January 24, 2025 • 51 mins
Yes, I’ll have the rest of the bottle
@domainecarneros @sullivan.rutherford.estate @frankfamilyvineyards @darioushwinery #WineLovers #Podcast #WineTasting #podcast #radioshow #host
Co hosts : Good ol Boy Harmeet, Made Man Maury, Made Man Bob
SIPS – On this episode we discuss Domaine Carneros, Frank Family, Sullivan and Darioush. Get ready for a delightful journey through the vineyards of California as we uncork a selection of exquisite wines from some of the most renowned wineries in the region. Whether you're a seasoned sommelier or a curious novice, there's something here for every wine aficionado.
Whether you're a fan of sparkling wines or robust reds, this episode is a celebration of California's diverse and dynamic wine scene. Join us as we rate and review these exceptional wines, sharing our tasting notes and insights along the way. We will be discussing these wines and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best:
7:10 Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour Brut Rose 4 SIPS
14:00 Domaine Carneros Brut 2020 3 SIPS
20:50 Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut 2019 4 SIPS
27:35 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Estate 2021 4 SIPS
35:06 Frank Family Carneros Chardonnay 2022 4 SIPS
43:11 Frank Family Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 4 SIPS
46: 00 Sullivan Rutherford Estate Coeur de Vigne 2021 5 SIPS
48:08 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 25th Anniversary Release 5 SIPS
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Producer: Made Man Bob
Domain Carneros, Cuvee La Pompadour, Brut Rose, Frank Family Vineyards, Napa Valley, Sullivan Rutherford Estate, Dariush Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Tasting, California Wines, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Wine Ratings, Sparkling Wine, Wine Review, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Pairing, Wine Production, Wine History, Wine Cellar, Wine Sustainability
https://www.domainecarneros.com/
https://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/
https://www.sullivanwine.com/
https://www.dariush.com/
https://www.taittinger.com/
https://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
>> Announcer (00:00):
On the next episode of Sips, Suds and
Smokes.
>> Brent (00:03):
This is a wine episode. So today we're going to be discussing
some very interesting wines. So we have from
Domain Carneros, we have the Cuvee La Pompadour
Brut Rose.
>> Harm (00:13):
So fancy.
>> Brent (00:15):
The Domain carneros brut. Uh,
2020. The domain carneros
ultra brut 2019, the domain
carneros pinot noir estate 2021.
From Frank family, we have the Frank Flammay, uh,
Carneros Chardonnay 2022.
Flammy, flammy. The
Frank family Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
(00:36):
2021. From
Rutherford Sullivan, uh, Rutherford Estate, we have the
Sullivan Rutherford Estate Cordovine
2021. And our last wine is going to
be the Dariush Cabernet Sauvignon 2021.
25th anniversary release.
>> Announcer (00:53):
We'll be right back after this break.
(01:17):
Brought to you almost live from the dude in the
basement studios. Why?
>> Maury (01:22):
Because that's where the good stuff is.
>> Announcer (01:24):
Sips, Suds and smokes with your
smoking host, the good old boys.
(01:49):
And now it's sippin time.
>> Brent (01:56):
Hey, sip sipping time.
Welcome to this Sips episode where everything good in life is worth
discussing.
>> Harm (02:02):
That's true. Except we don't discover. We don't discuss
the sexy times anymore. Well, that's off the air at
least.
>> Brent (02:09):
Well, your wife doesn't discuss them at all. So I.
>> Harm (02:12):
Look, if I can't live vicariously through you guys, what am I? What's going to happen
to me?
>> Maury (02:15):
If you're living, I'm gonna melt away.
>> Brent (02:16):
If you're living vicariously for the two other idiots at this table, you're
in deep trouble, buddy.
>> Harm (02:21):
Nobody's getting a sexy time.
>> Brent (02:22):
Yeah. No. No. Yeah.
>> Harm (02:23):
So as for good old boys.
Yeah, I, I don't think we're good. And
when we started this show, I wasn't old, but I am now
doing the show.
>> Brent (02:33):
We're, uh, in season 12.
>> Harm (02:34):
Uh. You and me, Bob.
>> Brent (02:36):
Yeah. Season 12.
>> Harm (02:37):
12 years. Really?
>> Brent (02:38):
Yeah.
>> Harm (02:39):
Oh, my God.
>> Brent (02:40):
I could have killed you and been out of prison.
>> Harm (02:42):
Yeah. Yeah, I could have killed you, buried.
>> Brent (02:45):
You in the woods. And I'd be out of prison by now. I mean,
I got a good clean record. I'd have done maybe, you know, they'd have given me
15.
>> Harm (02:52):
We've got, we've got this. We've got the Everglades out here. Nobody would have
caugh.
>> Brent (02:55):
Yeah, well, you and I both know that, so.
Well, this is, this is our sip
segment. Uh, and they're all about wine Distilled
spirits, tea, coffee, and anything else you can sip. So this is a
wine episode. So today we're going to be discussing some
very interesting wines. So we have from Domain
Carneros, we have the Cuvee La Pompadour Brut
(03:15):
Rose.
>> Harm (03:16):
So fancy.
>> Brent (03:17):
The Domain carneros. Uh, brut
2020. The domain carneros ultra
brute 2019. The domain
carneros pinot noir estate 2021.
>> Harm (03:28):
So it doesn't all go into the champagne or sparkling wine.
>> Brent (03:30):
Yeah, exactly. I was shocked,
too, when I opened.
>> Harm (03:34):
The box, I went, ooh, Pine Knot Nor.
>> Brent (03:36):
Yeah. Uh, from Frank family, we have
the Frank Flammay. Uh, Carneros Chardonnay
2022.
>> Maury (03:42):
Flammy.
>> Brent (03:43):
Flammy. The Frank family
Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021.
From Rutherford Sullivan. Uh, Rutherford Estate,
we have the Sullivan Rutherford Estate
Cordovine 2021.
>> Harm (03:57):
Look at you and your French.
>> Brent (03:59):
I'm faking it. I had some fries before you
guys came over, so.
>> Harm (04:03):
Nice.
>> Brent (04:04):
And then our last wine.
>> Harm (04:05):
Fries.
>> Brent (04:06):
Franche. Yeah. And France dressing. And to
drink Peru. Yeah. And
our last wine is going to be the Dariush Cabernet
Sauvignon 2021. 25th anniversary
release. So sweet. Yeah.
Today does not stink.
>> Maury (04:21):
So did you want to introduce our co host today or should we just
leave it to their imagination?
>> Harm (04:26):
We. We. They know us by now, but go ahead, Bob.
>> Brent (04:28):
Nobody knows around the table. So we have with
us today, um, Brent. Who's not here.
>> Harm (04:35):
Nope.
>> Brent (04:36):
So we have good old boy Maury.
>> Maury (04:38):
Good morning.
>> Brent (04:39):
And we have good old boy Harm.
>> Harm (04:42):
Thanks for having me, Bob. I like wine shows.
>> Brent (04:44):
And then we have our imaginary friend over in the other table.
Yes, the clown with the axe. Why is he
looking at me like that?
>> Harm (04:51):
He keeps us in mind.
>> Brent (04:52):
This is also true. So, well, we're going to be
tasting, discussing these fantastic wines,
and we're going to be rating them with our sips.
Ratings. And since we don't have Justin
for this episode to give us a really
horrible, horrible,
horrible, horrible impersonation of.
(05:12):
It doesn't matter. All of his impersonation sucks.
>> Harm (05:15):
In California, dude.
>> Brent (05:16):
Yeah, yeah. It's just.
>> Harm (05:17):
Is it all California? It's all California today.
>> Brent (05:19):
I love him, but damn, son. Uh, damn, damn, damn. Yeah, All
California today. So. So we'll. We'll
each take one. So, Maury, give us. Give us our first rating.
>> Maury (05:28):
One sip. Give me a glass of water to wash out
my mouth.
>> Harm (05:34):
Water.
>> Brent (05:37):
Bring water.
>> Maury (05:40):
Harm.
>> Harm (05:41):
Nice, dude. But what else you have?
>> Brent (05:45):
Hold on. Our sound.
>> Maury (05:46):
That would be two sips.
>> Harm (05:47):
Dude, was it two sips?
>> Brent (05:50):
Yeah, hold on. Our soundboard just locked up, so.
>> Harm (05:52):
Okay.
>> Maury (05:53):
All right.
>> Brent (05:54):
Shouldn't we have had Harm do the first one? I'm just saying.
>> Maury (05:57):
Well, isn't that nice?
>> Harm (06:00):
Is this. Are we working now?
>> Brent (06:01):
We're working now.
>> Harm (06:02):
I'm not restarting the show, Bob. Thank God.
>> Brent (06:05):
So are. Uh, three sips.
Hmm. Interesting. What was this again?
>> Harm (06:10):
Interesting.
Four sips.
>> Maury (06:15):
Let's keep this one a secret. Pour
ourselves another.
>> Brent (06:20):
There's only three of us, so we.
>> Maury (06:21):
Get all of it.
>> Brent (06:22):
That's the best part.
>> Harm (06:24):
Five sips. Oh, my. I was
unaware anything could be this good.
>> Brent (06:30):
Oh, my goodness. Words Harm has never
heard in his entire life.
>> Harm (06:36):
You know, they make Cialis now, so
I might hear it one day.
>> Brent (06:40):
Take more than Cialis.
Plastic surgeon.
>> Harm (06:45):
Yeah, yeah.
>> Brent (06:45):
George Clooney mask.
>> Harm (06:47):
You know,
Take more than that.
>> Brent (06:51):
It's amazing how quickly this show goes in the toilet sometimes.
>> Maury (06:53):
Give you an extension?
>> Brent (06:54):
Mhm.
>> Harm (06:56):
Maury, it's.
You want to read the first one?
>> Maury (06:58):
Why not? It'd be my privilege.
>> Brent (07:00):
Tell us about her first one.
>> Maury (07:01):
I'll have what she's having. Domain Carneros was founded in the
Carneros appellation of Northern California
by the Champagne Tattinger family.
Recognizing that Carneros region of California
would yield grapes of outstanding character, suitable
for do. For producing world class sparkling
wines, Claude Tattingay began
searching in America.
>> Harm (07:22):
Tattinger. I know.
>> Maury (07:23):
It's Tatting America. It is.
>> Harm (07:25):
People come and ask for Tattinger all the time.
>> Maury (07:28):
Uh, well, Claude Tattinger began
searching for the right property to realize his dream. And
in 1986, after a 13 year
search, he purchased the first 130 acre
vineyard in the heart of Carneros Napa Valley. After
an exhaustive search, that same year, the Tattent Jays
selected Eileen Crane as Domain
Carneros founding winemaker.
(07:50):
While directing the first vintage, she was also tasked with
overseeing the planning and construction of the
winery.
>> Brent (07:56):
No pressure at all. No, no.
>> Maury (07:58):
Crane was not only one of the industry's pioneering women,
but upon her retirement, she was also the most
experienced American sparkling wine producer with over
40 years to her credit. I didn't know she retired. When did she
retire? Do you?
>> Brent (08:11):
I don't know off the top of my head.
>> Maury (08:13):
Okay, well, it'd be interesting to find out. Their
sparkling wines are produced in the traditional method used
in champagne. And 100% of their fruit comes
from their six estate vineyards, currently
comprising 400 acres. They have
also worked from the beginning to push the sustainability
envelope to ensure the vineyards in the Land are
preserved while conserving natural
(08:35):
resources, fish friendly farming.
Napa Green winery and Napa Green
land certifications.
>> Brent (08:41):
That's big, big out there. Uh,
everybody, all of them. I mean. And you get
it. I mean, there's a lot of money
involved. I mean, if you're a farmer, if you're not taking
care of your land.
>> Maury (08:53):
Yeah. What are you doing?
>> Brent (08:55):
Yeah, I mean, they're the ones that actually do take care of the
land.
>> Harm (08:58):
She retired in 2020, by the way.
>> Maury (09:00):
Thank you, sir.
>> Harm (09:01):
Missed it during COVID The 18th century.
>> Maury (09:03):
Chateau style winery, completed in
1989 was architecturally inspired by
the historic Chateau de Marque
Terrie marquetry
owned by Champagne Tatinjay in France's Champagne
region. The chateau houses the winery's facilities
as well as the beautiful salons and expansive
outdoor terraces for visitors and wine
(09:25):
club members.
>> Brent (09:26):
It is a stunning winery. It really is very beautiful.
>> Maury (09:28):
Domain Corneros Cuvee de la Pompadour.
Brut Rose comes in at 12% ABV.
It is 60% Pinot Noir, 40%
Chardonnay. Appellation Carneros.
Age 18 months in bottle
Surly. This expression was named in
honor of Madame de Pompadour, the grand
courtesan of Louis xv who introduced
(09:51):
champagne to the court at Versailles, who said her favorite
beverage that champagne is the only
wine women can drink and remain
beautiful.
>> Brent (10:00):
If I drink champagne, they all are beautiful. I've noticed
that.
>> Harm (10:03):
Isn't it Versailles, Kentucky?
>> Brent (10:05):
It is Versailles, Kentucky. Yeah.
>> Harm (10:07):
It's funny, but Versailles in France, because they fancy. They
fancy like that. Mhm.
>> Maury (10:12):
So this wine has a lovely pale pink
color on the nose. You get lots of
strawberry, tangerine, orange blossom, peach and
marmalade. The palette rewards you with
peach, apricot, tangerine and a hint of
honey.
And the finish is medium to
(10:33):
long. It's lovely, it's delightful. This was
really a delicious wine. I really enjoyed
this. Um, it's just
vibrant. It's fresh, it's bright,
it's just, it's just very well made.
It's delicious. Harm, what'd you think?
>> Harm (10:49):
Well, I'd like to give like two reviews. First off, when
it was cold, which is the way most people drink their
champagne. I did not get any strawberry.
>> Brent (10:58):
Just a hint for the listeners. We always start out
with any whites or champagnes.
