Tag Archives: September Premium Club

September Premium Club

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Bold wine Style logofraternity-no-vintage-1681834910070Baldacci Family Vineyards
Fraternity
Red Blend 2022
Napa Valley, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

The 2022 Fraternity has notes of ripe blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry, accented by vanilla, cocoa, and sweet baking spices. The palate showcases layers of juice dark berry, cherry compote, and plum, balanced by hints of mocha and tea leaves. The wine’s velvety tannins and plush mouthfeel deliver a rich, rounded texture, while the long, polished finish highlights toasted oak and a touch of spice.

Varietal: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot, 12% Syrah, 8% Merlot
Appellation: Napa Valley
Alcohol: 14.5% alcohol / volume
pH: 3.7
Total Acidity: 6.1 g/L
Residual Sugar: 0.0 g/L
Harvest Date: September 9th-October 24, 2022
Cooperage: Aged 16 months in medium toast French oak barrels
Bottling: March 19, 2024 – Bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve its character. Natural sediment may occur.
Critical Acclaim:

  • 96 points, Sunset International Wine Competition
  • 92 points, Decanter

GROWING SEASON 2022:
The 2022 growing season began with early bud-break and was marked by warm, sunny conditions throughout the summer. While September brought some unpredictability, the season yielded red wines of impressive depth and balance. The vintage showcases vibrant fruit character alongside well-integrated structure, offering exceptional quality.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:
“I enjoy the challenge and the creative expression of crafting red blends. The 2022 Fraternity continues to emphasize Cabernet Sauvignon as its backbone, sourced from 6 appellations and 7 vineyards to achieve a balance of power and finesse. Petit Verdot contributes depth and complexity, Syrah lends structure and intensity, and Merlot adds a plush texture and a subtle layer of red fruit that enhances the wine’s approachability. This vintage offers a bold, approachable expression of Napa Valley, crafted to delight Cabernet fans with just enough intrigue to keep you coming back for more.” – Michael Baldacci, Winemaker

ABOUT BALDACCI FAMILY VINEYARDS:
Baldacci Family Vineyards focuses on their organic and sustainable practices in everything they do. Their estate vineyards in both Stags Leap Districut and Calistoga are farmed in accordance with CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) standards. Some of their practices include manual pruning, suckering, fruit removal and harvesting with minimum tractor use to reduce gas-powered machinery. Their regenerative practices work in harmony with nature, using grazing sheep to cultivate under the vines and enrich soil health, while bird and owl boxes provide habitat for natural pest control. The family winery believes in caring for their land, their people and their community while producing the best wines possible. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Baldacci Family Vineyards – All Rights Reserved

Bold wine Style logoAmulet-Estate-2021 Background RemovedAmulet Estate
2021 Amulet Estate ‘AE’
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

This is classic Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon in a strong vintage. It’s a graceful wine with an enticing array of earth, herb and fresh fruit. Aromas of tobacco leaf and black cherry gently fill the glass. The wine expands on the palate with ripe mission fig, tart plum skin and fresh marjoram. It has a fine, silky texture and dark chocolate completes a lengthy finish.

Varietal: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Malbec
Analysis: 14.8% alcohol / volume
AVA: Yountville, Napa Valley, California
Soil: Gravelly loam and Cortina soils originating from the Franciscan Assemblage
Elevation: 100 feet

ABOUT AMULET ESTATE:
The word “amulet” comes from the Latin word “amulētum”, meaning an object that provides good fortune or a good luck charm. However, the true mark of the Amulet portfolio comes from their deep respect for the land and the pioneering spirit expressed in early Napa Valley viticulture. Each single vineyard is carefully selected to create a varietal that expresses the elegance of the Napa Valley terroir. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Amulet Estate – All Rights Reserved

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September Premium Wine Club

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Bold wine Style logoSeghesio-Old-Vine-Zinfandel-2022-bottleSeghesio Family Vineyards
Old Vine Zinfandel
Sonoma County, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

This wine invites you in with layered aromatics of black plum, dried fig, clay earth, garrigue and cardamom spice. Our Old Vine Zinfandel opens with a luscious mouth filling entry reminiscent of chocolate cherry cordial and leads into a juicy, supple mid-palate and finishes with rich, velvety tannins. Beautifully balanced.

