2011 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Moon Mountain, Wine Review

This had some odd label and I am not sure if we ever properly unwrapped it. In any event, this is one of the best 2011's from Sonoma and indeed, California that I have had. Deep magenta in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has black cherries, cedar, and graphite. There are firm tannins still. A supple texture. 14.1% alcohol. Cassis and very concentrated on the palate. Delicious and no ripeness issues. Long finish. Worked well with eharty foods and some pungent cheeses. There are always new wineries emerging on the scene but this is one to watch.

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2011

Top 50 California Cabernet Sauvignons to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)

In putting together a list of the top California Cabernets, there is sure to be some disagreement. I tried to include those wines that have a track record, the wineries still making great wines, those that seemed to have the commitment for the future and some personal favorites. I am sure I left some out. 1. Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select – It’s always hard to name the number one wine. But this has a track record that’s very long. Even in less than stellar vintages, it is an outstanding wine. They just don’t seem to make a dud. My only complaint is the price at over $200 a bottle. But, in comparison to other Napa Cabs or elsewhere in the world, this is a fair price.

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Judgment of Paris: Film "Bottle Shock" Brings the Paris Tasting of 1976 to the Big Screen

Bottle Shock On May 24, 1976, Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant hoping to stoke sales at his French-wine-only shop, held a wine competition in Paris. In this competition French judges were invited to blind-taste top chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons from France and California. In an event that would later be dubbed the Judgment of Paris , the California wines –included merely to serve as the “sacrificial lambs” to the supposedly superior French wines- won the competition in a shocking upset. This singular event revolutionized the wine industry and put California on the map as a major world producer of fine wine. This story comes to life on the silver screen for the first time with the film Bottle Shock , starring Bill Pullman, Alan Richman, and Dennis Farina among other notables. I recently chatted with Bottle Shock Co-Writer and Producer Jody Savin about the film. Why this film now? To answer this question in a socio-political sense, I would venture to say that we live in challenging times.

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Winemaker David Vergari Talks Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and....Armed Guards?

Sometimes there are people you encounter in life who, the minute you meet them, you think "This guy has a story to tell and I bet he tells it well." David Vergari is that guy. A veteran winemaker, David launched his own eponymous label, Vergari Wines , in 2003. He recently sat down with IntoWine to share with us his evolution as a winemaker and, most interestingly, the stories "behind the wine". You founded the Vergari Wine Company in 2003. What inspired you to strike out on your own? It happened in two ways: gradually, then quite suddenly.

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Heidi Peterson Barrett: Napa's Wine Diva on Winemaking, La Sirena, and the Legacy of Screaming Eagle

Heidi Peterson Barrett As arguably the most celebrated, respected, envied, and in-demand winemaker in America today, Heidi Peterson Barrett is one of only a handful of winemakers who can legitimately lay claim to "superstar" status. Her wines at both Dalle Valle and Screaming Eagle resulted in multiple 100 point scores from Robert Parker (Parker himself dubbed her the "First Lady of Wine") and helped redefine both the meaning and value of "cult" wines. She rocked the wine world at the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction as a 6-liter bottle of her 1992 Screaming Eagle sold for $500,000, in the process setting a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine (a vertical offering went for $650,000 at the 2001 Napa Valley Wine Auction). Heidi Peterson Barrett is currently winemaker for Amuse Bouche, Paradigm, Revana, Barbour, Lamborn, Fantesca, as well as her own label La Sirena . I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Heidi to talk about winemaking, her own La Sirena label, and the legacy of Screaming Eagle.

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2014 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Vare Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage:

2014

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Current Price:

$189.00USD

My first time trying this winery and I am impressed. I kept reading things like "old school" or "medium bodied" and I think those descriptions are missing the point. First off, this is delicious! Purple in color with ruby swirls. The nose is great with a bit of air. Cassis, slight clove, black cherries, just the slightest whiff of bell pepper and spice. On the palate, this is in fact medium to full bodied. Light tannins. But, this is not Bordeaux or "Classic" Napa. It has plenty of sunshine and ripeness. Lots of energy. A wonderful mouthfeel. The fruit pops on the attack and the

2011 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Moon Mountain, Wine Review

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Top 50 California Cabernet Sauvignons to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)

Judgment of Paris: Film "Bottle Shock" Brings the Paris Tasting of 1976 to the Big Screen

Winemaker David Vergari Talks Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and....Armed Guards?

Heidi Peterson Barrett: Napa's Wine Diva on Winemaking, La Sirena, and the Legacy of Screaming Eagle

2014 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Vare Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review