#Cliff Lede
Text
7 Satisfying Sauvignon Blanc Wines
The refreshing bite of freshness and acidity you find in a sunshine-filled glass of Sauvignon Blanc sings of summer, especially this summer when temperatures across the country continue to climb and stay at ridiculous highs. Which means we are drinking a lot of Sauv Blanc lately. Here are a few we have loved to toast these early dog days of summer with. #Cheers
Zesty, rich, and fresh, Cloudy Bay…
View On WordPress
#Alpha Omega#Appellation Marlborough Wine#Cliff Lede#Cloudy Bay#Napa Valley Wine#Sauvignon Blanc#Wairau River#White Haven
0 notes
Text
Un ballo in maschera (Met, 1980): Reactions, Part I
society has progressed past the need for Ballo productions set in Boston, including ones set in Revolutionary-era Boston, but in all fairness a) this was forty-three years ago and b) Pavarotti and Ricciarelli, that is all
also: “savannah what happened to you watching all 26 verdi operas in chronological order this one is like number 21” a) i changed my mind and b) let’s do it a little different this time around!
verdi just captures the mood so perfectly in the music
also: my mood is whoever gave one very short, high cheer at the end of the prelude cause that thing fuckin SLAPS
trouble brewing like tea in a harbor… (also love how this setting makes it inherently like “hey! americans! y’all are the bad guys!” especially just four years after the bicentennial lmaoooooo)
THE MAESTRO THE PAV HIMSELF
it’s oscar!!! my favorite little ball of sunshine!!!
man oh man this man can SING (of course. always such a delight to listen to him.)
“oh heaven! her husband!” WAY TO BURY THE LEDE, VERDI AND SOMMA (i mean, obvs i know lmao)
this exchange is always so funny to me. like “idc that you have intel on an assassination attempt, just as long as you don’t find out i’m in love with your wife” lol
“hate strikes its victims more quickly than love” TOTALLY not foreshadowing
casual racism from the judge!
(unrelated but it’s always nice to see charles anthony around)
oscar i love you but saying that ulrica is in league with satan is not exactly helping her or your case
still: ULTRA precious child
“bestie with all the chaotic energy in the world and bestie who is a hapless accessory to said chaos” is a great pairing and the EXACT energy of these two
(at this point i realized i had accidentally zoomed in on the youtube video, so sorry if some of the images look weird. also the app keeps doing this for some reason so maybe it’ll keep happening. sorry.)
THE WAY HE RUFFLES OSCAR’S HAIR IT’S SO CUTE
i want whatever verdi was on whenever he wrote this BOPTASTIC SCENE ENDING
even the onstage folk can’t help but applaud
these chords and this prelude right here: SO. DAMN. ICONIC.
“i saw goody ulrica consorting with the devil” (also. thank fuck that from the looks of it there’s no blackface.)
even the pav doesn’t get to cut in line
okay but fr. ulrica has gotta be one of the funnest mezzo/contralto roles to play. she’s definitely one of the funnest to WATCH
not silvano spitting in his hand to wipe it off lol
to paraphrase that one humorous ballo summary: “and the theme of self-fulfilling prophecies is waved around like a flaming cliff notes”
“i must consult with satan privately” surely one of the best opera lines ever
tfw you’re in love with your husband’s bestie, also i want that dress
verdi lavishes such wonderful melodies even on such simple moments as this, and that’s one of the reasons i love him
maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe following amelia around is not the best way to solve this, riccardo. just a thought.
what a MARVELOUS trio, just the first of a serious of MARVELOUS small ensembles in this opera
just an afternoon out with the boys!
we have come across yet another bop
“this is the right hand of a great man…” a great TENOR alright!
AND THERE IT IS
i’m sorry but this gives me the EXACT energy of the photo jonas kaufmann put out with his statement about the invasion of ukraine 😭
(sorry it’s so big. but anyway. carry on.)
riccardo: uh yeah surely it’s a joke!
oscar: riccardo, with all due respect, what the fuck
again: the small ensemble writing in this opera is just *chef’s kiss*
Handshake Of Doom TM
ah yes, boston massachusetts in the period leading up to the american revolution, a time and place where the people were just DRIPPING with pro-british sentiment *facepalm*
then again this director was from australia so.
still, this scene slaps! thank you verdi and thank you somma for capturing just-a-little-actually-probably-a-lot-overblown patriotism perfectly and making a great first act finale <3
#opera#opera tag#un ballo in maschera#a masked ball#opera liveblog#verdi#giuseppe verdi#it’s just a classic!
4 notes
·
View notes
Video
youtube
“Sunset Drive” by Dreamer Isioma
DV:
A few weeks back we talked about Kah-Lo, always on her way to a new killer party, always the highlight of the night, always living the best possible life. “Sunset Drive” is a very different kind of night out. Dreamer Isioma’s delivery is slurred from the first syllable, their voice melting in and out of the mix even when rapping a verse, while the production circles around a groove like it’s prowling the edges of a cage. And the party in question matches this energy: dark and chaotic, scenes blend together in the telling - one minute Isioma is sweating on the dancefloor, then they’re asking a girl her star sign, and suddenly they’re trying to pick a fight with someone who isn’t actually there. If every Kah-Lo song sounds like it’s daring you to keep up, “Sunset Drive” invites you to float along like a deflating balloon, reacting to the events around you without ever quite understanding them. It’s alluring in its own way, this impressionistic and messy night - but maybe I’m just missing the days when I was also able to go through six different storylines over the course of a night.
MG:
The overall affect of “Sunset Drive” is one of dreamy breeziness, befitting the winding down of the summer season, imagining a palette of deep sherbet orange and dusty clay pink spread out along an infinite horizon, suspended there for the eternity of a single moment. The overall affect of “Sunset Drive” is a drive at sunset. But much like how Mulholland Drive is named after a vaunted California street running through the mountains and dotted with highly sought after houses but the image of Mulholland Drive is a street sign caught between headlights, so, too, is “Sunset Drive” burying the lede. The hook is a boozy come-on, laden with somewhat silly double entendres like “your moon lookin’ real nice” and concluding with a half-convincing “But I can handle it/ What? Yeah, I can handle it” that leaves me feeling like Dreamer Isioma is defining “it” a bit too narrowly here. The music video pairs the hook with a low-stakes fight, complicating the narrative substantially and thoroughly obliterating the tension-free bliss of a song that promises “it’s gonna be a hell of a night. By the end of “Sunset Drive,” it’s clear that the playfully doped up invitation out was mostly a ruse and the song closes “You can’t kill me, I’m the sun/ I am light/ I am God/ I am the sun.” That first party? The one with the beautiful colors and smooth vibes and all the cool people? It was always placid imagination and where Dreamer Isioma leads us instead is to the thrilling edge of the cliff.
5 notes
·
View notes
Photo
May 26 2018 #MuseHistory The band paid a visit to Cliff Lede Vineyards while in #NapaValley #Muse (at Cliff Lede Vineyards) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeBfDJTuImN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
FEL Wines - Savoy Vineyard's Deep Roots In The Anderson Valley
FEL Wines – Savoy Vineyard’s Deep Roots In The Anderson Valley
FEL Wines produces some of the best Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays coming from the Anderson Valley. The story of FEL Wines begins with Cliff Lede from Napa Valley. I had the opportunity to chat and taste FEL wines with Jason Lede and Ryan Hodgins.