Analysis: 15% alcohol / volume
AVA: Sonoma County, California
Varietal: 88% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Sirah, 1% Alicante Bouschet
pH: 3.83
Total Acidity: 5.53 g/L
Cases: 6,900
Pairing: Pairs well with Beef Braciole, mushroom sugo, and cherry balsamic pork tenderloin.
Accolades: 93 pts. – Wine Spectator; “Like a briar patch in the glass, this Zin offers spirited raspberry and cherry flavors that take on underbrush, dried sage and white pepper flavors before finishing with zesty tannins. Drink now through 2032.” – Tim Fish, April 2024

Winemaker’s Notes:
Bold and spicy with rich, briary fruit, our Old Vine Zinfandel showcases the complexity and intensity that only truly old vines can yield. For us, “Old Vine” means that the vines are at least 50 years old, and we source grapes for this wine from exceptional vineyards that are closer to 75 years old on average.

Vintage:
The 2022 growing season began with significantly below average winter rainfall totals which led directly into a prolonged frost season lasting late into April. Seghesio vineyards escaped mostly unscathed and launched into a slight cooling trend for May and June. This put the growing schedule closer to average, helping to push back our veraison timing and projected harvest dates. July and August warmed up significantly and some vineyards sustained some sunburn due to exposure. This was just a preamble! Harvest commenced in late August and Labor Day week witnessed record shattering high temperatures in excess of 118° F in northern Alexander Valley while still reaching 115°F in Santa Rosa High Plains. These scorching temperatures pushed ripening and increased stress on vineyards leading to one of the fastest harvests on record for Seghesio Family Vineyards. The grapes were harvested between August 25th and October 20th, 2022.

Viticulture & Winemaking:
The grapes were harvested and sorted by hand to ensure uniformly ripened fruit is delivered to the winery. After being lightly crushed they were fermented in small open-top stainless steel tanks and mixed using pneumatic punch down devices – to facilitate extraction and pumped over to allow for gentle aeration. Free-run wine is drained to barrel after 8 to 12 days on skins and allowed to complete alcoholic fermentation and undergo malolactic conversion. The wines are allowed to evolve for 10 months prior to blending and returned to barrel to integrate for 5 more months prior to bottling. Aged 15 months in 15% New French Oak; 85% Neutral French and American Oak.

About Seghesio Family Vineyards:
Seghesio Family Vineyards is dedicated to the production of extraordinary Zinfandels and the cultivation and preservation of old-vine vineyards. Estate vineyards encompass approximately 320 acres in the Alexander; Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. In addition to the winery’s critically acclaimed Zinfandels, Seghesio Family Vineyards also produces a handful of wines from traditional Italian varieties in homage to the heritage of the winery’s founders. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Seghesio Family Vineyards – All Rights Reserved.

Bold wine Style logoDAOU-Reserve-Cabernet-Sauvignon-2022-bottleDAOU Vineyards
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Paso Robles, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

A heady nose delivers fruit-forward aromas of blackberry, raspberry and plum with traces of licorice, thyme, vanilla and cherry. The palate is beautifully balanced, showing layers of black fruit and chocolate-covered blueberry with underlying herbal, cedar and mineral complexity. Exquisitely rounded tannins imbue the finish with stature and length.

Analysis: 15.2% alcohol / volume
AVA: Paso Robles, California
pH: 3.71
Aging: 18 months in 50% new French oak
Soil Profile: Calcareous, loamy and fine
Accolades: 92-94 points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 

Winemaker’s Notes:
The DAOU Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a special selection from top vineyard blocks, showcasing Paso Robles as a world-class region for Bordeaux varieties. The 2022 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon belongs to their Reserve Collection, which features allocated wines from DAOU Mountain as well as top vineyards across the Paso Robles AVA. The best fruit from each site is reserved for special winemaking treatment, resulting in wines that display remarkable character and expression.

Vintage:
The 2022 growing season was initially marked by winter drought conditions that were alleviated by rains in late March and April – a miracle happenstance that replenished the soils and set the pace for healthy vine canopies to come. A later-than-usual bud break was followed by normal spring and summer weather patterns through August. A sustained 10-day heat wave began in early September, prompting an early harvest that put Daniel’s winegrowing ingenuity, artistry and experience to the test. In the end, 2022 was a winemaker’s vintage, yielding elegantly powerful and balanced wines that prove the importance of mastering grape growing and winemaking.

The Vineyards:
The Paso Robles AVA spans many diverse terroirs with the common benefit of a moderating coastal influence. Warm days are followed by cool marine breezes, creating diurnal temperature swings of up to 50 degrees during the summer growing season. Sustainable farming practices, deficit irrigation and high-density vine plantings combine to foster grapes with natural quality and structure. The fruit is hand harvested at peak physiological ripeness to ensure that it reaches the winery in perfect condition.

