highlight the aromatics and flavors derived from the vineyards.  Their artisan methods of farming and winemaking enhance and support an ability to make wines with a sense of place.  Almost all of their wines, and opinions, are unfiltered.

Mick Unti co-founded Unti Vineyards Winery with George and Linda Unti, in 1997. Mick manages the day to day operations of the winery including winemaking, sales and marketing. Mick was born in San Jose, Ca. He finished high school and went to college in the Seattle area at University of Washington. Mick realized early in life the importance of taking the easy way out. He eschewed pursuing a career in the subjects of his degree (Broadcast Communications and Political Science) in favor of working in the wine business. He worked in retail for 8 years, then served as National Sales Manager for McDowell Valley Vineyards before taking a similar position with Jess Jackson's Artisans and Estates. In 1998, Mick left his cushy job at KJ to devote all of his time to the Unti Vineyards Winery.

90+ PTS. The Rhone Report, November 2010

“The Wine’s inky purple is followed by a smoky, spicy bouquet of blackberries, roasted meat juice, tar and dusty chocolate.  Very fresh and precise on the nose, the wine is medium to full bodied on the palate, possessing a silky, polished texture, impressive balance, and a chewy, tannic finish where the wine’s whole cluster fermentation shows.  This blossoms in the glass so if drinking anytime soon, a decant is recommended.  Elegant, but well structured, this should evolve over the next 3-5 years, as well as perform beautifully for a decade. “     

Loxton, 2006 Archer Vineyards, Russian River Valley

The Archer vineyard is a great site located in the rolling hills of Russian River, just south of Healdsburg.  A wine for richer dishes or the cellar.  The Loxton wines are made to showcase the varietal and vineyard site in which the grapes are grown. The vineyard is gently sloped for optimal sun exposure in this cool climate. Chris Loxton seeks to make wines of balance; the goal being to have fruit driven wines of complexity and depth of character without being heavy or unbalanced. The approach is deliberately low tech and non-interventionist in the belief that the ultimate wine character is determined in the vineyard for each given year, and that manipulation of the wine tends to decrease its given uniqueness.

"Chris founded Loxton Cellars in 1996 to specialize in the limited production of ultra-premium Syrah wines. Being Australian by birth, a country where the dominant red wine grape is Syrah (or Shiraz as Australians would say) and with both my father and grandfather growing Syrah, along with other Rhone varieties, Syrah was a natural focus. With California becoming an adopted home, it was a natural extension to also produce limited quantities of California’s “native” grape, Zinfandel. Indeed, both are favorite wines to drink."

Winemaking philosophy from the website and with Chris Loxton’s own words: “The Loxton wines are made to showcase the varietal and vineyard site in which the grapes are grown. I seek to make wines of balance; the goal being to have fruit driven wines of complexity and depth of character without being heavy or unbalanced. The approach is deliberately low tech and non-interventionist in the belief that the ultimate wine character is determined in the vineyard for each given year, and that manipulation of the wine tends to decrease its given uniqueness.

Strict attention is given in the vineyard, with vineyard location being of prime importance and the ability to work with the grower and have input on grape quality also being a factor. I work closely with each of the vineyard owners to obtain the highest possible grape quality and then work towards ensuring that from vineyard to bottle, the wine will reflect the very best of these individual vineyard sites. It is also important to pick at optimum ripeness, neither under- nor over- ripe.

Winemaking is directed towards extracting, then protecting, those characters that make the wine unique (includes gentle handling of grapes and wine, neither fining nor filtering where possible) without overcoming them with the winemaker’s choices (excessive extraction and oak).”

Varietal: Syrah

Vintage: 2006

Aroma: A floral aspect reminiscent of violets.

Body:  This wine shows uncommon richness and concentration, excellent soft tannins.

Cases produced: 198

Shane, 2009 Ma Fille, Sonoma Valley

Shane winery produces Rhône varietals exclusively, which plays right into the hand of the girl & the fig’s “Rhône alone” wine list.  This particular Rosé exhibits striking neon pink and ruby accented color.  Ma Fille means “my daughter” in French.

From the website:  “Our mission is to produce hand-crafted, small lot, terrior-specific Rhône varietal wines infused with the passion of their winemaker and the purity of their vineyards.  We work exclusively with growers committed to the highest expressions of their vineyards.  With such partnerships, we seek to create wines of nuance, balance and originality.”

SHANE FINLEY, in the summer of 2001, left New York City and his job with an insurance company to begin his winemaking career as a harvest intern. Without any formal training in wine, he started at the bottom and began to work his way up. Shane's first harvest was in Santa Rosa, CA at Copain Wines. He was given the opportunity to participate in all facets of winemaking and the experience galvanized his desire to continue his winemaking career. 