FEL Wines
FEL is the sister label to Cliff Lede Wines. FEL Wines began with its first vintage in 2012, though its history goes back to Breggo Cellars…
View On WordPress
#Anderson Valley#Cliff Lede#Cliff Lede Vineyards#FEL#FEL Chardonnay#FEL Pinot Noir#FEL Wines#Ryan Hodgins#Savoy Vineyards
0 notes
Photo
On March 18th 1286, Alexander III, King of Scots set out on horse back, eager to see his wife, Yolande of Dreux.
The King would be found dead the next morning, it is assumed he been thrown from his horse over the cliffs at Kinghorn Beach.
On his monument in a layby near King is a plaque with an extract from the earliest extant poem in the Scots language laments the death of King Alexander III and the end of the 'golden age' associated with his reign.
Quhen Alysandyr oure kyng wes dede
That Scotland led in luive and le.
Away wes sonce of ale and brede,
Of wyne and wax, of gamyn and gle;
Oure gold wes changed into lede.
Cryst! Borne into Virgynyte,
Succour Scotland and remede,
That stad is in perplexyte.
When Alexander our King was dead,
That Scotland led in love and peace,
Away the abundance of ale and bread,
Of wine and wax, of game and merriment.
Our gold was changed into lead—
Christ! born into virginity,
Help Scotland and cure
That troubled state.
Andrew de Wyntoun,
Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, 14thC
More on this tomorrow......
24 notes
·
View notes
Note
💗 i would like a list of all 3 million potential pairings please 🙈
my god, i would love to take the time out of my day to give that to you, and just know that we can ship literally anybody and everybody because that’s all we ever do in the first place and you know how much i love doing that with you too. my favorite writing partner everybody, bre is hands down the best partner in the whole world, and i’m lucky enough to be able to have her at all. she’s mine and i’m never going to let her go because i love her so much! she’s literally the best thing to ever happen to me and i know i wouldn’t be here through the shitty times and all without her! everybody better go follow her right now and send her all the love i swear to god, because she’s the only person on this hell site that shows me the attention that i deserve! also that list of potential pairings is below the cut, and don’t say i didn’t warn you. 👀
send 💗 if you’re open to the possibility of a romantic ship eventually happening between our muses
all these characters are up for shipping with all your characters:
alex gardiner (paul rudd)
alexander hamilton (lin-manuel miranda)
alex mullner (brant daughterty)
alice liddell (madelyn cline)
alisha khara (jameela jamil)
annie abel (luna blaise/anya chalotra)
antonia moreno (victoria justice)
apollonia levine (anastasia karanikolaou)
arthur pendragon (niall horan)
ashley spinelli (ursula corbero)
aspen rhodes (sofia black-d'elia)
astrid porter (karlie kloss)
audrey ramirez (selena gomez)
august khalil (rami malek)
axel turner (charlie weber/skeet ulrich)
aziz hassan (riz ahmed)
bailee rose (jenny boyd)
bambi prince (lachlan watson)
barbie roberts (kate upton)
barley lightfoot (michael clifford)
beatriz velasco (camila cabello/diane guerrero)
beau hester (froy gutierrez)
beck collins (joe keery)
bellatrix lestrange (carmela zumbado)
belle dubois (margaret qualley)
belle summers (candice king)
berliouz bonfamille (alex fitzalan)
bernard davenport (gavin leatherwood)
billie groves (kiana lede/emmy raver-lampman)
billy hargrove (dacre montgomery)
bindi culver (meg donnelly/rachel mcadams)
bo-peep ‘bo’ patterson (amanda seyfried)
brady gardiner (nathaniel buzolic)
brielle stewart (alexandra daddario)
bronwyn pierson (madelaine petsch)
buzz lightyear (paul mescal/chris pine)
calliope jung (phillipa soo)
camille aguilar (jeanine mason)
carl fredricksen (tye sheridan)
celeste quintana (rosalia/maite perroni)
chandler armstrong (iwan rheon)
cinderella tremaine (lily james)
clementine ahn (jamie chung)
cliff egan (stephen amell)
colleen lowell (jodie comer)
connor catrell (thomas doherty)
copper slade (nick jonas)
cordelia goodwin (ryan destiny/candice patton)
coriander thompson (dacre montgomery/chris evans)
cornelius robinson (simon baker)
cruella de vil (melanie martinez)
cyrus quinney (owen joyner)
daisy vaughn (isabella gomez/aimee carrero)
dakota atkins (amber midthunder)
dale monks (keiynan lonsdale)
dalton davis (harris dickinson)
daniela ‘dani’ costello (becky g/eva longoria)
dash parr (jaden smith)
delilah diaz (camila cabello/diane guerrero)
delphine washington (antonia thomas)
delta montgomery (manu gavassi)
denver koch (thomas elms)
devon montgomery (iain de caestecker)
diego hargreeves (david castaneda)
dorcas meadowes (ariela barer)
dory blau (julia louise-dreyfus)
duke blaise (ashley graham & matthew daddario — reincarnated)
duncan traeger (zac efron)
edmund whittaker (richard madden)
edwin orwell (nicholas galitzine)
elena flores (jenna ortega)
eleonora moretti (benedetta gargari)
eleven (millie bobby brown)
elio montgomery (noah schnapp/brendon urie)
elisabeth ‘elsa’ andersson (candice king)
elliott murdoch (kj apa)
eloise thompson (taylor hill/zoey deutch)
elwood leith (sam claflin)
emerson wheaton (beau mirchoff)
emily sondheim (eve fraser)
emmy silverstein (nat wolff/michiel huisman)
ericka ‘ricki’ santos (danna paola)
esmeralda guybertaut (priyanka chopra)
everest sorenson (adam driver)
ezekiel ‘zeke’ bauer (neels visser)
fa mulan (awkwafina)
felix dawson (lukas gage)
ferris rockwell (joshua bassett)
five hargreeves (aidan gallagher/rob raco/john mulaney)
florence prata (barbie ferreira)
flynn rider (jacob elordi/steven r mcqueen)
frank castle (jon bernthal)
gabrielle dupres (louriza tronco)
genevieve rizzo (troian bellisario)
gill moorish (harrison ford)
godwin vivar (diego boneta)
grainger anslow (justin hartley)
grant wesley (keanu reeves)
griffin price (liam hemsworth)
guinevere ‘gwen’ flores (ester exposito/ana de armas)
gulliver kennedy (robert sheehan)
gunner mccoy (miles heizer)
halston krogen (nick robinson)
hamish duke (thomas elms)
harper graves (sydney sweeney)
harry potter (alberto rosende)
harvey wolff (joaquin phoenix)
hawke bradbury (brenton thwaites)
helen parr (megan thee stallion/kerry washington)
hendrix palmer (mark fischbach)
henley howell (dylan everett/paul wesley)
henrik nilsen (herman tommeraas/chris evans)
hercules sabri (aubrey joseph)
hermione granger (quintessa swindell)
holden krogen (jack falahee)
holly la stella (olivia holt)
honey lemon (irene ferreiro)
