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California Wine Country 2019

Instead of The Drink of the Month, we have decided to do something different this month and focus on a Winery of the Month. For this issue we will focus on Thomas George Estates (TGE) located of Westside Rd. seven miles south of Healdsburg, California in the Russian River Valley. The Russian River is right across the street from the winery. My wife and I have had the pleasure of staying on this magical property several times and now feel like wine country would not be the same without a visit to TGE.

This year we had the pleasure of meeting Tom Baker, the owner of Thomas George Estates. Tom bought the property from Davis Bynum in 2008 with the belief that this was the best land to grow and produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In late 2008, TGE acquired Cresta Ridge and Starr Ridge, two vineyards owned by Gary Farrell, who was the winemaker for Davis Bynum. In 2010, an 8,000 square foot cave was completed for barrel aging, reserve tastings and private events. In late October of this year, we were lucky enough to sit down to a multi course wine paring dinner inside this cave. In 2012 TGE acquired a 50-acre vineyard in The Chalk Hill area, now called Sons and Daughters Ranch.

Tom was kind enough to share some of his great Chardonnays and Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs with us and our friends at our home in late summer. With my mom whipping up some wonderful food that paired with Tom’s wines, it made for a night we will not soon forget.
As I am writing this article the Kincaid fire has already burned 74,000 acres in this area. Please pray for the people and their families that live and work in these effected areas. If it was not for them, we would not be able to enjoy the great gift of California wine. If you ever get a chance to go to The Russian River Valley near Healdsburg, please stop by TGE. You will not be sorry!

Three highlighted produced by Thomas George Estates

Thomas George Estates Son’s & Daughters Ranch Chardonnay 2015

This wines is aged 10 months unoaked in 82% Stainless tanks and 18% in concrete egg vats. By not aging in oak, this Chardonnay really gives a crisp, clean acidity on the tongue that shows through bright green apple and pear flavors. 2,000 cases produced

Thomas George Estates Starr Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir 2013
This 100% Pinot Noir is fermented for 11 months in French Oak Barrels (42% new). The aroma exhibits lots of strawberry and cherry with a hint on cranberry while on the palate, lots of red fruits, and soft mellow tannins. 400 cases produced.

Thomas George Estate Cresta Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir 2013
This Pinot is aged the same as the Starr Ridge, but picked from vines grown in the Goldridge soils located in the Green Valley of Russian River. A wonderful wine by itself or pair it with grilled salmon.

21 Year Anniversary Sale & Celebration

20th Anniversary Sale!

Click on the image above to see what’s on Sale!

Riedel Wine Glass Tasting at Oconee Food & Wine Festival

Join Matt Garofalo (of Oconee Cellars, in Greensboro) and Riedel Ambassadors on Saturday March 24th for a live demonstration on the effects that the shape of a wine glass has on each unique varietal and how stemware translates and delivers the bouquet, taste, balance, and finish of a wine to the senses.

Attendees will get to taste the wines from Wagner Family – Owners of Caymus Vineyards and wines from Silver Oak, the Festival’s Featured Vintner for 2018!

Tickets include a set of four Riedel Veritas wine glasses (MSRP $138).

Purchase your tickets soon as Event will sell out!

Click Here to buy tickets

Two 92 Rated Reds, One low Price!

Charles Smith CS Cabernet 2015

92 Rated by Robert Parker

One of the best values I’ve tasted in a long time, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon from the team at K Vintners was hand-harvested, natively fermented and aged all in French oak. Smoking good notes of cassis, black currants and hints of plum all emerge from this rich, beautifully textured, layered beauty that has solid tannic grip, a silky, elegant texture and a great finish. It has real elegance and finesse and is a dark fruited, unctuous beauty to drink over the coming 3-4 years.

Regular Price $19.99

Reward Card Price $14.99               Save $5 per bottle!


Castano Solanera Old Vine Monastrell 2015

92 Rated Robert Parker

The 2015 Solanera used to wear the ultimate Spanglish label, which said “Viñas Viejas of Monastrell” even if it was always a blend (in this vintage, the blend includes 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Garnacha Tintorera). The revamped 2015 has a completely different label that only keeps the “viñas viejas” moniker. In this wine, from the joint venture with U.S. importer Eric Solomon that started in 1999, they used part of full clusters and sourced the grapes from Casa Marta, a nine-hectare, head-pruned, dry-farmed plot on very stony soils in the north of Yecla at the foot of the Mount Arabí. It fermented in concrete vats and open-top barrels and matured in barrique, each variety separately, for some ten months, after which it was blended and bottled. This is the vintage of the big change in this wine, where, as with the majority of its siblings, there is better balance and more integrated oak, more freshness and better balance. The nose is quite captivating, especially after some time in the glass, when it starts developing some floral aromas, perfect ripeness, no warmth or alcohol and a powerful, yet terribly balanced palate with concentration and elegance, fine-grained tannins and clean, focused flavors. This is my favorite Solanera to date. 60,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2017.

