Rescue Dog Predominantly Poodle Lodi Sauvignon Blanc NV
Founded in 2017 by Blair and Laura Lott, Rescue Dog Wines has an unusual and commendable mission: a generous 50% of their profits go to rescue dog organizations across the country. The Lotts explained that they started planning a new life in wine country around 2015. “We knew that we wanted to embrace sustainable growing practices and create a new, more rewarding lifestyle for ourselves. In addition, we knew that we wanted enough land to grow wine grapes and foster dogs. In addition, we knew that we wanted to create high quality, premium wines. During this period of exploration throughout many of California’s wine regions it dawned on us that we could combine our two passions and Rescue Dog Wines was born,” they reminisced. Continue reading “Rescue Dog Predominantly Poodle”
There’s an old witticism in the wine business that goes, “If you want to make a million dollars by producing wine, the first thing you need to do is spend a million dollars.” For a young and ambitious vintner to be able to skip that first step would be quite a blessing. Such is the case with Riley Flanagan. She is the eldest daughter of Eric Flanagan, a boutique winemaker and grape supplier in Sonoma, California. Through his Flanagan Wines operation, her father shares the tasting room, winemaking facility, and some of the fruit for his daughter’s own wine label. Continue reading “Riley’s Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2019”
Merry Edwards Winery, founded in 1997, is a well-known producer in California’s Russian River Valley. The winery was established by Merry Edwards, one of California’s first female winemakers. She began her winemaking career in 1970 with her amateur label, Merry Vintners, while pursuing a degree in physiology at UC Berkeley. She later earned a master’s degree in food science with an emphasis in enology from UC Davis. During her time there, she conducted groundbreaking research on lead contamination in wine, leading to the industry’s move away from lead-based capsules.
In 1974, Edwards became the winemaker at Mount Eden Vineyards. There, she curated Pinot Noir cuttings that were later propagated as UCD clone 37, also known as the “Merry Edwards selection,” which became widely planted in California.
By 1977, she was the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek Winery in Sonoma County, where she further honed her expertise in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Her commitment to clonal research and site-specific viticulture helped elevate the reputation of Russian River Valley wines.
Photo: Lisa K.
The founding of the Merry Edwards label
She launched her own label in 1997, alongside her husband, Ken Coopersmith. The flagship Meredith Estate Vineyard was planted in 1998, followed by Klopp Ranch in 1999, the Coopersmith Vineyard in 2001. Georganne Vineyard in 2006, Richaven Vineyard in 2012, and finally Warren’s Hill Vineyard in 2015. The winery’s first release was a 2,250-case bottling of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, marking its first single-vineyard offering.
In 2006-2007, a state-of-the-art winery and tasting room were constructed on the Coopersmith property, solidifying the winery’s presence in Sebastopol, California. In 2018, Edwards appointed Heidi von der Mehden as her successor, marking the first time another winemaker held that position at the winery. Von der Mehden, a Sonoma County native with a background in chemistry and winemaking, had worked closely with Edwards since 2015.
Sale of the winery to Roederer
The following year, in 2019, Merry Edwards Winery, including the brand, inventory, winery, tasting room, and 79 acres of vineyards, was acquired by Louis Roederer Champagne House (one of my favorites). This French producer is known for its commitment to quality. Roederer also has a large California operation named Roederer Estate. Edwards remained involved during the transition, ensuring the winery’s values and standards were upheld.
Under von der Mehden’s leadership following Edward’s retirement in 2020, the winery has embraced sustainable practices, including organic farming at the Meredith Estate Vineyard. Innovations such as the introduction of a sparkling wine, the 2017 Merry Edwards Cuvee Eclipse, showcase the winery’s dedication to excellence and adaptation in the face of climate challenges.
Today, Merry Edwards Winery is a Certified California Sustainable Winery, producing a range of wines including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, with a focus on single-vineyard expressions from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast.
Merry Edwards’ legacy
Merry Edwards’ contributions to the wine industry have been widely recognized. She was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame in 2013, joining a select group of women honored for their impact on winemaking. Her advocacy for women in the industry and her commitment to quality have left an indelible mark on American viticulture.
Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc 2023
First introduced in 2001, this wine presents as a very pale yellow in the glass. The nose features delicate citrus notes, with subtle hints of lemon curd and lime zest. On the palate, it is an intense classic Sauvignon Blanc, dominated by ruby red grapefruit, along with honeysuckle, ripe melon, and just a little bit of grassiness. These are followed by a burst of crisp, refreshing acidity. The ABV is 14%.
Kathryn Walt Hall has a most impressive curriculum vitae. To touch on just a few of the high points, she is the proprietor of HALL Wines and WALT Wines [family businesses she has been involved with for over thirty years], was assistant city attorney in Berkeley, California, worked as an attorney and businesswoman in Dallas, Texas, and has served on numerous non-profit and institutional boards, with an emphasis on issues related to social care and mental health. From 1997 to July 2001, Ms. Hall served as the United States Ambassador to Austria. In the midst of this, together with her husband Craig she has raised four children.
HALL wines hail from five estate vineyards: Sacrashe (Rutherford), Bergfeld (St. Helena), Hardester (Napa Valley), Atlas Peak Estate, (Atlas Peak), and T Bar T Ranch (Alexander Valley). From these 500 acres come classic Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. In each vineyard, small-vine farming is employed to produce low-yield, high-concentration fruit.
One fine spring day in 1972, attorney, private pilot, and wine aficionado Fred Fruth was piloting his plane over the Russian River Valley area. Down below, he hoped he saw what he had been searching for: a property that had the climate and soils to grow first-class wine grapes. Furth and his second wife, Peggy, purchased the land, named the estate Chalk Hill, and started producing wine about a decade later. They gradually planted more than 270 acres of vines. Years later, Furth said, “I have always been interested in wine because my grandfather had vineyards. I’m actually more interested in the working-the-soil aspect, but I have many very talented people in the winery who know how to produce a world-class wine. When I bought this property, I was told it was too hilly to be a vineyard, but I simply planted the grapes in rows going uphill. People said you can’t do that, but I’d seen it done in Germany so I knew it would work.” After a rich and varied life, Furth died in 2018 at the age of 84.
Bill Foley
Lawyer Bill Foley acquired Chalk Hill in 2010. Although Foley is titled as “vintner,” I doubt he sees the interior of the winery very often. He is a vintner in the broader sense of “someone who sells wine.” He also owns the National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights, is the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity National Financial Inc., is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., and owns fifteen other wineries. Continue reading “Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc”
One fine spring day in 1972, attorney, private pilot, and wine aficionado Fred Fruth was piloting his plane over the Russian River Valley area. Down below, he hoped he saw what he had been searching for: a property that had the climate and soils to grow first-class wine grapes. Furth and his second wife, Peggy, purchased the land, named the estate Chalk Hill, and started producing wine about a decade later. They gradually planted more than 270 acres of vines. Years later, Furth said, “I have always been interested in wine because my grandfather had vineyards. I’m actually more interested in the working-the-soil aspect, but I have many very talented people in the winery who know how to produce a world-class wine. When I bought this property, I was told it was too hilly to be a vineyard, but I simply planted the grapes in rows going uphill. People said you can’t do that, but I’d seen it done in Germany so I knew it would work.” After a rich and varied life, Furth died in 2018 at the age of 84.
Bill Foley
Lawyer Bill Foley acquired Chalk Hill in 2010. Although Foley is titled as “vintner,” I doubt he sees the interior of the winery very often. He is a vintner in the broader sense of “someone who sells wine.” He also owns the National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights, is the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity National Financial Inc., is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., and owns fifteen other wineries. Continue reading “Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc Windy Ridge”
Grieve Family Winery Double Eagle Red Wine 2018 and Grieve Family Winery Double Eagle Sauvignon Blanc 2018. Click here for tasting notes.
Grieve Family Winery Double Eagle
The Grieve Family Winery is located in a secure and undisclosed location in Napa Valley. It is not open to the public, and tastings are offered exclusively to wine club members by appointment only. Remarkably, there is no access from Napa Valley itself; the rare visitor must navigate a long, winding dead-end road that begins in Sonoma Valley. The following dossier is the information that agents Mulder and Scully have been able to assemble so far about the operation.
