Liberta Toscana Collazzi 2008; Super Tuscan

With nearly 1 Million registered vineyards and a long tradition of wine making going back nearly 4,000 years, Italy is one of the largest consumers of wine, one of the largest exporters, and the 2^nd largest producer in the world at nearly 1.3 billion gallons each year. An amazing accomplishment for a country only slightly larger in land mass than the U.S. state of Arizona! Thinking of wine as food, being part of nearly every meal, it should be no surprise that the Italians have mastered the creation of wine with some of the greatest natural affinity for food in the world.

The 2008 Liberta Toscana Collazzi is a Super Tuscan blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Syrah, and 25% Sangiovese, lending a new world style to an old world terrior. This is a great red table wine with the plump dark fruit and chocolate character you would expect in a Merlot, complimented with French oak, dusty berry, black cherry notes, and a mild tobacco finish. Add to that a rustic Italian personality and a velvety soft mouth feel, and we have something fun to talk about!

With a consistent 88 point rating by both Robert Parker and Wine Spectator, this is a very nice Super Tuscan available for $20 to $25. I recommend this wine to “drink now” while the fruit is fresh and vibrant, as opposed to laying it down.

Tasting Miner Family Wines; Including "The Oracle"

Today I participated in a tasting of 6 fantastic Miner Family wines while being narrated to (in person) by none other than Dave Miner himself. What a treat! While I’m familiar with previous vintages, today’s tasting really stood out to me as being over the top.

Three Whites Tasted: 2009 California Viognier (stainless steel fermented, shows plush and creamy impressions of peach, kiwi, citrus and honeysuckle with mouth watering acidity – available for $15 to $20); 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay (somewhat of a Valley vineyard cuvee, as I understand it, with a tasty balance of toasted French oak and moderate malolactic fermentation, this is a crisp Chardonnay showing spicy apple and pear, melon, and citrus on the nose with a creamy custard like mouth feel – available for $25 to $30); 2007 Wild Yeast Chardonnay (fermented with natural yeast as opposed to cultured, this is a dark golden and full bodied Chardonnay with outstanding depth and complexity showing flavors and aromas of nutty butterscotch and a blooming bouquet of honey laden fruit, apple, ripe pear, and spiced apricot – smooth, creamy, and rich to say the least – available for $40 to $50).

Three Reds Tasted: 2006 Stagecoach Vineyard Merlot (blind tasted, you might mistake for a Cabernet Sauvignon due to its intense fruit and tannin structure with notes of blackberry, herbal spice, and sweet tobacco – available for $35 to $40); 2007 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (with a moderate tannin structure leaving a nice mouth feel and a worthy finish, this is a classic Cabernet with depth and complexity showing concentrated flavors of black cherry, cassis, and licorice laced with well integrated French oak – available for $55 to $60); And finally the Flagship, the 2006 Oracle (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot – available for $80 to $90). How do I put this into words…WOW! This is a concentrated fruit, vanilla, and herb driven, powerful and complex Bordeaux blend with incredible structure, a soft French oak presence, fantastic mouth feel, and a notable finish lasting a full 2 minutes on MY palate. Some of the specific aromas and flavors I found included blackberry, currant, vanilla spiced oak, and cocoa.

Founded in 1998 by Dave and Emily Miner, along with his folks Ed and Norma, Miner Family Vineyards has maintained an unparalleled commitment to product quality and customer service. While I’ve not yet been, their tasting room is open to the public and comes highly recommended. If you ever have the opportunity to meet Dave, you’ll immediately recognize his fiery passion to not only make great wine, but to ignite something in everyone around him to expect nothing less.

Neyers Cabernet Sauvignon AME, 2006 (Napa Valley)

100% Cabernet Sauvignon from organically farmed Conn Valley ranch, rated 91 points by Robert Parker / 92 points by Wine Spectator, this full bodied Neyers Cabernet is sure to earn loyalty from the purest at heart.

AME “ahm” (French for “soul”), is a fitting description for such an intense Cabernet. You can expect a wonderful dusty like berry cuvee, black currant, and black cherry with subtly integrated licorice, spice, and sage on the nose that continues on the palate with a long complex finish and healthy tannins that can easily be enjoyed today with intensity, or in 10 to 15 years for a softer mouthfeel and a complex fruit structure one could only imagine.

The heart of this wine is reflective of the hillsides and valley floor from which it’s birthed, located in the hills east of St Helena at elevations ranging from 300 to 1200 feet. Bruce and Barbara Neyers (founders of Neyers Vineyards in 1992) have been dedicated to sustainable organic farming since 1998, with the reward yielding richer, more complex, and more flavorful fruit matched by few competitors, not to mention the improvement of overall soil health and crop viability promising consistent quality for years to come.

You can expect to see this Cabernet Sauvignon for anywhere from $70 to $80 per bottle (more than a fair price for such quality, organic care, a limited 550 case production, and the personalized attention of renowned winemaker Ehren Jordan from Turley Cellars). Be it a gift for a great friend or for yourself, or to pair with a quality marinated steak, Neyers Cabernet Sauvignon AME is sure to impress!