2012 Rudius Fion Bainise Proprietary Red

2012 Rudius Fion Bainise Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNorth CoastProprietary RedUSA

RUDIUS

2012 Rudius Fion Bainise Proprietary Red

2012 FION BAINISE
PROPRIETARY RED

 
What do you get when you combine one of Napa’s most talented winemakers, whose day job is crafting the high-scoring TOR wines, with ancient Mourvedre from Bedrock, Syrah from Hudson and nearly century old Grenache vines from Sceales Vineyard?  The net result is a wine so outrageously good, that at thirty bucks it’s not even fair…  Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Jeff Ames, who mentored under Thomas River Brown at Schrader, Maybach, Outpost and TOR before becoming head winemaker at TOR in 2005.  At TOR he’s made crafting high-90’s rated wines look easy, and with his own label Rudius, he’s applied that same skill-set to creating value wines with unrestrained character and profound hedonism.  Words can’t express how brilliant this wine is showing right now, but maybe actions can?  We bought every single bottle available just after we tasted it.
 
How do you take a wine like this and make it even better?  You allow it to blossom for 5 years in the bottle… The Fion Bainise blend is build around a core of 57% ancient vine Grenache and enhanced with 130 year old Mourvedre vines from Morgan Twain Peterson’s Iconic Bedrock Vineyard. It’s then amplified with 7% Syrah from Hudson Vineyard.  A wine this great, likely won’t last the day…
 
RUDIUS
2012 FION BAINISE
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $38.00/btl
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl
YOU SAVE 21%
 
Winery Notes: “Jeff always allows this wine to take on a life of its own, letting the brilliance of the vintage guide his blend, and in 2012 the Grenache is the shining star. Head-trained, 84 year- old Grenache gives the wine a deep ruby color and commands your attention from the first whiff with spicy aromas, sweetened by lush raspberry and subtle lavender undertones. On the palate, the Grenache dominates the entry with bright acidity and tannins that demand a little time in the cellar (or at least 30 minutes to breath once you pop the cork). The minerality of the 126 year-old Mourvédre wows you in the end, filling out the finish with flavors of silky ripe elderberry. And as the 2012 vintage would dictate, this is a bigger wine than previous incarnations, but fans of this bottling will recognize the bright acidity and appreciate its incredible ability to go with almost any food.“
 
Customers that enjoy Rudius Fion Bainise may also enjoy these two stunning blends…
2016 Clos Du Caillou Cotes Du Rhone Cuvee VV Unique 2016 Sans Liege The Offering Proprietary Red
CLOS Du CAILLOU
2016 COTES Du RHONE
CUVEE UNIQUE VV
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl

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Robert Parker’s Review on the Regular Cotes to Rhone (The VV is Even Better)…  “The estate’s entry-level wine, the 2016 Cotes du Rhone Le Caillou is a stunning value, offering gluggable cherry and blueberry fruit, ample weight and a velvety texture. This Grenache-dominated blend should drink well for the next 5 years.” 90 Points
SANS LIEGE
2016 THE OFFERING
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $29/btl

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From The Wine Spectator: “Distinctive, refined and well-built, offeringexpressive black cherry, cigar box, green olive and cured meat accents that build richness on the long finish. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Viognier. Drink now through 2026.” 94 Points
2015 Walter Hansel Cuvee Alyce Chardonnay

2015 Walter Hansel Cuvee Alyce Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

WALTER HANSEL

2015 CHARDONNAY
CUVEE ALYCE

2015 Walter Hansel Cuvee Alyce Chardonnay
When Walter Hansel Winery comes up in a conversation, it’s easy to reminisce about how they’re a model of consistency, and how their wines continually outshine the vast majority in their category.  Then comes the reviews, and they’re second to none.  Robert Parker writes that they’re “… consistently terrific wines… realistically priced… consumers couldn’t have a better friend than proprietor Stephen Hansel.”  When your brand sets a standard of undeviating quality and exceptionally high scores, it can be tough to stand out among your own vast accomplishments.  Walter Hansel has done just that with their flagship Cuvee Alyce Chardonnay…
 
Alyce is named after Stephen’s mother and makes her entrance from an elevated section of the vineyard that’s planted to a mix of Kistler clones brought over from Hudson and Hyde Vineyards.  Having yields of just 2 tons per acre Alyce always has remarkable power and intensity.  It’s also kept for around 3-4 months longer on the lees and is regarded for being the biggest and most opulent of all of the single vineyard Chardonnays.  With that, it also sells out the quickest… Here’s a chance to secure yours.  
 
WALTER HANSEL
2015 CHARDONNAY 
CUVEE ALYCE
 
Your Price: $36/btl 
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “The 2015 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce (named after his mother ) is produced from a field blend of Hyde and Hudson Wente selections. This is a big Chardonnay made from tiny berries. Orange marmalade, tangerine oil, honeysuckle and citrus are all present in this beautifully textured, full-bodied Chardonnay that shows little evidence of oak. It should drink well for at least a decade.” 93-95 Points
 
Customers who enjoy Walter Hansel’s Cuvee Alyce Chardonnay may also enjoy these two stunning Walter Hansel Releases… 
 
2014 Walter Hansel North Slope Chardonnay
 2015 Walter Hansel South Slope Pinot Noir
WALTER HANSEL 
2014 CHARDONNAY
NORTH SLOPE
 
Your Price: $34.99/btl

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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “…The 2014 Chardonnay The North Slope comes from sandy, rich and fertile Goldridge soils. This wine exhibits plenty of honeyed brioche, with a greenish hue to its light-gold color, followed by notes of buttery hazelnuts, poached pear, pineapple and citrus oil. This is French in style as well, but with an almost lavish richness like a top-flight French Bâtard-Montrachet. It should drink well for 5-6 years. Some of the best values in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir emerge from Stephen Hansel’s winery in the Russian River Valley.”    93 Points
WALTER HANSEL 
2015 PINOT NOIR 
SOUTH SLOPE
 
Your Price: $42/btl

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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “… The deepest color of many of these Pinot Noirs, the wine has loads of damp earth, spice box and forest floor, this is a deep blue-fruited Pinot with a lovely texture, plenty of body, surprising concentration and richness. This is a stunner from 18-year-old vines. Drink it over the next decade or more…. This wine has a dense purple color, a gorgeously compelling nose of forest floor, spring flowers, blue, red and black fruits, followed by a full-bodied, layered and concentrated Pinot Noir that is as light as a ballerina on the palate, but at the same time, intense and rich. The finish just goes on and on. Drink it over the next decade or more.”   94-96 Points