2010 Coruce Syrah: This wine is comprised of 90% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Zinfandel and 3% Viognier. The grapes were hand harvested and table sorted and co-fermented for 14 days and pressed off into 3 & 4 year old French Oak barrels.
This wine has aromas and flavors of dark cherries, plum & lavender and blueberries with a lush jammy finish.
Open and decant for 30 minutes prior to serving.
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
“But where to find that happiest spot below,
who can direct, when all pretend to know?
The shuddering tenant of the frigid zone
Boldly proclaims that happiest spot his own:
Extols the treasures of his stormy seas,
And his long nights of revelry and ease.
The naked negro, panting at the line,
Boasts of his golden sands and palmy wine, -
Basks in the glare, or stems the tepid wave,
And thanks his gods for all the good they gave.”
”
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
Our dry Rosé is a beautiful salmon pink. It begins with strawberry, floral, and citrus aromas. It has a bright entry, with ripe strawberry, grapefruit, lemon, and honey suckle flavors. It lingers with a long strawberry finish. It’s supported by balanced acidity and smooth texture. It is perfect for warm summer days.
The 2016 Rosé comes from our 4 Pinot Noir Vineyards: Azaya Ranch and Chileno Valley Vineyard in Marin (50%), a small corner of Monroe Vineyard (25%) on the Sonoma Coast, and Weir Vineyard in the Yorkville Highlands (25%). In 2016 the long, mild summer with late rains meant the grapes at all three sites could hang on the vine longer, building beautiful ripe fruit flavors while maintaining their acidity.
The proposed Eagle Peak Mendocino County viticultural area is another region proposed by Ralph Jens Carter. In the process of creating Eagle Peak, Mr. Carter proposed editing the already existing Mendocino and Redwood Valley appellations so all three viticultural areas were separated with no overlapping territory.
Eagle Peak Mendocino County is so named as there are nearly fifty “Eagle Peak”s throughout the United States. Mendocino County was added to the proposed name to clarify its location.
The area is slightly over 26,000 acres in size of which 120 are under vine in 16 commercial vineyards and surrounds the summit of Eagle Peak. The rocks in the area are mostly shale and sandstones from the Franciscan Complex which are found on rolling to steep, unstable slopes and terraces. These rocks tend to be high in nickel and magnesium which can have negative impacts on grape vines. Fortunately, the soils are thin and rocky allowing for the optimum canopy to maximize sunlight exposure. Thin soils on steep slopes are subject to erosion but hold enough moisture to avoid the use of irrigation until after the period of fast growth called “grand growth stage”.
The elevations in the viticultural area range from 800-3,320 feet which protect vineyards on the high slopes from frost by allowing cool air and excess water to drain into the surrounding valleys. The slopes are largely south facing giving the vineyards longer daylight.
The region is known for producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Primitivo, Syrah and Zinfandel.
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
The San Miguel AVA is located in the north central portion of the original Paso Robles appellation and is named for the Mission San Miguel Arcángel, the Franciscan Mission created in the late 1700s. Marine influence is not much of a factor in the San Miguel appellation. Precipitation is relatively sparse due to the region being located in the rain shadow of the the Santa Lucia mountain range. It receives 11.4 inches of precipitation per year. The area is also warmer than many of the Paso Robles sub-appellations and averages 3,300-3,400 Growing Degree Days. This makes San Miguel the third warmest area in the region. The elevations in the region range from 580 to 1,600 feet above sea level and is crossed by both the Estrella and the Salinas River. The geology at some of the higher elevations are characterized by granites and Monterey Shale which are then eroded into alluvial soils which are deep in the benches, terraces and floodplains. Grapes being produced in the region include: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Zinfandel.
The Sonoma Coast, a world-renowned growing region southwest of the Russian River and just six miles from the Pacific Ocean is known worldwide for its cool-climate Pinot Noir and microclimates that contribute to slow grape maturation and optimum ripeness. Small lots of fruit were sourced from eight exceptional Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley vineyards exclusively for Calstar Cellars Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. The sites span the depth and width of the appellation – from the cool Green Valley knoll of Halleck to the Petaluma Gap site of Sangiacomo – bringing great complexity and cellaring potential to this bottling.
Deeply scarlet ruby in color, the 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir showcases the best of a spectacular vintage. On the nose, quintessential aromas of dried cherry, raspberries and black tea are highlighted by spiced orange, cedar and red Santa Rosa plum. The ripeness of the vintage is balanced by bright stone fruit acidity and refreshing minerality – an undertone of toasty oak and sweet spice brings the palate into focus. Fine grained, yet coating, tannins and strawberry spice finish make this Pinot Noir an easy match for almost any food pairing.
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
Our bold, fathomless, Bordeaux-inspired blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec and Cab Franc is the collective soul of the vineyard. Barrel fermented and hand-racked for thirty months in French oak barrels. Testament has an inky dark hue and it’s intense nose heralds black and red currant, lavender, cola and black cherry followed by mocha-laced layered flavors of dark chocolate, cassis and baking spice in every glass.
