It all began in Oklahoma’s prohibition heartland where Alex Singer shared a love of French wines. His son Stephen left at age 15 to attend boarding school in Connecticut, from there he wind up in San Francisco, where he earned Art and Critical Theory degrees from UC Berkeley. He moonlighted in wine stores and restaurant and eventually met his wife, culinary master Alice Waters, who set the standards very high. She pushed him to open up a wine store while working as the Wine Director at Chez Panise for 15 years, which eventually led to the creation of
Baker Lane.
Baker Lane 2012 Sonoma Coast Cuvee Syrah 
Retail 28.00- GGWC 23.99 ~ FREE SHIPPING on 12
Use code BL12SCS upon checkout
This all estate grown Value Syrah will wow you but in the quality as $ Value department. But hurry, as they only produced 495 cases of this little gem!!
WS 94 Points: ”From the producer’s estate vineyard, this savory, sultry wine is sublime in peppery, wild game. Its textures are alive and bright in acidity, with piquant black and red berry providing inviting juiciness. Made in small quantities, it’s an incredible value for the quality, a wine that will sing on the table, and become more complex in the glass.”
Click here or on the links above or call 415-337-4083 to order!
The
Maldonado family has been farming the Napa Valley for decades, also producing some real gems along the way. The 2012 “Farm Worker” Grapes are sourced from the Lyon’s Vineyard, a hillside vineyard in the south-eastern part of the Napa valley, above Coombsville and from the Los Olivos vineyard in Napa.
Maldonado 2012 The Farm Worker Proprietary Red Blend, Napa Valley
Retail 28.00 – GGWC 24.99 FREE SHIPPING on 12+
Use code FARM12R upon checkout
The 2012 Maldonado “Farm Worker” is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, with a splash of Syrah. This very approachable Napa Red Blend is a real crowd-pleaser. It entices the palate with lush and bright flavors of ripe black cherries, black currants and chocolate with a touch of underlying Mission figs and a whiff of anise. The wine is medium full in body and easy drinking, leading into an elegant finish with soft, silky tannins.
Click here or on the links above or call me at 415-337-4083 to order
Beau Vigne was founded 15 years ago, but the Napa roots go back 100 years when Ed’s grandfather Martin Grazoli arrived in the valley. He came from an Italian winemaking family. During the daytime he’d work the hayfields of Napa and Sonoma and made wine in an old barn at night. The
Beau Vigne vineyards are located in the Eastern edge of Napa overlooking the Pritchard Hill, Haystack and Stagecoach vineyards. Only 10 acres were planted on this beautiful estate. .
Beau Vigne 2012 “Old Rutherford” Cabernet 
Retail 60.00 – GGWC 56.99 ~ FREE SHIPPING on 6+
Use code BV12ORCS upon checkout
The 2012 Beau Vigne O.R. Cabernet is a stunning wine with terrific aromas jolting out of the glass on impact. This is full-blown Napa Cab! Rich, dense, dark purple color and a bright and bold aroma of black currant intertwined with hints of toasty oak, a touch of leather and a whiff of anise. On the palate this youngster does not disappoint at all with lush, voluptuous black fruit that flows well into a long, lingering finish.
Click here or on the links above or call me at 415-337-4083 to order
Furthermore 2012 Pinot Noir “Gloria” Russian River Valley
Retail $45.00 – GGWC $42.99 ~ FREE SHIPPING on 6+
Use code FURTH12PNG upon checkout
Only 6 barrels or 164 cases of this single vineyard were produced. The wine has amazing color and aromas. From the get go you’ll encounter fragrant notes of red and black fruit, fresh cut flowers, anise and spice jumping out of the glass. The wine is layered from start to finish with well-balanced with the right touch of acidity laced between gorgeous red and black cherry fruit, sweet raspberries and a touch of roasted meats and spices. Great flavors courtesy of the multi-clonal selection in the vineyard of Pommard, Calera and Swan. This is beautifully made wine that will please both palate as well as wallet!
Click here or on the links above or call me at 415-337-4083 to order
In our latest Chardonnay challenge, we had some “big guns” battling it out. The lineup for this tasting consisted of:
THE WINNER: PEIRSON-MEYER! When reviewing the scores, Peirson Meyer received an average of 97.3 from our group!Always among the most expressive of
Peirson Meyer’s Chardonnays, this Chardonnay blend,
Untitled #7 offers concentrated aromas of orange oil, citrus zest, and heady floral notes of Jasmine, wildflowers, and honeysuckle. A distinctive gun barrel minerality clearly contributed from the Charles Heintz Vineyard, interplays with light spice and hazelnut notes. The mouthfeel is broad and lengthy and maintains an extended presence on the palate.
Peirson-Meyer 2012 Chardonnay “Untitled #7” Sonoma Coast 
Retail 80.00 – GGWC 74.99 ~ FREE SHIPPING on 6+
Use code PM12CHD7 upon checkout
Robert Parker 94 Points: “The 2012 Chardonnay Untitled No. 7 is a small cuvée. Similar to the Charles Heintz single-vineyard offering, it is an exotic white displaying notes of orange blossoms, honeysuckle, mango, crème brûlée and a wet stone-like minerality. Medium to full-bodied and pure, it spent 14 months in 45% new French oak and went through full malolactic. Drink now-2020.”