Blistering cold.
>> Harm (11:04):
Yeah, the way people drink it.
>> Brent (11:05):
For that reason, most Americans do drink it very
cold. And then we let it sit here as we do the show over the course
of a couple of hours and let it warm up
to A proper temperature.
>> Harm (11:17):
Right, Exactly.
>> Brent (11:18):
Because we're not heathens, and it's changed.
>> Maury (11:20):
Quite a bit with temperature. And we typically tend to comment on the
changes with both temperature and time and aeration with,
uh, oxygen. So go ahead, Horm. Finish your statement.
>> Harm (11:28):
So when it was, you know, cold, like, out of the
fridge, uh, like, most people will drink it, like, when they bring it to you
in the restaurant, unless you're at a very fancy restaurant, they're gonna bring it to you, too
cold. Um, I did not get any
of the strawberry. It was all about tangerine and a little bit of
peach. The nose was muted
and on the palette, it was really good
(11:49):
mousse. That fizz, the bubble.
Fantastic. Um, and a nice medium
finish. But as it warmed up, what Maury said,
strawberries explode out of the glass.
>> Brent (11:58):
Oh, yeah.
>> Harm (11:59):
So beautiful strawberry. It's the
red and the green part of the strawberry. That herbal
note. The, uh, tangerine is still there.
I'm getting a bit of peach
after spitting today. I'm not drinking.
>> Maury (12:18):
As much as I love.
>> Harm (12:20):
I.
>> Maury (12:21):
Okay with rose wine. Rose champagne is
just a whole nother beast. Oh, so, yeah.
So. So, yeah. Another level.
>> Harm (12:28):
Yeah, I really enjoyed this. And the flavor fruit
just came out. Uh, yeah, no, I agree
with you. You're allowed to interrupt. That's what we do
here. The finish was medium, medium long.
I got a hint of ginger on the finish with the peach. What'd you think,
Bob?
>> Brent (12:44):
I definitely got that ginger on the finish after. After
we came down to a more civilized temperature, for
sure. Um, it's not a
blinding ginger on the finish, but just. You have to suggest
it's that slight tingle.
>> Harm (12:57):
Yeah, exactly.
>> Brent (12:58):
That slight little bit of tingle. But, yeah,
it's absolutely beautiful. And I'm. I'm with
Maury. I mean, we've had some
fantastic roses on this show. Um, the Dow
rose. We all love.
>> Harm (13:10):
Freaking love that one.
>> Brent (13:11):
Fantastic. Most roses are not my jam.
It's just. It's me personally. But
rose champagne is a completely different
animal. And this one
is absolutely delicious. And we'll be back.
Hey.
And we're back, and we were just finishing up our thoughts
on this lovely domain. Carneros,
(13:33):
cuvela, pompadour, brut rose.
Um, beautiful color.
Just. Just a beautiful pale pink.
But the nose on it is
just so lovely. The straw. I'm with the guys. The strawberries
really came out once it warmed up. I got a little bit when it
was chilly, but as. As it
(13:54):
warmed up, it just. It exploded.
Strawberries, tangerines,
citrus.
Absolutely beautiful nose and on the palate,
white, peach, apricot.
I'm with you. You get a little bit of that. The top of the
(14:14):
strawberry. Yeah, I'm not getting quite the green. I'm getting
that kind of white. Near the white part. Yeah, yeah,
but absolutely lovely,
lovely wine. So we're going to be giving the
Domain, uh, Corneros Cuvee La Pompadour, uh,
Brut rose, a well deserved four
sips.
>> Maury (14:32):
That's classified.
>> Brent (14:35):
So that's going to bring us to our second
wine from Domain Carneros, which is the
domain Carneros Brut 2020. It's
12% ABV, 62% Pinot
Noir, 38% Chardonnay. Appellation is
Carneros. The vintage Brut
Cuvet is the signature wine of Domain Carnaros. Produced
in their inaugural year of 1987,
(14:56):
it encompasses the widest range of estate clones
and vineyard blocks of the winery's collection, enhanced by
a minimum of three years of bottle age. Surly in the
cellar before release. This M is made
primarily with estate grown and green certified
grapes. It's
got a beautiful slightly
(15:16):
golden straw color
on the nose.
Green apple, toasted
brioche,
a little bit of citrus,
a little bit of lime. Get that little bit of tartness in the tip of
(15:38):
the nose and under the palate. Let's see.
>> Maury (15:42):
Mhm.
>> Harm (15:43):
Um, oh, you need more
champagne on the palate.
>> Brent (15:48):
Beautiful,
um,
apples, Brioche again.
I'm still getting that touch of, of citrus. I'm getting a
little bit more of the lime than I'm getting of say
orange. Um, that little bit of tart.
>> Harm (16:02):
I'll take some more.
>> Brent (16:06):
Well done. Very, just very well done.
>> Maury (16:09):
What I'd like to say is that it again was
tight and uninspiring when it came out of the bottle.
Icy cold.
>> Brent (16:15):
Yeah, well that's most, most people do that
unfortunately.
>> Maury (16:19):
Time and air and warming up. I really got
the brioche and a little bit of the yeastiness that I
like. And it aged, sorely aged
or vintage or late to scorched champagne. And I found it to
be much more delicious
and less, uh, bright and just young and fresh
and more mature. With time
(16:40):
and temperature warming up, I really thought, oh,
once it, once it.
>> Brent (16:43):
Came up, my score went up. Absolutely.
>> Harm (16:46):
I disagree with you guys. I'm not getting the brioche still on the
nose and it's warm on the palate. Well,
you know what? She's now after that fresh
pour.
>> Brent (16:55):
Hold on.
>> Harm (16:55):
It's there. Damn.
>> Brent (16:56):
Let me do that.
>> Harm (16:56):
You're right.
>> Brent (16:57):
Jedi mind Trick on you. You don't need to see this wine's
identification.
>> Harm (17:01):
The fresh, the fresh pour is better. It's.
Warm it up. Yeah, yeah, it came
back. You're right.
>> Brent (17:07):
Mhm. Yeah. Toasted
brioche. Just
that.
>> Harm (17:13):
But doesn't taste French to me. I know these guys are French
wine.
>> Maury (17:16):
No, they taste like very good California's. That's been my
issue. I was on their list for a long time. I love Domain
Carneros. They make a great product. I think they make some of the best
California sparkling wine.
But it doesn't compare to their stuff out of
France. Their stuff.
>> Brent (17:33):
Different animal, you know, I mean it's, it's a completely
different animal.
>> Maury (17:36):
But French champagne is a unique animal.
>> Brent (17:39):
Yeah.
>> Maury (17:39):
And it's the only ones that can call it that.
>> Brent (17:41):
Uh, but I mean when it comes to California
sparkling, I think Carneros is
honestly one of the best there is.
>> Harm (17:49):
Probably there. You're probably right there, there.
>> Brent (17:52):
Always so well done, so
solid, so well rounded.
Um, I've never had one where there's a hole
in the palate. There's, there's never a drop off in quality
every year. It's always the same every year. It's always
there.
>> Maury (18:06):
So yeah, I would say them and Shmsburg are
probably the two premier.
>> Brent (18:10):
That would be my California. That would be.
>> Maury (18:12):
Everybody else would come below them. So if you're going to look for
California sparkling. Absolutely. I agree.
>> Harm (18:17):
Those two houses were the first California, uh,
sparkling served on Air Force One or something like that.
>> Maury (18:22):
Yeah, yeah, I believe so.
>> Brent (18:23):
Yeah. It was the house sparkler for. I know when
Reagan was there that became the only sparkling wine they would
serve.
>> Harm (18:29):
Predates Reagan for, for them.
But uh, this is, this is
really good. It's gotten quite, it's. I
cannot stress enough how important
drinking this at the right temperature is.
>> Brent (18:43):
Yeah.
>> Harm (18:43):
Because when it was cold it was just uninspiring.
It was just nice and acidic.
Good bubbles. But you know, it's a
uh, citrus bomb now with the,
the, the complexities amped up.
Exactly. The warmth, the proper temperature, the green apple,
the brioche and I, I wasn't getting it on the
nose at all. But now it's there.
>> Brent (19:06):
Yeah. Oh, it's. Yeah. I mean
I'll be honest with the, the pompadour when it was still
cold was, I thought was fantastic.
It got better as it warmed this up. The regular
brute. Definitely when it's too cold, it's just
too closed off. But, but again it's, we
do this on purpose because so many people do
(19:26):
you know, throw that thing in the freezer and let it sit
for, for an hour before they pull it out. The thing is
blinding cold. The glass frosts when you pour it in.
It's just.
>> Harm (19:35):
Yeah.
>> Brent (19:35):
It's like.
>> Harm (19:36):
Guys, uh, it was just, it was just pure lime juice before.
>> Brent (19:38):
Yeah.
>> Harm (19:38):
Now it's, now it's got the complexity and interestingness.
>> Brent (19:41):
Yeah. It's, it's, it's lovely. And I mean, this is, this
is their flagship. They've been doing this one for a long,
long, long time. So.
>> Maury (19:48):
And it's a great value. I don't know what the current retail is, but I
would argue that it won't break the bank and
price, uh, to value. You're getting a great product for
a fair price.
>> Harm (19:59):
It's still more expensive than some of the entry level
California sparklers.
>> Maury (20:03):
I didn't say that. But I agree with you. But I.
>> Brent (20:05):
But for what you're getting for the money.
>> Harm (20:06):
Yeah.
>> Brent (20:06):
Um, yeah, I mean, if you're gonna, if you're looking for domestic
sparkling wine for the money, I don't think you're getting.
>> Harm (20:12):
Well, I'm in retail. Domain Carneros approaches the
price of lower end champagne from
France.
>> Maury (20:18):
Right.
>> Harm (20:19):
So. But you can. It's well worth the money. It's
definitely fantastic quality.
What do we have a rating for this one, sir?
>> Brent (20:27):
Well, we're going to be giving the domain Carnero
Spruit 2020 A. Ah, well deserved. Three Sims
solid champagne.
>> Maury (20:34):
Yeah, very nice.
>> Brent (20:35):
Sorry, not champagne. Sparkling wine.
>> Harm (20:36):
But it reminds you of champagne though. It's
gotten that good.
>> Maury (20:40):
Harm, you want to tell us about the next one?
>> Harm (20:42):
Sure thing. So thanks, Maury. Domain carneros
ultra brut 2019 is 12% ABV.
It is a, uh, 54% estate grown
Chardonnay, 44% estate grown Pinot
Noir, 2% estate grown Pinot
Gris, which you could never do in Chardonnay. Pinot
Gris is not allowed grape for the in cal in Champagne.
(21:03):
It's not allowed in Champagne to use Pinot Gris.
The appellation is Carneros aged 3 and a half years and
their cellars 100% organically grown estate
fruit. The color is a beautiful
straw with hints of golden, uh, well,
close to light gold than straw.
The nose has
changed again over time.
(21:25):
Um, and getting pears and
lime, Key lime bragging part.
>> Brent (21:31):
So feel free to turn your computer off.
>> Harm (21:33):
Yeah.
>> Maury (21:33):
Now comes the bragging part.
>> Harm (21:35):
Twice.
>> Brent (21:36):
Twice.
>> Harm (21:37):
Thank you. I, uh, didn't get it
earlier. There's some hay here now that's warmed
Up. Hey, there's some.
>> Maury (21:45):
Hey.
>> Brent (21:48):
You asked for it, you got it.
>> Harm (21:50):
Wonderful. Thank you. I appreciate that.
Uh, on the palate, let's have another taste.
Beautiful mousse. This just explodes.
Lots of bubbliness. Tons of green
apple. I'm getting lots
of crisp, um, pears,
(22:12):
like, uh, like those, um. What do you
call Asian pearl? A little
bit of sweetness, uh, which I can't place. And
some. The ginger. That was just a hint on the previous
one.
>> Maury (22:24):
Much more.
>> Harm (22:25):
Much more.
>> Brent (22:25):
Yeah.
>> Harm (22:26):
And then great minerality
here. I like this. The Ultra Brute is zero
residual sugar. That's what that means. Or zero sugar added in the
dosage.
>> Brent (22:35):
Yeah.
>> Harm (22:35):
So when they do the secondary fermentation, they're not adding more
sugar.
>> Maury (22:39):
Are they adding any dosage?
>> Harm (22:41):
Ultra Brute generally means zero or zero dosage.
Or it can be up to, I think.
Was it one gram per liter?
>> Brent (22:49):
Yeah, I think it's like, one or, you know, like one or one and a half or
two.
>> Harm (22:52):
There are. There are producers that do zero.
>> Brent (22:54):
Yeah.
>> Maury (22:55):
Well, I. I agree with everything you said about this. Uh,
for me, although I enjoyed it,
uh, to me, the Carneros
Brute was much more enjoyable. For me,
this. This wine was a little bit astringent, a little
bit citric, a little bit acidic.
Um, it had a lot of
(23:16):
interest to it, and it definitely improved with some
temperature. I definitely got some more,
uh, brioche and yeastiness on the
nose, but, um.
>> Harm (23:26):
I didn't get it on this one. I didn't get the yeastiness.
>> Maury (23:28):
But you know what? Just a little bit. When it was super warm at the very,
very, very end, I was able to get some. After it really,
totally.
>> Harm (23:34):
When it was really, really, really cold, what struck me on the finish was bitter
apple peel. And that bitterness has gone away. And I'm
really enjoying the flavors now.
>> Maury (23:42):
But I agree with you. It's got much more ginger. It's definitely more
tart. It's definitely more, uh,
citrus. Uh, it's well made,
no question. But of the two, to me,
the Brute was more enjoyable.
>> Harm (23:55):
I like the zero sugar. What about you, Bob?
>> Brent (23:58):
I'm with arm. This one is
definitely more my jam, but
the nice thing about this one is
it's got that minerality, that chalkiness, that
salinity that you get at the end.