In 2002, Shane worked for Torbreck Vintners in South Australia's Barossa Valley as a harvest intern. After completing the vintage at Torbreck, Shane moved to the Northern Rhône to take a year internship at Domaine Pierre Gaillard. Unlike his previous posts, Shane worked in the vineyards as well as the cellar. Living in the small town of Malleval, Shane spent much of his time with Pierre and his family. It was at the Gaillard's dinner table where he built the foundation of his winemaking philosophy. Upon his return to California in July of 2003, Shane became the Cellar Master at Copain Custom Crush. He began working closely with clients such as Dumol, Carlisle, and Pisoni Estate as well as Copain Wines' winemaker Wells Guthrie. In 2005, Shane took the job as Assistant Winemaker at Paul Hobbs Winery. Here he began to cement his winemaking philosophy. 

In the spring of 2006, Shane accepted the position of Associate Winemaker at Kosta Browne Wines. Shane works closely with Michael Browne crafting their renowned pinot noirs.

In his spare time, Shane is the owner and winemaker of Shane Wine Cellars.

Varietal: Syrah

Aroma:  Watermelon, passion fruit, papaya, citrus, and pomegranate.        

Body:  “The acidity is focused and zippy. The Ma Fille packs impressive depth for a rosé – especially one with sub-fourteen percent alcohol. This is a wine of well-defined edges, refreshing flavors, and a juicy finish.” - Shane Finley

Cases produced: 250

Appellation: Sonoma County

Sine Qua Non, 2007 Labels, Central Coast

“Sine Qua Non” is latin for “without which, one cannot.”  It may also be interpreted as an essential element, a prerequisite, or a requirement.  Browsing through the general public's comments about the wine, you come across adjectives and nouns such as “outstanding”, “a masterpiece”, “a superstar”, “amazing” and “explosive”.  It’s no wonder, then, how Manfred Krankl came to name it.

From the Wine Advocate:   “A blend of 89% Syrah, 7% Grenache, and 4% Viognier from four separate vineyards (the estate vineyards – 11 Confessions and Cumulus, and the two vineyards where Krankl purchases fruit – Whitehawk and Bien Nacido), this dense purple-hued offering displays a beautiful bouquet of graphite, spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, and wood spice. It possesses fabulous fruit, layers of silky tannin, and good acidity – all seamlessly melded into the wine’s structure. Already delicious, it should put on weight and add additional nuances after bottling.”

Ventura County, home of Krankl’s  Sin Qua Non winery, publishes Ventana Monthly, a magazine that in 2007 illuminated Krankl’s rise to wine stardom: “Manfred Krankl’s path to the Westside and winemaking begins in his homeland of Austria, which accounts for his affable accent…he met an American girl in Mikonos, Greece, and after less than a year back in Austria he headed to California and never looked back. .. Krankl and his wife, Elaine, had moved to an unincorporated part of West Ventura—a rural plot at the edge of Lake Casitas—to get away from it all. But he was still driving to L.A. everyday, and that’s how Ventura became home to what would become his celebrated Sine Qua Non Winery. He wanted a place between his new property and L.A. where he could focus on making wine as a hobby. But his friends liked it so much they encouraged him to make wine to sell…So in 1994, he made about 100 cases—it sold out immediately, and somehow Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate got a hold of one. A critic whose approval is priceless in the industry, Parker rated it an amazing 95 points, a number unheard of for first-timers and most lifelong vintners alike. “

Vintage: 2007

Varietal: Syrah

Aroma: Graphite, spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, and wood spice.

Body:  Fruit, layered with silky tannin, and good acidity, seamlessly melded into the wine's structure.

2005 Roshambo Syrah, Borri Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley

Roshambo Winery was born of the simple idea that serious wines became, well, a little too serious. It's the brainchild of maverick Wine Hero Naomi Brilliant, granddaughter of the late and great Sonoma County grape grower, Frank Johnson. The small, independent winery was named after the West Coast slang for the ancient children's game, "Rock, Paper, Scissors,"

"Why such a small production? Well, quite frankly… we were a bit scared of it. This is a huge feral beast of a wine. It leaps at you with snarling aromas of blackberry, plum, chocolate, pomegranate, and wild game. And it finishes with a foreboding hint of smoke. Any description beyond that is best expressed in the form of animal noises. Our recommended pairing – duck . . . killed with your bare hands (insert Scottish accent)." -from their website

Single Vineyard
Limited Production
Body: Medium
Color: Deep red
Aromas: Dark berries, plum and chocolate with soft tannins and a subtle smokey finish.
Aging: 20 months in 30% new French, 10% new American,, 60% neutral oak
Case Production: Only 294 cases

Eat with: Duck Confit, Grilled Butchers Steak or Grilled Lamb

Farming philosophy
Duff Bevill owns 82 acres of vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley and his company manages more than 800 acres, including Borri Vineyards.
He has been farming in Sonoma County for over three decades. His sustainable farming is based upon grape growing practices that are sensitive to the environment, responsive to the needs and interests of employees and society-at-large, and are economically feasible to implement and maintain.

