2012 Hunanitas Pinot Noir Truchard Vineyard Carneros Napa Valley Quick Sip

A nice gift from a a friend who knows a thing or 10 about fine wine, tonight I opened the 2012 Pinot Noir from Humanitas Wines. From the humble beginnings in a shed erected for $600, owner Judd Wallenbrock wanted the focus of his wines to "honor the vineyard" and in each bottle your heart, soul and passion shines. "Wines that are so good they change the world" and I must say this was one very special Pinot. Something else I truly respect is that 7% of all revenue is donated to solution based organizations encompassing health, hunger and affordable housing.

The nose screams pinot with cherry, raspberry and strawberry fruit exploding from the glass. Hints of cinnamon spice with herbal and wet earthy notes add character. It's as if I am standing in the vineyard with the early morning fog enjoying the beauty.

The mouth is beautiful with a red berry jam start of raspberry, cherry, cranberry and strawberry rhubarb.  As the juice rolls around you mouth a nice cinnamon spice with a creamy vanilla/caramel finish. You never want your glass empty when sipping this amazing juice.

Book a tasting today by clicking the Tasting Experience link and start enjoying Humanitas Wines today!

Cheers
Dan

2013 Campesino Cellars Baybos Sonoma Valley

Those trademark hands on the label mean a bottle of Campesino Cellars is open in the house. Always a staple in my cellar and one of my favorite labels, I look forward to my release emails to see what exciting wines Macario has created. I've told you before make sure you sign up for the mailing list to ensure you do not miss these wines. Handcrafted small lot wines with minimal intervention allow the fruit and vineyard to showcase their beauty. With each varietal and vintage you the wine lover will appreciate the quality of Macario and Griselda's label, and your palate will beg you to drink more.

Tonight's wine was the 2013 Baybos, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. The wine was aged 20 months in 30% new oak and 70% neutral oak barrels. Aromas of dark jammy fruit with peppery spice followed by floral and earthy tones.You can smell the vineyard with every swirl. A blended masterpiece in aromatics.

The mouth is luscious with silky berry preserves balanced with herbs, baking spice, licorice and concludes with an earthy character. Love the long soft finish on this medium bodied wine. I paired with my famous bbq baby back ribs and the combination was a slam dunk. Naturally I sipped prior to dinner as well so feel free to drink by itself (the bottle lasted not nearly long enough). A steal for $32! A perfect blend Macario.

Wine friends support small local producers in your area! Some of the finest wines made come from these "hands."

Cheers
Dan

2011 Deering Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley Nelligan Road on TV Tuesday

*Sample Received*

Tasted a couple weeks ago on Cellars Of Sonoma TVTuesday, I had the pleasure of sipping Deering Wine's 2011 Cabernet while chatting with owner Todd Maus and show host Scott Jordan.

Deering Wine was born in 2004 with the purchase of 16 acres of Old Vine Zinfandel and the Maus Vineyard was established. Of the total 106 acres the family owns, they plan to only plant 30 acres. Currently along with the Zin there are plots of Petite Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Charbono. In the next 5 years they plan to plant the remaining 7 acres with some "interesting varietals" so we should all stay tuned for more to come.

Todd hails from a farming background where his family has made a living back to the 1800's. At a young age Todd began to experiment with fruit juice "blending" which lead to producing beer in the family garage. See where this is headed? Yep then the move to San Francisco and he caught the wine bug which lead to night classes. Today you will find him in the vineyard getting his hands dirty just like his family before him and the result are these premium wines for us to enjoy.

Right from the start rich raspberry and juicy dark cherry with blackberry, hints of plum and cloves. Allow the wine to open and a slight earthy character rises from the fruit. So elegant on the nose.

The mouth is simply divine. Blackberry, juicy cherry and plum carry long into the finish. I thought the tannins were soft and gave the wine a silky character. Paired nicely with my lasagna and meat sauce.

Scott and Todd great show and even better vino. Thanks for allowing me to "discover this wine one sip at a time"

Cheers
Dan