>> Harm (24:12):
Um, it's not the same as champagne chalkiness, but it's. It's
there.
>> Brent (24:16):
No, it's. Yeah, it's different.
>> Harm (24:18):
You know what I want? I want oysters. It's oysters in
this.
>> Brent (24:22):
Oh, a big tray of oysters. In this would be
fantastic.
>> Maury (24:25):
I'm sure Bob will be serving them up any minute.
>> Brent (24:29):
Yeah, this one, um, this
one is definitely my jam. I mean, it's got
the nose on. It is so pretty. It's so delicate. It's
so light. I'm with you. There's like, that Asian
pear.
>> Maury (24:43):
Some white, a little more harm.
>> Brent (24:45):
Some white flowers.
>> Harm (24:48):
This one. Oh,
that's a lot of wine in front of us.
>> Brent (24:52):
And the. The bitterness of the apple, you know, that
bitterness had gone away. Now I'm just getting that tart green
apple. I'm still getting a little bit of
the citrus. But that. That minerality, that
salinity that comes in, it
reminds me of some of my favorite French
champagnes. I mean, it's extremely well
done.
>> Harm (25:12):
I found it was a little bit more salty when it was cold, but it's more
integrated and just balanced right now.
>> Brent (25:17):
The salinity definitely comes out more when it's. When it's
blistering cold. As it warms up, that salinity goes down, but
it's still there. Especially, like, mid and like mid
palate and the tip of the palate.
>> Maury (25:27):
This second pour glass is totally different. Even just sitting in
the bottle, warming, I let it warm in my glass, but now a
second pour. Yeah, from the bottle. Having warmed
and aerated in the bottle, it's. It's definitely more.
It's just rounded off all the way.
>> Harm (25:42):
This is a food wine. Definitely a food wine.
>> Brent (25:44):
I'm with him.
Uh, a, uh, tray of oysters right now would be sublime.
>> Harm (25:48):
It's a mignonette. Not, not. Not the,
uh, horseradish and ketchup.
>> Brent (25:53):
No, no, no. It would be perfect. Or
just. Honestly, just plain nothing.
>> Maury (25:58):
Just a little squirrel.
>> Brent (25:59):
Um.
>> Harm (26:00):
Oh, I went to this place that had some champagne mignon, a drop of
lemon oil.
>> Brent (26:03):
Just. Just. That's it. And then just down the
hatch. This would be perfect. That salinity from the
oyster. Oh. Would pair so well with
this. I wish we had oysters.
>> Harm (26:15):
Oh, well, uh, we do live in a
place. We could get oysters. I'm just saying we could chip.
>> Brent (26:20):
We're in South Florida.
>> Harm (26:21):
We chipped in.
>> Brent (26:22):
You don't want to eat oysters down here.
>> Harm (26:25):
We get them.
>> Brent (26:26):
I'm pretty sure they poison you, but, uh, yeah, this
one's. This one's really lovely. So
we're going to be giving the Domain Carneros Ultra
Brute 2019. What are we looking at,
boys?
>> Harm (26:38):
I want to give it a higher rating, but I think Maury still likes that one
better, so that's okay, whatever.
>> Maury (26:43):
You guys go with. I'm, um, good.
>> Brent (26:44):
I'd say four sips.
>> Maury (26:45):
There you go. That's classified.
It definitely improved.
>> Brent (26:51):
And again, just all three of them
so, so incredibly well made.
I just go back to the same thing when I'm talking
sparkling California wine. Carnos. Carnos has
always been one of my top ones and they've never
disappointed. They're always so solid. So.
>> Harm (27:08):
Well, is there tattoo Cuvee again for Carnaros La
Rev. Oh, it's been so long since I've had
Larev. Hint, hint. Guys, send us some of the
revolution.
>> Maury (27:17):
I've got some of that. My cellar had. I realized I might have,
uh, uh, open up today.
>> Brent (27:22):
Well, I will talk to them because we're going to be out there in
January, so we'll see. But
they make fantastic sparkling wine, but they also make
still wine. So. Harm, why don't you tell us about that one?
>> Harm (27:33):
Thanks, Bob.
The domain Carneros Pinot Noir Estate 2021
is 14.2% ABV. Uh, 100%
Pinot Noir. Pine not nor as we say in Merka,
the Appellation is Carneros 100 green
certified and certified fish friendly.
>> Maury (27:49):
Fish friendly. That's awesome.
>> Harm (27:51):
I like it. It's perfect because this is a wine you want with some
salmon.
>> Brent (27:54):
Oh, yeah.
>> Harm (27:55):
So that's kind of fish unfriendly. Um, we're taking and killing the
fish to have with this wine.
>> Brent (28:01):
I wish I had some salmon.
>> Harm (28:02):
Yeah. So this expression begins in six
sustainably certified estate vineyards which are all
located within the four miles of the chateau.
Eleven different clones of the Pinot Noir are grown
and each one contributes to its unique flavor profile
and personality to make this blend. After an early
morning harvest, while the grapes are still cool and the
(28:23):
hand picked fruit is gently destemmed and cold soaked,
fermentation takes place in small open, open
top vats with punch downs, resulting in
heightened color and complex flavors, which I'm going to mention
later. After pressing off, the finished
wine is went directly into French oak
barrels, 33% of which were new
(28:43):
where it rested for 10 months until bottling.
So the color on this is a translucent ruby. You can almost
read through it. Uh, more on the edges.
I find this a little bit darker than I usually like
my Pinot Noir speed. So that California where they.
The dirty little secret of California is they don't never make 100%
Pinot Noir. This one is 100% Pinot Noir according to them though.
(29:04):
But the color is coming from this over extraction
or not. I mean, extra. I'm calling
it over extraction, but I don't think they would call it
that. So this, all those punch downs are giving a lot of
extraction in the color.
Um, you know the dirty little secret
of California Pinot Noir is it's never 100%.
It's always Grenache or Syrah or it's usually
(29:26):
Syrah. A little bit ganache. Some. Some people use
bonarda ice cress. I won't mention
names to give that sweetness that should not
belong in a Pinot Noir. But hey, it's popular. People drink it bite
in a grocery store. Uh, anyway, let
me get back off my high horse.
Beautiful color. Little. Little, highly
extracted. The nose, uh, is for
(29:48):
me, was all about cherry and
pomegranate. There's a mushroominess. That
forest floor, that umami. I get a
lot of great raspberry coming out as
well. Publix, uh, had Bogo raspberries this past
week. I've been eating a lot of raspberries. And the raspberry is definitely
here.
>> Brent (30:05):
See, that's where you went wrong. They also had prime rib on sale, so
that's what I bought. You messed up. You
made an error.
>> Harm (30:12):
My parents are vegetarian. We've m. Been staying with them because my parents have been
sick.
>> Brent (30:15):
And you still talk to them.
>> Harm (30:17):
We have to take care of them, man.
>> Brent (30:18):
Vegetarian.
>> Harm (30:19):
My dad's in and out of the hospital.
>> Brent (30:21):
That's very inconsiderate.
>> Harm (30:22):
It is very inconsiderate being vegetarian.
>> Brent (30:24):
They eat my food. Food.
>> Harm (30:25):
I know.
>> Brent (30:26):
What. What have I ever done to them? Why do they don't like
me?
>> Harm (30:30):
So you know, it's only five days out of the week I'm there. So
two days out of the week I'm eating meat at least.
So thank God for my wife taking care of them. I would be dead without
her. But anyway, back to this.
>> Maury (30:41):
There are many reasons why you'd be dead.
>> Harm (30:43):
Yeah. Bogo raspberries at Publix right now, if
you're down here in Florida, this, uh, is a
raspberry bomb. The pomegranates. There again,
that forest floor. Gorgeous on the nose. I could just
smell this one all day on the palate. Let's try
again.
(31:03):
Tons of fruit, but intertwined with
gorgeous spice. I get licorice and
clove with the forest floor notes.
Um, got a. The other thing is, what really
set this off for me is the texture. It's not a
super high acidic wine. Despite. Despite what you might think
based on the note, the nose I gave you, it's got A
(31:24):
creamy texture. I love it. So
creamy. Uh, hints of spice, lots of
fruit. Uh, you buy yourself
a bottle of this Maury, what do you think?
>> Maury (31:34):
Well, I must admit a lot of the pinots I've had lately have been
a little bit thin. And I love the fact that this had so much going
on. I agree with you. It had that mushroomy,
musty, foresty floor quality to it.
A little umami. It had plenty of fruit. It
definitely had lots of rice.
>> Harm (31:51):
Umami.
>> Brent (31:51):
Umami.
>> Maury (31:53):
I agree with everything you said, Harm. As much as I hate
to admit it, uh, it just, uh, it really
has a lot going on in the glass. And, uh,
like I said, a lot of the sham California sparkling
producers have started to bottle their still Pinot. And
this is, uh, this is a nice expression. I really enjoy.
>> Harm (32:11):
Had some really bad ones. This is not that.
>> Brent (32:13):
No.
>> Maury (32:14):
Some of them have rushed it and they're not good at it. But this is
not that at all. This is really, really nice. And we'll
be back.
>> Brent (32:20):
Absolutely. As long as they're pouring wine, I'll be
back.
Hey. And we're back. And we were just finishing up our
thoughts on the domain Carneros Pinot
Noir Estate 2021 high.
>> Harm (32:33):
Not no Merka.
>> Maury (32:35):
Yeah. And as I said, uh, you know, as far as
pinots go, I thought this was a delicious California
Pinot. I really, really enjoyed it.
It's, you know, it's well made, it's
terrific. It's not a cab. But as far as pinots go, this is
a nice, full bodied Pinot and not that
thin, kind of wimpy Pinot.
>> Brent (32:54):
It's not what you would expect from
Domicarneras. That's the thing that I kind of dig
about it. It's like, how so how great
their sparkling wines are,
but then they can literally pivot 180
degrees.
>> Maury (33:08):
Well, they're growing world class Pinot grapes. And this shows.
>> Brent (33:11):
Exactly.
>> Maury (33:11):
But world class fruit.
>> Brent (33:13):
But then turn around and make this. That's,
that's the thing.
>> Harm (33:17):
It is more difficult than you might imagine. Like I said, I've
tasted some horrible still wines from California.
Sparklers.
>> Brent (33:22):
Exactly. I mean, you know, some do it and don't do it.
>> Harm (33:25):
Well, the California sparklers are, you know, they're
serviceable. They're decent, inexpensive sparklers. They taste
fine and then they put out a Pinot Noir that tastes
like, what went wrong? What did
they screw up here?
>> Brent (33:37):
But that's not the case here.
>> Harm (33:38):
It's.
>> Brent (33:39):
This is, this is excellent.
>> Harm (33:40):
I mean, I'm, I'm not allowed To.
>> Brent (33:42):
I get a lot of tobacco leaf. I get that
cedar. Um, there's. There's huge tobacco box
on this.
>> Harm (33:48):
I don't get a huge tobacco box. There's a little. Oh, I guess you're right.
>> Maury (33:51):
I got. I agree. Got it. But not huge.
>> Brent (33:53):
And then you get. There's that tartness.
There's that little bit of cranberry, there's a little bit of
raspberry. And I missed.
>> Harm (34:01):
The cranberry. Came across as pomegranate to me.
>> Brent (34:03):
I go back to the. You know, there's that herbal
forest floor
herbaceousness, that little bit of earthiness to
it.
>> Harm (34:12):
I think.
>> Brent (34:13):
I think it's really well done. I think this is an
excellent. An excellent Pinot.
>> Maury (34:17):
It's really improved with, uh, air. I've
traditionally always been a believer of, uh, decant your
pinots. They really benefit from air.
>> Harm (34:26):
It depends on the Pinot, but definitely stuff of this
quality.
>> Maury (34:29):
Yeah, but I, uh, find that the air always helps. It
never hurts. And so if you have the time, the ability.
>> Harm (34:34):
You've been drinking, you're a spoiled man. The cheaper
wines, too much air makes them turn into vinegar. You are
so spoiled, you're drinking the good stuff.
>> Brent (34:42):
No, you idiots show up for the show. I've been setting
up equipment, decanting wines for three hours before you get here.
So.
>> Harm (34:48):
Nice.
>> Brent (34:49):
Well, we're going to be giving the, uh. We're going to be rating
the Domain Caris Pinot Noir Estate.
21. Uh, 2021.
>> Maury (34:56):
Upgraded.
>> Brent (34:57):
Well deserved. Four SIPs.
>> Maury (34:58):
Yeah, I mean, I think it deserves the upgrade. Good job,
Guy. M. Bob, you want to tell us about
the next, uh, winery, or is that my turn?
>> Brent (35:07):
I probably. That's me.
>> Maury (35:08):
Bob.
>> Harm (35:09):
No.
>> Brent (35:09):
All right, so, um.
>> Maury (35:11):
Don't be a Mike Hogg.
>> Harm (35:12):
I didn't. I didn't change. I was listening sort of in the
meeting, but not much. I didn't change my name.
>> Brent (35:17):
Wait, you listen to the show Sometimes.
>> Harm (35:19):
In the meeting, before the show. Oh, nobody listens to the show again.
>> Brent (35:21):
Um, all right, so our next winery. So,
um, Rich Frank founded the Frank family vineyards
in 1992 and is actively involved in all
aspects of the winery, from vineyard purchases to sales
to marketing to hosting VIP groups in the tasting
rooms. Before becoming a vintner, he was the
chairman of Walt Disney Television and
Telecommunications and headed Disney's
(35:44):
syndication arm, Buena
Vista. So he was president of Walt
Disney Studios for nearly a decade and oversaw the
development of the Disney Channel. So this is Guy who knows how to run a
business. The Frank family winemaker and
general manager Todd Graffiti, who is a graduate of the
UC Davis with a degree in plant science and
viticulture, came to Frank flamey vineyards in
(36:06):
2003. Prior to becoming,
uh, the vineyard manager there and coming to
Frank, he was also at
Phelps Vineyards, Stags Leaps,
um, Schramsburg, as well
as a couple of wineries in Moselle, um,
Germany, um, as well as Cinnamon in France
and Australia's Hunter Valley.