hudson reid (jaeden lieberher/paul mescal/james mcavoy)
irving reid (matty healy)
isobel evans (lily cowles)
jacoba ‘cobi’ abernathy (geraldine viswanathan)
jake bennett (joe jonas)
jake breckenridge (landon liboiron)
james potter (noah centineo)
james ‘sully’ sullivan (hozier)
jane porter (zoe sugg)
jasmine agrabah (naomi scott)
jessica jones (krysten ritter)
jim hopper (david harbour)
johanna ‘jo’ gardiner (carlson young)
josefine olive (lili reinhart/maika monroe)
joseph ‘joey’ carnegie (chris o'dowd)
juliette russo (camila mendes)
juno nicks (gideon adlon/linda cardellini)
justin miller (michael b. jordan)
keaton green (charlie plummer/austin butler/alexander skarsgard)
keifer fry (nathan parsons)
kennedy sutherland (florence pugh)
khalid farid (mena massoud)
kiernan jost (jack barakat)
kiki penn (natalie alyn lind)
kim possible (karen gillan)
kit dempsey (aaron taylor-johnson/michael sheen)
kristoff bjorgman (ben hardy)
kuzco inca (tommy martinez)
lady alvarez (camila cabello/diane guerrero)
lake montgomery (jace norman/casey deidrick/jeff goldblum)
lazarus (sean teale/tom ellis)
lennox wells (billie piper)
leonardo ‘leo’ light (armie hammer)
levi wesley (gerard butler)
liam wheaton (lucas lynngaard tonnesen/dominic sherwood)
lilac montgomery (sophia lillis/deborah ann woll)
lila pitts (ritu arya)
lilo pelekai (courtney eaton)
lola carver (carla gugino)
macy merritt (kylie jenner)
madeline hawkins (rowan blanchard/kaylee bryant)
madison bloomfield (gwyneth paltrow)
maggie wheaton (virginia gardner)
maria deluca (heather hemmens)
mariana de la cruz (victoria justice/salma hayek)
marianne darden (elizabeth olsen)
marisol torres (alexa demie/salma hayek)
marlene phan (brianne tju)
matilda franks (brooke markham)
matthew murdock (charlie cox)
max tian (chloe bennet)
mckenzie whitman (danielle rose russell)
megara creon (ashley moore)
melanie carter (brenna d'amico/zooey deschanel)
melody burns-newman (camren bicondova)
mercutio bellini (giancarlo commare)
merida dunbroch (bree kish)
michael ‘goob’ yagoobian (dylan o’brien/andrew scott)
mickey hader (shawn mendes)
miguel rivera (diego tinoco)
mike wheeler (finn wolfhard)
mildred ‘millie’ brantwood (stella maeve)
milo martinez (itzan escamilla/tyler posey)
milo thatch (jason ralph)
minerva ‘minnie’ winslett (jenna coleman)
mischa locklear (jenny slate)
moana motunui (auli'i cravalho)
molly wheaton (saoirse monica jackson/kristen bell/kristin chenoweth)
monet bugg (annie murphy)
mordecai ‘cai’ baird (joseph morgan)
murray bauman (brett gelman)
nadja (natasia demetriou)
naomi phillips (hunter king)
natalie fuller (krysten ritter)
nate gardiner (tom holland/thomas hayes/joe keery/adam scott)
nemo fisher (nick robinson)
nick novak (jon bernthal)
nick wilde (jake johnson)
nina baxter (laura harrier)
nolan van ness (louis hynes/benjamin wadsworth)
nymphadora tonks (kennedy walsh)
odessa barnes (inanna sarkis)
osbourne russo (oliver jackson-cohen)
otis richardson (finn jones)
owen monroe (zachary levi)
paloma katz (brittany o'grady)
paxton gardiner (douglas booth)
pearl turner (maia mitchell/aubrey plaza)
penny proud (sarah jeffery)
perdita ryan (alisha boe/zoe kravitz)
perrie wheaton (ariela barer/jessica alba)
peter pan (rudy pankow)
peter pettigrew (alex lawther)
phil mcdermot (leo howard/dylan o’brien)
phineas flynn-fletcher (michael provost)
piper donahue (millie bobby brown/katherine langford/felicity jones)
pippa mei (amy okuda)
pollux isola (camila mendes)
portia sadler (hayden panettiere)
prairie gallagher (lucy boynton)
quaid ‘q’ wright (jake gylenhaal)
quinton saunders (jamie dornan)
rain montgomery (nick jonas)
ramona montgomery-wallis (lana condor/ashley park)
reed knightley (arthur darvill)
reign fentworth (madison bailey/vanessa morgan)
reno thames (joshua bassett)
richie tozier (finn wolfhard/bill hader)
river montgomery (jack griffo/tyler blackburn)
robin buckley (maya hawke)
roger holtz (ben platt)
roger radcliffe (aaron tveit)
romy reyes (carmela zumbado)
ronald ‘mac’ mcdonald (rob mcelhenney)
roosevelt banks (spence moore II)
rowan burke (andy biersack)
roxanne sutton (lady gaga)
rush mccoy (cody fern)
russell montgomery (ian harding/hugh jackman)
russell montgomery II (jack dylan grazer/timothee chalamet/adam brody)
sable rosales (catherine bascoy)
saint fentworth (reece king)
sally finklestein (marina ruy barbosa)
salvador ‘sal’ mendoza (jorge blanco)
samson gardiner (cole sprouse)
sandy diamandis (christina hendricks)
sawyer bell (penn badgley)
seamus kennedy (aria shanghasemi/michael sheen)
seb seif (zeeko zaki)
selena hada (camila cabello/diane guerrero)
severus snape (rob raco)
shawn taggart (ben barnes)
shay strauss (chris wood)
shia zoheir (rami malek)
shiloh young (devery jacobs)
shiri madani (inbar lavi)
simba king (john boyega)
sloane shapiro (diana silvers/linda cardellini)
sofia ramirez (camila cabello/camila mendes/morena baccarin/fluvia lacerda)
stefani vidal (louriza tronco)
stella romero (adria arjona)
steve harrington (joe keery)
stevie wagner (anne hathaway/jennifer garner)
sutton reiser (katherine langford/kat dennings)
tandy hawthorne (giorgia whigham)
tanner cohen (ross lynch)
tarrant ‘mad hatter’ hightopp (hale appleman)
tarryn fischer (giorgia whigham/perry mattfeld)
tatum barton (ben schwartz)
teddy flood (james marsden)
tex navarro (bad bunny)
thad abraham (dylan sprouse/chris evans)
the handler (kate walsh)
thomas gardiner (felix mallard/paul rudd)
tierney kennedy (maisie williams)
timothy ‘tigger’ trigger (jeremy allen white)
tinker bell (sabrina carpenter)
tj lieberman (armie hammer)
tommy burns (will poulter)
topher larkin (alexander hogh andersen)
trey turner (jonathan daviss)
ursula celia (normani/lizzo)
vaughn abel (max greenfield)
veronica lodge (camila mendes)
vidia viento (emma dumont)
vivica lang (madison pettis/tessa thompson)
wanda cowell (brenda song)
warren wentz (robert pattinson)
wendell langston (link neal)
wilbur robinson (david mazouz)
winnie knox (sophie turner/jessica chastain)
wren green (alexander calvert)
wynona winstead (sarah hyland/cristin milioti)
xander talbot (g-eazy)
york pemberton (heather baron-gracie)
yusef barlas (zayn malik)
zack abrams (alex fitzalan)
ziggy (taron egerton)
zoey matthews (olivia munn)
21 notes
·
View notes
Text
For the sake of Art
This article came about because of a discussion between two longtime friends who have happened to have built their careers in the wine industry. Each of us reside on opposite sides of the country but speak frequently about all things wine, food and sports.
