The Walls Vineyards
Flora Springs
Trilogy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1993
They should have called the Winery Floral Springs based on the nose. Beautiful; blackberry, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries and plum floral fruits. Nice spice, vanilla, touch of clove & cinnamon, used leather, dark rich soil, crushed volcanic minerals, black fruit tea, black raspberry cola and dark fresh florals with violets. The tannins are 95% resolved. The body is lush & ripe. The length, tension & structure are nearing the end. Just a few years left of being worthwhile. However, the balance is stereo tuned. The fruit on the palate shows even more elegant & ripe floral fruits than the nose. Blackberry, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries and plum floral fruits. Nice spice, vanilla, light clove & cinnamon, used leather, dark rich soil, crushed volcanic minerals, black fruit tea, black raspberry cola and dark fresh florals with violets for days. The acidity is like a waterfall. The beautiful, long, elegant finish is a little lean yet has a nice richness. Beautiful wine that just missed 9.2. Photos top to bottom and left to right. The Winery; which is separate from the other tasting room only on Hwy 29. The tasting room on Hwy 29 in St. Helena, Flora Spring caves and the front of their tasting room along Hwy 29. Producer notes and history...the stone winery on the grounds were built in 1885 by two immigrant brothers from Scotland, James and William Rennie. They were in construction, built the winery and planted 60 acres of grapes. The brothers had some bad fortune when phylloxera consumed the vines, and then a fire in 1900 destroyed their wine press and cooperage. In 1904, they sold the winery and fifteen years later Prohibition started. The winery was then closed until 1933. That year, Louis Martini, looked into their magic eight-ball and saw Prohibition collapsing and bought the Rennie property. They built a new stone house and also made a reserve wine from the hillside vineyards. However, the old winery remained empty until the Komes family bought the property, 325 acres, the old farm house, the newer stone house and 60 acres of vineyards. The son thought he’d persuade his dad to restore the old winery and proposed to call it Chateau Jerome. Although it had been designed by Hamden McIntyre an architect of several other classic 19th-century Napa wineries, by 1977, the place was a wreck. The tin roof of the building had so many holes in it. They called it the starlight roof. His father looked at it and stated, “I’ve worked all my life for my good name. I don’t want to squander it now.” John’s mother, Flora, however, sided with her son on the potential of the property. Carrie Komes suggested they could name the winery for her mother-in-law. Combined with the abundant springs on the land, they decided the name would be Flora Springs. It was a sure way to their mom’s heart and father’s wallet. Komes put his construction expertise to work on renovating the old winery, which still had scorch marks on the walls. So skeptical was his father about his son’s wine-making project, they divided the winery building. John rented half where he put his first fermenting tank, which he named R2D2. He invited a couple of friends from his wine-making class to help make wine at the new place. He also hired Mary Ann Graf, who in 1965 had been the first woman to graduate from the viticulture and enology department at UC Davis to help manage the project. She told John, “if you don’t hire a winemaker, I’ll quit.” He did and the 1979 Flora Springs chardonnay won a gold medal at the Los Angeles County Fair. In those days, it was fairs, not ratings. This was his first lesson in marketing as they sadly sold all the wine before they won the medal. Fairs were the big news instead of ratings as Parker had not yet risen to fame as he was the only one to call the grand 1982 Bordeaux vintage correctly. They submitted their 1981 Cabernet to eight fairs and won seven gold medals. From there, the winery just kept growing. They were the 67th winery in the county. Over the years, they had their ups and downs, but kept growing. One of their highlights was the creation this wine, Trilogy. It was one of the first Meritage blends in the valley. By 1984, they planted all the Bordeaux varietals; Malbec, Merlot, Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. They wanted to create a blend “by taste”, not by formula for a nice smooth wine that goes deep into the palate. They worked with a little of this and little of that. The first Trilogy was Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc. It was dubbed as velvet in the mouth. A lot of what they do is taming the tannins. One man who bought Trilogy by the case said, “it’s the only red wine his wife would drink young.” From the leftovers, they began making single-varietal estate wines. Another highlight was the discovery of a unique clone of Sauvignon Blanc in vineyards his father bought in Oakville. UC Davis could identify nothing like it in their vast library of clones. They were a bit ahead of the times, but this clone showed Flora Springs how different in that time period what Sauvignon Blanc could be like as it took all the grassiness out of Sauvignon Blanc. — 6 years ago
Gantenbein
Pinot Noir 2012
Sommelier Post Ranch Inn, Wine Director Big Sur Food & Wine Festival, Sales Swirl Wine Brokers, Martine's Wines, Winewise
Had been seeing this producer all around Austria, on many trophy walls and was curious to try. Finally got my chance and was not disappointed. Supple and round, definitely a ripe vintage but really nuanced and long. Great soft texture and continues to open up. Hope I can find some in the states. — 9 years ago
White Rock Vineyards
Napa Valley Claret Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010
One of the only wineries in Napa that bottle ages in the cave walls. Old-world technique for an awesome old-world styled wine. Bottles may have come down, but spirits still high and lucky stars counted. — 10 years ago
Leonetti Cellar
Walla Walla Valley Merlot 2011
The coldest vintage since1993 this is classic walls walls red plum and currant with fine herbs and loamy earth with hints of dark spice the walla walla appellation is 1/3 Oregon. A very classic merlot both excellent structure fine tannins and very fresh and bright with a long finish still very young with layers of spice se fresh earth and a nice touch of tobacco spice 100% varietal. Excellent + — 11 years ago
Smoking Loon
The Original California Pinot Noir 2011
A crisp easy drinking wine. At stone walls rest in banner elk, snowing again. — 11 years ago
Taittinger
Prestige Rosé Brut Pinot Noir Chardonnay Champagne
30 April 2018
A dangerously tasty Brut Rosé, the Pinot fruit sings! This is what summer will taste like at our house this year, and likely many years into the future. The Pinot and Chardonnay are perfectly matched, slightly tart, even a light saline note on the finish.
