2015 Mira Stanly Ranch Los Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

2015 Mira Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot Noir

MIRA 2015 Mira Stanly Ranch Los Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

2015 PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH

 
Have you ever read about a wine with a narrative so compelling that you knew it was something you absolutely had to have?  That’s what happened when we wrote about Mira’s 2014 Stanly Ranch Pinot and we sold it all out in a matter of hours.  Fortunately for all of us and especially those who missed the 2014, the 2015 is a superb follow-up.  After all, it’s made by winemaker Gustavo Gonzalez, who has two decades of experience at one of the top wine Estates in the world.  He’s responsible for crafting the 2001 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia “Masseto” which received 100 points from Wine Spectator and was described as possibly the best Tuscan red ever…  And the vineyard? You might recognize Stanly Ranch from high-scoring, single-vineyard Pinots made by Saintsbury, Cherry Pie, and Merryvale to name a few.  At $45, this is a Pinot worth trying… Join our Insider’s Club (free) and you may want to stock up with enough to share.  
 
Cut from the historic Stanly Ranch Vineyard on the Eastern side of the Los Carneros Appellation which was originally planted in 1870, this Pinot has terrific intensity, brilliantly detail and plenty of focused fruit.  It has all of the components necessary to be something outstanding and our panel was thrilled with the quality at this modest price point.  Just don’t wait too long to secure yours, because this might go fast. 
 
MIRA
2015 PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH
Retails at:  $45/btl
 
 
 
Winery Notes: “White chocolate, floral and fruit aromas lead the senses into juicy flavors of fresh plums, sweet berries, hints of tobacco and soft tannins. In its youth this is a very tight wine with an acid back bone that ensures years of complexity.”
2017 Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay

2017 Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40CarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

VINE CLIFF 2017 Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay

2017 CHARDONNAY
LOS CARNEROS

 

This time of year, we start our tastings with nearly two dozen Chardonnays, and see every style from extremely rich, lushious and buttery offerings, to shimmering, unoaked crisp and minerally, Chablis-like examples.  Somewhere in the middle of those very opposite styles you’ll find a perfect balance of concentrated, pristinely focused fruit that perfectly balances the elegant oak and subtle buttery characteristics.  When we find one of these, it really stands out in a crowd of countless others.  Vine Cliff’s 2017 could be the reference-standard for perfectly balanced, intensely powerful Chardonnay…  It is an absolutely pure expression of concentrated fruit with just enough oak and butter characteristics to appeal to anyone that tries it.  If you enjoy Chardonnay, trust me on this one.  It’s one of the best that I’ve tasted in years.

Vine Cliff has a terrific reputation of quality and consistency and is one of Napa Valley’s historic wineries, being established in 1871.  This Chardonnay comes from their  twelve-acre Estate vineyard in the heart of the Los Carneros appellation, an area that’s absolutely perfect for producing perfectly ripe, incredibly balanced Chardonnay fruit.  The fruit was pressed long and slow in a Champagne style to maximize freshness and you’ll taste it in this brilliant Napa Valley Chardonnay.

 
VINE CLIFF
2017 CHARDONNAY
LOS CARNEROS 
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
 

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Winery Notes: “Our 2017 Los Carneros Chardonnay opens up with inviting citrus notes of Meyer lemon and mandarin orange, followed by floral notes of honey suckle, and jasmine. A second breath of wine takes you to a place of minerals, with hints of flint and wet stones. The gentle kiss of oak seems to seep through the fruit ever so slowly. The beauty of this vintage is reflected by the perfect balance between fruit, oak, and acid. The palate exhibits a depth of fruit flavors ranging from golden delicious apple, tangelo, and nectarine. On the finish the wine ends with a medley of honey, citrus, and floral notes.“
 
Customers who enjoy Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
2016 Valdez Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016 Martinelli Bella Vigna Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
VALDEZ
2016 CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $35/btl 

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Winery Notes: “Smooth, full-bodied, and crisp; The 2016 chardonnay fills the palate with juicy citrus fruits, honey, and hints of vanilla. The 2016 vintage is slightly brighter than the 2015 with a touch more acidity that presents a nice freshness in the wine…“
MARTINELLI
2016 CHARDONNAY
BELLA VIGNA
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
The core of Martinelli’s 2016 Bela Vigna Chardonnay comes from the iconic Zio Tony Ranch Vineyard and was brightened with fruit from Martinelli Road.  On the palate, the wine has regal opulence matched with majestic balance, and displays focused flavors spanning from lemon meringue pie and lemon blossoms to honeyed pineapple.