Founded in 2017 by Blair and Laura Lott, Rescue Dog Wines has an unusual and commendable mission: a generous 50% of their profits go to rescue dog organizations across the country. The Lotts explained that they started planning a new life in wine country around 2015. “We knew that we wanted to embrace sustainable growing practices and create a new, more rewarding lifestyle for ourselves. In addition, we knew that we wanted enough land to grow wine grapes and foster dogs. In addition, we knew that we wanted to create high quality, premium wines. During this period of exploration throughout many of California’s wine regions it dawned on us that we could combine our two passions and Rescue Dog Wines was born,” they reminisced. Continue reading “Rescue Dog Wines”
There’s an old witticism in the wine business that goes, “If you want to make a million dollars by producing wine, the first thing you need to do is spend a million dollars.” For a young and ambitious vintner to be able to skip that first step would be quite a blessing. Such is the case with Riley Flanagan. She is the eldest daughter of Eric Flanagan, a boutique winemaker and grape supplier in Sonoma, California. Through his Flanagan Wines operation, her father shares the tasting room, winemaking facility, and some of the fruit for his daughter’s own wine label. Continue reading “Riley’s Rows”
In 2003, Sonoma chef John Ash, Mendocino-based winemaker and educator John Buechsenstein, and restaurateur Tom Meyer joined together with former Fetzer Vineyards president and winemaker Paul Dolan to establish Sauvignon Republic. The goal was to make classic Sauvignon Blanc from grapes sourced from around the world. “I like the dynamics of partnerships,” Dolan said. “It is not about running my own show and allows me to use my creative side.”
The first Sauvignon Republic release was from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, northeasat of Santa Rosa. A wine from Marlborough, New Zealand, was added to the portfolio in 2004, and a Stellenbosch, South Africa, Sauvignon Blanc joined the lineup in 2005. In 2007 came a Potter Valley wine from Mendocino.
Somewhere along the line, the partners seem to have lost interest in the project. Whether they simply abandoned the name or sold it, Sauvignon Republic is now only available at Trader Joe’s, and only comes from Marlborough, New Zealand. Perhaps this value wine will find a broader audience in its current home.
Sauvignon Republic Sauvignon Blanc 2006
This one of the best-structured Savignon Blancs I’ve had in recent memory, and a bargain at the price. It shows a very pale straw color, and tastes of grapefruit, passion fruit, and guava. The grassiness and green herbs typical of Sauvignon Blanc is only hinted at here, and that’s a good thing. Its surprising richness and medium body is balanced with just the right amount of acidity. (This wine is the original Russian River Valley effort, not the current one from New Zealand.)
Pair this up with any food that would go with a bright citrusy wine, like a chicken stir fry with plenty of basil, pad thai, or swordfish steaks in a light cream sauce.
Imagery Sauvignon Blanc 2019 and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
In 1973, newlyweds Mike and Mary Benziger drove west and permanently settled in Northern California. Seven years later, Mike and and his brother Bruno Benziger purchased the historic Wegener Ranch on Sonoma Mountain in Glen Ellen, California. Hearing the Sirens’ call of the Golden State, over the next six years the four remaining siblings — Bob, Joe, Jerry, and Patsy, with their spouses — made their way to California.
In 1986, winemaker Joe Benziger first partnered with artist Bob Nugent to launch the Imagery Series of wines. This pairing of wine and art continues to this day, and permeates every aspect of Imagery Winery, including unique artwork replicated on every label. (Except for the wines shown here. More on that below.) The dedicated on-site art gallery features label artwork commissioned from some of the world’s most notable contemporary artists, and includes over 500 works by over 300 artists. Currently, around 60 pieces are on view in the gallery.
At any given time, as many as 35 artists are working on pieces that will appear on future Imagery wine labels. The artists are not limited by size, medium, or content.
Joe Benziger has dedicated his career to crafting rare wines from uncommon varietals such as Malbec, Tempranillo, and Lagrein. These limited-production wines are available to wine club members only.
However, that doesn’t mean Imagery is inaccessible. Following in her father Joe’s footsteps, middle-daughter Jamie Benziger is the winemaker in charge of Imagery’s relatively new and more popularly-priced collection of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. The label is characterized with a “drip” motif, suggestive of both wine and paint.
