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November Premium Club

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Bold wine Style logoArchimedesFrancis Ford Coppola Winery
Archimedes 2021
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

Dark and dramatic in color, the 2021 Archimedes presents robust aromatic impressions of blueberry, black currant, caramel, and toffee. Rich, smooth tannins complement a full array of flavors, including plum, dark chocolate, white pepper, tobacco, and anise – each adding to the balanced complexity of a stunning and sophisticated vintage.

Varietal: 93.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Malbec, 1.6% Petit Verdot, 0.2% Other
Appellation: Alexander Valley & Pine Mountain sub-AVA, California
Alcohol: 15% alcohol / volume
pH: 3.58
Total Acidity: .65 g/100ml
Barrel Regimen: 20 months in French oak barrels, 80% new oak

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:
Considered one of the greatest mathematical minds of all time, Archimedes of ancient Greece was a physicist, astronomer, engineer, and inventor. The lever, compound pulley, and hydraulic screw are among his many inventions. As legend has it, Archimedes defeated the Roman army at sea by creating enormous reflective devices which harnessed the sun’s rays to ignite and burn their ships. The painting reproduced on our label memorializes this amazing moment in history. Having admired this great innovator, Francis Ford Coppola’s grandfather Agostino named his first son Archimedes. With this wine, Francis Ford Coppola pays homage to Uncle Archimedes, a man who loved math and mechanics as much as his namesake.

Crafted for the true connoisseur, Archimedes is produced in very limited quantities from the vintage’s most impressive lots of Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 vintage started off cold and dry. Initially inconsistent weather patterns created a lighter crop, but mild to warm weather later provided perfect conditions to develop concentration and flavor. The 2021 Archimedes was aged over a year and a half in French oak barrels, resulting in a beautifully integrated wine.

VINEYARD NOTES:
Archimedes is sourced from high elevation vineyards in Alexander Valley. High elevation means prolonged sun exposure and less dramatic temperature shifts. Vines can synthesize flavor and phenolic compounds at a higher and more consistent rate. Light onshore winds also work to moderate the temperature. Together, these conditions allow for a slow, steady ripening of the grapes, even when bud break is delayed after a dusting of snow during the winter.

HARVEST NOTES:
The fruit selected for the 2021 Archimedes comes from three separate vineyards in Alexander Valley. Archimedes Vineyard, in the Pine Mountain Cloverdale Peak sub-AVA, is one of the highest elevation vineyards in Sonoma County. Residing high above the fog line at 2,100 feet, it features soil made of medium-sized rocks mixed with a fine loam. The Dayton Vineyard is in Northern Alexander Valley. Well-drained Josephine loam combined with the warm summer nights of the growing season and the vineyard’s elevation all promote ripe dark fruit flavors when the grapes reach full maturity. Finally, the Farrow Ranch Vineyard provides additional flavor notes as well as structure and tannins that are essential parts of Archimedes.

Bold wine Style logoEleanorFrancis Ford Coppola Winery
Eleanor 2021
Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah
Sonoma County, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

The 2021 Eleanor is a rich, full wine with extraordinary aromas and mouth-filling flavors that highlight the sophisticated levels of its complexity. Sonoma fruit provides this vintage with polish and a wealth of structure for the wine to further evolve in the bottle. Lively notes of cacao, dark plum, and tobacco on the nose are accentuated on the palate with impressions of mocha, chocolate, blueberry, and clove. Structured tannins and a long, persistent finish are key components of this incredible vintage.

Varietal: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, 4% Other
Appellation: Sonoma County, California
Alcohol: 15% alcohol / volume
Barrel Regimen: 18 months in French oak barrels. 80% new French oak.
Pairing Recommendation: Beef Carpaccio or Filet Mignon

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:
Eleanor has always been a true partner in all of Francis’s endeavors. After fifty years of marriage, Francis wanted to honor her with ‘Eleanor,’ her own wine. “I met Eleanor in 1962 upon the occasion of beginning my first feature film in Dublin, Ireland. She worked in the art department and we quickly became fast friends, as we had much in common — coming from artistic families and enjoying food and wine. Our friendship blossomed into a romance and we were married; Eleanor giving me the greatest creative gift possible, children. We moved to San Francisco to raise our new family, and dreamed of having a small country house in the Napa valley with a few acres of grapes. Unexpectedly we found ourselves the owner of a large and beautiful wine estate. We’ve lived on the property with our family ever since, and our love of the land and of winemaking grew beyond our expectations, into wineries in both Napa and Sonoma valleys. Eleanor has always been a true partner in all my endeavors, bringing her creativity, honesty, and generous spirit to it all — she’s wife, mother, artist, filmmaker, collaborator, and inspiration. For all this and more, after fifty years of marriage, I wanted to honor her with ‘Eleanor’ her own wine.” — Francis Ford Coppola

