Wine & Spirits

AppearanceGarnet core, pink rose rim. NoseHibiscus leaves, potpourri, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, clove-studded mandarin orange, graphite, pine needles, lichen, bay laurel. PalateLuxurious with a seamless balance of fruit and acid. Composition100% Zinfandel Vineyard SourceBrown Estate | Howell Mountain | Calistoga AppellationNapa Valley Barrel Aging10 months in 30% new oak, 50/50 French/American Alcohol by vol.14.5% Historically our flagship Napa Valley Zinfandel has been comprised entirely of Brown Estate fruit. The 2018 vintage brings Howell Mountain and Calistoga into the blend, giving this wine a wider range in terms of its nominal footprint — i.e., representative of Napa Valley Zinfandel beyond the confines of Brown Estate, and with benefit of David’s 20+ years working with this singular varietal.

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94pts Wilfred Wong The 2013 Bouchard Père & Fils Vigne de L'Enfant Jésus is an ultra-rich Beaune Grèves.  This wine is dramatic and compelling. Enjoy its concentrated red and black fruit aromas and flavors with well-seasoned lamb dishes. Winemaker Notes The wines shows superb fruit and spice aromas with an oaky note. Intense, full and yet delicate on the palate, the wine has a charming velvetiness. Very good ageing potential.

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92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Made from 50-year-old vines!"...the medium ruby colored 2017 Zinfandel Esola Vineyard has a bright nose of nectarine, sour cherries, desiccated rose petals, tree bark and autumn leaves with nuances of citrus peel and dried flowers—lifted and fresh. The palate is medium-bodied and fruity on entry, segueing to spicy layers, with a firm frame of lightly chewy tannins and great freshness, finishing long, peachy and fresh. (EB) Inner quote mark

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94 points Vinous (Galloni)"... the 2017 Evangelho Heritage Wine is a stunner. Fresh, vibrant and nuanced, it conveys a compelling sense of translucence, and retains elegance and finesse even with its distinctly super-ripe, racy feel. This is the first vintage in which Bedrock had complete control of farming during the entire year, and it shows in the positively brilliant 2017. Sadly, Bedrock lost 30% of the Carignan in 2017, so the blend is a bit different than in the past. (AG)"

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Wine Spectator: "Brooding but not a bruiser. Finesse combines with power, offering fervent blackberry, fruitcake spice, ground pepper and orange zest accents that build intensity toward big but polished tannins. Zinfandel, Carignan, Mataro, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet. Drink now through 2026. 750 cases made."

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Epoch Ingenuity 2014 95 points Wine Enthusiast. "Viscous and dark in the glass, this wine's unctuous nose shows black currant, violet and a hint of hot asphalt. The blend of 50% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre and 7% Petite Sirah is tight on the palate, where a tarry texture carries flavors of concentrated black currant, fresh blackberry and wild chaparral herbs." Drink now through 2029. About Ingenuity 2014 Explosive on the first pour, you can’t get enough of the aromas – so much delicious fruit, sweet black licorice, and warm summer brush. Counter-intuitively, but so indicative of Epoch’s multi-varietal Rhone Blends when young, this wine becomes more convoluted and serious the more you sniff and taste. So outwardly vivacious on the first few sips, you’d think her personality would tame in the glass, but touché, she grows serious and more complex, leaving you yearning for what’s to come. With a great acid backbone and focused fruit, more grounding attributes of earth, sweet tar, dried sage, and briney olives present themselves once your senses grow accustomed to her outward fruity beauty.

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96 points Jeb Dunnuck  Made from 100% Grenache aged a full 30 months in 70% new French oak, the deep ruby-colored 2016 On The Road is another full-bodied, concentrated, yet also pure and balanced wine from this talented winemaker. Blackberries, ground herbs, pepper, spice box, and licorice-laced black cherries all define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with a silky, expansive texture, no hard edges, and a great finish. It shows the pure, balanced, seamless style of this vintage beautifully. It's terrific today yet has the tannin, balance, and length to keep for 7-8 years. Drink through 2027.  (10/2019)

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96 Points Jeb Dunnuck. " ...inky colored, the 2017 Casual Encounters checks in as 40% Syrah, 35% Mourvèdre, 19% Grenache, and tiny amounts of Carignan and Tannat. Lots of mulled black fruits, smoked meat, barbecue, and peppery notes emerge from the glass. It's full-bodied, super-rich, and concentrated, yet still stays light on its feet and beautifully balanced. It's a classic, sweetly fruited, sexy 2017 ... "

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Winemaker Notes This wine is a powerful example of Cabernet Sauvignon, the regional hero in Coonawarra. It has complex aromas of black currant and oak and a rich, full-bodied palate with wine, lingering tannin. A wine for celebrating, now or any time over the next 10 years. Winery: HandpickedGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonRegion: Australia / South Australia / Limestone Coast / CoonawarraWine style: Australian Cabernet SauvignonAlcohol content: 14.3%Allergens: Contains sulfites

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Winemaker Notes With fruit from vineyards in the Tamar Valley and Pipers River, this wine has pretty floral perfume and bright fruit with hints of herbs and oak complexity. Winery: HandpickedGrapes: Pinot NoirRegion: Australia / TasmaniaWine style: Australian Pinot NoirAlcohol content: 13.8%Allergens: Contains sulfites

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Dragonette Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard 2018 97 Points Wine Enthusiast, Matt Kettmann"This is an incredibly dynamic, complex and yet utterly delicious bottling. Aromas of roasted cherry, iodine, iron, bay leaf, sage and mushroomy meats envelop the nose. The palate is rich in texture and flavors yet fierce with acidity, combining opulent berries, toasted sage and gamy meats into a head-spinning sip."

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Match boldly flavored reds with roasted, grilled and meaty fare.  Try with chorizo al vino tinto, roast suckling pig with duck fat potatoes or a char-crusted shell steak topped with crumbled gorgonzola. Nose:Medium-High Intensity, youthful, black fruits, chocolate, floral Mouth:Full Bodied, dry, medium acidity, average-heavy tannin, intense, long finish, blueberry, black currant, coffee  

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