CLASSIC CLUB
Red 1 – 2019 Homefire 'Berry Farm' Red Blend, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma
81% Zinfandel, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petite Sirah
This wine was made from three local vineyards. Together they create a juicy berry mix with some darker notes you’d expect in a Zin/Cab blend.
Aromas of a lush floral scent weaved in threads of vanilla bean and jasmine blossoms draw you in. The wine reveals hints of over-ripe blackberry, pomegranate puree, Madagascar vanilla, dark chocolate truffle and a dusting of cacao.
Gold - 2023 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
Food pairings: Anything with barbecue sauce!
'Red 2 – 2017 1808 'Temperamento Natural' Reserva Rioja Alavesa, Spain
100% Tempranillo
The winery has more than 140 years of history, starting in the cellar under the house of Jenaro Perfecto Martinez. The old-vine vineyards in the Rioja Alavesa region benefit from a special microclimate with favorable winds and special clay-calcareous soil. Production is limited to 3,000 cases and the winemaking follows a very natural process, the same way the family has been making wines for generations.
Aromas of preserved, plum, peach and fig, with notes of cocoa and smoke. The aging in oak gives the wine tobacco, balsamic and toast notes. Soft, round and lingering.
Food pairings: Jamon Iberico de Bellota, or barbecue meats and smoky dishes
White 1 – 2021 Middle Earth Pinot Gris, Nelson, New Zealand
100% Pinot Gris
Middle-Earth Wines are located in the prized wine region of Nelson, a lesser known area of New Zealand that is tucked away in a nook on the northern end of its southern island. They named their winery after the region’s location which is considered the geographical centre or “middle-earth” of New Zealand, synonymous with the Middle-earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Aromas and flavors of apple, fig, white flowers and pear. Light and lovely summer sipper.
Food pairings: Cheeses, pastas with cream sauce, chicken and pork dishes, vegetables
White 2 – 2022 Leo Steen Chenin Blanc, Saini Farms, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma
100% Chenin Blanc
The 41 year-old vines of Saini Farms, planted in Yolo sandy loam soils on an old river bottom site are dry-farmed and produce grapes that capture the fresh, enticing purity of Chenin Blanc. 90% of the wine was transferred to neutral French oak, with the remaining 10% placed in a concrete egg, with both aged for five months on fine lees.
This wine has alluring weight and richness, aromas of lemon-peel, chamomile, crushed rocks and mint. The palate offers a silky texture and a medley of white flower, lemon salt, and almond notes, that carry through to a lingering refreshing finish with subtle mineral notes.
92 Points - Antonio Galloni
Food pairings: A wide variety of dishes from salads to fish & chips, roast pork to curry based dishes
COLLECTORS CLUB
Red 1 – 2020 Chateau Clarisse Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Certified Organic
Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Driven by the passion for wine and the taste for challenge, Olivia and Didier Le Calvez have been creating their own wine since 2010 in one of the most illustrious regions of the Bordeaux constellation, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Saint-Emilionnais. Naming the Chateau after their daughter, Clarisse, this is a family owned, small production venture.
Aged 12 months in French Oak (50% new). This is a fruity and powerful wine, a real crowd pleaser.
Food Pairing: Beef and lamb dishes
Red 2 – 2019 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2019 growing season was best characterized as a steady, even growing season where our vineyard managers had the luxury of letting each estate's crop leisurely mature to perfection.
Sourced principally from the five family estates in Yountville, this wine displays red cherry, baked strawberry, and vanilla aromas with hints of fig and coffee bean. This medium-to-full bodied wine showcases a rich mix of berry, chocolate, and buttery caramel flavors set against a backdrop of toasted oak; all leading to a seamless, long finish of currant, blueberry, and warm oak.
Food Pairing: Beef & lamb dishes, and dark chocolate desserts
White 1 – 2021 Mateus Nicolau de Almeida Eremitas 'Amon de Kelia' Branco, Douro, Portugal
100% Rabigato
Grown in gray schist with quartz at 500m altitude and is made exclusively of Rabigato, a rare Portuguese white wine grape variety, mainly cultivated in the Douro. It is one of the oldest grape varieties grown in the country. Written records date back to the first half of the 16th century.
Mineral, elegant and aromatic, it is an intense white with very good levels of acidity. Aged in concrete for 8 months to retain freshness, it is a lively, crisp wines with subtle floral aromas.
PINOT CLUB
Pinot 1 – 2020 El Lugar Pinot Noir, Central Coast, California
100% Pinot Noir
Pinot 1 – 2021 Aranwa Reserve Pinot Noir, Patagonia, Argentina
100% Pinot Noir
Patagonia is one of the world's southernmost grape growing regions. The grapes are hand picked and sorted, then led though a gentle and cool fermentation, followed by aging in French oak.
