The “Tale as Old as Time” BLIND 6-Pack
Lares Chimera
50% Pinot Gris, 40% Apple Cider, 10% Riesling
The grapes are from Gillirose Vineyard in Elkton, Oregon. This is a site that Luke (Lares’ owner/winemaker) started transitioning to organic farming in 2021 with Nathan Wood doing the vineyard management. The apple cider is from organically farmed apples farmed in orchards located in Hood River, Oregon. Both the Pinot Gris and Riesling were direct pressed together and co-fermented until dry. The cider was received as pressed juice and wild fermented with native yeasts until dry. The blend was then put together and bottled under pressure to carbonate the wine. Orchard fruits abound in the aromatics and flavors of this wine with the cider component having a strong influence on the pallet. "Chimera" is named for the mythical three headed monster, serving as an inspiration for the three ingredients building the blend.
The Wonderland Project “The White Queen”
The Wonderland Project was founded in 2010 by wine broker and former sommelier, Matt Ahern with the help of pedigreed Sonoma grape growers. The Wonderland Project produces Sonoma County Appellation Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from organically farmed vineyards in Carneros. We rely on native yeast fermentations and minimal interventionist methods. We celebrate California . . . the way it once was. Vineyard: The Chardonnay grapes for this wine come from three different vineyards in Sonoma, all within a two mile radius of one another: Eegan Vineyard, Kiser Vineyard, and Ceja Vineyard. These vineyards sit on a combination of Zamora and Huichica Loam soils, and are sustainably farmed. Cellar: Grapes were hand-harvested and pressed upon arrival at the winery. Wine fermented and aged in French oak barrels and stainless-steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation was arrested to retain fresh acidity in the final wine. Wine was racked and aged for 6 months prior to bottling in March 2022.
Alfredo Maestro “Lovamor”
“Wine made with only grapes, well-kept vineyards, and healthy land.” This is the mantra of Castellano winegrower Alfredo Maestro, a bright light amongst an abyss of industrially farmed, over-ripe, over-oaked, and over-manipulated wine-scape that is the Ribera del Duero these days. Made from 60-120 year old Albillo Mayor vines grown on clay-limestone at 700 to 1000 meters elevation in the Ribera del Duero. Fermented in steel vat with wild yeasts and around one week of skin contact, and raised in tank with the winter temperatures naturally clarifying the finished wine, which is bottled with nothing added and nothing taken away.
Passionate Wines “Via Revolucionaria”
Passionate Wines is the brainchild of Matias Michelini. He is the winemaker, agronomist, and Grand Poobah of his winery named Passionate Wines. Matias strives to make experimental wines that express terroir. These wines are low production and are drawn from multiple inspirations, regions, and styles. The Via Revolucionaria wines are single vineyard, unconventional wines, fermented with native yeast. This 100% hand harvested Criolla Grande (Pais) is from Campo Vidal, a single vineyard within Tupungato, Uco Valley. The lifted and bright nose shows notes of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, dried rose petals, and milk chocolate. The palate is light and fresh with good acidity and bright red fruit shining through. The finish shows macerated raspberries with a hint of cinnamon, crushed dried leaves, and orange peel. This vintage is Glou Glou at its best!!
Tres Osos
From Valencia, Spain, this estate is 2500 feet above sea-level in a beautiful natural countryside. The vines are planted in rocky soils rich in broken granite. Green pruning takes place in spring, normally in the dry plots with old stocks. It involves bud snipping and the removal of unnecessary small vine shoots. Next comes a light clarification or extraction of leaves, which must be carried out with utmost care to avoid grape skin burning. In order to remove excess load on the vines, clusters with uneven bulking are cut during the second half of July. The harvest is done manually using 40 lbs boxes. Following the on-field selection, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are sent to the selection table, de-stemmed and crushed and later transferred to stainless steel vats. Only native yeasts are used and maceration lasts 20 days at a controlled temperature. Meaning “The Three Bears” this wine pairs well with red meat, mushroom dishes and pizza.
The Princess & The Peasant
Sourced from 74 year old vines in Mendocino County, the Princess and Peasant Poor Ranch 2017 Carignan shows a unique expression of a variety perfectly adapted to its terroir. Juicy, bright and vibrant; with blackberry and pomegranate fruit and lively, polished tannins. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
“Brought up worlds apart, they met at the junction of love and wine. Dan arrived in America as a peasant with pockets full of nothing but dreams and ambition. He met spirited and soulful Stephanie and knew he had found his princess. Together they toil in the vineyard and cellar to make this singular wine… This is their happily ever after.”