Earlier in the week during a phone conversation with my good friend Tim, who resides in The Garden State (New Jersey), I made a comment about a piece of art his eldest daughter Ashly had just completed and shared on Instagram @ashmyersdesigns. It was a portrait using spray paint on an 8’ by 8’canvas. The subject of the painting, Gary Vaynerchuk, of The Wine Library, a prominent retail wine shop in New Jersey. Gary used to host a series of video posts where he reviewed wines and sometimes interviewed winemakers as they made their way up and down the east coast on sales trips. The posts originated on Gary’s Wine Library TV platform. There is no argument in the fact that Gary garnered a cult-like following on the internet, while creating his own viniculture vocabulary. Let us not forget his contorted facial expressions while growling “the oak monster” or commencing a tasting with the words, “it’s time for a little sniffy-sniff.” Was it all part of his shtick? Undoubtedly it was but objectively I offer these observations, Gary “Vee” made it fun, he made it informative, albeit based on his opinions. Gary also spoke in an unpretentious and unceremonious bit of banter to anyone who appreciates wine and is willing to spend 15-30 minutes online watching his latest episode.
My colleagues, many of whom are national or regional winery sales managers along with state wide distributor representatives, eagerly awaited the Wine Library TV link featuring the latest installment to arrive in their inboxes. They sat in horror as Gary made negative comments or throws of elation when the scores matched the accolades given to a particular wine in their portfolios. Such is the fault with selling a bottle of wine based on the 100 point rating system.
As I spin through this yarn there are a few disclaimers to put out there. It is not my intent in this post to offer any personal opinions or criticisms about the wines or wineries presented in the two video clips. Now to be transparent, I have never sold wine nor interacted with Gary Vaynerchuk or the Wine Library in a professional setting. My good friend Tim does in fact sell wine to the Wine Library on an ongoing basis. His daughter Ashly “The Artist” does not know Gary Vaynerchuk personally but is simply inspired by his positive attitudes and does follow him on twitter.
What started as an acknowledgement of a talented young artist painting led me to reexamine a wine critics videos from 2006 & 2008. I then compared those same wines using their current vintages, prices and scores supplied by an independent retailer on the opposite coast as a way to illustrate the changes in the Napa Valley wine industry over the last twelve or so vintages. But to further entice the reader I felt the story would have been incomplete had this piece not contained the data supporting those changes.
Embedded in this post are two old Wine Library TV videos that I suggest you view so as to better digest the points being presented. The first is from 2006 and the second released in 2008. The subject of the 2006 video is the tasting of Napa Valley Cult Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wines with the vintage and retail prices per bottle are as follows. I have chosen not divulge the outcome of these tastings so you will have to view the videos for yourself and discover the outcome.
Wine Library TV video links
Napa Valley Cult Cabernet Sauvignon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdGQURCdnaE&feature=youtu.be
Napa Valley Cabernet (Tasted Blind)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdGQURCdnaE&feature=youtu.be
Video One… 2006 – Napa Valley Cult Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Opus One $125.00
2003 Insignia, J. Phelps $110.00
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon “Reserve”, R. Mondavi $88.00
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon “Special Select”, Caymus $120.00
Video Two…2008 – Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon’s Retail Price $30.00 - $60.00 per bottle (Tasted Blind)
2005 Beringer, $30.00
2005 Barnett Vineyards, $52.00
2004 Stelzner “Reserve”, $54.00
2005 Newton “Unfiltered”, $40.00
2005 Cliff Lede, $45.00
As the Wine Library is an east coast retail wine shop with great national exposure I have decided to compare what these wines look like in today’s retail environment by enlisting the help of my friends at the San Francisco Wine Panel, which is the wine tasting group for The Napa Valley Winery Exchange. They are one of the premier west coast based retailers with both national and international customers and exposure. I chose not to include Stelzner in this updated comparison as the label still exists but is under new ownership and the original vineyard has been sold to another prominent Napa Valley producer. There are a couple of wines that did not meet the criteria of NVWE and have been omitted altogether. When a San Francisco Wine Panel review was not available a Wine Spectator review was substituted and noted.
The Wine Library TV reviews and prices are documented in the two videos but I have chosen to enlist the San Francisco Tasting Panels extensive tasting notes and today’s current retail pricing to illustrate and compare how the Napa Valley wine industry has developed over the last 12+ years. In addition there will be a chart depicting the rising cost of grapes by utilizing past and current harvest data from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Annual Grape Crush Reports for District 4 to substantiate the numbers.
Present Day Update on Napa Valley Cult Cabernet Sauvignon – Video One from 2006
San Francisco Wine Panel - 98 Points Retail: $383.00 2017 Opus One Proprietary Red Wine Oakville Napa Valley This year’s Opus is at once notably creamy and fruit-rich to the nose, where blueberry, dark plum sauce, mulberry, black currant, fig, sweet tobacco, vanilla, clove, cedar and hints of dry dark rose and laurel all fan-out. The impression of creamy-edged ripeness is mirrored on the palate, where the polished tannins are almost entirely submerged by a wave sweet vanilla, toffee, clove, mace, tobacco and peppercorn that support juicier flavors of blueberry, mulberry and plum. The finish is plush and full and beautifully food-balanced. Everything is deliciously satisfying now, but those with patience can expect four or five years of steady evolution. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Petite Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Merlot & 1% Malbec. - DG
San Francisco Wine Panel - 99 Points Retail: $169.00 2016 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon “Reserve” To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville Napa Valley In really great years Mondavi almost always makes great Cabernet and 2016 is one of their classic vintages. The aromas are a dense, tightly focused melange of Cassis, black raspberry, sour red cherry, pomegranate syrup, crushed dark rose, dried herb, tobacco, leather, cedar and mace scents poised above a drying mineral undercurrent. Despite all its savory counterpoints the wine remains fruit-centric on the palate, where substantial yet highly polished tannins bring a chiseled raciness to the mouth-feel. The finish is extremely long, fruit dominant and never less than satisfying. Truly dinner-worthy now, it will reward at least six year years of cellaring and should prove long-lived. - DG
Wine Spectator - 91 Points Retail:$274.95 2015 Insignia, J. Phelps Red Wine Napa Valley This red offers lots of spice, cedar, gravel and lead pencil flavors, with a woodiness overshadowing the trim fruit. A Bordeaux style version that begs for cellaring. - JL
Wine Spectator - 95 Points Retail: $180.00 2015 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection Napa Valley This delivers unbridled plum sauce, blackberry preserve and melted licorice flavors, but keeps a smoldering edge for form while picking up alluring black tea and incense notes on the broad finish. There’s a long echo of chocolate adding to this hedonist’s delight. – JL
Present Day Update on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Tasted Blind) – Video Two from 2008
San Francisco Wine Panel - 95 Points Retail: $85.00 2017 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District Napa Valley If still a bit youthfully reserved, this Cabernet shows its class in the focused array of blackberry, Cassis, licorice root, cocoa nib, vanilla, mace, cedar and clove scents that the nose gradually unveils. Tannins and fruit zest tighten the mouth-feel at opening, yet once again airing reveals the wine’s energy, depth and length. If certainly closer to maturity in three years or so, it wants service with fatty meats to show its best at this stage. - DG
Wine Spectator – 90 Points Retail: $59.002017 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon, Unfiltered Napa Valley Solidly built, featuring a core of plum and blackberry notes, threaded with mesquite, mineral and savory hints. The finish shows a twinge of the rustic tannins that mark many 2017’s, but ample fruit keeps them well absorbed. – JM
Wine Spectator – 91 Points Retail: $95.002016 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley MMV This mixes bright cherry and plum fruit with dark black currant and licorice snap notes. A briary spine adds energy, while the frame of roasted apple wood slowly melds on the finish. - JM
Questioning the escalating cost of your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon? This graph illustrates the rising price of Napa Valley’s dominant red varietal.