About Daou Family Estates:
Georges and Daniel Daou are inseparable as brothers, best friends, and visionaries. Started as a family owned and operated winery, DAOU is committed to producing collectible, world-class wines to rival the most respected appellations in the world. DAOU Mountain stands alone at an elevation of 2,200 feet, rising from the heart of the Adelaida district in the rugged coastal range west of Paso Robles. As stewards of this beautiful terroir, DAOU’s goal is to make unique fine wines that honestly reflect the estate and craft wines that combine Old World tradition with New World techniques. Learn more >

Information & Photos © DAOU Vineyards – All Rights Reserved.

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September Premium Wine Club

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Bold wine Style logoBEW_2018-CV-Reserve-Cab-SauvBroken Earth Winery
CV Reserve 2018
Cabernet Sauvignon
Paso Robles, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

Beginning with the nose, there are notes of blackcurrants, pine needles, along with underlying oak spices that paint the picture of international appeal. This cohesion of integrated flavors easily translates to a mouth feel full of blueberry sensations and silky tannins. The linear finish leaves a rejuvenated palate that is not overwhelmed by over structured tannin, showing that a bigger wine is not always better.

WINE DETAILS:

  • Analysis: 14.9% alcohol / volume
  • Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
  • pH: 3.67
  • Residual Sugar: 2.0 g/L
  • Total Acidity: 6.2 g/L
  • Harvest Date: October 2018
  • Bottling Date: January 2021
  • Winemaker: Chris Cameron
  • Awards: 92 pts. – Wine Enthusiast, 2018

WINEMAKERS NOTES:
“The term CV refers to the original vineyard holdings on our estate, Continental Vineyards, and this very limited wine is only produced in exceptional vintage years. In 2018, we achieved perfect fruit ripeness, resulting in a wine of outstanding depth. There are many special dishes and occasions that can pair with this wine, but in our humble opinion, only one reigns supreme: seared lamb. Take three inch lamb cutlets, brush with olive oil, black pepper, and garlic, then sear from the bottom and quickly flip to finish. Only new oak is used and the average aging is 23 months.” – Winemaker, Chris Cameron

Bold wine Style logoBEW_2018 CV Reserve Cab Franc_DBroken Earth Winery
CV Reserve 2018
Cabernet Franc
Paso Robles, California

BOLD WINE STYLE

This crop was a much anticipated one. It is a very robust style that retains elegance and finesse. It is quite firm on the palate but the masses of spicy fruit and balancing oak compliment the grip nicely. The color is deep and intense reflecting the wine’s brooding nature. Bright natural acidity will ensure this wine ages for many years.

WINE DETAILS:

  • Analysis: 15.2% alcohol / volume
  • Varietal: Cabernet Franc
  • pH: 3.58
  • Residual Sugar: 2.0 g/L
  • Total Acidity: 5.52 g/L
  • Harvest Date: October 2018
  • Bottling Date: March 2022
  • Winemaker: Chris Cameron
  • Awards: 90 pts. – Wine Enthusiast, 2018

WINEMAKERS NOTES:
“Cabernet Franc is a significant Bordeaux variety that figures prominently in the “right bank” styles of Pomerol and Sanitt-Émilion although it is rarely released there on its own. Paso Robles’ climate has the ability to get it ripe on its own and we are confident, and excited to release this 100% varietal. Only new oak is used and the average aging is 23 months.” – Winemaker, Chris Cameron

ABOUT BROKEN EARTH WINERY:
50th-Year-Logo_Green-800x802

Celebrating 50 Years: In 1973, Wayne Rodgers (Mash), James Caan (Godfather), Peter Faulk (Columbo), Jack Webb (Dragnet) and local visionary Herman Schwartz established the first large scale vineyard on the Central Coast, planting 520 acres. They anticipated the growth of Paso Robles to be another 2,000 acres with 10-15 wineries over the long-term. Paso Robles now stands around 70,000 acres under vine and over 300 wineries. 

Continental Vineyard was a grower for many Napa wineries in the early 70’s and 80’s. Winemakers from all over the world would travel to this vineyard to see what Paso Robles was capable of growing.  They continue this tradition today, establishing many new varieties that have never been planted in the US, and have 34 of the 72 varieties grown in the region. 

Broken Earth, as a brand, was born from the heritage of the vineyard property originally named “Rancho Tierra Rejada”, meaning “land of worked or farmed earth”. For generations, farmers have cultivated and ‘broken’ the soil in the region with care and respect. Their goal is to respect the land and its treasures. Broken Earth winery encompasses a philosophy to provide wine that reflects the personality of where it is sustainably grown and the personality of its talented craftsmen, the winemaker and crew. Learn more about the winery here.

Information and Photos © Broken Earth Winery – All Rights Reserved.

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