Imagery Sauvignon Blanc 2019
This is quite pale yellow in the glass. It presents initial aromas of citrus, lemon zest, and honeysuckle. It . It greets the palate with those flavors and adds a nice dose of cantaloupe and a bit of apricot. There is none of the grassiness or cat pee that often characterize (or even mar) this varietal. Good acidity balances a surprisingly full mouthfeel. A hint of dry Muscat lends refinement and softness. The finish is bright and fresh, but short.
This wine would work well with Stir Fry Pork Cubes with Mushrooms and Corn, Sea Scallops Marinated in Citronette (a lemon and oil vinaigrette), or Indonesian-style Grilled Pompano.
Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
This Cab starts out with a nose of plums, prunes, and vanilla. Then come the flavors of blackberries and tart cherries, and cocoa. The wine is dry, but there is some of bing cherry sweetness. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petite Sirah, the latter lending a hint of spice and pepper. The wine is fruit forward and velvety soft, with moderate tannins and medium acidity.
Serve this easy-going red with Pancetta-wrapped Sausages, Finger-lickin’ Ribs, or Saffron Roast Lamb with StickyGarlic Potatoes.
Casa Silva Microterroir de Los Lingues Carmenère and Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc. Click here for tasting notes.
Casa Silva traces its roots back to 1892, when Emile Bouchon immigrated from Bordeaux to Chile’s Colchagua Valley.
After decades of producing wines for others, in 1997 Bouchon’s great-great-grandson Mario Silva established Casa Silva to produce estate wines under the family’s own name. He had already dedicated much of his life to recovering the old vineyards and wine cellar, and had acquired a unique understanding of the terroir in the Colchagua Valley, which is divided into the Andean sector, influenced by the mountains, a central sector on the flatlands, and a coastal sector with significant influence from the Pacific Ocean.
Silva’s sons Mario Pablo, Francisco, Gonzalo, and Raimundo soon joined the winery operations and further contributed to growth and development.
Casa Silva is one of three pioneering wineries that have achieved certification of 100% of its vineyards under the new Wines of Chile Sustainability Code (www.sustentavid.org). It also has a large area under organic management and is constantly improving its processes in the cellar and its relationship with its community.
Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2009
This wine hails from the hills along the Colchagua Valley’s cool seacoast. The terroir combines the freshness of the South Pacific and the vibrant minerality of the valley’s coastal soils.
It features pineapple, citrus, minerals, and a refreshing acidity. The clean flavor is free of the grassiness that can mar this varietal.
Casa Silva Microterroir de Los Lingues Carmenère 2005
The fruit for this wine was grown in the Los Lingues Vineyard at the foot of the Andes Mountains. This Carmenère (“the lost grape of Bordeaux”) has a nose of black fruits and coffee. The flavor reveals ripe red fruits, supported by spices, soft tannins, and a hint of pepper.
The 1000-acre Maxville Winery’s Napa Valley estate is located in the Chiles Valley AVA, in the Vaca Mountains, running parallel to and northeast of the Silverado Trail. The property was first planted to grape vines in 1974; today Maxville has over 100 acres of vineyard located at elevations between 900 and 1,200 feet. The volcanic soils provide a prime growing condition for wines, and Maxville practices sustainable dry farming methods in order to preserve the integrity of the property.
With a cooler microclimate than the main Napa Valley floor, afternoons are still sunny and warm, but nighttime temperatures plunge. This encourages full phenolic maturity, giving the grapes the potential of tremendous complexity.
In 1996, a new tasting room and barrel ageing facility was built, and it was extensively remodeled in 2016.
Under the owners that acquired the property in 2014, Executive Winemaker Camille Benitah began an extensive redevelopment and restoration of both the vineyards and the riparian corridors. “The Chiles Valley is real and rural and absolutely awe-inspiring,” says Benitah. “This is really an undiscovered part of the Napa Valley – it has so much history, but it’s also still pristine.”
Maxville Sauvignon Blanc 2014
This pale straw-colored wine is made from 100% estate-grown Musqué clone grapes. The nose expresses aromas of lemon cream and guava. The lemon notes continue on the palate, supported by by citrus and pear flavors. The acidity is well-integrated, and the finish is full-bodied and long.