6 Year Average Price per Ton for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
At the time of this writing only the preliminary numbers from the 2020 Napa Valley harvest are available but I have one more observation to leave you with and that being a list showing the highest dollar amount paid for a ton of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with coinciding vintage. Preliminary reports show that Napa Valley grape crush for Cabernet Sauvignon was down 43% for 2020.
2020 – A total of 17.8 tons were purchased at $65,919.21 per ton.
2019 – A total of 20 tons were purchased at $50,000.00 per ton.
2018 – A total of 18 tons were purchased at $50.000.00 per ton
Despite wild fires of 2020 raging through the valley creating hardships for owners of vineyards and wineries, winemakers, cellar hands and picking crews alike there was still over 120 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon picked priced at or over $30,000.00 per ton. Perhaps this might be better served in another discussion.
The expression of art can be created in different forms, with paint on canvas being the obvious or in the vineyard and then the cellar where the crafting of wine is refined while both should be admired and enjoyed.
Anthony Knox
Revenant Winery
Publié (Blog): @revenantwinery
Instagram: @revenantwinery
Twitter: @RevenantWinery
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
"Roundabout Midnight" from Cliff Lede Vineyards
“Roundabout Midnight” from Cliff Lede Vineyards
Only 1590 cases of Cliff Lede Vineyards’ new “rock block series” wine was made in 2019, which is a shame because we would love to have more of it! Each year the music-loving winery crafts a blend of the best fruit from various vineyard blocks throughout its Stags Leap District AVA vineyards. Each vineyard block is named for one of owner Cliff Lede’s favorite songs, bands, albums, etc. This year…
View On WordPress
0 notes
Text
Nugoth Band List
I started this blog specifically for all those people out there tired seeing goth blogs listing all of the same five bands from the eighties that aren’t active anymore, looking for something different and something that still exists. This list will have bands most of which started no later than 2010 (not even that new at the time that this list is being made) and that are still active. They will be arranged according to subgenre. I will update this list accordingly.
Last updated: December 2, 2020
Postpunk/General Goth
-Astari Nite
-Secret Shame
-Masquerade
-Mtvaris Dabneleba
-Cliff and Ivy
-Shadow Age
-Scary Black
-Creux Lies
-Frozen Charlottes
-Esses
-Dignitary
-Swan Wash
-La Scaltra
-This Cold Night
-Whispering Sons
-Bleib Modern
-Ritual Howl
-Wisteria
-Trashlight
-The Objects
-Slaughterstein
-Screature
-DETOXI
-Fearing
-Publicist UK
-Aztec Death
-Leding
-Blotter
-Sleeping Pills
-The Misery Coven
-Deth Crux
-Meldamour
-Over
-Gizzards
-Ghost Painted Sky
- Diavol Strâin
-Molchat Doma
-Dividing Lines
-Hände
-Jenni Sex
-Final Body
-Wires & Lights
-The Horror Club
-Ozan Çam
-The Necromancers Union
-And So We Weep
-Dead Man’s Dream
-Merry’s Funeral
-Sweet Ermengarde
-Ganser
-Twin Graves
-Black Angel
-No Gossip in Braille
-ghostland
-Old Providence
-Ill Humans
-Freedom Curse
-Programmed For Pleasure
-Belfast
-Final Body
-Dehet Sinn
-Blind Seagull
-Dystt
-Succubus
-Camlann
-Pullo
-Silent Age
-Strangers
-Pilgrims of Yearning
-The Dead Souls
-Numb.er
-The Tacks
-Sounds Like Winter
-She Lost Control
Gothic Rock
-Her Despair
-Wisborg
-October Burns Black
-Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos
-Sonsombre
-Angels of Liberty
-The Wake
-Padkarosda
-Ground Nero
-The Gnosis
-Long Night
-Naut
-Gloom Room
-Rosegarden Funeral Party
-Then Comes Silence
-The Glass House Museum
-Cult Strange
-Then Comes Silence
-Slow Decay
-Dreamtime
-Dawn of Elysium
-The Miserablist
Darkwave/Coldwave
-Ash Code
-Milliken Chamber
-TR/ST
-Drab Majesty
-Twin Tribes
-She Past Away (technically started in 2008, but they weren’t really active until the 2010s, so they still count)
-Adorns
-Boy Harsher
-Selofan
-Light Asylum
-Vandal Moon
-Night Nail
-Wingtips
-Black Marble
-Actors
-Lebanon Hanover
-Zanias
-The Soft Moon
-Lifeless Past
-Blu Anxxiety
-Bragolin
-Christine Plays Viola
-Principe Valiente
-Panic Priest
-Saigon Blue Rain
-The Agnes Circle
-Azar Swan
-Hide
-Skeleton Hands
-The Shyness
-Kriistal Ann
-Night Sins
-Aurat
-Death Loves Veronica
-Paradox Obscur
-Three Rose Charm
-Forever Grey
-Replicant
-Vice Device
-Bootblacks
-Child of Night
-Push/Button/Press
-Korine
-Profit Prison
-Lucky+Love
-Riki
-Caress
-Nuovo Testamento
-Xostume
-Red Mecca
-Mannequin
-Affet Robot
-Jakuzi
-Elz and Cult
-Buzz Kull
-Monde Cruel
-Rain to Rust
-Chaude Zéro
-Un Hombre Solo
-VR SEX
-Geometric Vision
-Body of Light
-I Tpame I Tvrame
-Bedless Bones
-Pass/Ages
-Born Days
-Black Arcade
-The Rope
-Empathy Test
-Minuit Machine
-Totem
-Contravveleno
-Child of Night
-La Mécanique
-Brandy Kills
-Silent EM
-A Cloud of Ravens
-Suffering for Kisses
-The Stave Church
-Cerulean Veins
-Deaf Dance
-Tearful Moon
-Sydney Vallete
-The Seance
-Breath Play
-Qyburn
-Mareux
-Red Sol
-The Midnight Computers
-Leathers
-Palais Ideal
-Hoffen
-Błogie Milczenie
-Dancing Plague
-Factice Factory
-Shanghai Beach
-Void Lust
-Post Tropic
-Cold Choir
-Blood Dance
-Pitch After Dark
-NATURE
-Gil’otina
-Rosy Cheeks
-Hallows
-Amrou Kithkin
-El Muertho de Tijuana
Deathrock/Horror Punk
-The Ire
-Ötzi
-Vueltas
-Radio Scarlet
-Nox Novacula
-Catholic Spit
-Medusa Stare
-Mystic Priestess
-False Figure
-Virgin in Veil
-Cemetery
-The Phantom Limbs
-Tragic Black
-The Bellicose Minds
-The Exorcists
-Lost Tribe
-Dead Cult
-Autonomy
-Adrenochrome
-Headdress
-Totenwald
-Shrouds
-Rubella Ballet
-B Ward
-Horror Vacui
-New Skeletal Faces
-Crimson Scarlet
-Coffin Moth
-MAäSK
-Arcanasphere
-Rot Remains
-Slimy Member
-Lord Travvis
-The Psychosomatics
-Annex
-The Wraith
-Twin Schism
-Echo People
-Tango Mangalore
-Mark E Moon
-The Dirty Horror
-Deep Cavity
-Love Loss
-Twins Killed Last December
-The Objects
-Dead Cult
-GAST
-Fin del Mundo
-Bastet
-Skeletal Bats
Ethereal
-Friends of Alice Ivy
-Kælan Mikla
-Girl Grave
-Hante.