Regular Price $18.99

Reward Card $14.99   Save $5.00 per bottle!

94 Rated French Red On Sale for $14.99!!!!

The best valued Red Wine in the World

On Sale w/ Rewards Card $14.99!

Save $2.00 per bottle

$13.50 by the Case!

Hurry! Hurry!  Before it’s all gone!

94 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

 This wine is almost too good to be true. A blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache that was brought up in concrete tanks (Grenache) and demi-muids (Syrah), the 2015 Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes reminded me of a mini Syrah from California’s Manfred Krankl (yes I just compared a $14 Syrah to Sine Qua Non). It’s a ripe, sexy, heady beauty that exhibits a deep, purple color as well as killer notes of smoked meats, chocolate, blackberry and black raspberries. Deep, unctuous, open knit and layered, it continues to change in the glass, has a seamless and silky profile, and not a hard edge to be found. It’s a sensational value that needs to be tasted to be believed. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-4 years. (JD)  (4/2017)

Aged Bordeaux Pre-Sale

Aged Bordeaux Pre-Sale

Below is a list of aged Bordeaux that we will have in stock around November 1st.  I chose these wines from an extensive list of aged Bordeaux.  I based my selection on winery reputation, score, vintage, and price.  These types of wines need a minimum of 10-15 years of bottle aging before they are ready to drink.  Lucky for you, most of the aging has been done for you!  Most of these wines are from the 2005 and 2009 vintages, which are the best two vintages in the past 20 years for the Bordeaux region of France.  Are these wines expensive?  Absolutely, what finer things in life aren’t?  Are they worth the price?  There is only one way to find out.  If you are interested in getting any of these wines, please give us a call or stop by the store for more information.  They are first come, first get so hurry before they are gone!

Vintage     Winery                                                                  # btls        Size         Cases        Scores                    Price

2009 CH BRANAIRE DUCRU ST JULIEN 09 12 750ml 1 96RP, 95 JS $127.99
2005 CH LA CROIX BEAUCAILLOU ST JULIEN 6PK 05 6 750 ML 1 93JS, 91RP, 91WS $86.99
2006 CH SAINT PIERRE ST JULIEN 06 12 750ml 1 93RP $84.99
2005 LA DAME DE MONTROSE ST ESTEPHE 05 12 750ml 1 90RP $82.99
2009 CH LA COUSPAUDE ST EMILION 09 12 750ml 3 94WS, 93RP $75.99
2009 CH LA DOMINIQUE ST EMILION 09 12 750ml 3 93WE, 93RP, 93SWE $89.99
2009 CH LA CROIX DU CASSE POMEROL 09 12 750ml 3 93WE $45.99
2005 CH HAUT BERGEY PESSAC LEOGNAN 05 12 750ml 2 91WS, 90RP, 90ST $50.99
2005 CH BATAILLEY PAUILLAC 05 12 750 ML 1 93RP, 91JS $123.99
2005 CH D ARMAILHAC PAUILLAC 05 12 750ml 1 92ST, 92W&S $108.99
2009 CH DAUZAC MARGAUX 09 12 750ml 1 92RP, 91WS $74.99

RP- Robert Parker

W&S- Wine & Spirits Magazine

JS – James Suckling

ST- Steven Tanzer

WE – Wine Enthusiast

WS – Wine Spectator

96 Rated Cabernet from Argentina less than $20!

Critical Acclaim

 96 Rating!

James Suckling

A wine with lots of depth and fruit now with dark berry and dark chocolate character. Full body, velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. So much here. Give it four to five years bottle age. Great wine.

Tapiz is one of the most renowned and awarded Argentine wineries, made even more famous by the addition of winemaker Jean Claude Berrouet in 2012, recently retired from Petrus after 44 vintages at the revered Bordeaux chateau. To celebrate his addition to the team, Tapiz created a new “Alta Collection” line of wines using fruit that comes solely from Tapiz’s sustainably farmed San Pablo vineyard in the Uco Valley. San Pablo is one of the highest altitude vineyards in Mendoza (4,600 feet above sea level). This extreme altitude provides for warm days which impart concentration to the grapes, and cold nights which give natural acidity.

Only $19.99 per bottle!

$17.99 by the case!

Stop by The Oconee Cellar and grab a bottle or a case before it’s all gone!