Dear Friend,
Starting in 2007, CH Wine has always made a portion of its wines. We really ramped it up in 2008, when frosts and rains in the spring predicted a short harvest. Things cooled down a bit after the big 2009 harvest, but after seeing so much fantastic 2009 vintage Napa Cabernet made with wood chips in stainless steel tanks, we realized we needed a new approach that would allow us to better control the style, quality and direction of the wines. Enter our winery and grower program where we contract fruit, but price it in gallons. The wines are made in top-quality, high-end wineries, overseen by our winemaking team, and aged in our barrel program (it takes good wood to make good wine). This “virtual winery” model enables us to get you fantastic wines at fantastic prices. Today’s releases are both born of this partnership model.
Our first offering comes from Atlas Peak, where we have been working with an ultra-premium vineyard to produce Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Lot 318 2010 Atlas Peak Meritage is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet with just a dash of Petit Verdot. All of these component wines were made from fruit destined for $50-plus Bordeaux varietal programs and aged in top quality French oak for 18 months. The results off of Atlas Peak for the 2010 vintage were far more consistent than down on the Napa Valley floor, where the cooler/foggier vintage made for more elegant wines, whilst Atlas Peak had a banner year above the fog belt – a bit like Howell Mountain did up north. In fact, it’s easy for me to say that we made better wine out of 2010 than we did out of 2009. Raucous nose of raspberry fruit dancing with wild and loamy black fruit backed by plenty of well integrated French oak. Ripe, dense and fleshy on the palate with rich fruit, exotic spice, and a seemingly endless finish. Best Atlas Peak Meritage to date by far. Compare at $40-50.
Our next offering, Lot 337 2010 Rutherford Meritage, just received an Editor’s Choice designation and 90-point score in one of the major wine publications (scores will officially release late January). This is wine we made with one of our grower partners from grapes to wine. Beautiful blue fruit and red berry notes are backed by mocha, plum, and baking spice. Predominantly Cabernet with a healthy dollop of Merlot, this big, chewy blend is still fresh and balanced with fine-grained tannins and an expansive finish. Fantastic wine from great dirt at a fantastic price – what more could you ask for?
As always, if you have any questions or need assistance in selecting the right wines for you, please do not hesitate to email us or call 1-800-805-1971. |