-Silence in the Snow
-Venetian Veil
-Witch of the Vale
-Violet Sky
-The Eden House
-Purple Dynamine
-Red Apple Cvlt
Gothgaze
-Echolust
-SRSQ
-Choir Boy
-Traitrs
-All Your Sisters
-Reduction Plan
-Single Lash
-Second Still
-Pink Milk
-Soft Kill
-Staring Problem
-Dead Serpent
-Terremoto
-Fever Dream Horror Scene
-Schonwald
Dark Cabaret/Neo-Classical
-Tarantella
-Orphans Cabaret
-The Parlour Trick
-Venus de Vilo
-The Narcoleptor
-Mina’s Veil
Gothabilly
-Karling and the Kadavers
-Voodoo Eyes
-The Phantom Cowboys
-Screamin’ Sins
-Madame St. Beatrice
Experimental/Eclectic/Other
-S.A.D. (Sudden Axis Disorder)
-Baical
-The Bedroom Witch
-La Reina de los Condenados
-The Long Losts
-Lust Era
-Morgue Poetry
-New Evil
-My Own Burial
-Fotocrime
-VOWWS
-Cold Showers
-Terminal A
-Gross Net
-Jaye Jayle
-Mercury’s Butterfly
-Delphine Coma
-Echoberyl
-Hyoscyamus Niger
-Bambara
-Nutopians
-Deathtrippers
-Okandi
-Nass Zuruck
-Secret Mutilator
-Of Mermaids
59 notes
·
View notes
Text
“went haf wylt of þe prynce kneled”
Knyȝt þe a strothe rande, went haf
wylt of þe prynce kneled, gef hym
Goddez awen fest. “Nay, as he neuer
no segge þuȝt,” to lede as hem best semed,
þen grene dele here at Christabel
took the creek joining
lay, and as ho stonyed
hym with Lilias hearts blood where
oer her Head. Come daily fed, what he at last
must needs must kisse again
turned to
bliss I cannot speak for
weight, their sweeping from a cliff on
Sunday morne, forþy þe pentangel depaynt
of my lyf, leue I yow
knowe, and the yews
of night arise; come, come, the
Nymph intent sane cursed in grene as þe
dok lasted, settez hir worþily with
me! The loved.
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Dragon Ball Z 020
This is the Knife Lady episode. I mean, there’s other stuff in this one, but come on. I’m not gonna bury the lede here.
Okay, so last time, Goku had to get used to the higher gravity on King Kai’s planet, so King Kai had him chase Bubbles around until he could catch him. The last episode made it look like it only took one afternoon, but in this episode the narrator says it took him like three weeks, which seems fishy to me. I feel like Toei messed up, one way or another. Of course, there’s really no good way to mark the passage of time on this planet, so there’s no telling.
Anyway, the Bubbles exercise was in the manga. This time however, it’s a filler episode, and Goku’s next challenge is to chase a cricket-looking creature named Gregory. Gregory is a filler guy, but he appears in just about every King Kai scene from here on out. It’s weird how seamlessly they worked him in, and then you read the manga and he’s just not there.
King Kai says that the idea here is to improve Goku’s speed under the high gravity, so I’m pretty sure the only thing different about this exercise is that Gregory is faster than Bubbles. Also, Goku has to hit him with a big heavy hammer, which will only slow him down more. What could go wrong?
Yeah...
Meanwhile, on Earth, Gohan’s still improving under Piccolo’s training, but he gets knocked down a cliff anyway, and Piccolo orders him to climb back up. For some reason he starts shouting random nouns at Piccolo and tells him to do the next one. I guess this is some sort of game?
On Kami’s Lookout, everyone has to wear weighted training clothes like Kami made Goku wear. Krillin looks awesome in his, Yamcha looks a little off, and Tien and Chiaotzu look really weird.
Why are they letting Chiaotzu take a breather?
Yajirobe bites Krillin on the ass. Hey, save that for the Saiyans, tiger.
Later, Kami just tells the boys to leave and pursue their own training down below. This whole thing feels like a total ripoff. They had a year to prepare for the Saiyans and it took like four months just to get everyone up here, and then he tells him he won’t teach them anything, and now he’s sending them back with like three months to go.
Elsewhere, Master Roshi asks his sister, Fortuneteller Baba to look into the future and tell him how things turn out after the Saiyans arrive. Baba gives it a go, but she can’t forsee anything, good or bad. In the dub, she tells him “The Earth has no future!” which I always liked because it completely flies in the face of what she foresaw in the finale of Dragon Ball, when she peeked ahead to DBZ. Things looked pretty rosy before, but now all bets are off. The fate of the world is balancing on the head of a pin.
Okay, that covers all the other stuff, let’s go back to Goku. King Kai has them all break for lunch, and these two guys look adorable. Not sure why Bubbles is wearing a hat... oh, wait, yes I do know. While Goku was chasing Gregory one of them zipped right over the back of his head and shaved a stripe up his scalp, so he must be wearing the hat to cover it up.
Goku asks King Kai what he knows about the Saiyans, on account of he is one, and he’s fighting two more later, so he kind of needs to know all he can. King Kai offers to tell him the story, so Goku pulls up a chair for him.
This whole account was filler, so some of it has been retconned or just plain contradicted over the years, but it still forms the basis of a lot of Saiyan lore. For example, this episode introduces the Tuffles as a second intelligent species that shared Planet Vegeta with the Saiyans. The Tuffle concept would be used later in the OAV “Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans” as well as the Baby arc in Dragon Ball GT.
What never seemed to catch on, on the other hand, was the idea that the Tuffles were much smaller than Saiyans (or humans for that matter) due to the intense gravity of the planet. The implication here is that the Saiyans are only as big as they are because they’re so strong, although I think later sources established that they emigrated to this planet from somewhere else. At any rate, the Tuffle characters in GT and “Plan to Eradicate” always looked full-sized to me.
Basically, the Tuffles ruled most of the planet, and they had all sorts of advanced technology to sustain their larger population.
On the other hand, the Saiyans lived in primitive dwellings, with a smaller territory and a smaller population.
King Kai’s flashback also puts them all in animal skins. They sort of look like a cross between B-movie cavemen and artwork depicting early figures from the Bible.
Here’s Knife Lady again. She doesn’t do anything, but she looks awesome, and this episode is really the first solid evidence that female Saiyans existed. That may seem silly to younger or newer fans, but I’ll bet there were a lot of fans in 1989 who figured female Namekians were going to show up, and that got shot to hell. You just never know.
At some point, the Saiyans got strong enough or bold enough to start attacking the Tuffles outright. Again, note the size difference.