(36:28):
He directed the construction of the Frank family's
state of the art Winery in 2008.
And he worked closely with Mr. Frank in
the acquisition of the historic Wood Ranch vineyard in
Rutherford in 2012. In 2020,
he was named the Napa Winemaker of the Year by the North
Bay, uh, Business Journal. In 2022,
(36:51):
he was voted the best winemaker in the
readers poll for the Napa Valley Life
magazine.
>> Harm (36:57):
Wow.
>> Maury (36:57):
So very impressive.
>> Brent (37:00):
The funny thing is he's got that Disney money. Well, here's the
thing that's. That ain't the only Disney money in the valley. There's a
couple others think, uh, Silverado, I think
might have some Disney money too. So.
>> Harm (37:10):
Yeah, but I'm not a fan of Silverado. What's going, ah, on.
>> Brent (37:13):
Yeah, uh, as opposed to this one. So.
So the first one we've got from them is the Frank family
Carnera Chardonnay 2022. This is
14.4% ABV, 100%
Chardonnay barrel fermented in
34% new, 33%
once used and 33% twice
used French oak barrels for nine months
(37:34):
with partial malolactic fermentation with
regular batonnage, which is the hand stirring of the leaves
while aging to promote depth and
longevity. The fruit was sourced from the estate,
its own Lewis vineyard and addition from some
neighboring vineyards, including Beck Stopper Vineyards
in Napa Caneros and San Giacomo Vineyards
in Sonoma Caneros.
(37:56):
So on the palette it's got
the color first. Yeah. And that's what I'm looking.
It's got a slight, like
straw, almost, almost glowing, almost,
um, like slightly greenish edge to the
glow to it.
>> Harm (38:13):
Yes, I was going to say that.
>> Brent (38:15):
I'm holding it up against a white piece of paper and that's where I'm really
noticing sort of that, that, that greenish hue.
>> Maury (38:20):
Um, really not seen that before.
>> Harm (38:22):
But you're absolutely right because it's a young
Chardonnay still. It's got so much age to do, even though it's
been held for nine months in the barrel already. It's
a 2022. This is a Chardonnay you could Put down for a few
years.
>> Brent (38:34):
Yeah.
>> Harm (38:34):
Which is, you know, not common in California.
>> Maury (38:36):
No, I agree.
>> Brent (38:37):
So on the nose, I'm getting white flowers.
There's a strong green apple.
I'm getting a little bit of, um, Myers lemon to
it. A little bit of
vanilla. And on the palate, let's
see
(38:58):
the palette. Nice round,
firm body to it. Medium acidity.
A little bit of vanilla. A little bit. Almost like a.
>> Harm (39:09):
Did you read my notes?
>> Brent (39:10):
Like a vanilla pastry cream.
>> Harm (39:12):
I swear you wrote my notes.
>> Maury (39:16):
Cheating's loud.
>> Harm (39:17):
That's right. Now he didn't hear about it. He's way over there on the other
side.
>> Brent (39:20):
I'm just. I'm over here just sort of contemplating.
>> Maury (39:23):
Uh, this is.
>> Brent (39:24):
This is so well done. Just so well done.
I mean, there's. There's. There's.
There's cougar juice and there's real
chardonnay. Yeah, this is real chardonnage.
>> Harm (39:34):
This is not cougar juice. This is over extracted.
Big butter bomb with all the oak.
>> Maury (39:40):
This is stealing my thunder. That's okay. Just
take my turn. Just take. Just take all my thoughts.
>> Harm (39:45):
Is it your turn?
>> Maury (39:46):
Coming right into my head and just taking them right out.
>> Harm (39:48):
Okay, you go first.
>> Maury (39:49):
No, fine. No, I insist. You go ahead.
>> Harm (39:50):
All right, fine.
>> Maury (39:51):
Finish your thought.
>> Harm (39:52):
No, I'll do it. It's beautiful. Golden
with the green glints. Which again, we were talking about means this wine is still
young. Uh, I got buttered pears.
Butter pears, green apple.
>> Brent (40:02):
Definitely there.
>> Harm (40:03):
There's a hint of definitely. Tropical note. I'm going
like green guava. Not the pink guava,
but green. Yellow guava and
vanilla.
>> Maury (40:13):
I don't know what a green guava tastes like, but I'll take your
word for it.
>> Brent (40:17):
His mother didn't like him. She didn't. First. You know she didn't.
>> Harm (40:19):
Green does not mean under ripe. Guava comes in the
yellow skin and the green skin. And the flesh can be white or
pink, depending where it's grown.
>> Brent (40:27):
That's true.
>> Harm (40:27):
The seeds can be really hard and break your teeth. Or they can be soft and
chewy. The ones I used to get in India were the pink inside.
These are the green ones. Uh, these are the white. This is the white flesh.
Guava. And not as ripe as
the pink flesh. Guava and the vanilla.
Anyway, you've got. I. I was lucky
to have good guava when I was a kid. And
sometimes I've met your mom.
>> Maury (40:48):
You're lucky. Yeah.
>> Harm (40:50):
Yeah.
Now you can't get good guava down here. That's going on.
>> Brent (40:53):
Yeah.
>> Maury (40:53):
That's. He.
>> Harm (40:53):
He's right on that grocery store.
Anyway, the palate, medium acidity, just like you said,
Bob. Good weight in the mouth, though. Not overly
creamy. It's so balanced.
>> Brent (41:04):
Yeah, it.
>> Maury (41:05):
Right. It's got some malolactic, but is not
overly creamy or buttery. It's so
beautifully constructed that it's not, like
you said, cougar juice. It's not overly oaked. It's not
overly buttery. It's just right down
the middle. So much all the beautiful.
>> Brent (41:21):
So many of them. Like mallow. Mallow. Mallow.
Just buttery, drippy, like popcorn butter.
>> Harm (41:26):
No, it's not that at all.
>> Brent (41:28):
Which. Look, you do what you got to do to sell a
product. I get it. And people, you know, people who, like.
>> Harm (41:33):
There'S a market for it there. Definitely.
>> Brent (41:35):
Absolutely. But this is not that. This is a
proper Chardonnay.
>> Maury (41:39):
No, this is really lovely. Um, they. You
can. You can. You can taste the French oak as well
as.
>> Harm (41:45):
Yes, the spice comes through.
>> Maury (41:47):
There's definitely that vanilla from the.
>> Harm (41:49):
Vanilla from the American and spice from the French.
>> Maury (41:52):
Correct. Um, it's got a voluptuous
mouthfeel. It's just delightful on the palate.
Um, I. For me, the finish goes all day. It's just
all day. Just the finish hasn't quit.
>> Brent (42:02):
I think. I think they choose well. Doing the
first third new. The second third, first,
you know, once used and second use French. Um,
you know, that second use is pretty much neutral
by that point. But, uh, yeah, the oakiness is there,
but it's not. It's just so well
balanced. There's a little bit of mallow, but
(42:22):
not too much. There's a little bit of oak, but not
too much.
>> Harm (42:26):
See, as this one's warming up, the oak is becoming more
prominent. I think I liked it a little. Absolutely.
>> Brent (42:31):
Yeah. It is definitely coming out the more warm it gets.
>> Harm (42:34):
I think I liked it a little bit when it was a little more cold. At
this point, the wines are a little bit too warm now. Yeah.
>> Brent (42:38):
M. Take a
fresh pour. It's right in front of you. So where's the bottle?
>> Maury (42:44):
No, disagree. I'm enjoying the extra oak that's
coming out. It's fun to watch it evolve in the glass.
I. I think it's delicious. It's so well
made. Um, you know, Frank family is
a little underrated, but they're, um.
But their wines are very well made, and, uh, I've always
enjoyed them.
>> Brent (43:02):
All right, well, we're going to be giving the Frank Family
Carnera Sharks 2022 a well
deserved four sips.
>> Maury (43:09):
That's classified.
>> Brent (43:12):
So that brings us to the Cabernet Sauvignon.
>> Maury (43:15):
Thank you, Bob.
Uh, the next wine is the Frank family Napa Cabernet
Sauvignon 2021. Comes in at 14.5percent
ABV. It is 87%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot,
5% Petit Verdot and 2%
Cabernet Franc. It's aged 20 months and
33% new and
67% once and twice filled French
(43:38):
oak barrels. There's a theme there.
Source primarily from their estate S J
vineyard in Napa's Capwell Valley and their
Benjamin vineyard located on the valley floor and
in the heart of Rutherford. Additional vineyard sources
include neighboring Quarry Vineyard and Round
Pond Estate in both Rutherford, as well as
Deluise and Shooting Star Vineyard located in
(44:01):
Napa Valley.
>> Harm (44:01):
I haven't had a round pound forever either. That's another good one.
>> Maury (44:05):
This wine has a deep, dark, brooding
purple, inky color. It's
got a really inviting nose. Very
classic California Cabernet
on the palette. It's voluptuous. It's delicious. It's got
mouth coating feels. It's a classic California
Napa Cabernet. You've got notes of tobacco
(44:27):
and licorice and spice and old leather.
It's mouth coating. It has a beautiful medium
to long finish. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was extremely
well made. Harm, what did you think?
>> Harm (44:39):
Did you say mouth coating? I thought I told you. I thought you said like four
times. Anyway, uh, so, uh, I got
cassis, vanilla, cherry, black cherry,
herbs, and it's got a really
nice medium tannins. Uh, it
is really nice. Very m well made,
medium long finish. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it.
>> Maury (44:58):
It's beautiful.
>> Harm (44:59):
Good.
>> Maury (44:59):
Again, I think a great value. Their wines are value priced. They're not
cheap, but they are not expensive. They're not overpriced.
>> Brent (45:05):
Well, that's the thing I've always liked about Frank is, is is they're
very well priced for the quality you get.
>> Maury (45:09):
Their correct wines well priced for the.
>> Brent (45:11):
Quality we're going to be giving the Frank family
Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 a
well deserved. Four Sips guys.
>> Maury (45:19):
That's two for two.
>> Brent (45:20):
Job. Yeah. Good job.
So that's going to bring us to our next one. We're going to have
Harm tell us about that one quickly because we're running out of time.
>> Harm (45:28):
Okay. So, uh, thanks, Bob Sullivan. Rutherford Estate
was founded by James O'Neill Sullivan in 1972. After acquiring
the 26 Rutherford, a 26 acre Rutherford
property from the Garon family. In
1978, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
vines on the advice of legendary winemaker
Andre Cheliceville. James
(45:48):
Sullivan worked with celebrated architect
John Marsh Davis, known as the most acclaimed
representative of the Frank Lloyd Wright aesthetic, to
design the vineyard and, uh, the vineyard home
and production facility. The structure is a unique
architectural jewel built with a geometric precision. Concentric
circles were used to place the structure on the property and
(46:08):
cardinal representation. The house is perfectly oriented north,
south. Winemaker Jeff Cole earned a degree in
wine and viticulture from California
Polytechnic State, uh, University in San Luis
Obispo. He worked with Schromsburg and J. Davis
Vineyards prior to coming to Sullivan Rutherford Estate in
2013. He became head winemaker in
2015. Our only wine from them today is the
(46:30):
Sullivan Rutherford Estate. Cordovine,
um, Heart of the vine in 2021. 14.8
ABV. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon,
14% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. It's
Napa appellation, aged for 20 months and 60% new
French oak. The wine is a number 75 in the
2024 Wine Spectator for top 100
(46:50):
wines. The colors are absolutely beautiful.
Opaque garnet with white.
>> Maury (46:55):
Ah.
>> Harm (46:56):
Uh, clear to, uh, violet rims. So
showing. It's still got some. A lot of youth.
The nose. Now, this wine was double
decanted. Oh, I forgot. We're losing
time. This wine was triple decanted because I had to do another
decantation to get the. The air. The air in
plum, BlackBerry, blueberry, firm
tannins. Huge. Bring me a
(47:18):
steak. Uh, do we have time for anybody else to talk?
>> Maury (47:20):
I agree with you. I thought it was voluptuous, delicious,
amazing. Uh, really my favorite wine of the day. I thought
it was extremely well made, very well balanced.
A classic California Napa Valley
Cabernet. Loved it.
>> Brent (47:34):
I can't really add more to that.
>> Harm (47:36):
I mean, because we don't have time because we three of us,
and we still took too long.
>> Brent (47:39):
Yeah, I know. It's. Well, we've had great wines, and this one was
fantastic.
>> Maury (47:43):
There's a lot to say.
>> Brent (47:44):
So, um, number
75. So number 75 on the top
100 wines of the year and wine spectators, so you can't beat it.
Sullivan Rutherford Estate. Cordovine 20.
21. Five sips. Good work. Oh, my
goodness. Yeah.
Yeah.
So that takes us to our last one, which is our
(48:06):
dariush cabernet sauvignon 2021, 25th
anniversary release. Um, we're gonna go the really
fast on this. 15.4%
ABV. This is their 25th
anniversary release. Absolutely
fantastic wine. Black cherries,
dark berries, cedar on the nose,
(48:27):
huge mouthfeel.
Mmm. It's
like chewing a piece of meat.
>> Harm (48:34):
The tannins here are not the silky ones.
>> Maury (48:36):
No, this is definitely a much more chewy wine.
A bigger, bolder expression. Goes great with a
chewy steak.
>> Harm (48:43):
Love.
>> Brent (48:43):
Yeah. This one is again, it's
Dariush, that we'd never had one from Dariush that wasn't
fantastic. Everything we've ever had from Dariush has been
fantastic. Um, but I think they did
an amazing job with this. This one required triple
decantation and aeration. But once we
got. Yeah, it's. We should
(49:03):
have the snot knocked out of us for drinking them this early.
But
between this and the Sullivan, I'm the
happiest guy in the room.
