Storm Wines 2015 Pinot Noir – Duvarita Vineyards
· Sta. Rita Hills AVA
· Owner and Winemaker: Ernst Storm
Notary Public 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon
· Happy Canyon AVA
· Winemaker: Ernst Storm
J. Wilkes 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon
· Paso Robles Highlands AVA
· Winemaker/Brand Ambassador: Wes Hagen
A special note to our members: "I am Wes Hagen, Winemaker for J Wilkes Wines (and the Cabernet in your current shipment). To me, wine is about keeping friends at table so we can have a great, live conversation with our eyes and mouths--not our thumbs and phones. When I met the owners of the Revisit Wine Club last year, I was excited that our local culture was starting to create small businesses that support our local products in Santa Barbara County, and really wanted J. Wilkes Wines to be part of that. I hope you enjoy the Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles Highlands District, and you will send me your thoughts at whagen@jwilkes.com. I love hearing from those who enjoy my wine, and I hope the wine takes you to the time and place it was grown. Wine is a 'visit' in a glass, and with every sip you can 'Revisit'. Thanks to the Nash family and to you for supporting J. Wilkes!"
Wes Hagen, WSET 2, SWE, AWS, J. Wilkes Winemaker, Brand Ambassador, Raconteur
(805) 450-2324 Voice/Text @weshagen (social media) whagen@jwilkes.com, http://millerfamilywinecompany.com
Greetings members!
We hope you’ve been enjoying your Winter Shipment! Thanks for all the positive comments about the wines. That is why we started this business…to bring you wines that you love, that will be fun to share with friends and family, creating memorable experiences.
For the “Spring” Shipment, it’s more like a second Winter shipment because it’s still cold in most places, so we’ve chose to send you a shipment of all red wines. One of the fun things about a wine club should be to explore new wine regions and new wines. For this shipment, we’re featuring two Cabernet Sauvignons: one is from the Happy Canyon area of the Santa Ynez Valley, a small up-and-coming AVA, and the other is from grapes sourced from Paso Robles, which is more established for bolder wines but still in the process of becoming a globally-recognized region. We have several members who like Cabs and bold wines. Remember for the optimal experience, open bigger wines at least an hour before you will drink them – it will smooth out any rough edges, especially with younger wines. Finally, we’re including a beautiful Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir which truly typifies the area.
Two of the wines, one Pinot Noir and one Cab, are made by winemaker Ernst Storm. We are so lucky to have met Ernst and his family as he has such a great attitude about life, and about making wine. He is featured in one of our first blogs. His philosophy is to source from the best vineyards the area has to offer, and to guide the wine-making process to produce wines that truly reflect the area. His roots are in South Africa where he and his brother still make wine under a different label. Now he’s enjoying the unique climate of California’s Central Coast. You may see his Sauvignon Blanc on some restaurant menus as it’s become very popular. His other wines are very small production, so you are one of the few that get to enjoy them!
Our third wine is made by the same winemaker, Wes Hagen, who wrote the note to you above. He also made the Clos Pepe wines that many of you have really liked in our first shipment. Note: we still have those limited-edition wines available if you’d like to order them while they last! He is now working for J. Wilkes as Winemaker and Brand Ambassador, working his magic with those wines. Wes is truly dedicated to the wine industry and spends most of his time traveling around the country educating people about this special wine region. He knows more about wine that anyone else I’ve met!
As always, we appreciate your membership, and would truly appreciate any referrals to other wine-lovers who would enjoy the Club! And if you have any questions, suggestions, or need any information, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Cheers!
Mike and Mary
THE DETAILS
2015 Storm Wines Pinot Noir – Duvarita Vineyard:
Ernst Storm produces a few Pinot Noirs from different vineyards, all great, but this is our favorite. Duvarita Vineyard is six miles from the Pacific Ocean, in the renown Sta Rita Hills AVA, making it one of the closest to the ocean in Santa Barbara County. Biodynamically grown grapes, meticulous winemaking and a combination of three Dijon clones create a wine that captures both vintage and site. When a vineyard is biodynamic, it is free of pesticides and other chemicals and the focus is creating a self-sustaining ecosystem to produce the best organic fruit possible. It takes a very hands-on approach to make it work. The evidence is in the wonderful aromas of dark fruit, forest floor and spice, with delicate dark fruit and fine tannin filling out the rich palate.
2012 Notary Public Cabernet Sauvignon – Star Lane Vineyard:
Ernst is also a partner and winemaker in another venture, Notary Public Wines. Notary Public was created with a desire to explore the diversity and potential within Santa Barbara County as a wine growing region. Santa Barbara County is blessed with various climates and soil diversity due to the unique East-West Mountain Ranges that open to the Pacific Ocean. The focus at Notary Public is Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc, grown in areas where they can craft wines with personality of both vintage and site, with the goal of making wines that are approachable, elegant and yet structured. This Cab is more balanced than some of the big Cabs you might associate with Paso Robles or Napa Valley, offering delicious ripe flavors, textured tannins and fresh acidity. You’ll have more pairing options with this Cab since it is not overly oaked, so you can drink it with lighter meats as well as the traditional beef pairings. No fining or filtration was used to make the wine.
2016 J. Wilkes Cabernet Sauvignon – Paso Robles Highlands
Many of you may be familiar with Paso Robles as a rapidly growing and recognized wine region. It has had a surge of growth of Cabernet Sauvignon wines as the climate works well for the varietal. We will be researching additional Paso Robles wines so that we can share the wines of this special region. It’s also a fantastic place to visit! This J. Wilkes Cab sources grapes from Paso Robles Highlands, where it is quite hot, and the vines must struggle to survive. This is actually good for the grapes because the roots must create a broad infrastructure, and the vines do not have so much water that it dilutes the fruit (think table grapes). I’ll talk more about this another time.
Winemaker Notes: Classic Cab aromas of blackberry, cherry, currant, clean earth, hint of toasted oak - enticing and complex. Fruity, dense and luscious with vicious and ripe berry flavors; shows great depth of flavor and admirable structure. Plenty of baby fat to make Paso and Napa Cab fans very happy. This wine will pair with traditional Cab pairing foods. Wes suggests Ribeye or New York Steak grilled over red oak or pecan wood, highly flavored/aged cheeses such as Gouda, Tomme or Cheddar, or polenta with lamb or pork shoulder ragout. Yum! In terms of when to drink, it is delicious now, and will shed some baby fat over the next 5-7 years, showing more earthy and complex notes. What, you may ask, is “baby fat” in a wine? The term “baby fat” is a metaphor sometimes used to describe characteristics that a wine will outgrow as it matures. These will vary from wine to wine, typically the juicy qualities and fresh fruit flavors. Depending on the context, a wine’s “baby fat” might also refer to a lush or rich texture, or a showy quality. These notes will fade as a wine ages, and with a good wine, secondary characteristics will emerge, such as toast, baking spices, forest floor, earth, etc.