Wine By Nine

Red Wine by Chateau St. Jean from Sonoma County, California. Just beautiful California claret. -Wine Enthusiast Cinq Cepages (Five Varieties) is a Bordeaux-style blend consisting of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot. Each component is aged separately for two years in small French oak barrels (56% new) before blending. Once the wine is assembled, it spends six months in the bottle before release. Fruit for this Cabernet Sauvignon was selected from the finest Bordeaux variety vineyards in Sonoma County: 60% from Alexander Valley, 15% from Sonoma Valley, 15% from Knights Valley, 6% from Russian River Valley and 4% Dry Creek Valley to assemble a wine that showcases Sonoma County. The Alexander Valley grapes highlight bright berry with back notes of dried herbs, while the Sonoma Valley fruit is from the St. Jean Estate Vineyard, and brings black and dense mountain fruit to the blend. The Knights Valley fruit adds a firm mouthfeel and pronounced tannins and the Dry Creek Valley grapes tend toward dark, dense black cherry and berry fruit flavors with a rich mouthfeel. The Russian River Valley brings exotic aromas and lush textures to complete the blend. A classic Cinq Cepages, the 2003 vintage offers the signature chocolate-covered cherry and boysenberry aromas that have come to define this flagship Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. Lush, elegant and gracefully balanced, the wine delivers sweet plum and dark berry flavors and an exotic floral note that wraps around big, juicy tannins. This highly concentrated wine has beautiful oak integration and a lushness throughout that leads to a lingering finish.

Red Wine by Chateau St. Jean from Sonoma County, California. Cinq Cepages (Five Varieties) is a Bordeaux-style blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Merlot (9%), Cabernet Franc (7%), Malbec (4%), and Petit Verdot (3%). Each component is aged separately for two years in small French oak barrels (47% new) before blending. Once the wine is assembled, it spends six months in the bottle before release. Inviting aromas of boysenberry and violet define the nose of this flagship Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. A rich and dense entry begins with layers of black raspberry, mocha and hints of blueberry. The palate offers a graceful balance between fruit extract and fine-grained tannins. This deep, concentrated wine has a classic Cinq Cepages structure with beautiful oak integration and a lushness throughout that leads to a lingering finish. - Margo Van Staaveren, Winemaker

Red Wine by Ch?teau Gruaud Larose from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Well done. Good, dark color to this '99, with lots of plummy, berry and cassis character. It's medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a medium finish. Best after 2004. -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Feudi di San Gregorio from Southern Italy, Italy. Grape Varieties: 100% Aglianico di Taurasi, harvested in part from century-old pre-phylloxera vines. Vinification: Manual harvesting starts in mid-October and lasts until early November. After pressing, a long maceration on the skins takes place. Once malolactic fermentation is completed, the wine is aged for 14 months in new French oak barrels prior to release. Intense, persistent bouquet of rich wild cherries, toasted oak and warm vanilla. Soft, dense and well-balanced. The finish is long and pleasant, with flavors of red berries against a smooth background of toast and spice. Appealing scents of dried cherry, violets, licorice and new oak. Polished flavors of red fruit, tobacco, minerals, cedar and coffee grounds. Orange notes in the lip-smacking finish. -Wine News

Red Wine by Clarendon Hills from McLaren Vale, Australia. The 2004 Moritz Syrah highlights the quality of the fruit that is produced from thirty-one year old vines, planted on a soil of ironstone. Dense dark purple in color the wine exhibits aromas of blueberry, black currants, cassis and game. On the palate, the wine is a mouthful of plums, blueberries, cured meat; finishing rich, silky and round. It comes across as a blend of Cornas and Hermitage. ...Gorgeous aromas of flowers, blueberries, cassis, and meat jump from the glass of this cuvee. With huge body and a rich, intense style, Bratasiuk claims it is his hypothetical blend of a Cornas and Hermitage, although it possesses more fruit than most of those wines. It should drink well for a minimum of 15 years. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ruffino from Tuscany, Italy. Grape varieties: 60% Colorino, 40% Merlot Deep ruby red in color, with violet hues. Intense and complex, Romitorio de Santedame displays a voluptuous nose of black currant, cranberries and raspberries, highlighted by notes of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. This impressive bouquet is echoed on the palate, where strong but velvety tannins complement the intense fruit character. Beautifully structured, the tannins, alcohol, acidity, and fruit find an ideal balance, leading to the lingering, smooth finish of coffee, hazelnuts, and mint chocolate. Romitorio di Santedame deserves a meal worthy of its richness and complexity. Enjoy it with veal or pork pate, Beef Wellington, a crown rack of lamb, moussaka, or roasted goose.