Photos of the hand chiseled chalk cellar walls dating back to the 1300's and some of the artistry that exists throughout the cellars, in both small and large formats. — 6 years ago
Jacques Puffeney
Cuvée du Jubilé Arbois Poulsard Trousseau 2014
How do I even begin to comment on the privilege of lapping up the last drops of a life's work? Puffeney's 52nd vintage, his final potion. The wine that made me aware of the Jura, that first sparked sensation of time and place, a wine that exists equally in bottle as it does in brain. When you find yourself paused mid-step on the walk home, paralyzed by the distant sound of a youthful pianist stretching their hands across blessed white and black keys. Recognizing the tension that folds over their shoulders in tandem with the all encompassing lightness of body that accompanies practice. There is something so real about the way they are playing, without too much fluidity, they stop and start again and somehow that's better than an unstopping song. There is no performance here. What is it about the walls, windows and air between you that deliver these wafts of sound in such a pleasurable way? How does the space aid the aesthetic? You keep standing there, basking in this auditory coat, and for a sliver of time you want nothing. You want no one. You have everything. This pianist will never meet you, nor you them, yet there is partnership, a unity, an offer and reception. An electrical circuit you have both worked to complete. You want to cling tightly to this moment and you find yourself searching for evidence to make you present. The sky was blue, the pavement was wet, I was just about there, I was happy. But all of this is already phrased in the past tense, the moment has already slid away from you. You pick up your forgotten step and continue forward, dizzy from experience, left with only a stamp in your mind that you can picture but never fully revisit. Little death. — 6 years ago
Kanonkop Estate
Paul Sauer Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2007
Second time trying the 2007 Paul Sauer. Deep mix of garnet and ruby red. Savory nose with some gamey notes as well as herbs. After an hour or so some dark berries came through. Heavy tannins (7/10) and grips onto the walls of your mouth. Full bodied with dark berries, both black and blue fruits. Quite a bit after an hour and a half in, but drinking beautifully and well integrated. Dry and long finish. Drink till 2024. — 7 years ago
Château Blouin
Red Bordeaux Blend 2014
Kicking back letting the local tunes adjust my attitude with wine:30 showing on the clock she strolls in my direction digging the slow roll Hendrix spinning left then twisting right dressed in deep purple clinging and flowing interestingly crimson along her rim and edges back to casually claret whispering that she's from a small chateau hanging on the right bank of the Gironde near Arveyres. Offering her hand, I accept pulling her in close then a slow spin and a slower twirl she comes close bathed in the essence of blackberry and spice, young but ripe, wet earthy slowly working her way to a first kiss dripping then gripping, pulling tightly then going soft and silky still clinging while working her way deeper. I close my eyes, Hendrix stops and she's gone. A distant guitar string bends an unknown player. I spot her by the bar, her colors waving in the breeze of a lazy fan I reach out take her firmly by the neck, then lower bending her gently back then spinning her my way, she again engages, her essence lingering in my memory, we dance on as the tunes continue their spin. Later, when we are both done I figure she's likely a fine Merlot brightened by Cab Franc having found her way through new French oak nestled by the river, intelligently nuanced well worth the dance and cost is not an issue...
Hanging at Promise' Land Market where the tunes are always righteous, the people are cool, the conversation is groovy and wines dance from the walls... — 7 years ago
W.T. Vintners
Les Collines Vineyard Syrah 2010
Sweet onion from walls walla — 9 years ago
Cantillon Brewery
Zwanze Tripel 2013
Jean Van Roy's amazing story of Zwanze 2013. When we started renovation works in the cellars of the brewery two years ago, much to our surprise we came upon the remains of some very old walls. In agreement with the medievalists of the city of Brussels, the works were stopped in order to allow archaeological excavations to take place.
Shortly thereafter we were astonished to find out that Cantillon brewery had in fact been built on the ruins of the very ancient Abbey of Cureghem! According to the medievalists, this religious community was well-known during the middle ages for its fowl fed on draff and, more specifically, for its dish of stuffed Cureghem capon, which was served with a beer brewed at the abbey and apparently drew pilgrims from all over Europe.