The Tuffles invented weapons to fight back, so they weren’t completely helpless. I always find this guy kind of ironic, because he looks a lot like Gohan in the Buu Saga, and he’s wearing a scouter, so he looks way more like a Saiyan than a Tuffle here. I think the intent was to suggest that the Saiyans got their scouters from the Tuffles, but that won’t hold up in future episodes. Besides, how could the Saiyans make use of Tuffle scouters? They would be too small to wear.
The problem for the Tuffles was that the Saiyans would turn into giant apes at the sight of the full moon. This only happened once every eight years on Planet Vegeta, but it was often enough to turn the tide of the war.
Now, I feel like a dope, because this is the first time I ever watched this story in the original Japanese, and I see now that a lot of things were different when the story was translated to English. The dub implied a relatively short war, lasting maybe a few years, or a generation at most, and ending on a single full moon. The Japanese version tells of a much longer transition from Tuffle to Saiyan rule, with the Tuffles barely able to hold the line and the Saiyans steadily gaining ground every eight years. This makes it sound like it took a long time for the Saiyans to take control of the planet, and that would explain the fuzzy booties, among other things. I always found King Kai’s story a little unsatisfying for only covering the last decade or so of Saiyan history, but it looks like he was actually going back a little further than that.
Also interesting: the term “Arcosian” was a dub-ism. I just always took it for granted that these robed aliens had a name in the Japanese script, but they don’t. Fans have adopted “Arcosian” as a name for Frieza’s species, although the terms “Ice-jin”, and “Frost Demon” have also been used, along with others I’m probably not aware of. It makes sense, seeing as how these “Arcosians” are basically doing in this flashback what Frieza and King Cold actually did.
On the other hand, now that I see the context of this flashback, I start to wonder if it makes more sense for the Saiyans to have overrun the Tuffles a long time ago. Let’s say 100 years before Goku’s birth. These robed aliens gave them the means to travel further into space, and the Saiyans operated as an independent kingdom for a while until they finally fell under King Cold’s influence. I’m not sure how well that gels with some of the other lore, but I think I like that better, since it gives Saiyan history a chance to breathe. It always irked me how they beat the Tuffles and got taken over by Frieza almost immediately.
The biggest flaw in King Kai’s tale is the part where he explains the destruction of Planet Vegeta, which Raditz attributed to meteors. King Kai says this was done by the Kami of Planet Vegeta, as a way to punish the Saiyans for their evil deeds. You’d think he would have stepped in a lot sooner, back when the Saiyans were killing all the Tuffles, but better late than never.
Really, the idea of the Saiyans falling victim to divine justice was a cool idea, but the problem is that it suggests that King Kai really knows what happened here, and as we’ll later learn, he has no clue. But Toei has him speaking with great authority on this subject, like he witnessed this happening.
On the other hand, this is sort of true. According to Battle of Gods, Beerus chose to have Planet Vegeta destroyed, and he tasked Frieza with doing so. Who’s to say that Beerus didn’t ask Planet Vegeta’s Kami to handle it first, and then he went to Frieza when the Kami botched the job?
King Kai also states that only four Saiyans survived the planet’s destruction, which again sounds kind of weird because it implies that he went and counted them personally, except he ended up being wrong. I’m not trying to nitpick here, I’m just saying that this can be the trouble with filler scenes. The writers need to leave themselves a little wiggle room in case things get changed later. Essentially, King Kai is just reinforcing everything that Raditz said in Episode 2. Well, Raditz can be misinformed, but it’s a little off for King Kai to have his facts wrong.
Anyway, Goku gets all fired up and wants to get back to his training right away.
He catches Gregory and gives him a little tap on the head. Gregory brags that he’s tougher than Goku gives him credit for...
... but he’s still got a bump on his head.
King Kai is encouraged by Goku’s rapid progress, and believes that Goku might be good enough to learn the Kaio-ken, a technique so advanced that it’s just a theory he invented. And he has another technique even cooler than that, but we’ll learn about that one another time.
#dragon ball#2019dbliveblog#saiyans saga#goku#king kai#bubbles#gregory#yamcha#chiotzu#tien#krillin#yajirobe#kami#piccolo#gohan#mr popo#bulma#master roshi#fortuneteller baba#knife lady#tuffles#dragon ball z
31 notes
·
View notes
Text
Saturday Night Worthy Wines
Saturday Night Worthy Wines
Happy Aloha Friday! As you wrap up the week and get ready to spring forward this weekend, consider toasting with one of these beauties, each date night worthy.
Bubbles are always Saturday night worthy, especially when they are as delicious as those crafted from Domaine Carneros. Domaine Carneros Brut Rose ($45) is light and fresh enough to awaken the palate enjoyed as an aperitif, but also has…
View On WordPress
0 notes
Photo
#itshowyougetthere playing with #fiat and #clifflede winery!! (at Cliff Lede Vineyards)
1 note
·
View note
Text
Giving Cinderella Her Due: A Look At Cabernet Franc
New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/giving-cinderella-her-due-a-look-at-cabernet-franc-2/
Giving Cinderella Her Due: A Look At Cabernet Franc
Tenute Argentiera’s iconic Ventaglio Cabernet Franc vineyard in Bolgheri
“Cab Franc is the ultimate Cinderella grape,” exclaims Leah Jørgensen, owner and winemaker of Jørgensen Cellars in Willamette Valley. “Historically, in Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot got all the attention, while Cab Franc was the one who did all the work. The truth is she’s the belle of the ball.”
While its hard to imagine the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carménère being underappreciated, Cabernet Franc is often overlooked by wine lovers. Yet, it remains a secret weapon of wine makers. It’s time to start pay attention to Cabernet Franc.
As a blending grape, Cabernet Franc plays well with others. It delivers high acidity, smooth tannins, and notes of spice and herbs, making it more than capable of taking the lead in blends from Napa Valley and Bordeaux’s Right Bank, most notably in Château Cheval Blanc. Recently, it is making a name for itself as a single variety wine.
Cabernet Franc grape close up. Saumur, France
Uco Valley is home to Argentina’s top Malbec. However, Gualtallary, within the Tupungato GI, has an ace up its sleeve—Cabernet Franc. “The potential power of Cabernet Franc illustrated through our terroir is best expressed here,” shares Gonzalo Fernandez Gregorat, winemaker of Rutini Wines, who has been producing Cabernet Franc in the region for 20 years. Rodrigo Serrano, winemaker of Domaine Bousquet, attributes the wine’s soft expressions in the mouth to the region’s elevation and alluvial soil. In the hands of the region’s top producers, the grape transforms into the sexy elegance of the Argentine Tango.
Under the Tuscan Sun, Tenuta Argentiera’s Ventaglio Vineyard, on their Bolgheri estate, signals a new awakening for the property. Ventaglio, meaning fan, represents the winery’s cru, or best, vineyard. And, it’s all planted with one grape: Cabernet Franc. “Ventaglio is my heart and blood—the place I find a new beginning,” shares owner Stanislaus Turnauer. Produced in small amounts in the best vintages, Ventaglio represents the flagship of Argentiera’s portfolio, taking expectations and understanding of the grape to new heights—a Cru Super Tuscan comprised mainly of Cabernet Franc.
Napa Valley wineries such as Gamble Family Vineyards, Ehler’s Estate, and Cliff Lede Vineyards produce rich, robust expressions of Cabernet Franc. Chris Tynan, winemaker of Cliff Lede Vineyards, believes Napa hosts the ideal conditions for the grape to ripen “to perfection.”
