Tag: merlot

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Anchored Roots “The Summit”

Anchored Roots "The Summit" Red Blend 2018.
Anchored Roots “The Summit” Red Blend 2018. Click here for tasting notes.
Anchored Roots “The Summit” 2018

Eric and Amy Gale are the owners and sole full-time employees of Anchored Roots, Door County, Wisconsin’s newest winery, founded in 2020.

The couple make an ideal front-of-house/back-of-house duo. Amy grew up in Milwaukee, with hospitality at the forefront of her career path. Her initial focus was event planning, from non-profit fundraisers and catering, to corporate events and weddings. This was followed by experience in tasting room management at Airfield Estates in Prosser, Washington.

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Sequentis Reserve Merlot

Daou Sequentis Reserve Merlot 2020 <a href="#taste">Click here for tasting notes.</a>
Daou Sequentis Reserve Merlot 2020 Click here for tasting notes.

Daou Sequentis Reserve Merlot 2020

In the vast tapestry of California’s wine country, the story of Daou Family Estates stands out as a unique and compelling chapter. Born from the dreams of brothers Daniel and Georges Daou, this family-owned winery in Paso Robles has become a force to be reckoned with in the world of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style wines.

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Simon Creek Winery

Simon Creek Cabernet Sauvignon NV and Simon Creek Merlot NV.
Simon Creek Cabernet Sauvignon NV and Simon Creek Merlot NV. Click here for tasting notes.

Simon Creek Winery

Wisconsin native Thomas J. (Tim) Lawrie had a 26-year career in the U.S. Army, including two tours in Vietnam as a combat officer, and was awarded the Purple Heart. He served as an Army Infantry Airborne soldier before finally retiring with the rank of Colonel. After which, he was almost universally referred to as, “The Colonel,” a somewhat surprising affectation for a Northerner, I think. As with most military personnel, he had assignments throughout the country, including California, where he acquired an interest in wine and wine production. Continue reading “Simon Creek Winery”

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Lockwood Vineyard

Lockwood Monterey Chardonnay 2004 and Lockwood Monterey Merlot 2002,
Lockwood Monterey Chardonnay 2004 and Lockwood Monterey Merlot 2002, Click here for tasting notes.

Lockwood Vineyard

Lockwood was founded in 1989 by Paul Toeppen, Phil Johnson, and Butch Lindley as a single, contiguous, 1,850-acre vineyard (one of the largest premium estate vineyards in the world) located in southern Monterey County, not far from Monterey Bay. Lockwood exclusively produces “estate” wines. This means that all of their wines come from grapes grown in their own vineyards, and are then fermented, matured, and bottled at the winery on-site.

Nestled at the base of the Santa Lucia mountains, the vineyard soil consists of “shaly loam,” a well-drained, calcareous “chalk-rock” found in only two small areas of Central California. Because the soil has a low nutrient and mineral content, the vines must work hard for survival. In the hands of a skilled winemaker, this struggle of the vines can result in some of the best and most interesting wines.

Such a winemaker is Thane Knutson, who was born and raised on the plains of Oklahoma. He took a degree in International Business from the University of Oklahoma, while he made wine in his dorm room closet and worked in the cellar of a local winery in Slaughterville, Oklahoma.

Thane Knutson
Thane Knutson

After college, Knutson moved out to Napa Valley and interned at Cakebread Cellars.  He then spent two years at Hess Collection Winery as the laboratory technician before joining Raymond Vineyards just two weeks before current Lockwood Vineyard owner Jean-Charles Boisset made his entrance.  At Boisset Collection, Knutson was promoted from Laboratory Technician, to Enologist, and finally to Lockwood Winemaker.

Knutson’s experience with Hess and Raymond inspired his passion for cool weather varietals and innovative winemaking.

Lockwood Monterey Merlot 2002

Sideways notwithstanding, this wine shows that a well-made Merlot can be flavorful and satisfying. This one opens with aromas of strawberry, raspberry and cherry.  It features plenty of concentrated fruit supported by touches of  mint, spice, pepper, and soft tannins.  It is deep purple in color and has a moderately long finish.

Pair with not-too-spicy pork or poultry dishes.

Lockwood Monterey Chardonnay 2004

Looks can be deceiving; although very pale in the glass, this wine greets you with aromas of green apple, citrus, and mineral notes.  It is extremely well balanced on the palate, with flavors of honeysuckle and passion fruit. That hint of initial sweetness quickly yields to a firm acidity and a restrained French oak backbone.

lockwoodvineyard.com/

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Sonoma Vineyards

Sonoma Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot
Sonoma Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot

Sonoma Vineyards

Tom Klein graduated from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1979, and established a career as a management consultant. In 1985, Klein received an assignment to evaluate the business of Rodney Strong Vineyards. He liked what he saw, and in 1989 he and his family purchased the winery.

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Bink Wines

Bink Wines

The unusually-named Bink Wines is owned and operated by two women, which is also rather unusual (but becoming less so).

Fourth-generation-Californian Cindy Paulson grows the grapes, while also maintaining her day job as an environmental engineer (she earned a doctorate in environmental engineering at Colorado University at Boulder). Her farming philosophy is deeply rooted in sustainable practices, coming from her environmental background and love of the outdoors.

Deb Schatzlein makes the wines. This Connecticut native is known as a fun-loving free spirit; her grandparents set the mold early, making gin in their bathtub during Prohibition. She has degrees in chemistry (with an early career as a chemical engineer) and biology, and has taken extensive coursework in viticulture and enology.

And that name? It’s a contraction of ‘black ink,’ the color characteristic of their red wines.

Bink Randle Hill Vineyard Sauvingon Blanc 2008

This all-stainless-steel 100% Sauvignon Blanc is unfiltered. Consequently, this pale-yellow wine can pour out cloudy, without the crystal-clear appearance most consumers expect. To avoid this, let the bottle rest upright for an hour or so, and decant carefully. Or, if you insist on transparency, you could pour it through a paper coffee filter; unorthodox, and it may strip out some of the flavor nuance, but it works.

This wine’s birthplace, the 13-acre Randle Hill Vineyard, is certified organic, and yielded a small production of 350 cases.

The wine opens with delicately sweet honeysuckle and mango flavors, which then lead to a body featuring grapefruit notes and a supportive minerality.

Serve with Red Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon, BBQ Marlin with Avocado Vinaigrette, or Rum-Brown Sugar-Glazed Shrimp with Lime and Cilantro.

Bink Hawks Butte Merlot 2006

The Hawks Butte vineyard is part of the Yorkville Highlands Appellation, and is located mid-way between the small California towns of Yorkville and Boonville. It is 1200 feet above sea level and 35 miles inland from the Pacific coast. The rocky soils and southern exposure of the vineyard make for high-quality but low-yield vines, providing only enough juice to make 150 cases of this wine.

It was aged for 22 months in 30%-new and 70%-old oak barrels.
As is to be expected of Bink, the color is deep garnet in the glass. The nicely full palate features black currant and stone fruits, supported by somewhat forward tannins and some spice. This Merlot is an excellent value.

Enjoy this substantial wine with Balsamic-Marinated Flank Steak, Asian-Spice Rubbed Pork Chops, or Burgers with Cheddar Cheese and Horseradish Mustard.

Unfortunately, Bink Wine closed permanently in 2017. There is now a totally unrelated Bink Winery in Australia. 

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