>> Harm (49:14):
There you go. Thank you.
>> Brent (49:15):
For the happiest guy in the room, Dariush.
Five sips. Oh, my gosh. Yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm just sorry we got long winded and had to rush the last two.
But, um, again, Sullivan,
grab it if you can. That Dariush, grab it if you
can. So, gentlemen, been a
(49:35):
pretty good day.
>> Harm (49:36):
Not bad. Uh, thanks for having me in the basement today. Really nice.
>> Maury (49:39):
I'm glad I only have to share this bottle with a couple of you other
heathens.
>> Brent (49:43):
Yeah, the basement did not stink today. I think we
did quite well.
>> Announcer (49:48):
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you're listening to us online, do yourself a favor
and tap. Just tap it in the subscribe
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>> Brent (49:57):
Give it a little tappy. Tap, tap,
taparoo.
>> Announcer (50:00):
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(50:22):
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(50:44):
join us for another episode, and keep on
sipping.
This has been a 110 hand production of
siphon suds and smokes. A program devoted
(51:04):
to the appreciation of some of the finer slices
of life. From the dude in the basement studios.
Your host, the good old boys will see you all next
time.
On the next episode of Sips, Suds and
Smokes.
>> Brent (00:03):
This is a wine episode. So today we're going to be discussing
some very interesting wines. So we have from
Domain Carneros, we have the Cuvee La Pompadour
Brut Rose.
>> Harm (00:13):
So fancy.
>> Brent (00:15):
The Domain carneros brut. Uh,
2020. The domain carneros
ultra brut 2019, the domain
carneros pinot noir estate 2021.
From Frank family, we have the Frank Flammay, uh,
Carneros Chardonnay 2022.
Flammy, flammy. The
Frank family Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
(00:36):
2021. From
Rutherford Sullivan, uh, Rutherford Estate, we have the
Sullivan Rutherford Estate Cordovine
2021. And our last wine is going to
be the Dariush Cabernet Sauvignon 2021.
25th anniversary release.
>> Announcer (00:53):
We'll be right back after this break.
(01:17):
Brought to you almost live from the dude in the
basement studios. Why?
>> Maury (01:22):
Because that's where the good stuff is.
>> Announcer (01:24):
Sips, Suds and smokes with your
smoking host, the good old boys.
(01:49):
And now it's sippin time.
>> Brent (01:56):
Hey, sip sipping time.
Welcome to this Sips episode where everything good in life is worth
discussing.
>> Harm (02:02):
That's true. Except we don't discover. We don't discuss
the sexy times anymore. Well, that's off the air at
least.
>> Brent (02:09):
Well, your wife doesn't discuss them at all. So I.
>> Harm (02:12):
Look, if I can't live vicariously through you guys, what am I? What's going to happen
to me?
>> Maury (02:15):
If you're living, I'm gonna melt away.
>> Brent (02:16):
If you're living vicariously for the two other idiots at this table, you're
in deep trouble, buddy.
>> Harm (02:21):
Nobody's getting a sexy time.
>> Brent (02:22):
Yeah. No. No. Yeah.
>> Harm (02:23):
So as for good old boys.
Yeah, I, I don't think we're good. And
when we started this show, I wasn't old, but I am now
doing the show.
>> Brent (02:33):
We're, uh, in season 12.
>> Harm (02:34):
Uh. You and me, Bob.
>> Brent (02:36):
Yeah. Season 12.
>> Harm (02:37):
12 years. Really?
>> Brent (02:38):
Yeah.
>> Harm (02:39):
Oh, my God.
>> Brent (02:40):
I could have killed you and been out of prison.
>> Harm (02:42):
Yeah. Yeah, I could have killed you, buried.
>> Brent (02:45):
You in the woods. And I'd be out of prison by now. I mean,
I got a good clean record. I'd have done maybe, you know, they'd have given me
15.
>> Harm (02:52):
We've got, we've got this. We've got the Everglades out here. Nobody would have
caugh.
>> Brent (02:55):
Yeah, well, you and I both know that, so.
Well, this is, this is our sip
segment. Uh, and they're all about wine Distilled
spirits, tea, coffee, and anything else you can sip. So this is a
wine episode. So today we're going to be discussing some
very interesting wines. So we have from Domain
Carneros, we have the Cuvee La Pompadour Brut
(03:15):
Rose.
>> Harm (03:16):
So fancy.
>> Brent (03:17):
The Domain carneros. Uh, brut
2020. The domain carneros ultra
brute 2019. The domain
carneros pinot noir estate 2021.
>> Harm (03:28):
So it doesn't all go into the champagne or sparkling wine.
>> Brent (03:30):
Yeah, exactly. I was shocked,
too, when I opened.
>> Harm (03:34):
The box, I went, ooh, Pine Knot Nor.
>> Brent (03:36):
Yeah. Uh, from Frank family, we have
the Frank Flammay. Uh, Carneros Chardonnay
2022.
>> Maury (03:42):
Flammy.
>> Brent (03:43):
Flammy. The Frank family
Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021.
From Rutherford Sullivan. Uh, Rutherford Estate,
we have the Sullivan Rutherford Estate
Cordovine 2021.
>> Harm (03:57):
Look at you and your French.
>> Brent (03:59):
I'm faking it. I had some fries before you
guys came over, so.
>> Harm (04:03):
Nice.
>> Brent (04:04):
And then our last wine.
>> Harm (04:05):
Fries.
>> Brent (04:06):
Franche. Yeah. And France dressing. And to
drink Peru. Yeah. And
our last wine is going to be the Dariush Cabernet
Sauvignon 2021. 25th anniversary
release. So sweet. Yeah.
Today does not stink.
>> Maury (04:21):
So did you want to introduce our co host today or should we just
leave it to their imagination?
>> Harm (04:26):
We. We. They know us by now, but go ahead, Bob.
>> Brent (04:28):
Nobody knows around the table. So we have with
us today, um, Brent. Who's not here.
>> Harm (04:35):
Nope.
>> Brent (04:36):
So we have good old boy Maury.
>> Maury (04:38):
Good morning.
>> Brent (04:39):
And we have good old boy Harm.
>> Harm (04:42):
Thanks for having me, Bob. I like wine shows.
>> Brent (04:44):
And then we have our imaginary friend over in the other table.
Yes, the clown with the axe. Why is he
looking at me like that?
>> Harm (04:51):
He keeps us in mind.
>> Brent (04:52):
This is also true. So, well, we're going to be
tasting, discussing these fantastic wines,
and we're going to be rating them with our sips.
Ratings. And since we don't have Justin
for this episode to give us a really
horrible, horrible,
horrible, horrible impersonation of.
(05:12):
It doesn't matter. All of his impersonation sucks.
>> Harm (05:15):
In California, dude.
>> Brent (05:16):
Yeah, yeah. It's just.
>> Harm (05:17):
Is it all California? It's all California today.
>> Brent (05:19):
I love him, but damn, son. Uh, damn, damn, damn. Yeah, All
California today. So. So we'll. We'll
each take one. So, Maury, give us. Give us our first rating.
>> Maury (05:28):
One sip. Give me a glass of water to wash out
my mouth.
>> Harm (05:34):
Water.
>> Brent (05:37):
Bring water.
>> Maury (05:40):
Harm.
>> Harm (05:41):
Nice, dude. But what else you have?
>> Brent (05:45):
Hold on. Our sound.
>> Maury (05:46):
That would be two sips.
>> Harm (05:47):
Dude, was it two sips?
>> Brent (05:50):
Yeah, hold on. Our soundboard just locked up, so.
>> Harm (05:52):
Okay.
>> Maury (05:53):
All right.
>> Brent (05:54):
Shouldn't we have had Harm do the first one? I'm just saying.
>> Maury (05:57):
Well, isn't that nice?
>> Harm (06:00):
Is this. Are we working now?
>> Brent (06:01):
We're working now.
>> Harm (06:02):
I'm not restarting the show, Bob. Thank God.
>> Brent (06:05):
So are. Uh, three sips.
Hmm. Interesting. What was this again?
>> Harm (06:10):
Interesting.
Four sips.
>> Maury (06:15):
Let's keep this one a secret. Pour
ourselves another.
>> Brent (06:20):
There's only three of us, so we.
>> Maury (06:21):
Get all of it.
>> Brent (06:22):
That's the best part.
>> Harm (06:24):
Five sips. Oh, my. I was
unaware anything could be this good.
>> Brent (06:30):
Oh, my goodness. Words Harm has never
heard in his entire life.
>> Harm (06:36):
You know, they make Cialis now, so
I might hear it one day.
>> Brent (06:40):
Take more than Cialis.
Plastic surgeon.
>> Harm (06:45):
Yeah, yeah.
>> Brent (06:45):
George Clooney mask.
>> Harm (06:47):
You know,
Take more than that.
>> Brent (06:51):
It's amazing how quickly this show goes in the toilet sometimes.
>> Maury (06:53):
Give you an extension?
>> Brent (06:54):
Mhm.
>> Harm (06:56):
Maury, it's.
You want to read the first one?
>> Maury (06:58):
Why not? It'd be my privilege.
>> Brent (07:00):
Tell us about her first one.
>> Maury (07:01):
I'll have what she's having. Domain Carneros was founded in the
Carneros appellation of Northern California
by the Champagne Tattinger family.
Recognizing that Carneros region of California
would yield grapes of outstanding character, suitable
for do. For producing world class sparkling
wines, Claude Tattingay began
searching in America.
>> Harm (07:22):
Tattinger. I know.
>> Maury (07:23):
It's Tatting America. It is.
>> Harm (07:25):
People come and ask for Tattinger all the time.
>> Maury (07:28):
Uh, well, Claude Tattinger began
searching for the right property to realize his dream. And
in 1986, after a 13 year
search, he purchased the first 130 acre
vineyard in the heart of Carneros Napa Valley. After
an exhaustive search, that same year, the Tattent Jays
selected Eileen Crane as Domain
Carneros founding winemaker.
(07:50):
While directing the first vintage, she was also tasked with
overseeing the planning and construction of the
winery.
>> Brent (07:56):
No pressure at all. No, no.
>> Maury (07:58):
Crane was not only one of the industry's pioneering women,
but upon her retirement, she was also the most
experienced American sparkling wine producer with over
40 years to her credit. I didn't know she retired. When did she
retire? Do you?
>> Brent (08:11):
I don't know off the top of my head.
>> Maury (08:13):
Okay, well, it'd be interesting to find out. Their
sparkling wines are produced in the traditional method used
in champagne. And 100% of their fruit comes
from their six estate vineyards, currently
comprising 400 acres. They have
also worked from the beginning to push the sustainability
envelope to ensure the vineyards in the Land are
preserved while conserving natural
(08:35):
resources, fish friendly farming.
Napa Green winery and Napa Green
land certifications.
>> Brent (08:41):
That's big, big out there. Uh,
everybody, all of them. I mean. And you get
it. I mean, there's a lot of money
involved. I mean, if you're a farmer, if you're not taking
care of your land.
>> Maury (08:53):
Yeah. What are you doing?
>> Brent (08:55):
Yeah, I mean, they're the ones that actually do take care of the
land.
>> Harm (08:58):
She retired in 2020, by the way.
>> Maury (09:00):
Thank you, sir.
>> Harm (09:01):
Missed it during COVID The 18th century.
>> Maury (09:03):
Chateau style winery, completed in
1989 was architecturally inspired by
the historic Chateau de Marque
Terrie marquetry
owned by Champagne Tatinjay in France's Champagne
region. The chateau houses the winery's facilities
as well as the beautiful salons and expansive
outdoor terraces for visitors and wine
(09:25):
club members.
>> Brent (09:26):
It is a stunning winery. It really is very beautiful.
>> Maury (09:28):
Domain Corneros Cuvee de la Pompadour.
Brut Rose comes in at 12% ABV.
It is 60% Pinot Noir, 40%
Chardonnay. Appellation Carneros.
Age 18 months in bottle
Surly. This expression was named in
honor of Madame de Pompadour, the grand
courtesan of Louis xv who introduced
(09:51):
champagne to the court at Versailles, who said her favorite
beverage that champagne is the only
wine women can drink and remain
beautiful.
>> Brent (10:00):
If I drink champagne, they all are beautiful. I've noticed
that.
>> Harm (10:03):
Isn't it Versailles, Kentucky?
>> Brent (10:05):
It is Versailles, Kentucky. Yeah.
>> Harm (10:07):
It's funny, but Versailles in France, because they fancy. They
fancy like that. Mhm.
>> Maury (10:12):
So this wine has a lovely pale pink
color on the nose. You get lots of
strawberry, tangerine, orange blossom, peach and
marmalade. The palette rewards you with
peach, apricot, tangerine and a hint of
honey.
And the finish is medium to
(10:33):
long. It's lovely, it's delightful. This was
really a delicious wine. I really enjoyed
this. Um, it's just
vibrant. It's fresh, it's bright,
it's just, it's just very well made.
It's delicious. Harm, what'd you think?
>> Harm (10:49):
Well, I'd like to give like two reviews. First off, when
it was cold, which is the way most people drink their
champagne. I did not get any strawberry.
>> Brent (10:58):
Just a hint for the listeners. We always start out
with any whites or champagnes.
Blistering cold.
>> Harm (11:04):
Yeah, the way people drink it.
>> Brent (11:05):
For that reason, most Americans do drink it very
cold. And then we let it sit here as we do the show over the course
of a couple of hours and let it warm up
to A proper temperature.
>> Harm (11:17):
Right, Exactly.
>> Brent (11:18):
Because we're not heathens, and it's changed.
>> Maury (11:20):
Quite a bit with temperature. And we typically tend to comment on the
changes with both temperature and time and aeration with,
uh, oxygen. So go ahead, Horm. Finish your statement.