Inspired by Right Bank Bordeaux, the Cliff Lede High Fidelity “spotlights the playful symbiosis of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, accentuating their individual layers of complexity.” Jason Lede, hospitality manager of Cliff Lede Vineyards “loves it for its plush, fruit-forward qualities.” Adding, “It’s approachable yet still has incredible concentration.”
Both Leah Jørgensen as well as Alison and Eric Smith Story, owners of Smith Story Wine Cellars in Anderson Valley, find their Cabernet Franc inspiration in France’s Loire Valley. And, both believe the trick to an exceptional glass starts in the vineyard.
To limit the grape’s natural “greenness,” Smith Story carefully monitors the grape, harvesting once a perfectly ripe mid-core is achieved. “Resulting in a vibrancy and a nice lift of acidity at the end is a truly magical sip found in our Smith Story Cabernet Franc,” shares Alison Smith Story.
Adding to this, Jørgensen maintains the timing of leaf removal and irrigation of the vine is key in limiting the wine’s greenness while it ripens. This allows the fruit to shine as the green notes become tertiary, creating a pleasant herbal expression. She also contends, in order to coax out the grape’s fruitiness, new oak should never be used in aging.
Jørgensen Cellars offers a variety of expressions of Southern Oregon Cabernet Franc.
Jørgensen sources her Cabernet Franc from Applegate and Rouge Valleys, areas of Southern Oregon containing limestone soil with ancient marine sediments similar to the Loire Valley. Crater View Ranch Vineyards, the source for some of her fruit and a vineyard she believes grows some of the best Cabernet Franc in the world, contains a high concentration of this soil. Because Loire Valley is revered for its expressions of the grape, these soil similarities offer Oregon growers guidance in cultivating the fruit.
Cabernet Franc’s acidity and tannin structure allows Jørgensen to craft a unique expression—a blanc wine, inspired by former Anne Amie winemaker Thomas Houseman’s L’Iris white Pinot Noir as well as Crémant de Loire sparkling wines. However, she is not making an arbitrary white wine from red grapes. Rather, building on the grape’s structure for intentional symmetry between the white and red wines.
Lori and Mike Budd, owners of Draceana Wines in Paso Robles, feel in love with Cabernet Franc at first taste many years ago. In 2013, the couple launched their own label with one wine. “After hunting California, we realized there was not a lot of Cab Franc out there. So, we decided to form our own niche with the foundation of the wine we really, really love,” explains Lori Budd.
Today they craft two styles. A classic multi-site clonal cuvee, and single site and clone reserve expression. “The reserve is mother nature in a glass,” shares Budd. “There are so many different expressions of the grape—there’s a Cab Franc for everyone,” believes Lori Budd.
Surprised a grape with Cabernet Franc’s pedigree did not have its own celebration day, Budd says the “Jersey girl in her” took up the charge to correct this oversight. In 2015, she single-handedly established December 4 as #CabFrancDay.
The date honors Cardinal Richelieu, who is credited with bringing cuttings of the grape to the Loire Valley in the 17th century. Lore holds he planted the vines at St Nicolas de Bourgueil where it grows to this day. From its humble beginnings, #CabFrancDay is now an international celebration.
While its increasingly easier to find wineries focusing on this grape, it remains underappreciated. “Cabernet Franc is an underdog—it needs to be fought for,” explains Budd. “It delivers so many different expressions. There is a Cab Franc out there for everybody.”
a selection of high-quality Cabernet Franc wines
2017 Cliff Lede Vineyards ‘High Fidelity’ Napa Valley ($95) is crafted of 48% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon in a nod to both Right Bank Bordeaux and classic rock n’ roll, in a “Smoke On The Water” sort of way. Notes of black currant, fig jam, black pepper, smoked charcuterie, and fresh tobacco dazzle the senses. Concentrated yet approachable, with a crushed velvet mouth-feel and a long, mouth-watering finish.
2018 Domaine Bousquet GAIA Cabernet Franc Gualtallary Estate Vineyard Uco Valley ($30) represents the first time the wine is produced as 100% varietal. It offers soft aromas of bright fruit, mint, pepper, warm baking spice, and floral notes. Firm, gripping tannins contrast its fruit-forward juiciness and mid-palate minerality. Its broad on the palate with a lingering freshness.
2018 Jørgensen Cellars Mae’s Vineyard Blanc de Cabernet Franc Applegate Valley Oregon ($30) is a stunning wine. Layers of lemon, apricot, and apple are joined by fresh picked savory herbs, fresh white flowers and blossom, white tea, and trailing toasted hazelnuts leap from the glass. Complexity follows through on the palate with rich texture balanced by firm acidity, offering an elegance and mid-palate lift. This wine is a must.
2018 Jørgensen Cellars Cabernet Franc Southern Oregon ($25) follows in the footsteps of the Blanc in that it is layered and complex. Aromas of a dried bouquet leap from the glass of this flagship red wine, followed by delicate berries, warm spice, savory dried herbs, and trailing smoke. Vibrant best describes the palate, its fresh with lots of energy and lift. A steal for the price.
2016 Jørgensen Cellars ‘Clos Rouge Valley’ Reserve Cabernet Franc Southern Oregon ($50) falls to the opposite end of the spectrum, word descriptors do no justice in this distinction. Elegant layers of red floral notes (fresh and dried) mingle with tea, savory herbs, cocoa bitters, and black pepper, but more than the sum of its part, the flavors weave together like a tapestry. With a crushed velvet mouth-feel and linear focus, this medium-bodied wine begs for food.
2018 Ravine Cellars Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes New York ($21.95) is a bold single variety wine. Dark fruit, olive tapenade, dried herbs, fresh tobacco, and trailing pepper elicits the senses. Fine-grained tannins from large cask aging offer a smooth mouth-feel. A fruit-driven plate is juicy yet balanced with earthiness in a full-bodied wine with a long finish.
2016 Smith Story Cabernet Franc Sonoma Valley ($48) is a single variety wine intentionally crafted in an elegant, refined style. It offers bright notes of red and black fruit mingling with fresh herbs, violets, subtle spice, and black tea. The palate is fresh with nice lift and mouthwatering acidity. A food wine in a classic old-world style.
2015 Tenuta Argentiera Ventaglio Bolgheri IGT ($300) is the inaugural release. It is crafted of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine stands out for its cru quality: Lush, sultry, layered, complex, and structured. It’s robe of dark fruit, crushed flowers, dried herbs, warm spice, and a cedar, tobacco, mineral earthiness goes on for days on the palate. Long age-ability but hard to resist now.
2018 Zuccardi ‘Poligonos’ San Pablo Cabernet Franc ($30) is located in the center of Uco Valley, in the heart of Tunuyán, a region defined by its close proximity to the Andes Mountains. Winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi vinifies this wine in concrete vats with indigenous yeast. The resulting 100% Cabernet Franc is fresh and lively, with layers of blue and red fruit, dried herbs, and graphite. The palate exhibits tension between its smooth tannins and bold mountain nature, walking a tight-rope between new and old-world styles.
More from Spirits in Perfectirishgifts
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
siobhanory
you massive defeatist
darkodordevic
Darko Dordevic
super-aspie
Aspie + ADHD + Fibromyalgia
americaslending
America's Lending
learningcare
Learning Care Academy