Maze Wines is the product of Paul McSharry & Mark Herold’s passion for creating incredible wines. Merus was a labor of love that Mark started in 1998—a Cult Cabernet Sauvignon that he made in his garage in downtown Napa. His first vintage, the 1998 Merus, received 93 points from Robert Parker. Mark started his consulting business soon after with a client list that has included Buccella, Kobalt, and The Vineyardist.
Maze 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Retail 66.00 – GGWC 62.00 – FREE SHIPPING on SIX or more
Use the discount code “Maze09Cab” during checkout.
This stunning 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from five high-end Napa Valley sites. The wins is rich purple in color, and offers up a nice of sexy black cherries, chocolate, espresso and a whiff of lavender. On the palate, this full-bodied youngster is rich with supple tannins that provide a nice structure to this well-crafted wine. Flavors of boysenberries, blackberries and plums coat the rich palate of this expressive wine. Incredible well-balanced at such a young age. This wine should age nicely for 10-15 years to come. Only 240 cases produced.
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I enjoyed tasting with Greg Brewer the other day as we reminisced about our first tasting ever in 1996. At that time he was the assistant winemaker at a small Santa Barbara winery and had 2 barrels of his first Brewer-Clifton wine. A lot has happened since that day. We have all grown up, and Brewer-Clifton and Diatom have become two amazing brands! We tasted four wines, and all four got a solid 5 Star rating in my book! |
Diatom 2011 Chardonnay Hana Shinobu
Retail 42.00 – GGWC 38.00 FREE SHIPPING on 12 (mix and match OK)
Use the discount code “BrewerDiatom12” during checkout
Hana Shinobu means to reflecton a loved one! Only 3000 bottles (267 cases) were produced.
This wine offers intense aromatics of lemongrass, papaya and white blossom followed by flavors of minerals, rain water and lychee. White the palate impression is initially quite concise and compact, the finish yields an unexpected creaminess.
Diatom 2011 Chardonnay Hamon
Retail 48.00 – GGWC 44.00 FREE SHIPPING on 12 (mix and match OK)
Use the discount code “BrewerDiatom12” during checkout
Hamon makes reference to the ripple from dropping a pebble in standing water. It also means smoke, fog and a term to define the cloud-like pattern on samurai swords.
The wine has explosive aromatics marked by honey suckle, papaya and pineapple followed by mandarin orange (unshu mikan) and other ripe citrus flavors. Very dense and expansive on the palate with tremendous drive and persistence on the the finish.
Brewer Clifton 10 Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills
Retail 36.00 – GGWC 32.00 FREE SHIPPING on 12 (mix & match OK)
Use the discount code “BrewerDiatom12” during checkout
This wine is a comprehensive expression of the appellation – it is a blend of five unique vineyard sites (designated vineyards). comprised of Mount Carmel, 3-D, Gnesa, Sea Smoke and Zotovich. While each lot is handled separately and in a completely uniform fashion in the winery, each contributes vastly different expressions which ultimately harmonize in the finished wine. Rich aromas of lemon, kiwi, orange blossom and sweet basil are followed by a more precise flavor profile of jasmine, lime and ginger. Extremely taut, focused and dry palate impression
Brewer Clifton 10 Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills
Retail 40.00 – GGWC 38.00 FREE SHIPPING on 12 (mix & match OK)
Use the discount code “BrewerDiatom12” during checkout
This bottling is a veritable symphony of diverse pinot noir vineyards from within the AVA. Mount Carmel, 3-D, Machado, Ampelos, Zotovich and Sebastiano all contribute to the wine which exhibits a drive, richness and pedigree expressive of our special growing area coupled with the purity of fruit and firm structure which have been the trademark of Brewer-Clifton. Dark plum, anise, and Pu-erh tea aromatics set the stage for the flavors of dried cherries, dried wild mushroom and baker’s cocoa flavors that follow. Tender and cohesive in the mouth with a very firm and savory palate impression and finish.
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Tags: 2010, 2011, Brewer Clifton, Chardonnay, Diatom, Greg Brewer, Hamon, Hana Shinobu, Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, Tasting Notes
Tasting Notes | Frank Melis June 27, 2012 | 
Comments Off on Brewer-Clifton and Diatom ROCK!