Well-defined cedar spice notes to the bright cherry, raspberry and currant flavors. The creamy finish lingers, with an interesting mix of cocoa and juniper berry accents.
Food pairing: Pasta with spicy sausages in a tomato based sauce
ORGANIC CLUB
Red 1 – 2020 Chateau Clarisse Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, France
Certified Organic
100% Merlot
Aged 12 months in French oak (50% new), this wine is fruity and light with aromas of cherries and berries. It is our most generous wine, offering a nice texture on the palate with smooth and integrated tannins before a great finale.
"Floral element to the nose, a bit like potpourri – nicely aromatic. This has great freshness, showing bright, juicy strawberry and red cherry, with soft but present tannins that give a little weight and texture. Not a showstopper but energetic, approachable and easy to drink. Pretty, harmonious and with a minty fresh finish." – Decanter (91 Points)
Food pairings: Cheese, cold cuts or tapas. Also a very fine pairing for a chocolate dessert.
Pinot 1 – 2021 Domaine de L'Orviel Duche D'Uzes Rouge, Rhone, France
Organic
Syrah, Grenache
The wine is intense with a purple color, aromas of licorice, cedar and blackcurrant, full mouthfeel with notes of violet and spices, smoky notes on the finish.
BUBBLES CLUB
Bubbles 1 – Champagne D'Armanville Brut, France
Pinot Noir
Established in the Arce Valley, an illustrious winemaker, talented oenologist and travel enthusiast, travelled the world with the desire to share his expertise and his passion. During one of his trips to America, he met Lady D'Armanville, whom he fell madly in love with. She loved Champagne so the winemaker decided to make an exceptional wine just for her. He wanted it to be a “grand vin” (with bubbles) and hence D’Armanville Champagne was born.
This non vintage Brut is dry with an uninhibited nose, elegant, fresh and complex with notes of blossom and yellow fruits. Fresh and generous bubbles, fine balance and a long finish with hints of peach. An elegant and expressive champagne.
NP SOMM CLUB
Red 1 – 2019 Stefano Amerighi Syrah, Cortona, Tuscany, Italy
Organic/Biodynamic
100% Syrah
Winemaker notes:
"I made this wine from grapes matured in my company's biodynamic vineyard in the countryside of Cortona. The company's ethics include the total absence of corrective measures, crushing in the old fashioned way, with your feet, rendering this wine a true reflection of my grapes in this vintage year." – Stefano Amerighi
The grapes are partially de-stemmed, while some are left whole and still others are lightly foot pressed. Fermentation occurs spontaneously in small concrete vats and without the use of pumps, sulfur or temperature control. The wine is then allowed to clarify naturally and is moved to various vessels for aging (mostly concrete and Clayver ceramic orbs, but a small portion does go into large oak casks).
Food Pairings: Veal, Osso Bucco, mushroom dishes, duck, pasta with truffles
Red 2 – 2021 Mario Rovira 'Akilia' Mencia, Bierzo, Spain
Organic
98% Mencia, 2% Alicante Bouchet
Making some of Bierzo's most elegant wines, Mario Rovira organically tends a handful of vineyards in the San Lorenzo district of the region, just south of Ponferrada. It is a region with old vines, indigenous varieties, interesting soils, slopes, and a cool climate. Mario crafts his wines in a highly specific and intentional way, with great thought behind each decision and a focus on minimal intervention - gentle processing, slow and cool spontaneous fermentations, and low SO2.
Mencia is a medium bodied wine with floral and red fruit flavors. It can age like other fine wines. If you love PInot Noir, Gamay or Schiava, then this wine is for you. It has lovely flowery aromas, strawberry, raspberry, black licorice, pomegranate and cherry sauce notes.
Food Pairings: Steak au Poivre, pastrami, corned beef and carne aside, cheese with peppery spice, mushroom and olive dishes.
White – 2020 Artemis Karamolegos White, Santorini, Greece
90 % Assyrtiko, 10% of Athiri and Aidani
Based upon the solid foundations of granddad Artemis’s winemaking tradition since 1952, the winery made a dynamic entry in contemporary winemaking in 2004, when grandson Artemis Karamolegos invested in the production facility and the privately owned vineyards, producing wine of protected designation of origin (PDO) for the first time. Currently the third largest winery of Santorini in terms of production volume.
Elegant nose dominated by the aromas of stone and citrus fruits, and stony minerality. Notes of jasmine and mint derived from the percentage of Athiri-Aidani gives a depth of flavor. Complex, elegant and vivid on the palate.
Food Pairings: Grilled octopus, fried calamari, olives, sushi, lemon chicken