Anthony Galloni 94 Points: “”Another intense, racy wine, the 2012 Chardonnay Untitled #7, is a selection of the best barrels in the cellar. The textures are rich, oily and viscous in this large-scaled, creamy Chardonnay. Warm, nutty overtones add weight and nuance on the super-expressive finish. The Untitled Chardonnay is made to represent the style of the vintage. There is certainly plenty of vintage character here, although I don’t think the barrel selection is markedly superior in quality to the vineyard designates.”
Click here or on the links above or call me at 415-337-4083 to order
Skylark is a joined venture of two longtime friends, John Lancaster and Rob Perkins, both co-managers and sommeliers of Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco. John and I go back 20 years after spending many long weekends as lead judges tasting 100s of wines during many International Wine Competitions. Both friends wanted to create a winery that offered both great quality and great price point – which they did!
Skylark “Red Belly” SGC
Retail 26.00 – GGWC 23.99 ~ FREE SHIPPING on 12
Use code SKYRB13 upon checkout
This is a great California version of a “Cotes du Rhone” – a swell blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignane, sourced from three well-established vineyards (Niemi, Lawer and Sawyer). The 60 year-old vine Carignane provides the singularity to Red Belly, Skylark’s ode to the sun-drenched South of France. The Lawer vineyard’s Syrah in the Knight’s Valley (think Peter Michael, Linked, Morlet), is planted on volcanic rock to the Rhone 887 Syrah clone. This is a masculine site, providing fruit with black as night color and powerful, dark flavor characters. The Grenache vineyard sits at 1000 feet elevation, creating concentrated mountain fruit with silky and satin characters. These three varietals together are a-marriage-made-in-heaven for the palate and wallet! The wine offers a deep garnet color. High-toned florals of lavender and violet intermixed with the earthy components of sous bois and garrigue. Black cherry, red raspberry and plum lend aromatic complexity. The 2013 is all about suppleness and balance on the palate, with lush and bright fruit and a long silky finish.
Click here or on the links above or call me at 415-337-4083 to order
Tags: 2013, carignane, Grenache, John Lancaster, Knight's Valley, Red Belly, Rob Perkins, SGC, Skylark, Syrah
Tasting Notes | Frank May 11, 2015 | 
Comments (0)
This highly coveted vineyard sits high above the Anderson Valley floor – this rocky, wind and fog-swept source continues to impress. The warmer
2012 vintage created a more playful and approachable version than its colder 2011 counterpart (which is just now coming around). While each vintage is unique, there is a common style that is undeniably
Cerise — a structured elegance that unfolds and reveals itself beautifully over time.
Chronicle 2012 Pinot Noir “Cerise” Anderson Valley
Retail 55.00 – GGWC 51.99 FREE SHIPPING on 6+
Use code CHRON12PN upon checkout
The steady and bountiful 2012 growing season produced a bigger crop and larger clusters and berries. This wine, while quite young, exhibits aromas of cherry, strawberry, hard candy, green tea and sage, coupled with floral notes of rose petal and sweet alyssum. The fine tannins and lifted acids provide the architecture to support the wine’s dense and intricate finish.
Click here or on the links above or call me at 415-337-4083 to order
Herman Story is the “story” of tall tales, Wrangler Jeans, and bold wines crafted by Russell P. From. This winery has become a real head-turner since it was created just a decade ago. Russell is a real “Rhone Ranger” and that has not escaped the notice of numerous publications. Herman Story regularly scores 93 – 95 points form Parker and Spectator and has an amazing “cult” following with thousands of people trying to get on his mailing list. The 2013 vintage Spring releases are spectacular but very limited!
More than any other varietal I work with Grenache reminds me of myself. It can be elegant and refined, or just as easily it can be a raucous party animal. Some people try to make it one or the other, but I think it’s best when you can get it to have a little of each. This year’s
On the Road is just that, it’s got class and will doff its cap for the ladies, but won’t hesitate to start a brawl if needed. The wine’s got some serious muscle under that tucked in cowboy shirt. Smells like a fourth of July party by the pool: raspberry sorbet, fresh orange zest, licorice, fresh rubber rafts, chocolate brownie batter and vanilla whipped cream. On the palate the 2013 On the Road does a cannonball off the high dive, bringing an explosion of brambly blackberry, pomegranate, oiled leather, cherry cola and charcoal briquettes all with teeth staining color, it’ll leave you soaked and smiling.
Anthony Galloni 94 Points: “The Herman Story Grenache On the Road is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Fresh, vibrant and chiseled, the OTR is laced with bright red cherries, plums, crushed rocks, mint and cinnamon. The flavors are a bit on the dark side for Grenache, but all the elements are in the right place. Sweet floral notes, cinnamon and mint add nuance on the seriously beautiful, vivid finish. The OTR is a great example of winemaker Russell From’s very personal approach”
Make sure to check out the other AMAZING:
HERMAN STORY 2013 “NUTS AND BOLTS” SYRAH – 95 POINTS
HERMAN STORY 2012 “CASUAL ENCOUNTER” GSM
Click here or on the links above or call me at 415-337-4083 to order!