HARVEST NOTES:
The 2021 vintage started off cold and dry. Initially inconsistent weather patterns created a lighter crop, but mild to warm weather later provided perfect conditions to develop concentration and flavor. Overall, a very nice harvest producing beautifully concentrated, distinctive wines.

ABOUT FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA WINERY:
The Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s Diamond Collection is a tribute to perseverance and the pursuit of excellence, reflecting the life journey of its founder, Francis Ford Coppola. Born in 1939, Coppola overcame polio as a child and later attended UCLA’s film school before directing The Godfather in 1972—one of cinema’s most celebrated achievements. Framed by the belief that “it takes time to make a diamond,” the collection represents the blend of nature, craftsmanship, and storytelling behind each bottle. These wines are crafted from carefully selected vineyards across California, designed to be both elegant and approachable, embodying a cinematic sense of character and place. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Francis Ford Coppola Winery – All Rights Reserved

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November Premium Wine Club

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Bold wine Style logoOptima-Cabernet-Knights-Valley-bottleOptima Winery
Knights Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma County, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

This Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has beautiful scents of rose petal, cocoa, dark cherry, and mocha which float from the dark, inky, ruby-red body. The tannins are all-encompassing, and along with medium acidity, delivers great balance and finesse. The intense palate shows flavors of black cherries, raspberries, leather, tobacco, vanilla, and anise. The long finish is marked by a touch of dark chocolate and caramel which provide a perfect balance. This is a Cabernet built for a long haul, enjoyable now, but worthy of additional cellaring.

WINE DETAILS:

  • Analysis: 14.9% alcohol / volume
  • Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Appellation: Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California
  • pH: 3.70
  • RS: None
  • Barrel Aging: 24 Months

VINEYARD:
The Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a single vineyard in Knights Valley AVA (one of Sonoma County’s original five AVAs), an appellation characterized by its warmer climate, gorgeous higher elevation vines, and gently sloping hills. This rustic, unspoiled vineyard and its unique soil composition dominated by volcanic loam and clay soil create beautiful, full, rich wines. 

WINEMAKING:
The Cabernet Sauvignon was hand-picked September 18, 2017, at 25.5 degrees brix. The grapes were fermented 10 days to dryness and then macerated an additional twenty-one days to soften and develop the tannins. Following pressing, the wine was moved to 60 gallon French Oak barrels, where it received three gentle barrel to barrel rackings. This vintage was barrel aged for twenty-two months prior to bottling on August 21, 2018.

Bold wine Style logoOptima-Zinfandel-bottleOptima Winery
Dry Creek Valley
Zinfandel
Sonoma County, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

A delectable delight to savor, indulge in a luxurious drinking experience with this wine. Its incredible aromatic bouquet exudes an exuberant fruitiness that explodes with wild berry, blackberry, cocoa, and spiced coffee flavors that settle deeply into your palate. The wine boasts a bright taste with lively acidity, creating a solid structure that complements the intense, decadent flavors of chocolate, white pepper, mocha, and plum. The sweet, creamy oak adds a polished finish to the rich, velvety tannins and spicy, powerful finish. The balance of this quintessential Zinfandel wine offers great versatility when paired with different foods.

WINE DETAILS:

  • Analysis: 14.9% alcohol / volume
  • Varietal: 98% Zinfandel, 2% Petite Sirah
  • Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
  • pH: 3.69
  • RS: None
  • Barrel Aging: 16 Months

VINEYARD:
The fruit used to produce this vintage was grown on the western bench of Dry Creek Valley, 200 feet above the valley floor. The vineyard experiences cool, foggy mornings and warm days, creating a substantial difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. This extended growing season allowed the grapes to mature slowly, resulting in a rich and intense flavor profile.

WINEMAKING:
Hand-harvested on September 3, 2021, at 25.9 degrees brix, the fruit was gently crushed, destemmed, and fermented 10 days to dryness. Following pressing, the wine was clarified naturally by settling and then moved to small oak cooperage where it aged for 16 months. We used a blend of sixty-gallon French oak barrels to both enhance and complement the wonderful berry aromas.

