WALT Blue Jay Pinot Noir 2022

WALT Blue Jay Pinot Noir 2022
WALT Blue Jay Pinot Noir 2022. Click here for tasting notes.

WALT Wines, owned by Kathryn Hall and Craig Hall, is dedicated to the production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast, spanning nearly 1000 miles and including Sta. Rita Hills, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, Napa Valley, and the Willamette Valley. They strive to source top fruit from the most distinctive vineyards; practice precise, non-interventionist winemaking; and focus on limited production. The goal is to allow the wines to naturally and honestly express the character of the sites where the wines are grown.

WALT Wines are named after Kathryn Hall’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt. They were dedicated wine-grape growers who produced six different varietals that were sold to several well-known wineries. For the Walts, growing grapes was the satisfaction of a hard day’s work and the feeling of peace walking through the vineyard before sunset. Kathryn Hall managed the vineyard operations herself from 1982 until 1992.

In 2010 WALT expanded from grape farming to wine production. Today, the winemaking team, led by General Manager Jeff Zappelli, work in a state-of-the-art winemaking facility aided by a passionate winery staff and strong vineyard partners.

Continue reading “WALT Blue Jay Pinot Noir 2022”

Alvear Pedro Ximénez de añada Montilla-Moriles 2018

Alvear Pedro Ximénez de anada Montilla-Moriles
Alvear Pedro Ximénez de añada Montilla-Moriles. Click here for tasting notes.

Alvear is the oldest bodega in Montilla-Moriles (Córdoba, Andalucía) and among Spain’s oldest wineries.

Juan Bautista García de Alvear y Garnica was born in Nájera in 1657. He grew up to become mayor of the ‘Noble Kingdom of Nájera’ and the Royal Tax Collector. His son Diego de Alvear y Escalera founded the family wine business.

In 1729, Diego constructed  the Alvear bodega in Montilla. The bodega was regarded as somewhat small and obscure at the time, yet this reduced space, given over to wine butts and amphorae, became Diego’s most intimate universe.

Over time, Diego became one of the most important land-owners in the city. Together with his son, Santiago, he took the bodega to unprecedented heights, never before imagined in Montilla, when he won a contract to ship wine to England in the late 18th century.

Santiago’s son, Diego de Alvear y Ponce de León [1749 – 1830], was a military man and politician as well as being involved in the winery. He procured an assistant from Argentina, Capataz [foreman] Billanueva, who would eventually become his right-hand-man.

Continue reading “Alvear Pedro Ximénez de añada Montilla-Moriles 2018”