Testament compliments medium to sharp cheddar cheeses, braised short ribs, grilled steaks, prime rib, filet mignon, beef bourguignon, lamb and hearty stews.
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
Chalone received its designation as an AVA in 1982. Sitting on 8,640 acres, the region is located in the Gabilian Mountains situated in both Monterey and San Benito counties. Unlike many proposed viticultural areas, Chalone had a protracted fight over the name of the region. Initially, the region was to be called Pinnacles, a reference to the Pinnacles Nation Park that is nearby. However, as there were copyright issues with that name, the government and interested parties tried to settle on a more acceptable name. Gavilan and Chalone were also vetted. It was determined that Gavilan (in reference to the nearby Gabilan Range and was also problematic as it is a word used throughout California and the southwest United States as well as a trademark for a brand of tequila. Gavilan or Gabilan both translate as sparrow hawk. Eventually the name Chalone was agreed to as at some point in history the Pinnacles were referred to as Chalone.
The wine region is located on a bench in the Gabilan Range abutting the Pinnacles National Park. The viticultural area drains into canyons on the outer edge of the region and has an elevation of 1400-2000 feet above sea level. Chalone features limestone and decomposed granite soil. With sunny days and cool evenings, the region has a large diurnal temperature swing allowing the grapes a longer time to ripen and balance their acidity. Chalone is known for its distinctive mineral flavor that it imparts on its vines. With only 300 acres under vine, the majority of the production is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Aromas of bright citrus, grapefruit, orange peel and kiwi are expressed on the nose, while hints of anise and limestone suggest an elegant minerality. The palate is driven by its extraordinarily soft, integrated acidity, giving this wine a refined crispness and long lasting finish.
Grapes from the Oak Knoll, Coombsville and Pope Valley AVA’s were gently whole- cluster pressed for over four hours. Juice was racked off its lies after it had a chance to settle down in a tank for 24 hours at 50°F. It was 70% fermented in barrels with a blend of 8% new French oak (Cigar Light toast barrel). The remaining 30% was fermented in a concrete egg. Both the egg and barrels were aged “sur lies fines” for 6 months with no lees stirring.
Tracy Hills received its designation as an AVA in 2006. Situated on 39,200 acres, Tracy Hills is located in both San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties between Tracy, Patterson and Vernalis, California. In the petition for its creation, the unique soils, microclimate, and slope were listed as distinguishing features. Initially, the proposed name for the region was Mt. Oso for the nearby Diablo Mountains peak, however, TTB felt that the petitioners didn’t meet the standard for name recognition. The name, Tracy Hills was more readily substantiated.
The appellation is located between 100 and 500 feet in elevation and slope to the valley floor to the east. Hospital, Lone Tree, and Ingram Creeks drain out of the foothills to form an alluvial fan that creates the free-draining alluvial and colluvial soils. The Tracy Hills is located in the rain shadow of Mt. Oso which is located to the southwest of the region. This means that they receive less rain, fog, hail or even dew. Instead, the region is known for constant winds, sunny days, and sparse morning fog, with occasional early morning frost.
The Tracy Hills has several new wineries and a few old vineyards. They are producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Montepulciano, Nero d’Avola, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, and Syrah.
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
The 2011 Sabina Vineyards Oregon Pinot Noir opens with hints of raspberry and rose petal aromas mixed with flavors of cranberry, leather and green tea in the mouth. The wine is smooth and concentrated on the palate. Spice and sweet oak round out the rich, velvety texture producing a spectacular pinot noir for Sabina Vineyards.
The grapes were transported from Oregon to Napa where they were then fermented in 4 separate French oak open top tanks. Fermentation lasted 15 days. The 4 lots were blended and bottled after 18 months in barrel.
Roserock is perched on a ridge top towards the southern end of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, which is located within the Willamette Valley, home to many of Oregon’s finest Pinot Noir vineyards. In 2011, a warm and dry harvets period gave way to cooler than expected conditions in late September and early October. Fortunately, the fruit was at or near its ripening plateau. A final heat spike at harvest dehydrated many clusters, reducing yields and concentrating flavors.
Dunnigan Hills received its designation as an AVA in 1993. Situated across 89,000 acres, Dunnigan Hills is located in the northwest portion of Yolo County. The terrain of Dunnigan Hills features rolling hills with elevations between 200 and 500 feet above sea level. The soils of the region vary from gravelly loams and sandy loams over sandstone to silt. The climate of the region is recognized for its warm days and cool nights, offering a diurnal temperature swing of up to twenty degrees. This change between day and nighttime temperatures allow for a longer growing season and allow the fruit time to develop their tannin structure and acidity. The region is known for its production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Viognier.
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history. In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.
Here at Qorkz we like wine, food, and sharing our experiences with other wine lovers. We are thrilled to offer our new blog Qorkscru to share the joy of wine culture, along with the great stories and products of our wineries and winemakers. Cheers from our wineries the whole Qorkz team and we hope you enjoy Qorkscru!