ABOUT OPTIMA WINERY:
Founded by Mike Duffy, Optima Winery is a family owned and operated winery that specializes in making limited-production wines. Located in the heart of Healdsburg, California, they are blessed to be at the center of some of the best appellations in the world. Mike Duffy, owner and winemaker, studied under the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff and produces wines that rival the best of Alexander Valley. They only source the absolute best of each vintage; allowing them to meticulously follow their passion to preserve the unique characteristics of each vineyard. Learn more about their family story here.

Information and Photos © Optima Winery – All Rights Reserved.

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November Premium Wine Club

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BurburyFinca Buenaventura
Bunbury Blend
Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Bold wine Style logoBOLD WINE STYLE

“Our wines are the expression of this soil and sky: they have structure, intensity, aromas and different levels of flavors. Raspberry and blackberry flavors, roasted notes, spices, and a touch of vanilla. Final length, enveloping and fruity.” 

On the eyes, this wine has an intense deep red color with shades of purple and black. On the nose, it presents complex, red fruits and spices; black fruit, spice and black pepper; and secondary aromas of vanilla and chocolate from the oak. On the mouth it is elegant and creamy with a touch of dried fruit and a long finish. An excellent quality of tannins appear as part of the complexity and body of the wine.

Appellation: Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: Malbec 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%
Analysis: 13.9% alcohol / volume
TA: 5.70 g/l
Residual Sugar: 2.9 g/l
Maturation: Natural cold stabilization unfiltered
Aging: 25% in French & American Oak

DescarriadosFinca Buenaventura
Descarriados Gran Malbec
Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Bold wine Style logoBOLD WINE STYLE

This Malbec has an intense ruby and blue-violet color. The nose has deep scents of red fruits, and the mouth has a velvety sensation from the beginning, with a long end and balanced acidity.

Appellation: Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: Malbec
Analysis: 13.9% alcohol / volume
pH: 3.7 g/l
TA: 5.70 g/l
Residual Sugar: 2.80 g/l
Maturation: Natural cold stabilization unfiltered
Aging: 12 months French & American Oak

Sergio Gimenez

Winemaker: Sergio Gimenez

ABOUT THE WINERY:
Fernando del Castillo and Ana Maria Delmar started this project in 2003 when they were looking for the perfect spot to establish an innovative idea: produce the best expression of the soil and sky. They found the land situated at the foothill, and on the aquifer, at an altitude of 3852 feet, protected by 180 degrees of mountains. They studied the land for more than one year, and began working. By 2005, the Finca Buenaventura vineyard was complete.

Fernando and Ana Maria come from completely different backgrounds. Fernando was a successful lawyer, participating in the Constitutional Reform as a consultant and constituent; while Ana Maria was a language and literature professor at a university.  Both returned to school to be prepared for this challenge; they studied agri-business and marketing and continue to grow their knowledge at the vineyard and winery.

They are proud of having a fantastic, hard working team. Even their son and daughters, who have their own professions – an Oenologist, a Designer and an Agronomical Engineer- are all deeply involved in their family’s project. They understand the family’s idea that wine is an expression of art and are responsible of the vineyard with their 20 to 150 workers in harvest time.

ABOUT SERGIO GIMÉNEZ:
Sergio received his Bachelor of Oenology and Fruit and Vegetable Industry in 1996. He received the titles of Senior Winemaker and Senior Technician in Fruit and Vegetable Industries, awarded by the “Don Bosco” Wine School.  After graduation, Sergio went on to be a secretary, advisor and winemaker for many different wineries throughout Argentina.

In July 2009, Sergio became the first winemaker of Mi Terruño Winery, located in Maipú, Argentina. He helped make premium and super premium varietals, bottling them with the brands such as Uvas, Mi Terruño Reserva and Mayacaba, scored with more than 90 points by specialized journalists.

In March 2012, Sergio became the winemaker at Finca Buenaventura, where he still works today. He has produced premium and super-premium wines with the brands such as Aureo de Colección, Punto Aureo and Aureo a la Obra. His 2012 vintage of Aureo a la Obra obtained a gold medal in the 2013 Vinandino contest.

Wine club logoJoin our PREMIUM WINE CLUB, enjoy amazing wines every other month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

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