Winemaker Chris Carpenter from the Jackson Family of wines will be here!

“My only regret in life is that I did not drink more wine.”

 Ernest Hemingway

I am trying to drink as much wine as I can before I leave this earth!  We never know when that is and that’s why I say “Drink the Good Stuff First”!

Winemaker Chris Carpenter from the Jackson Family of wines will be here!
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
7:30 PM

2015 Galerie Naissance Sauvignon Blanc Napa
 Price: $31.50  Sale $27.72

Lemon and lime citrus with green apple, this is a blend of stainless and older oak with lees stirring to get more richness in the wine a very fresh and clean style, notes of white flowers and a slight briny note.  A zesty wine on the tongue with lime citrus and green apple fruit along with a slight salty note to the finish leaving the tongue salivating for food.  Finish 40+                Excellent  

2016 Hickinbotham Merlot The Revivalist McLaren Vale
Price: $55.50       Sale $48.84

(93 Points) One of the best Merlots I've tasted from Australia, Hickinbotham's 2016 The Revivalist Merlot does hint at cherry tomatoes, cedar and vanilla on the nose, but it nails the mouthfeel. It's medium to full-bodied, with a rich, velvety texture and layers of cherry and mocha flavors that linger into the long, plush finish.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2016 Mt Brave Merlot Napa
Price: $82.50       Sale $72.60

This Merlot boasts notes of dark red fruit that seamlessly blends with the power of Mt. Veeder tannins. Asian spice, vanilla, rose petal and a long finish highlight this wine.

2016 Mt Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $105.00    Sale $92.40

(95 Points) The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is composed of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3.5% Merlot, 1.5% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep purple-black, it sings of warm blackberries, cassis and wild blueberries with hints of violets, dark chocolate, cigar box and menthol. Full-bodied and laden with black and blue fruit, it has a firm structure of grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2016 La Jota Merlot Howell Mountain Napa
Price: $93.00       Sale $81.84

(94 Points) Blended of 90% Merlot, 5.5% Petit Verdot and 4.5% Tannat, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Merlot Howell Mountain struts out of the glass with vivacious notions of preserved plums, Black Forest cake and blackberry compote with touches of baking spices, black soil, truffles and licorice. The palate is full, rich, concentrated and earthy with firm, grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and earthy.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2016 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Price: $150.00    Sale $132.00

(97 Points) A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is deep garnet-purple colored and features gregarious crème de cassis, black cherry preserves and baked plums with touches of Indian spices, cigar box and charcuterie. Full, firm and decadently fruited, it has a fantastic foundation and very long, layered and expressive finish.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2016 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $330.00    Sale $290.40

(97 Points) The deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is blended of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot. It opens with compelling chocolate box and licorice scents over a core of black and red currants, warm plums and baking spices with hints of cedar chest and pencil lead. The palate is full-bodied with layers of cassis and kirsch flavors framed by firm, grainy tannins and fabulous freshness, finishing long and spicy.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Menu

Cheese and Charcuterie

Sous Vide Pork Belly with Blackberry Balsamic Glaze

Venison and Shiitake Shumai with Porcini Crema

Delmonico Ribeye with Cabernet Demi Glaze and Blue Cheese Flan

The price of this tasting which includes dinner is $150 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

A bit about Chris Carpenter:

A University of Illinois football defensive lineman, president and chairman of the Napa Valley Youth Symphony, food lover, soccer dad, and holder of master’s degrees in horticulture and business, Cardinale winemaker Christopher Carpenter is as multi-layered as the wines he makes. After graduating from UC Davis’ Viticulture & Enology program in 1998, he joined Cardinale, becoming winemaker in 2001. Equally an expert at grape growing as he is at making wine, Christopher vinifies grapes from more than a dozen vineyards throughout Napa Valley, and through arduous blending, creates a wine that demonstrates the personality of each vintage, and whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

“Every winemaker has a different philosophy on blending. I blend Cardinale just before bottling, when the 30-40 wine lots we start with have had time to evolve. The lots change so much during the two years in barrel if I blended earlier the wine would not be as complex. I taste each barrel every quarter. When it’s time to blend, three or four barrels typically stand out, and those wines become the base. In this moment, it typically shows depth of character, but still has gaps to fill. Layering small amounts of individual lots, allows me to achieve consistent weight and length, even though each vintage of Cardinale is different.”