Unusually, the wine was then aged three ways using a concrete egg, stainless steel, and barrels. The components were aged sur lies for eight-months before blending and bottling.
Although delicious now, this Sauvignon Blanc could last up to 10 years in the cellar, if you can wait that long. Not me.
Pair this selection with shellfish and potatoes à la Marinière, butter-poached lobster with tarragon and champagne, or grilled scallops with Rémoulade sauce.
Maxville Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
This Cabernet presents with a deep garnet hue and aromas of cedar and dark fruit. The flavor is fruit-forward, dominated by blackberry, cassis, and currant, supported by hints of chocolate, spice, and toasted oak. It’s all wrapped up with tightly wound tannins, zippy acidity and a long full finish. Decant (for at least two hours) now to make the aromatics more accessible, or let it rest for up to 15 years if you like a softer character.
This Cab underwent a seven-day cold-soak followed by a warm fermentation. The wine was left on skins for one week after primary fermentation finished. Malolactic fermentation was done in barrel; spending 18 months in 60% new French oak barrels.
This wine yearns for robust dishes like Bistecca alla Fiorentina; Provençal rack of lamb; or spit-roasted piri-piri chicken.
Kathryn Walt Hall has a most impressive curriculum vitae. To touch on just a few of the high points, she is the proprietor of HALL Wines and WALT Wines [family businesses she has been involved with for over thirty years], was assistant city attorney in Berkeley, California, worked as an attorney and businesswoman in Dallas, Texas, and has served on numerous non-profit and institutional boards, with an emphasis on issues related to social care and mental health. From 1997 to July 2001, Ms. Hall served as the United States Ambassador to Austria. In the midst of this, together with her husband Craig she has raised four children.
HALL wines hail from five estate vineyards: Sacrashe (Rutherford), Bergfeld (St. Helena), Hardester (Napa Valley), Atlas Peak Estate, (Atlas Peak), and T Bar T Ranch (Alexander Valley). From these 500 acres come classic Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. In each vineyard, small-vine farming is employed to produce low-yield, high-concentration fruit.
Justin Vineyards and Winery is located in Paso Robles in California’s Central Coast region. William Randolph Hearst’s famous “castle,” San Simeon, is due west over the Sierra Madre mountains.
Justin was founded in 1981 by Justin Baldwin when he planted the 160-acre property with the major grapes of Bordeaux, and the emphasis on Bordeaux-style blends and single varietals remains to this day. In addition to the estate vineyard, Justin sources grapes from thirteen affiliated growers in the area.
The winery’s three prime areas of focus are: a “left bank” Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, named Isosceles, Justin’s flagship and most well-known offering; Justification, its “right bank” Merlot and Cabernet Franc cousin; and varietal bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. They also produce limited amounts of Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Port, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Viognier.
For these varietals, each year Justin commissions a different artist to execute the art portion of the label. The winery buildings and their surrounding vineyards are always the subject matter, the idea being that the artists’ interpretation of the winery is like the winemaker’s interpretation of the vineyard’s grapes.
In addition to the tasting room, there is also an inn and restaurant on the property.
Justin Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2010
This unoaked wine spent five and a half months in stainless steel before bottling. It is almost colorless, with hints of pale straw and delicate green.
The nose offers aromas of fresh peach, citrus notes dominated by ruby grapefruit, and a hint of coconut.
On the palate the wine is dry, with bright acidity, and some of the peach flavor carries over from the nose. The body has very good structure for a sauvignon blanc.
Pair this wine with Rosemary-Lemon Chicken, Crab and Shrimp Etouffee, or Broiled Scallops.
Justin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
After a balanced growing season and unchallenging harvest, Justin’s ‘09 Cabernet was matured for 16 months in French and American oak, 33% of it new.
In the glass, this wine is a not-quite opaque ruby red. It features aromas of black fruits, with a vanilla note from the oak. Surprisingly, there were almost no legs.
Its taste offers up red and black cherries and red currents, although the fruit is somewhat recessive, and is reflective of Justin’s preference for an old-world style, rather than what one might usually expect from the Central Coast. The wine is nicely tannic, with a medium finish.
This food-friendly wine would work well with Yankee Pot Roast, Creole Pork Chops, or Chicken Cacciatore.
Mad Max(ville)
Justin Vineyards and Winery