>> Harm (11:28):
So when it was, you know, cold, like, out of the
fridge, uh, like, most people will drink it, like, when they bring it to you
in the restaurant, unless you're at a very fancy restaurant, they're gonna bring it to you, too
cold. Um, I did not get any
of the strawberry. It was all about tangerine and a little bit of
peach. The nose was muted
and on the palette, it was really good
(11:49):
mousse. That fizz, the bubble.
Fantastic. Um, and a nice medium
finish. But as it warmed up, what Maury said,
strawberries explode out of the glass.
>> Brent (11:58):
Oh, yeah.
>> Harm (11:59):
So beautiful strawberry. It's the
red and the green part of the strawberry. That herbal
note. The, uh, tangerine is still there.
I'm getting a bit of peach
after spitting today. I'm not drinking.
>> Maury (12:18):
As much as I love.
>> Harm (12:20):
I.
>> Maury (12:21):
Okay with rose wine. Rose champagne is
just a whole nother beast. Oh, so, yeah.
So. So, yeah. Another level.
>> Harm (12:28):
Yeah, I really enjoyed this. And the flavor fruit
just came out. Uh, yeah, no, I agree
with you. You're allowed to interrupt. That's what we do
here. The finish was medium, medium long.
I got a hint of ginger on the finish with the peach. What'd you think,
Bob?
>> Brent (12:44):
I definitely got that ginger on the finish after. After
we came down to a more civilized temperature, for
sure. Um, it's not a
blinding ginger on the finish, but just. You have to suggest
it's that slight tingle.
>> Harm (12:57):
Yeah, exactly.
>> Brent (12:58):
That slight little bit of tingle. But, yeah,
it's absolutely beautiful. And I'm. I'm with
Maury. I mean, we've had some
fantastic roses on this show. Um, the Dow
rose. We all love.
>> Harm (13:10):
Freaking love that one.
>> Brent (13:11):
Fantastic. Most roses are not my jam.
It's just. It's me personally. But
rose champagne is a completely different
animal. And this one
is absolutely delicious. And we'll be back.
Hey.
And we're back, and we were just finishing up our thoughts
on this lovely domain. Carneros,
(13:33):
cuvela, pompadour, brut rose.
Um, beautiful color.
Just. Just a beautiful pale pink.
But the nose on it is
just so lovely. The straw. I'm with the guys. The strawberries
really came out once it warmed up. I got a little bit when it
was chilly, but as. As it
(13:54):
warmed up, it just. It exploded.
Strawberries, tangerines,
citrus.
Absolutely beautiful nose and on the palate,
white, peach, apricot.
I'm with you. You get a little bit of that. The top of the
(14:14):
strawberry. Yeah, I'm not getting quite the green. I'm getting
that kind of white. Near the white part. Yeah, yeah,
but absolutely lovely,
lovely wine. So we're going to be giving the
Domain, uh, Corneros Cuvee La Pompadour, uh,
Brut rose, a well deserved four
sips.
>> Maury (14:32):
That's classified.
>> Brent (14:35):
So that's going to bring us to our second
wine from Domain Carneros, which is the
domain Carneros Brut 2020. It's
12% ABV, 62% Pinot
Noir, 38% Chardonnay. Appellation is
Carneros. The vintage Brut
Cuvet is the signature wine of Domain Carnaros. Produced
in their inaugural year of 1987,
(14:56):
it encompasses the widest range of estate clones
and vineyard blocks of the winery's collection, enhanced by
a minimum of three years of bottle age. Surly in the
cellar before release. This M is made
primarily with estate grown and green certified
grapes. It's
got a beautiful slightly
(15:16):
golden straw color
on the nose.
Green apple, toasted
brioche,
a little bit of citrus,
a little bit of lime. Get that little bit of tartness in the tip of
(15:38):
the nose and under the palate. Let's see.
>> Maury (15:42):
Mhm.
>> Harm (15:43):
Um, oh, you need more
champagne on the palate.
>> Brent (15:48):
Beautiful,
um,
apples, Brioche again.
I'm still getting that touch of, of citrus. I'm getting a
little bit more of the lime than I'm getting of say
orange. Um, that little bit of tart.
>> Harm (16:02):
I'll take some more.
>> Brent (16:06):
Well done. Very, just very well done.
>> Maury (16:09):
What I'd like to say is that it again was
tight and uninspiring when it came out of the bottle.
Icy cold.
>> Brent (16:15):
Yeah, well that's most, most people do that
unfortunately.
>> Maury (16:19):
Time and air and warming up. I really got
the brioche and a little bit of the yeastiness that I
like. And it aged, sorely aged
or vintage or late to scorched champagne. And I found it to
be much more delicious
and less, uh, bright and just young and fresh
and more mature. With time
(16:40):
and temperature warming up, I really thought, oh,
once it, once it.
>> Brent (16:43):
Came up, my score went up. Absolutely.
>> Harm (16:46):
I disagree with you guys. I'm not getting the brioche still on the
nose and it's warm on the palate. Well,
you know what? She's now after that fresh
pour.
>> Brent (16:55):
Hold on.
>> Harm (16:55):
It's there. Damn.
>> Brent (16:56):
Let me do that.
>> Harm (16:56):
You're right.
>> Brent (16:57):
Jedi mind Trick on you. You don't need to see this wine's
identification.
>> Harm (17:01):
The fresh, the fresh pour is better. It's.
Warm it up. Yeah, yeah, it came
back. You're right.
>> Brent (17:07):
Mhm. Yeah. Toasted
brioche. Just
that.
>> Harm (17:13):
But doesn't taste French to me. I know these guys are French
wine.
>> Maury (17:16):
No, they taste like very good California's. That's been my
issue. I was on their list for a long time. I love Domain
Carneros. They make a great product. I think they make some of the best
California sparkling wine.
But it doesn't compare to their stuff out of
France. Their stuff.
>> Brent (17:33):
Different animal, you know, I mean it's, it's a completely
different animal.
>> Maury (17:36):
But French champagne is a unique animal.
>> Brent (17:39):
Yeah.
>> Maury (17:39):
And it's the only ones that can call it that.
>> Brent (17:41):
Uh, but I mean when it comes to California
sparkling, I think Carneros is
honestly one of the best there is.
>> Harm (17:49):
Probably there. You're probably right there, there.
>> Brent (17:52):
Always so well done, so
solid, so well rounded.
Um, I've never had one where there's a hole
in the palate. There's, there's never a drop off in quality
every year. It's always the same every year. It's always
there.
>> Maury (18:06):
So yeah, I would say them and Shmsburg are
probably the two premier.
>> Brent (18:10):
That would be my California. That would be.
>> Maury (18:12):
Everybody else would come below them. So if you're going to look for
California sparkling. Absolutely. I agree.
>> Harm (18:17):
Those two houses were the first California, uh,
sparkling served on Air Force One or something like that.
>> Maury (18:22):
Yeah, yeah, I believe so.
>> Brent (18:23):
Yeah. It was the house sparkler for. I know when
Reagan was there that became the only sparkling wine they would
serve.
>> Harm (18:29):
Predates Reagan for, for them.
But uh, this is, this is
really good. It's gotten quite, it's. I
cannot stress enough how important
drinking this at the right temperature is.
>> Brent (18:43):
Yeah.
>> Harm (18:43):
Because when it was cold it was just uninspiring.
It was just nice and acidic.
Good bubbles. But you know, it's a
uh, citrus bomb now with the,
the, the complexities amped up.
Exactly. The warmth, the proper temperature, the green apple,
the brioche and I, I wasn't getting it on the
nose at all. But now it's there.
>> Brent (19:06):
Yeah. Oh, it's. Yeah. I mean
I'll be honest with the, the pompadour when it was still
cold was, I thought was fantastic.
It got better as it warmed this up. The regular
brute. Definitely when it's too cold, it's just
too closed off. But, but again it's, we
do this on purpose because so many people do
(19:26):
you know, throw that thing in the freezer and let it sit
for, for an hour before they pull it out. The thing is
blinding cold. The glass frosts when you pour it in.
It's just.
>> Harm (19:35):
Yeah.
>> Brent (19:35):
It's like.
>> Harm (19:36):
Guys, uh, it was just, it was just pure lime juice before.
>> Brent (19:38):
Yeah.
>> Harm (19:38):
Now it's, now it's got the complexity and interestingness.
>> Brent (19:41):
Yeah. It's, it's, it's lovely. And I mean, this is, this
is their flagship. They've been doing this one for a long,
long, long time. So.
>> Maury (19:48):
And it's a great value. I don't know what the current retail is, but I
would argue that it won't break the bank and
price, uh, to value. You're getting a great product for
a fair price.
>> Harm (19:59):
It's still more expensive than some of the entry level
California sparklers.
>> Maury (20:03):
I didn't say that. But I agree with you. But I.
>> Brent (20:05):
But for what you're getting for the money.
>> Harm (20:06):
Yeah.
>> Brent (20:06):
Um, yeah, I mean, if you're gonna, if you're looking for domestic
sparkling wine for the money, I don't think you're getting.
>> Harm (20:12):
Well, I'm in retail. Domain Carneros approaches the
price of lower end champagne from
France.
>> Maury (20:18):
Right.
>> Harm (20:19):
So. But you can. It's well worth the money. It's
definitely fantastic quality.
What do we have a rating for this one, sir?
>> Brent (20:27):
Well, we're going to be giving the domain Carnero
Spruit 2020 A. Ah, well deserved. Three Sims
solid champagne.
>> Maury (20:34):
Yeah, very nice.
>> Brent (20:35):
Sorry, not champagne. Sparkling wine.
>> Harm (20:36):
But it reminds you of champagne though. It's
gotten that good.
>> Maury (20:40):
Harm, you want to tell us about the next one?
>> Harm (20:42):
Sure thing. So thanks, Maury. Domain carneros
ultra brut 2019 is 12% ABV.
It is a, uh, 54% estate grown
Chardonnay, 44% estate grown Pinot
Noir, 2% estate grown Pinot
Gris, which you could never do in Chardonnay. Pinot
Gris is not allowed grape for the in cal in Champagne.
(21:03):
It's not allowed in Champagne to use Pinot Gris.
The appellation is Carneros aged 3 and a half years and
their cellars 100% organically grown estate
fruit. The color is a beautiful
straw with hints of golden, uh, well,
close to light gold than straw.
The nose has
changed again over time.
(21:25):
Um, and getting pears and
lime, Key lime bragging part.
>> Brent (21:31):
So feel free to turn your computer off.
>> Harm (21:33):
Yeah.
>> Maury (21:33):
Now comes the bragging part.
>> Harm (21:35):
Twice.
>> Brent (21:36):
Twice.
>> Harm (21:37):
Thank you. I, uh, didn't get it
earlier. There's some hay here now that's warmed
Up. Hey, there's some.
>> Maury (21:45):
Hey.
>> Brent (21:48):
You asked for it, you got it.
>> Harm (21:50):
Wonderful. Thank you. I appreciate that.
Uh, on the palate, let's have another taste.
Beautiful mousse. This just explodes.
Lots of bubbliness. Tons of green
apple. I'm getting lots
of crisp, um, pears,
(22:12):
like, uh, like those, um. What do you
call Asian pearl? A little
bit of sweetness, uh, which I can't place. And
some. The ginger. That was just a hint on the previous
one.
>> Maury (22:24):
Much more.
>> Harm (22:25):
Much more.
>> Brent (22:25):
Yeah.
>> Harm (22:26):
And then great minerality
here. I like this. The Ultra Brute is zero
residual sugar. That's what that means. Or zero sugar added in the
dosage.
>> Brent (22:35):
Yeah.
>> Harm (22:35):
So when they do the secondary fermentation, they're not adding more
sugar.
>> Maury (22:39):
Are they adding any dosage?
>> Harm (22:41):
Ultra Brute generally means zero or zero dosage.
Or it can be up to, I think.
Was it one gram per liter?
>> Brent (22:49):
Yeah, I think it's like, one or, you know, like one or one and a half or
two.
>> Harm (22:52):
There are. There are producers that do zero.
>> Brent (22:54):
Yeah.
>> Maury (22:55):
Well, I. I agree with everything you said about this. Uh,
for me, although I enjoyed it,
uh, to me, the Carneros
Brute was much more enjoyable. For me,
this. This wine was a little bit astringent, a little
bit citric, a little bit acidic.
Um, it had a lot of
(23:16):
interest to it, and it definitely improved with some
temperature. I definitely got some more,
uh, brioche and yeastiness on the
nose, but, um.
>> Harm (23:26):
I didn't get it on this one. I didn't get the yeastiness.
>> Maury (23:28):
But you know what? Just a little bit. When it was super warm at the very,
very, very end, I was able to get some. After it really,
totally.
>> Harm (23:34):
When it was really, really, really cold, what struck me on the finish was bitter
apple peel. And that bitterness has gone away. And I'm
really enjoying the flavors now.
>> Maury (23:42):
But I agree with you. It's got much more ginger. It's definitely more
tart. It's definitely more, uh,
citrus. Uh, it's well made,
no question. But of the two, to me,
the Brute was more enjoyable.
>> Harm (23:55):
I like the zero sugar. What about you, Bob?
>> Brent (23:58):
I'm with arm. This one is
definitely more my jam, but
the nice thing about this one is
it's got that minerality, that chalkiness, that
salinity that you get at the end.
>> Harm (24:12):
Um, it's not the same as champagne chalkiness, but it's. It's
there.
>> Brent (24:16):
No, it's. Yeah, it's different.
>> Harm (24:18):
You know what I want? I want oysters. It's oysters in
this.
>> Brent (24:22):
Oh, a big tray of oysters. In this would be
fantastic.
>> Maury (24:25):
I'm sure Bob will be serving them up any minute.
>> Brent (24:29):
Yeah, this one, um, this
one is definitely my jam. I mean, it's got
the nose on. It is so pretty. It's so delicate. It's
so light. I'm with you. There's like, that Asian
pear.
>> Maury (24:43):
Some white, a little more harm.
>> Brent (24:45):
Some white flowers.
>> Harm (24:48):
This one. Oh,
that's a lot of wine in front of us.