“I knew that not only would the wines have to be of incredible quality, but the winery would have to reflect a certain playful and adventurous spirit. It had to be a living, breathing artistic endeavor. My goal was to cultivate a snob-free, approachable wine culture that would appeal to people like my friends who had always assumed the grapestuff was too esoteric and exclusive. And I believe we have succeeded in creating incredible wines for those people who resonate with our passionate and free spirited approach. Roshambo has always been about a brazen spirit, a sea change, a new wine culture, and most importantly… You! I hope you enjoy the wines and can sense not just the craftsmanship and nuances of the flavor, but the personality imbued in each bottle.” - Naomi Brilliant

Frank Johnson
The grape growing history of the Dry Creek Valley goes as far back as 140 years. In the early days the agriculture centered around wheat, hops and livestock, but by 1870 French immigrants had established the first winery in the valley. A century later, Frank Johnson, a career inventor and machinist, traded in his successful orthodontic equipment company for a simpler life in Sonoma County. Having grown up on a farm in upstate New York, he always felt a strong connection with the earth and sought to become a gentleman farmer.

He purchased an apple and prune orchard that hugged the Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys, knowing that this unique microclimate would be ideal for growing grapes. He was right. Before long Frank was selling his fruit to some of the most highly acclaimed wineries, and was among California's first vineyard designated grape growers. He took tremendous pride in his fruit and dreamed of someday producing a family estate wine. Roshambo Winery is the fulfillment of that dream. Today, Frank's spirit of innovation and commitment to quality still resonates in every glass.

2005 Little Vineyards Syrah, Sonoma Valley

Little Vineyards is situated in the heart of Sonoma Valley, the 17.5 acre Family Wstate Vineyard is nestled in the Valley of the Moon between the sunbathed rocky slopes of the Mayacamas and Sonoma Mountain ranges. The vineyard is cooled in the early mornings and late evenings by coastal fog from the San Francisco Bay. As the fog retreats, the vineyard is warmed by rising daytime temperatures and underground hot springs. The vineyard soil is gravelly, well drained and descends downward to meet the Sonoma Creek.

Body: medium to full body.
Color: Dark, rich red.
Aromas: Violet, blackberry, black cherries.

Appellation: Sonoma Valley
Fruit Source: Estate Grown
Varietal: 98% Syrah
Production: 284 Cases
Alcohol: 15.1 %

The 2005 syrah put Little Vineyards on the map. It was there first wine to receive a double gold medal, along with a silver and bronze. It has become there most prestigous and popular wine.
Double Gold Medal - 2008 San Francisco International Wine Competition
Gold Medal - 2008 Dallas Wine Competition

Gold Medal - 2008 Grand Harvest Awards
Silver Medal - 2007 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

Tasting notes: 
Bright boysenberry & black cherry fruit with spicy 
lingering finish. Sophisticated yet accessible in character. Smooth texture.

Vinification: 
Grapes picked in early October 2005, gravity crushed &
 destemmed into small open top fermenters. Aged in 
mostly French Oak for approximately 17 months. Bottled unfiltered in early May 2007.


Joan and Rich Little aspired to live in Sonoma Valley, raise a family, grow grapes and one day produce premium red wines. In 1996, they purchased a 25 acre property from the Hanford Family in Glen Ellen. Since that time, they have raised four children, restored the property’s century old farmhouse, planted 17 acres of grapes. 

Eventually, Joan and Rich decided to blend their winegrowing expertise with the winemaking expertise of Joan’s brother, Ted Coleman.

In the beginning, they experimented with small lots of wine which received great praise from their family and friends. 

In 2002, Joan and Rich began their efforts to establish Little Vineyards as a small bonded winery producing no more than 2500 cases a year.

North Bay Bohemian Winery of the Week
By James Knight (2.20.08)
"Glen Ellen's most notable rock 'n' roll winery is surely B.R. Cohn, but on any given Friday, the tunes are cranking way past his olive trees at the neighbor's place. That's when Little Vineyards' owner Rich Little gets out his Chapman Stick in the corner of the tasting room and noodles out a few licks. Off the beaten track, Little Vineyards is a refrain on the small, family winery started in the late 1990s, with a few surprises, like its own recording studio and a house wine with its own companion CD.... The 2005 Syrah is a more gothic number, rumbling with dry dark fruit of the grape."