June 2015 Wine Club Selections
June 2015 Oconee Wine Club Selections
Situated between the mountain ranges of Sierra de Salinas, Sierra de L’Altet, and Sierra de la Sima, the vineyards for Tarima Hill grow at an elevation ranging between 1,970 and 2,460 feet. Sierra de Salinas runs NE to SW similar to the ranges of Jumilla to the west; the vines are oriented NW to SE providing less intense sun exposure, resulting in a longer growing and ripening cycle and, as a consequence, producing a more elegant wine.
Monastrell’s intensity of fruit shows throughout the wine; red plums, black cherries, and raisins, and the toasty barrel power lingers as well. There are a few green, herbal notes, and the wine finishes with a lingering warmth and toast. Drink now or in the next five years.
Monastrell grapes are hand-harvested from small plots of low -yielding old vines. The wine exhibits deep garnet color with flashes of violet and a bouquet of dark red cherries and leather. On the palate, the wine achieves its full potential, offering notes of black berries, plums, and licorice with an elegant but persistent finish.
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Rating
Wine Spectator – “Rich yet harmonious, this polished red delivers a core of black cherry and cassis framed with smoke, mineral, licorice and espresso notes. Juicy acidity and well-integrated tannins give this structure. A modern style. Drink now through 2022.”
Tarima Blanco 2013 $ 10.99 Retail
Since first hitting the market in 2011, this blend of Merseguera, Viura and Moscatel has been improving. This vintage marks a high point. Aromas of apple and peach are followed by a textured palate, while flavors of apple and citrus are mild. The finish is bouncy, weighty and straightforward in flavor.
Connoisseurs Club
Stuhlmuller Vineyards is located at the southern edge of the Alexander Valley, where it converges with two other highly regarded Sonoma County appellations, Chalk Hill and the Russian River Valley. On its eastern edge, the 150-acre vineyard borders the Russian River. Situated in a location that is part river benchlands and part hillside, the vineyard benefits from its alluvial gravel soils and the more rocky soils of the hillside sections.
Stuhlmuller Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
This alluring wine displays a dark inky-purple color and head-turning aromas of blackberry, currant and ripe plum. On the palate, the texture is big and juicy, with velvety tannins and voluptuous flavors of dark berries and crème de cassis, as well as layers of saddle leather, sweet oak and spice.
91 Rating by Robert Parker! Retail $ 36.99
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate displays lots of chocolaty, crème de cassis, cedarwood and spice notes intertwined with a hint of oak. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and youthful as well as approachable, it should drink well for 15 or more years.
2013 Estate Alexander Valley Chardonnay Retail $ 19.99
This wine is medium-gold in color with enticing aromatics of citrus and orchard fruit, as well as hints of brioche, verbena and wet stone. On the palate, flavors of poached pear, apple, yellow plum and quince mingle with notes of honeysuckle, wet stone and Meyer lemon. A touch of creaminess adds to the rich character, with good acidity contributing poise and freshness.
89 Rating by Robert Parker!
The 2013 Chardonnay Estate offers up notes of white currants, peaches and orange blossoms in a medium-bodied style displaying a hint of wet rocks/minerality. The oak component is subtle, and the wine’s fruit dominates. This attractive 2013 will be flexible with an assortment of dishes over the next 4-5 years.