Yet it was truly a heavenly surprise when the excavations uncovered the cell of the abbot, Father Faro. In the small room the archaeologists found quite a few old reference books, one of which contained the original recipes for the beers brewed at the abbey several hundred years ago. We didn’t hesitate for a second and decided on the spot to recreate one of these mythical beers.
This beer, which will be our Zwanze for 2013, therefore bears the name of its illustrious place of origin, Abbaye de Cureghem (Cureghem Abbey). Cureghem was formerly a village established many centuries ago on the banks of the Senne, the river running through present-day Brussels. The area was very heavily industrialised during the 19th century and, among other things, became home to many breweries. Today, it is part of the municipality of Anderlecht.
Since beers commonly referred to as “abbey beers” are not, or not any longer, products of spontaneous fermentation, we decided to brew a top fermentation beer, from a technical point of view in any case. The yeasts were selected in collaboration with Institut Meurice, a post-secondary college in Brussels specialising in biotechnology. Brewed in March 2012, our “Cureghem” beer fermented four weeks in stainless steel tanks before being blended with 10% lambic and pumped into 400-litre barrels of various origins. After maturing for six months, the beers were blended and put into casks or bottles to undergo re-fermentation and reach 7.2% ABV (Alcohol by Volume).
Inevitably, a top fermentation beer brewed in a spontaneous fermentation environment will be affected by the wild yeasts in the air, and this is certainly what happened in our case. For our Cureghem, the cultured yeasts were clearly the main factor behind primary fermentation and I think that the wild yeasts in the beer will instead play an increasingly important role as the product ages. However, despite the addition of the lambic to give it a little “extra something” in terms of character and ageing characteristics, this Zwanze cannot in any case be considered a spontaneous fermentation beer.
The long fermentation period coupled with the presence of wild yeasts lends this beer a solid character with a dry finish that lingers on the palate, while the combined use of fresh and aged hops yields both freshness and bitterness. Moreover, the different malts used give this year’s Zwanze a coppery colour along with a touch of caramel and candied fruit that provide body. Clearly, this is not your standard “abbey” beer but, perhaps, it is representative of what these beers were one or two hundred years ago — 11 years ago
E. Guigal
Vignes de l'Hospice Saint-Joseph Syrah
Owner of the girl & the fig, the fig cafe & winebar, Author of Plats du Jours, the girl & the fig's Journey through the Seasons in Wine Country and the girl & the fig Cookbook
Ancient walls rebuilt
Terraces of vines growing
Hard labor rewards.
#rhonehaiku — 6 years ago
Anakota
Helena Dakota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
The Polo Bar might be the most "sceney" restaurant in New York. The walls are adorned by hundreds of paintings of horses, wood paneling and leather is everywhere. The aesthetic is utterly on point and on brand.
We drank this fabulous Sonoma mountain Cab from Anakota. Deep, dark, quite dense, highly structured and with an intensity of fruit that gives the impression that this will be very long lived. Suffice to say it was perfect with the well executed, uncomplicated American fare (New York Strip Steak for me). — 6 years ago
Doubleback
Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
90% Cabernet, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot. On the nose; rich, lush dark, cassis. Blackberries, blueberries, black raspberries, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, soft minerals and fresh, red & dark florals. The fruits match the nose. Dark, rich soil, leather, crushed rocks, nice amounts of baking spices and fresh violets. Lovely round acidity. The finish is; big, rich, round and elegant. It's a beautiful wine. Photos of; the metal framing of their new winery and tasting facility; which they should move into in January 18 and open to the public in April. The cellar room concrete floor & walls are already poured and painted underneath the metal framing. Also, their new Syrah vines and some experimental Bordeaux varietals planted this spring, their Healy vineyard sign and their barrel cellar. Look for Doubleback to continue to push quality in their new winery starting with the 18 vintage. — 7 years ago
Colle di San Domenico
Taurasi DOCG Aglianico
Loved it- floral, chocolates with lovey oak in the back. If Aglianico take 10 yrs to open then this was beautifully open. The acidity was still alive but not grating. The tannins were strong but very integrated. A perfumed garden guarded by leather walls. At Monte Verde SAi Yin Pun HKG — 7 years ago
Tapada do Barão
Reserva Alicante Bouschet 2005
This would have peeled the paint off the walls when new. Beautiful now with good fruit and nice spiciness still. Really good. — 8 years ago
Philippe et Francoise Gourdon
Chateau Tour Grise Saumur Chenin Blanc 2002
Totally different from any white you're used to drink. This is like entering a cave in Loire valley and smelling the walls surround you ... It's completely enveloping you with stone and earthy minerality. A good level of acidity and well balanced alcohol level makes it the find of the month, if not the year! — 9 years ago
Domaine Gramenon
L'Élémentaire Côtes du Rhône Red Rhone Blend 2009
Balls to the walls — 10 years ago
E. Guigal
La Mouline Côte-Rôtie Syrah
la mouline amphitheatre with so many stone walls reflecting and releasiing the suns heat 89 syrah 11 viogner cote blonde extraordinary layers of concentration — 11 years ago
Ted Grigsby
Full bodied, dark Walls Walla. Thoroughly enjoyed this wine. Was a really nice complement to a home grilled ribeye steak with veggies. — 6 years ago