Grey Stack Cellars is located in Bennett Valley—one of the newest, smallest appellations on the West Coast. The home ranch Dry Stack Vineyard is equal to some of the best vineyards in Bordeaux! Colder than most areas of the Russian River and Green Valley, Bennett Valley is perfectly suited to growing cool climate varietals like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Grenache. The cool, marine-influenced climate and rich, volcanic soils produce luxurious wines with amazing depth and character.
Grey Stack 2011 Sauvignon Blanc “Rosemary’s Block”
Retail 36.00 – GGWC 33.00 FREE SHIPPING on 12
Use the discount code “GreyRosemary12” during checkout
The cool climate of Dry Stack Vineyard lets the grapes ripen slowly and the heacy soil of Rosemary’s Block tempers Sauvignon Blanc’s typical vigor. Candied lemons, guava and tropical flavors, ripe honeydew melon all burst from the glass. The big fresh and intense fruit exhibits terrific structure and depth. Crisp acidity helps keep it focused and showcases the cool growing conditions. We recommend serving the wine cold, then taking the time to taste and smell how it evolves as it warms and opens with exposure to air. Bottled unfined & unfiltered to preserve its fresh character, this wine may throw a slight haze and should be kept cool and consumed in the next 12-18 months. Only 900 Cases produced.
Also check out their amazing Pinot Noir:
Grey Stack 2009 Pinot Noir “Fisherman” Bennett Valley
The clonal selection for this single vineyard is 100% Vosne Romanee!
The bouquet is a lovely mix of wild raspberry, strawberry and plumb, mixed with toasty graham cracker. This wine is full of big rich fruit that is both intense and polished. On the palate it reveals layers of minerality mixed with cocoa and spice. Limited, only 100 cases produced!
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Redmon is slowly, but surely building a reputation as one of the BEST Cabernet producers in the Napa Valley. This 5th release might just be their best effort yet to-date. Unfortunately, the quantities are very limited, so I suggest you jump on this one immediately.
Redmon 09 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa
Retail 85.00 GGWC 79.99 – FREE SHIPPING on SIX or more!
Use the discount code “RedmonECS09/6” during checkout
This is an amazing follow-up to the successful 2008 vintage. The good news — the wine is equally amazing in quality. The bad news — only 300 cases were produced, and the price went up just a little bit. That happens; Mother Nature is not always on your side in the quantity department.
The 2009 Redmon Estate Cabernet is pure elegance showcasing an amazing integration of well-balanced fruit, silky tannins, the right touch of acidity as well as a complex bouquet of anise, sweet plums, sweet kirsch, black currant and bramble berries and a whiff of licorice. This is by far the best wine to come from this little estate.
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Last week while in New York I conducted a blind tasting of 10 amazing California, Oregon and French (Burgundy) Pinots that scored in the 93-96 point range and cost between $50 and $200!
- Marquis d’Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs (95+ Parker, $200.00)
- Comte Armand Pommard Clos des Epeneaux (94 Parker, $120.00)
- Bergstrom “Bergstrom Vineyard” (94 Parker $75.00)
- L’Angevin (93 Parker, $50.00)
- Archery Summit “Summit Estate” (93 Parker $150.00)
- Brewer Clifton “Cargasacchi” (94 Parker $ 70.00)
- Copain “Kiser en Haut” (94 Parker $ 75.00)
- Argyle “Spirit House” (93 Parker $75.00)
- Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges “Les St. Georges” (95 Parker, $ 115.00)
The WINNER as voted by our group of 30 hailed from a small, way-less expensive winery from Carneros: B Kosuge 2009 Pinot Noir “The Shop”
B Kosuge 2009 Pinot Noir The Shop
Retail 38.00 – GGWC 33.99
FREE SHIPPING on 12 – use code BKOS09PNS12 during check out
The thing about this wine is: it’s got to be yummy. I don’t want to obsess about it, I just want to enjoy it and have a good time. This vintage is probably the most aromatic and delicious Pinot Noir vintage in years, with the possible exception of 1994, which was pretty tasty too. The Shop, in particular, really blossoms in the cooler vintages. In 2009 it achieved ripeness without sacrificing cut and precision, in pretty much every vineyard that I worked with. There’s quite a bit of dark fruit in this wine but with a little air the high notes start to emerge. On the nose you’ll encounter black cherry notes. The full bodied palate is gorgeous and generous loaded with bright, flavorful Pinot fruit. The finish is long and extremely elegant.
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