Wine & Spirits

"Exuberant tropical fruit and honeysuckle scents plus savory/nut notes with hints of brioche, marzipan and ginger. Full-bodied and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, it offers tons of salted nut and savory layers with seamless freshness and fantastic length." - Lisa Perotti-Brown

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96 points James Suckling This is so aromatic with redcurrants, flowers and crushed stones. Some bark and rose stem, too. Full-bodied, yet so refined and textured with a lovely finish of fruit and hints of berry and light chocolate. So delicious now, but will develop nicely in the bottle.

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Winemaker Notes Deep, shiny ruby in appearance with touches of magenta and Ferrari red. Beautiful aromatic nose with touches of flowers such as lilac, violet and fruit such as blueberry reduction, cotton candy, rose candy, cassis jelly, apricot jam and watermelon gum. Fresh, fruity entrance, evolving on a aromatic mid-palate lingering on fresh fruit and granular tannins with touches of boysenberries, red currant, pomegranate and grapefruit. Critical Acclaim This is gorgeous with extra fine and chewy tannins, complementing a complex and vivid aroma and palate. Medium to full body. Juicy and savory finish. Drink now. -- James Suckling

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Deep ruby color. Bold, medium+ acidity, well integrated tannins. On the nose, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, leather, smoke, and herbs. Ripe red fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, leather, pepper, cocoa, anise, caramel, and smoke. Really excellent. -- Ansley Waters

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Vintage Notes The 2018 growing season started with a cool spring with significantly higher than average frost hours (a measurement of hours below 36 F), which led to a late bud break. The growing season was also unique in terms of GDD (growing degree days), with 14% fewer on average than 2017. The cooler mild conditions and lack of extreme heat spikes combined to create an extended growing season and measured pace to harvest which resulted a high-quality, elegant crop with brighter acids and notes of cranberry, pomegranate and tart cherry. Winemaker Notes The fruit for our 2018 vintage was harvested from September 15th to October 15th. The grapes were hand-picked at night, carefully sorted in the vineyard, then brought to the cellar and de-stemmed. This meticulous care taken in the vineyard by Vineyard Manager Gustavo Alvina and his crew delivered bright, ripe fruit, with substantial mouthfeel and complexity. Following a cold soak, a high-temperature fermentation occurred to ensure maximum flavor and color extraction. The wine was racked to 30-percent new American oak barrels and aged for 18 months prior to bottling. 70% was aged in neutral French Oak to maintain the freshness and elegance of the vintage.

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2021 Honig "Classic" Napa / Lake County Sauvignon Blanc Winery notes: 97% Sauvignon Blanc, 1.4% Sauvignon Gris, 1.3% Semillon 0.3% Muscat (66% Napa County, 34% Lake County) . The fruit for this wine comes from our sustainably farmed vineyard in Rutherford, as well as other nearby vineyards. The grapes were harvested during the cooler night-time and early morning temperatures, preserving the inherent aromas and flavors. The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks using a variety of yeast strains selected to enrich the aroma and flavor profiles of Sauvignon Blanc. An enticing mix of honeysuckle, peach and tropical fruit aromas to a luxurious blend of floral, stone fruit and a mélange of citrus flavors on the palate. The wine is simultaneously elegant and rich, perfectly balanced from the gorgeous nose all the way through the lengthy, layered finish.

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Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 98 points saying "This is an exceptional vintage of this exceptional wine, its foundation built around 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, with dustings of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Beautiful in berry fruit, textured and refined tannin and hints of lavender, licorice and sage, it has complexity and energy in equal measure, lengthy and beautifully focused, a truly impressive achievement of site, vintage and winemaker."

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A meaty, cheese, smell. Heavy yeast wine. Very adult. A hint of cream on the aftertaste. As for fruit notes, there’s a bit of strawberry throughout but hard to place where it hits exactly. Maybe this comes through with some dried fruit notes. --Jason Meyer

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Fairly fruit forward but balanced. Blueberry, black currant, cassis. Leather, spice, bell pepper. Cocoa, maple syrup. Herbs. Lush full silky mouthfeel.

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Dancing Bear Ranch is an extraordinary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the Dancing Bear Ranch Estate Vineyard on Howell Mountain. Divided into 24 separate blocks based on varietal type, sun exposure, soil profile, and clonal selection, the vineyard is planted in dry, rocky, volcanic soils between 1,400 and 1,900 feet of elevation and enjoys a near 360-degree exposure, offering a diverse range of growing conditions. The well-drained soils and position high above the fog line routinely stresses the vines, yielding small crops of intensely flavorful grapes. Fermentation and maceration are carefully managed to monitor tannin levels and limit over-extraction of the small berries with intense mountain character. Free-run component wines are aged in French oak barrels and subsequently blended, for a total of 22 months in 60% new French oak prior to bottling.

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This 2012 is a powerhouse wine from this vintage. Aromas are deep, ripe, and intense with pure berry jam, lush black cherry, and layers of toasty sweet French oak. Explosive flavors follow the amazing aromatics. Just a delicious big lush mouthcoating wine. -- DRHelter

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