2261253*-od
$66.69 $60.59 price per bottle Expert Advice
| Wine maker notes |
| Twelve years ago, well before many were seriously considering the potential of Lake County, one of my best growers, Jim Fore, took a gamble and purchased property on the top of Cobb Mountain. The vineyard site is located a few miles east of Sonoma County and a dozen miles north of Napa Valley?s Calistoga. This is a spectacular property, situated at 3000 feet elevation. Soils are thin in the Red Hills and drain instantly. The elevation places vines well above the hot summer heat trapped in the valleys below, and aligns them in the path of cool westerly Pacific breezes. Because of the high elevation, the differential between day and night time temperatures is dramatic. This results in grapes with intense flavor and color development. As time went on, I gained a finer insight into the growing conditions of the region and began to compare it to those of the Napa Valley. Perhaps most similar is Mount Veeder, located in the western mountain range dividing Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Of particular note, Mount Veeder is home to arguably our flagship wine, Brandlin Vineyard Zinfandel. So we gambled again and planted two old clones of Zinfandel, River One and Mead Ranch, and harvested our first crop in 2012. Our intuition proved to be correct! |
| Producer |
| Peter Franus grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, then studied at the University of California at Berkeley where he graduated with a degree in journalism. Berkeley?s proximity to Napa Valley was ultimately more significant, and his growing passion about wine led him to enroll in the enology and viticulture program at Cal State Fresno in 1978. He worked at Chalone, Veederhills Vineyard (Hess/William Hill) and Chateau St. Jean before going to Mount Veeder Winery in 1981 where he was winemaker until 1992. At the same time he worked for Franciscan Vineyards from 1989 through 1992. At Mount Veeder he developed a special appreciation of Zinfandel which the winery produced until 1982. It became the inspiration and the opportunity to produce his first wine, a Zinfandel, in 1987. A Zinfandel-only producer for five years, he added Cabernet Sauvignon in 1992, Sauvignon Blanc in 1996, and a proprietary Bordeaux blend in 2005. To keep life interesting and his customers intrigued, he has more recently added to the mix a Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Albarino, Rose, a Rhone blend, and Chardonnay. Quantities of these are typically very limited and are not offered every year. Distinctive wines come from outstanding grapes that are limited to certain unique sites and microclimates. Grapes from these sources do not require a lot of manipulation and have the greatest potential to produce exciting and memorable wines. Franus has the good fortune to work with some of the best growers anywhere whose goal is to provide the highest quality fruit possible. |
| ABV: | - |
| Distillery: | - |
| Vintage: | 2014 |
| Region: | - |
| Size: | 750 ml |
| Availability: | Currently Out of Stock |
| Distributed by: | IW |
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