>> Brent (24:52):
And the. The bitterness of the apple, you know, that
bitterness had gone away. Now I'm just getting that tart green
apple. I'm still getting a little bit of
the citrus. But that. That minerality, that
salinity that comes in, it
reminds me of some of my favorite French
champagnes. I mean, it's extremely well
done.
>> Harm (25:12):
I found it was a little bit more salty when it was cold, but it's more
integrated and just balanced right now.
>> Brent (25:17):
The salinity definitely comes out more when it's. When it's
blistering cold. As it warms up, that salinity goes down, but
it's still there. Especially, like, mid and like mid
palate and the tip of the palate.
>> Maury (25:27):
This second pour glass is totally different. Even just sitting in
the bottle, warming, I let it warm in my glass, but now a
second pour. Yeah, from the bottle. Having warmed
and aerated in the bottle, it's. It's definitely more.
It's just rounded off all the way.
>> Harm (25:42):
This is a food wine. Definitely a food wine.
>> Brent (25:44):
I'm with him.
Uh, a, uh, tray of oysters right now would be sublime.
>> Harm (25:48):
It's a mignonette. Not, not. Not the,
uh, horseradish and ketchup.
>> Brent (25:53):
No, no, no. It would be perfect. Or
just. Honestly, just plain nothing.
>> Maury (25:58):
Just a little squirrel.
>> Brent (25:59):
Um.
>> Harm (26:00):
Oh, I went to this place that had some champagne mignon, a drop of
lemon oil.
>> Brent (26:03):
Just. Just. That's it. And then just down the
hatch. This would be perfect. That salinity from the
oyster. Oh. Would pair so well with
this. I wish we had oysters.
>> Harm (26:15):
Oh, well, uh, we do live in a
place. We could get oysters. I'm just saying we could chip.
>> Brent (26:20):
We're in South Florida.
>> Harm (26:21):
We chipped in.
>> Brent (26:22):
You don't want to eat oysters down here.
>> Harm (26:25):
We get them.
>> Brent (26:26):
I'm pretty sure they poison you, but, uh, yeah, this
one's. This one's really lovely. So
we're going to be giving the Domain Carneros Ultra
Brute 2019. What are we looking at,
boys?
>> Harm (26:38):
I want to give it a higher rating, but I think Maury still likes that one
better, so that's okay, whatever.
>> Maury (26:43):
You guys go with. I'm, um, good.
>> Brent (26:44):
I'd say four sips.
>> Maury (26:45):
There you go. That's classified.
It definitely improved.
>> Brent (26:51):
And again, just all three of them
so, so incredibly well made.
I just go back to the same thing when I'm talking
sparkling California wine. Carnos. Carnos has
always been one of my top ones and they've never
disappointed. They're always so solid. So.
>> Harm (27:08):
Well, is there tattoo Cuvee again for Carnaros La
Rev. Oh, it's been so long since I've had
Larev. Hint, hint. Guys, send us some of the
revolution.
>> Maury (27:17):
I've got some of that. My cellar had. I realized I might have,
uh, uh, open up today.
>> Brent (27:22):
Well, I will talk to them because we're going to be out there in
January, so we'll see. But
they make fantastic sparkling wine, but they also make
still wine. So. Harm, why don't you tell us about that one?
>> Harm (27:33):
Thanks, Bob.
The domain Carneros Pinot Noir Estate 2021
is 14.2% ABV. Uh, 100%
Pinot Noir. Pine not nor as we say in Merka,
the Appellation is Carneros 100 green
certified and certified fish friendly.
>> Maury (27:49):
Fish friendly. That's awesome.
>> Harm (27:51):
I like it. It's perfect because this is a wine you want with some
salmon.
>> Brent (27:54):
Oh, yeah.
>> Harm (27:55):
So that's kind of fish unfriendly. Um, we're taking and killing the
fish to have with this wine.
>> Brent (28:01):
I wish I had some salmon.
>> Harm (28:02):
Yeah. So this expression begins in six
sustainably certified estate vineyards which are all
located within the four miles of the chateau.
Eleven different clones of the Pinot Noir are grown
and each one contributes to its unique flavor profile
and personality to make this blend. After an early
morning harvest, while the grapes are still cool and the
(28:23):
hand picked fruit is gently destemmed and cold soaked,
fermentation takes place in small open, open
top vats with punch downs, resulting in
heightened color and complex flavors, which I'm going to mention
later. After pressing off, the finished
wine is went directly into French oak
barrels, 33% of which were new
(28:43):
where it rested for 10 months until bottling.
So the color on this is a translucent ruby. You can almost
read through it. Uh, more on the edges.
I find this a little bit darker than I usually like
my Pinot Noir speed. So that California where they.
The dirty little secret of California is they don't never make 100%
Pinot Noir. This one is 100% Pinot Noir according to them though.
(29:04):
But the color is coming from this over extraction
or not. I mean, extra. I'm calling
it over extraction, but I don't think they would call it
that. So this, all those punch downs are giving a lot of
extraction in the color.
Um, you know the dirty little secret
of California Pinot Noir is it's never 100%.
It's always Grenache or Syrah or it's usually
(29:26):
Syrah. A little bit ganache. Some. Some people use
bonarda ice cress. I won't mention
names to give that sweetness that should not
belong in a Pinot Noir. But hey, it's popular. People drink it bite
in a grocery store. Uh, anyway, let
me get back off my high horse.
Beautiful color. Little. Little, highly
extracted. The nose, uh, is for
(29:48):
me, was all about cherry and
pomegranate. There's a mushroominess. That
forest floor, that umami. I get a
lot of great raspberry coming out as
well. Publix, uh, had Bogo raspberries this past
week. I've been eating a lot of raspberries. And the raspberry is definitely
here.
>> Brent (30:05):
See, that's where you went wrong. They also had prime rib on sale, so
that's what I bought. You messed up. You
made an error.
>> Harm (30:12):
My parents are vegetarian. We've m. Been staying with them because my parents have been
sick.
>> Brent (30:15):
And you still talk to them.
>> Harm (30:17):
We have to take care of them, man.
>> Brent (30:18):
Vegetarian.
>> Harm (30:19):
My dad's in and out of the hospital.
>> Brent (30:21):
That's very inconsiderate.
>> Harm (30:22):
It is very inconsiderate being vegetarian.
>> Brent (30:24):
They eat my food. Food.
>> Harm (30:25):
I know.
>> Brent (30:26):
What. What have I ever done to them? Why do they don't like
me?
>> Harm (30:30):
So you know, it's only five days out of the week I'm there. So
two days out of the week I'm eating meat at least.
So thank God for my wife taking care of them. I would be dead without
her. But anyway, back to this.
>> Maury (30:41):
There are many reasons why you'd be dead.
>> Harm (30:43):
Yeah. Bogo raspberries at Publix right now, if
you're down here in Florida, this, uh, is a
raspberry bomb. The pomegranates. There again,
that forest floor. Gorgeous on the nose. I could just
smell this one all day on the palate. Let's try
again.
(31:03):
Tons of fruit, but intertwined with
gorgeous spice. I get licorice and
clove with the forest floor notes.
Um, got a. The other thing is, what really
set this off for me is the texture. It's not a
super high acidic wine. Despite. Despite what you might think
based on the note, the nose I gave you, it's got A
(31:24):
creamy texture. I love it. So
creamy. Uh, hints of spice, lots of
fruit. Uh, you buy yourself
a bottle of this Maury, what do you think?
>> Maury (31:34):
Well, I must admit a lot of the pinots I've had lately have been
a little bit thin. And I love the fact that this had so much going
on. I agree with you. It had that mushroomy,
musty, foresty floor quality to it.
A little umami. It had plenty of fruit. It
definitely had lots of rice.
>> Harm (31:51):
Umami.
>> Brent (31:51):
Umami.
>> Maury (31:53):
I agree with everything you said, Harm. As much as I hate
to admit it, uh, it just, uh, it really
has a lot going on in the glass. And, uh,
like I said, a lot of the sham California sparkling
producers have started to bottle their still Pinot. And
this is, uh, this is a nice expression. I really enjoy.
>> Harm (32:11):
Had some really bad ones. This is not that.
>> Brent (32:13):
No.
>> Maury (32:14):
Some of them have rushed it and they're not good at it. But this is
not that at all. This is really, really nice. And we'll
be back.
>> Brent (32:20):
Absolutely. As long as they're pouring wine, I'll be
back.
Hey. And we're back. And we were just finishing up our
thoughts on the domain Carneros Pinot
Noir Estate 2021 high.
>> Harm (32:33):
Not no Merka.
>> Maury (32:35):
Yeah. And as I said, uh, you know, as far as
pinots go, I thought this was a delicious California
Pinot. I really, really enjoyed it.
It's, you know, it's well made, it's
terrific. It's not a cab. But as far as pinots go, this is
a nice, full bodied Pinot and not that
thin, kind of wimpy Pinot.
>> Brent (32:54):
It's not what you would expect from
Domicarneras. That's the thing that I kind of dig
about it. It's like, how so how great
their sparkling wines are,
but then they can literally pivot 180
degrees.
>> Maury (33:08):
Well, they're growing world class Pinot grapes. And this shows.
>> Brent (33:11):
Exactly.
>> Maury (33:11):
But world class fruit.
>> Brent (33:13):
But then turn around and make this. That's,
that's the thing.
>> Harm (33:17):
It is more difficult than you might imagine. Like I said, I've
tasted some horrible still wines from California.
Sparklers.
>> Brent (33:22):
Exactly. I mean, you know, some do it and don't do it.
>> Harm (33:25):
Well, the California sparklers are, you know, they're
serviceable. They're decent, inexpensive sparklers. They taste
fine and then they put out a Pinot Noir that tastes
like, what went wrong? What did
they screw up here?
>> Brent (33:37):
But that's not the case here.
>> Harm (33:38):
It's.
>> Brent (33:39):
This is, this is excellent.
>> Harm (33:40):
I mean, I'm, I'm not allowed To.
>> Brent (33:42):
I get a lot of tobacco leaf. I get that
cedar. Um, there's. There's huge tobacco box
on this.
>> Harm (33:48):
I don't get a huge tobacco box. There's a little. Oh, I guess you're right.
>> Maury (33:51):
I got. I agree. Got it. But not huge.
>> Brent (33:53):
And then you get. There's that tartness.
There's that little bit of cranberry, there's a little bit of
raspberry. And I missed.
>> Harm (34:01):
The cranberry. Came across as pomegranate to me.
>> Brent (34:03):
I go back to the. You know, there's that herbal
forest floor
herbaceousness, that little bit of earthiness to
it.
>> Harm (34:12):
I think.
>> Brent (34:13):
I think it's really well done. I think this is an
excellent. An excellent Pinot.
>> Maury (34:17):
It's really improved with, uh, air. I've
traditionally always been a believer of, uh, decant your
pinots. They really benefit from air.
>> Harm (34:26):
It depends on the Pinot, but definitely stuff of this
quality.
>> Maury (34:29):
Yeah, but I, uh, find that the air always helps. It
never hurts. And so if you have the time, the ability.
>> Harm (34:34):
You've been drinking, you're a spoiled man. The cheaper
wines, too much air makes them turn into vinegar. You are
so spoiled, you're drinking the good stuff.
>> Brent (34:42):
No, you idiots show up for the show. I've been setting
up equipment, decanting wines for three hours before you get here.
So.
>> Harm (34:48):
Nice.
>> Brent (34:49):
Well, we're going to be giving the, uh. We're going to be rating
the Domain Caris Pinot Noir Estate.
21. Uh, 2021.
>> Maury (34:56):
Upgraded.
>> Brent (34:57):
Well deserved. Four SIPs.
>> Maury (34:58):
Yeah, I mean, I think it deserves the upgrade. Good job,
Guy. M. Bob, you want to tell us about
the next, uh, winery, or is that my turn?
>> Brent (35:07):
I probably. That's me.
>> Maury (35:08):
Bob.
>> Harm (35:09):
No.
>> Brent (35:09):
All right, so, um.
>> Maury (35:11):
Don't be a Mike Hogg.
>> Harm (35:12):
I didn't. I didn't change. I was listening sort of in the
meeting, but not much. I didn't change my name.
>> Brent (35:17):
Wait, you listen to the show Sometimes.
>> Harm (35:19):
In the meeting, before the show. Oh, nobody listens to the show again.
>> Brent (35:21):
Um, all right, so our next winery. So,
um, Rich Frank founded the Frank family vineyards
in 1992 and is actively involved in all
aspects of the winery, from vineyard purchases to sales
to marketing to hosting VIP groups in the tasting
rooms. Before becoming a vintner, he was the
chairman of Walt Disney Television and
Telecommunications and headed Disney's
(35:44):
syndication arm, Buena
Vista. So he was president of Walt
Disney Studios for nearly a decade and oversaw the
development of the Disney Channel. So this is Guy who knows how to run a
business. The Frank family winemaker and
general manager Todd Graffiti, who is a graduate of the
UC Davis with a degree in plant science and
viticulture, came to Frank flamey vineyards in
(36:06):
2003. Prior to becoming,
uh, the vineyard manager there and coming to
Frank, he was also at
Phelps Vineyards, Stags Leaps,
um, Schramsburg, as well
as a couple of wineries in Moselle, um,
Germany, um, as well as Cinnamon in France
and Australia's Hunter Valley.
(36:28):
He directed the construction of the Frank family's
state of the art Winery in 2008.
And he worked closely with Mr. Frank in
the acquisition of the historic Wood Ranch vineyard in
Rutherford in 2012. In 2020,
he was named the Napa Winemaker of the Year by the North
Bay, uh, Business Journal. In 2022,
(36:51):
he was voted the best winemaker in the
readers poll for the Napa Valley Life
magazine.
>> Harm (36:57):
Wow.
>> Maury (36:57):
So very impressive.