Cardinale winemaker and music lover Christopher Carpenter views vineyards in Napa Valley as his orchestra, and the grapes grown in its various sub-appellations are the individual instruments he conducts. When blended together the fruit becomes the symphony that is Cardinale. The myriad soils, climate, elevation and exposure of each sub-region and specific vineyard – covering mountains, hillsides, benches and valley floor – represent the string sections, the woodwinds, the brass and the percussion of a concert.

“Once blending is complete,” says Carpenter, “Cardinale expresses the character of a vintage rather than the character of a single vineyard or sub-appellation. Napa Valley is one of those geographies, in which consistent, high-quality vintages can move you emotionally, just like music.”

All the Jackson Family wines in the store:

2014 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

Price: $35.00       Your Price: $30.80            Quantity in Stock: 29

2017 Freemark Abbey Sauvignon Blanc Napa
Price: $21.00       Your Price: $18.48            Quantity in Stock: 9

2016 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay Napa Valley
Price: $27.00       Your Price: $23.76            Quantity in Stock: 29

2015 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $48.00       Sale Price: $45.00             Quantity in Stock: 4

2014 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $45.00       Your Price: $39.60            Quantity in Stock: 3

2013 Freemark Abbey Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $37.00       Your Price: $32.56            Quantity in Stock: 16

2003 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard
Price: $187.50    Your Price: $165.00          Quantity in Stock: 5

2008 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard
Price: $172.50    Your Price: $151.80          Quantity in Stock: 3

2003 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Magnum
Price: $300.00    Your Price: $264.00          Quantity in Stock: 6

2014 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche Napa
Price: $168.75    Your Price: $148.50          Quantity in Stock: 1

2013 Galerie Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $49.50       Your Price: $43.56            Quantity in Stock: 5

2016 Stonestreet Chardonnay Estate Alexander Valley
Price: $29.00       Your Price: $25.52            Quantity in Stock: 41

2015 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Price: $35.00       Your Price: $30.80            Quantity in Stock: 16

2015 Stonestreet Chardonnay Upper Barn Alexander Valley
Price: $97.50       Your Price: $85.80            Quantity in Stock: 44

2017 Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma
Price: $16.50       Your Price: $14.52            Quantity in Stock: 8

2014 Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma
Price: $16.50       Your Price: $14.52            Quantity in Stock: 4

2016 Matanzas Creek Chardonnay Alexander Valley
Price: $28.50       Your Price: $25.08            Quantity in Stock: 4

2014 Matanzas Creek Merlot Sonoma Creek
Price: $23.75       Your Price: $20.90            Quantity in Stock: 53

2017 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Barbara
Price: $28.25       Your Price: $24.86            Quantity in Stock: 7

2015 Mt Brave Malbec Mt Veeder Napa
Price: $75.00       Your Price: $66.00            Quantity in Stock: 7

2009 Verite La Joie Sonoma
Price: $390.00    Your Price: $343.20          Quantity in Stock: 2

2009 Verite La Muse Sonoma
Price: $390.00    Your Price: $343.20          Quantity in Stock: 3

2011 Chateau Lassegue St. Emilion
Price: $54.00       Your Price: $47.52            Quantity in Stock: 3

2010 Tenuta di Arceno Valadorna Toscana
Price: $69.75       Your Price: $61.38            Quantity in Stock: 1

2012 Tenuta Di Arceno Chianti Classico MAGNUM
Price: $49.50       Your Price: $43.56            Quantity in Stock: 2

2015 Tenuta Di Arceno Chianti Classico Riserva Strada al Sasso
Price: $37.50       Your Price: $33.00            Quantity in Stock: 3