Red Wine by Source Napa from Napa Valley, California. Paramount is exemplary of Napa at its finest. This premier red is a bold blend of fruit from several distinguished Napa Valley vineyards. These sites have been chosen as they have historically produced exceptional grapes, all unique and expressive of their particular place within the valley. At the core of the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon from both mountainside (Diamond Mtn) and the Family Home knoll-top (Oakville); Merlot comes from the Mayacamas foothills behind St. Helena; Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from the slopes of Spring Mountain. Outstanding as these wines are alone, judiciously blended they come together to create a wine much greater than the sum of its parts. The rich aromas of graham cracker and toasted walnut mingle with game, plum, cola and black olive. A strong line of acidity helps to keep the rich palate in balance and supports both the juicy red fruits and the dark smoky flavors. Blackberry, tar and black licorice linger on the persistent finish. Paramount is a full bodied, well structured wine bursting with layer upon layer of flavor. Enjoy the long satisfying finish. Once opened the wine will evolve and give enjoyment for many hours. It will continue to develop in the bottle over the next 3-5 years. Enjoy with red meats (especially steaks), lamb and hard cheeses.

Red Wine by Darioush from Napa Valley, California. Composition: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot The 2004 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Napa Valley vintage: ripe, lush and profoundly concentrated, yet epitomizing the stylistic profile and poise that is valued so highly by this winery. Naturally smaller yields and a warmer than average season conspired to produce berries with remarkable saturation and richness, while Darioush's more moderate-climate estate vineyards ensured the finished wine's fully-developed complexity and nuance are not lost beneath extravagant ripeness. Alluring floral and licorice aromatics combine with the sweet scent of crushed blackberries to introduce this seriously sexy wine. Finely-knit tannins support a rich, full-bodied mid-palate of creme de cassis, European dark chocolate, espresso, earth and exotic allspice. Though best decanted in its youth, this sophisticated beauty will age gracefully for the next decade.

Red Wine by Hewitt Vineyard from Napa Valley, California. The 2003 Hewitt Vineyard Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and comes from the vineyard's oldest plantings. Using only the free-run juice, fermentation was allowed to extend for more than 40 days. The wine was aged in French oak barrels and racked every 3 months for 18 months before bottling without fining or filtering. This wine is a beautiful deep ruby-red color. Initial aromas of black olive, pomegranate and watermelon rind are backed by a tarry note. They open to concentrated chocolate fudge, rum raisin, butterscotch and cedar. On the palate, there is surprising elegance for such youth. Fine-grained tannins in the mouth combine with cassis, toffee and plum-pie flavors interspersed with rosemary and lavender. The finish is long and luxurious.

Red Wine by Col Solare from Columbia Valley, Washington. Col Solare is a winemaking partnership between Tuscany's Marchesi Antinori and Washington state's Chateau Ste. Michelle that began in the vineyards of the Columbia Valley with Piero Antinori's on-going attraction to unique viticultural regions. In 1990, Piero made his first trip to the Columbia Valley. Impressed by the quality and diversity of Washington wines, Antinori began discussing a partnership with Chateau Ste. Michelle that would challenge them both to step out of their own proven perspective to achieve something new. The idea took hold, and Col Solare was born with the 1995 vintage. Grapes were gently crushed and pumped over twice daily during a ten-day fermentation. At dryness, a portion of the wine went through an extended maceration of about two weeks to increase extract. We moved the wine with gravity into new and one-year-old French oak barrels; each barrel was racked periodically throughout 22 months of barrel aging. Sensational chocolate and caramel aromas join with an earthy note and a hint of tobacco to introduce a wine with generous black currant and black cherry set off by a trace of allspice. Silky with both abundant, soft tannins and plenty of muscle, this is a wine of significant dimension. ...The terrific 2002 Col Solare is unquestionably the finest to date. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 20% Syrah, it explodes from the glass with aromas of black fruits, tar, and licorice... -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Banfi from Tuscany, Italy. An extremely limited release produced in only favorable vintages, Excelsus is an extraordinary wine made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Each varietal is macerated and fermented for 20-25 days, then aged separately in French oak barrique for one year. They are blended, and further matured in the bottle for an additional one to two years. A densely colored, ruby-hued red with garnet tones, this austere wine offers an opulent bouquet that hints of plum, black currant and bell pepper. Excelsus complements red meats, game, rich-tasting dishes and full-flavored cheeses.

Red Wine by Sterling from Napa Valley, California.