>> Brent (37:00):
The funny thing is he's got that Disney money. Well, here's the
thing that's. That ain't the only Disney money in the valley. There's a
couple others think, uh, Silverado, I think
might have some Disney money too. So.
>> Harm (37:10):
Yeah, but I'm not a fan of Silverado. What's going, ah, on.
>> Brent (37:13):
Yeah, uh, as opposed to this one. So.
So the first one we've got from them is the Frank family
Carnera Chardonnay 2022. This is
14.4% ABV, 100%
Chardonnay barrel fermented in
34% new, 33%
once used and 33% twice
used French oak barrels for nine months
(37:34):
with partial malolactic fermentation with
regular batonnage, which is the hand stirring of the leaves
while aging to promote depth and
longevity. The fruit was sourced from the estate,
its own Lewis vineyard and addition from some
neighboring vineyards, including Beck Stopper Vineyards
in Napa Caneros and San Giacomo Vineyards
in Sonoma Caneros.
(37:56):
So on the palette it's got
the color first. Yeah. And that's what I'm looking.
It's got a slight, like
straw, almost, almost glowing, almost,
um, like slightly greenish edge to the
glow to it.
>> Harm (38:13):
Yes, I was going to say that.
>> Brent (38:15):
I'm holding it up against a white piece of paper and that's where I'm really
noticing sort of that, that, that greenish hue.
>> Maury (38:20):
Um, really not seen that before.
>> Harm (38:22):
But you're absolutely right because it's a young
Chardonnay still. It's got so much age to do, even though it's
been held for nine months in the barrel already. It's
a 2022. This is a Chardonnay you could Put down for a few
years.
>> Brent (38:34):
Yeah.
>> Harm (38:34):
Which is, you know, not common in California.
>> Maury (38:36):
No, I agree.
>> Brent (38:37):
So on the nose, I'm getting white flowers.
There's a strong green apple.
I'm getting a little bit of, um, Myers lemon to
it. A little bit of
vanilla. And on the palate, let's
see
(38:58):
the palette. Nice round,
firm body to it. Medium acidity.
A little bit of vanilla. A little bit. Almost like a.
>> Harm (39:09):
Did you read my notes?
>> Brent (39:10):
Like a vanilla pastry cream.
>> Harm (39:12):
I swear you wrote my notes.
>> Maury (39:16):
Cheating's loud.
>> Harm (39:17):
That's right. Now he didn't hear about it. He's way over there on the other
side.
>> Brent (39:20):
I'm just. I'm over here just sort of contemplating.
>> Maury (39:23):
Uh, this is.
>> Brent (39:24):
This is so well done. Just so well done.
I mean, there's. There's. There's.
There's cougar juice and there's real
chardonnay. Yeah, this is real chardonnage.
>> Harm (39:34):
This is not cougar juice. This is over extracted.
Big butter bomb with all the oak.
>> Maury (39:40):
This is stealing my thunder. That's okay. Just
take my turn. Just take. Just take all my thoughts.
>> Harm (39:45):
Is it your turn?
>> Maury (39:46):
Coming right into my head and just taking them right out.
>> Harm (39:48):
Okay, you go first.
>> Maury (39:49):
No, fine. No, I insist. You go ahead.
>> Harm (39:50):
All right, fine.
>> Maury (39:51):
Finish your thought.
>> Harm (39:52):
No, I'll do it. It's beautiful. Golden
with the green glints. Which again, we were talking about means this wine is still
young. Uh, I got buttered pears.
Butter pears, green apple.
>> Brent (40:02):
Definitely there.
>> Harm (40:03):
There's a hint of definitely. Tropical note. I'm going
like green guava. Not the pink guava,
but green. Yellow guava and
vanilla.
>> Maury (40:13):
I don't know what a green guava tastes like, but I'll take your
word for it.
>> Brent (40:17):
His mother didn't like him. She didn't. First. You know she didn't.
>> Harm (40:19):
Green does not mean under ripe. Guava comes in the
yellow skin and the green skin. And the flesh can be white or
pink, depending where it's grown.
>> Brent (40:27):
That's true.
>> Harm (40:27):
The seeds can be really hard and break your teeth. Or they can be soft and
chewy. The ones I used to get in India were the pink inside.
These are the green ones. Uh, these are the white. This is the white flesh.
Guava. And not as ripe as
the pink flesh. Guava and the vanilla.
Anyway, you've got. I. I was lucky
to have good guava when I was a kid. And
sometimes I've met your mom.
>> Maury (40:48):
You're lucky. Yeah.
>> Harm (40:50):
Yeah.
Now you can't get good guava down here. That's going on.
>> Brent (40:53):
Yeah.
>> Maury (40:53):
That's. He.
>> Harm (40:53):
He's right on that grocery store.
Anyway, the palate, medium acidity, just like you said,
Bob. Good weight in the mouth, though. Not overly
creamy. It's so balanced.
>> Brent (41:04):
Yeah, it.
>> Maury (41:05):
Right. It's got some malolactic, but is not
overly creamy or buttery. It's so
beautifully constructed that it's not, like
you said, cougar juice. It's not overly oaked. It's not
overly buttery. It's just right down
the middle. So much all the beautiful.
>> Brent (41:21):
So many of them. Like mallow. Mallow. Mallow.
Just buttery, drippy, like popcorn butter.
>> Harm (41:26):
No, it's not that at all.
>> Brent (41:28):
Which. Look, you do what you got to do to sell a
product. I get it. And people, you know, people who, like.
>> Harm (41:33):
There'S a market for it there. Definitely.
>> Brent (41:35):
Absolutely. But this is not that. This is a
proper Chardonnay.
>> Maury (41:39):
No, this is really lovely. Um, they. You
can. You can. You can taste the French oak as well
as.
>> Harm (41:45):
Yes, the spice comes through.
>> Maury (41:47):
There's definitely that vanilla from the.
>> Harm (41:49):
Vanilla from the American and spice from the French.
>> Maury (41:52):
Correct. Um, it's got a voluptuous
mouthfeel. It's just delightful on the palate.
Um, I. For me, the finish goes all day. It's just
all day. Just the finish hasn't quit.
>> Brent (42:02):
I think. I think they choose well. Doing the
first third new. The second third, first,
you know, once used and second use French. Um,
you know, that second use is pretty much neutral
by that point. But, uh, yeah, the oakiness is there,
but it's not. It's just so well
balanced. There's a little bit of mallow, but
(42:22):
not too much. There's a little bit of oak, but not
too much.
>> Harm (42:26):
See, as this one's warming up, the oak is becoming more
prominent. I think I liked it a little. Absolutely.
>> Brent (42:31):
Yeah. It is definitely coming out the more warm it gets.
>> Harm (42:34):
I think I liked it a little bit when it was a little more cold. At
this point, the wines are a little bit too warm now. Yeah.
>> Brent (42:38):
M. Take a
fresh pour. It's right in front of you. So where's the bottle?
>> Maury (42:44):
No, disagree. I'm enjoying the extra oak that's
coming out. It's fun to watch it evolve in the glass.
I. I think it's delicious. It's so well
made. Um, you know, Frank family is
a little underrated, but they're, um.
But their wines are very well made, and, uh, I've always
enjoyed them.
>> Brent (43:02):
All right, well, we're going to be giving the Frank Family
Carnera Sharks 2022 a well
deserved four sips.
>> Maury (43:09):
That's classified.
>> Brent (43:12):
So that brings us to the Cabernet Sauvignon.
>> Maury (43:15):
Thank you, Bob.
Uh, the next wine is the Frank family Napa Cabernet
Sauvignon 2021. Comes in at 14.5percent
ABV. It is 87%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot,
5% Petit Verdot and 2%
Cabernet Franc. It's aged 20 months and
33% new and
67% once and twice filled French
(43:38):
oak barrels. There's a theme there.
Source primarily from their estate S J
vineyard in Napa's Capwell Valley and their
Benjamin vineyard located on the valley floor and
in the heart of Rutherford. Additional vineyard sources
include neighboring Quarry Vineyard and Round
Pond Estate in both Rutherford, as well as
Deluise and Shooting Star Vineyard located in
(44:01):
Napa Valley.
>> Harm (44:01):
I haven't had a round pound forever either. That's another good one.
>> Maury (44:05):
This wine has a deep, dark, brooding
purple, inky color. It's
got a really inviting nose. Very
classic California Cabernet
on the palette. It's voluptuous. It's delicious. It's got
mouth coating feels. It's a classic California
Napa Cabernet. You've got notes of tobacco
(44:27):
and licorice and spice and old leather.
It's mouth coating. It has a beautiful medium
to long finish. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was extremely
well made. Harm, what did you think?
>> Harm (44:39):
Did you say mouth coating? I thought I told you. I thought you said like four
times. Anyway, uh, so, uh, I got
cassis, vanilla, cherry, black cherry,
herbs, and it's got a really
nice medium tannins. Uh, it
is really nice. Very m well made,
medium long finish. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it.
>> Maury (44:58):
It's beautiful.
>> Harm (44:59):
Good.
>> Maury (44:59):
Again, I think a great value. Their wines are value priced. They're not
cheap, but they are not expensive. They're not overpriced.
>> Brent (45:05):
Well, that's the thing I've always liked about Frank is, is is they're
very well priced for the quality you get.
>> Maury (45:09):
Their correct wines well priced for the.
>> Brent (45:11):
Quality we're going to be giving the Frank family
Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 a
well deserved. Four Sips guys.
>> Maury (45:19):
That's two for two.
>> Brent (45:20):
Job. Yeah. Good job.
So that's going to bring us to our next one. We're going to have
Harm tell us about that one quickly because we're running out of time.
>> Harm (45:28):
Okay. So, uh, thanks, Bob Sullivan. Rutherford Estate
was founded by James O'Neill Sullivan in 1972. After acquiring
the 26 Rutherford, a 26 acre Rutherford
property from the Garon family. In
1978, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
vines on the advice of legendary winemaker
Andre Cheliceville. James
(45:48):
Sullivan worked with celebrated architect
John Marsh Davis, known as the most acclaimed
representative of the Frank Lloyd Wright aesthetic, to
design the vineyard and, uh, the vineyard home
and production facility. The structure is a unique
architectural jewel built with a geometric precision. Concentric
circles were used to place the structure on the property and
(46:08):
cardinal representation. The house is perfectly oriented north,
south. Winemaker Jeff Cole earned a degree in
wine and viticulture from California
Polytechnic State, uh, University in San Luis
Obispo. He worked with Schromsburg and J. Davis
Vineyards prior to coming to Sullivan Rutherford Estate in
2013. He became head winemaker in
2015. Our only wine from them today is the
(46:30):
Sullivan Rutherford Estate. Cordovine,
um, Heart of the vine in 2021. 14.8
ABV. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon,
14% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. It's
Napa appellation, aged for 20 months and 60% new
French oak. The wine is a number 75 in the
2024 Wine Spectator for top 100
(46:50):
wines. The colors are absolutely beautiful.
Opaque garnet with white.
>> Maury (46:55):
Ah.
>> Harm (46:56):
Uh, clear to, uh, violet rims. So
showing. It's still got some. A lot of youth.
The nose. Now, this wine was double
decanted. Oh, I forgot. We're losing
time. This wine was triple decanted because I had to do another
decantation to get the. The air. The air in
plum, BlackBerry, blueberry, firm
tannins. Huge. Bring me a
(47:18):
steak. Uh, do we have time for anybody else to talk?
>> Maury (47:20):
I agree with you. I thought it was voluptuous, delicious,
amazing. Uh, really my favorite wine of the day. I thought
it was extremely well made, very well balanced.
A classic California Napa Valley
Cabernet. Loved it.
>> Brent (47:34):
I can't really add more to that.
>> Harm (47:36):
I mean, because we don't have time because we three of us,
and we still took too long.
>> Brent (47:39):
Yeah, I know. It's. Well, we've had great wines, and this one was
fantastic.
>> Maury (47:43):
There's a lot to say.
>> Brent (47:44):
So, um, number
75. So number 75 on the top
100 wines of the year and wine spectators, so you can't beat it.
Sullivan Rutherford Estate. Cordovine 20.
21. Five sips. Good work. Oh, my
goodness. Yeah.
Yeah.
So that takes us to our last one, which is our
(48:06):
dariush cabernet sauvignon 2021, 25th
anniversary release. Um, we're gonna go the really
fast on this. 15.4%
ABV. This is their 25th
anniversary release. Absolutely
fantastic wine. Black cherries,
dark berries, cedar on the nose,
(48:27):
huge mouthfeel.
Mmm. It's
like chewing a piece of meat.
>> Harm (48:34):
The tannins here are not the silky ones.
>> Maury (48:36):
No, this is definitely a much more chewy wine.
A bigger, bolder expression. Goes great with a
chewy steak.
>> Harm (48:43):
Love.
>> Brent (48:43):
Yeah. This one is again, it's
Dariush, that we'd never had one from Dariush that wasn't
fantastic. Everything we've ever had from Dariush has been
fantastic. Um, but I think they did
an amazing job with this. This one required triple
decantation and aeration. But once we
got. Yeah, it's. We should
(49:03):
have the snot knocked out of us for drinking them this early.
But
between this and the Sullivan, I'm the
happiest guy in the room.
>> Harm (49:14):
There you go. Thank you.
>> Brent (49:15):
For the happiest guy in the room, Dariush.
Five sips. Oh, my gosh. Yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm just sorry we got long winded and had to rush the last two.
But, um, again, Sullivan,
grab it if you can. That Dariush, grab it if you
can. So, gentlemen, been a
(49:35):
pretty good day.
>> Harm (49:36):
Not bad. Uh, thanks for having me in the basement today. Really nice.
>> Maury (49:39):
I'm glad I only have to share this bottle with a couple of you other
heathens.
>> Brent (49:43):
Yeah, the basement did not stink today. I think we
did quite well.
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(50:22):
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This has been a 110 hand production of
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(51:04):
to the appreciation of some of the finer slices
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Your host, the good old boys will see you all next
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