Dear Groezinger Customer,
Recent studies show that music is good for your health and can also help people with severe illnesses. It can lower pain levels, cheer a person’s mood, improve vital signs, and compliment medication. Independent studies show music works even better when you listen to it with a couple glasses of wine, a Percocet, and some medical marijuana. While we can’t sell you drugs or buds, this newsletter is packed with ultra high grade wines that are guaranteed to heal what ails you. These are medicinal quality wines without the medicinal taste of Fernet Branca or a peaty Scotch whiskey. And if you drink enough of these wines and take the above listed medications while listening to some good tunes, all those stupid politicians will disappear for at least a few hours, and maybe a few days if you’re on a real binge of a bender. Speaking of binges, the holidays will be here in no time with the first one, Labor Day, less than three weeks away. Be sure to get stocked up for football season with some of these big reds, purple people eaters, and crimson tides. Things are cooling off a little for fall shipping and coincidentally, one of the most frequently asked questions we hear is, “Does Groezinger’s still have summer storage and that incredible three case shipping deal?” Hell, yes we do! Another question we hear a lot is, “Where the f**k is Justin?” Answer: in a small jail cell in Tijuana.
Yes, summer storage is still available at Groezingers. So if you want some of these great wines, but don’t want to ship now, I’ll keep them cool for you until this fall at no charge. It’s also a great way to take advantage of the three case shipping special. You can buy a case a month, have them stored for free, and then ship ‘em at the same time for about $100. Groezinger’s ships anywhere. UPS is available to most states, and if you live some place where they still burn witches or allow polygamy, we’ll have the mafia bring it to you. $25 ships a case of wine in the state of California, $40-$50 ships a case almost anywhere else, $60 ships a box to difficult states, and $100 will ship three cases almost anywhere in the continental U.S. If this is too confusing, just call 800-356-3970, and I’ll give you an exact quote for shipping wine to your zip code.
DON’T HESITATE TO MEDICATE YOURSELF WITH SOME OF THESE MIND ALTERING SELECTIONS.
1.) 2008 LAIL, J. Daniel Cuvee, Napa Valley–$126.00 100% Cab Sauvignon this year. Ultra pure and concentrated.
2.) 2008 BLACK SEARS, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley–$73.00 Oh my God, it’s the bomb. It’s made by Thomas Brown and the fruit is the finest on Howell Mountain. Don’t hesitate, it’ll be gone in a second.
3.) 2008 SNOWDEN, “The Ranch”, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley–$39.00 Great Cab at a great price.
4.) 2007 ROBINSON FAMILY, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley–$50.00 Estate grown from a vineyard between Shafer and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. It’s an incredible deal for wine from this pricey appellation.
5.) 2006 ROBINSON FAMILY, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley–$90.00 170 cases.
Many people compare this wine to the Shafer Hillside Select. The difference is it’s bigger and $160 cheaper. As far as I know, Groezingers is the only retail store in the world to sell this awesome Stag’s Leap Cabernet.
6.) 2007 ILSLEY, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley–$54.00 Yet another incredible SLD wine.
7.) 2008 LARKIN, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley–$55.00 Big, concentrated, age-worthy Cab with sweet scores.
8.) 2008 LARKIN, Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley–$55.00 Larkin’s best Cab Franc so far. 94 points from Robba Pakka.
9.) 2007 CADE, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley–$65.00 One of Cade’s best wines so far. We had this in the March newsletter and it sold out. Recently, our supplier just came up with a few more cases. Enjoy.
10.) 2005 VEEDERCREST, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast–$12.00 Here’s some good stuff for those pesky friends that show up with a bottle of Folie a Deux Menage a Trios from Costco. A total sleeper and an incredible deal.
11.) 2009 EVENING LAND, Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills–$36.50 A killer Pinot from a flawless winery. Big and dark.
12.) 2004 CAMPION, Pinot Noir, Carneros–$22.00 This wine was built to age and believe it or not, this is the current release. Campion has character, depth, complexity, and the ability to pair with many foods. A sweet price too.
13.) 2008 STANTON, Petite Sirah, St. Helena, Napa Valley–$41.00 Big, thick, rich, and meaty. Made by Dave Finney.
14.) 2009 FOUR CAIRN, Syrah, Napa Valley–$34.50 Holy shit, this stuff is incredible. It’s a massive Syrah that’ll give any Cabernet a run for its money. Plus, it actually pairs with big foods and will blow you………….right off of your chair.
15.) 2009 WINE GUERILLA, Zinfandel, Coffaro Old Vine, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma–$35.00 You’ll go ape-shit over this beast of a Zinfandel. It’s big enough for King Kong, but smooth enough for Fay Wray, although it would have made her scream. Don’t monkey around, pick up the phone and go bananas with one of California’s best old vine Zins.
FEATURED RED WINES
2009 ROWLAND TEBB, Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Sears Vineyard, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley–$65.00
As it has happened many times in the past, Groezingers is the first store and one of two places where you can get this palate coating, mountain grown Cabernet. Upon first sip, you’ll know you got more than your money’s worth when this stuff wraps and slaps your tongue. It’s their first release, and if I could make a prediction, I’d say this brand is going to be one you wish you would have bought. Of course, you could avoid those sorrowful feelings by snatching up some of this MICRO PRODUCTON Cabernet right now. It’s made by Kevin Rowland and Stephen Tebb, who is the winemaker for Robert Craig. They fermented the wine in oak vats to soften the rugged tannin of Howell Mountain and give the wine its voluptuous texture and slickery mouthfeel. When you taste it, the tannins are so integrated you need to rub your tongue on the roof of your mouth to feel them. But believe me, they are there and in force. The color is an inky black-red and the nose is explosive. Gushing with flavors that’ll make you drool (literally), you’ll get blackberry, earth, clove, and jammy cassis accented by barely noticeable, sweet French oak. Under 100 cases of this magnificent wine were born, so the supply is short and stubby while the wine is very well endowed, girthy, and fun to put in your mouth.
2008 REVIVAL, Cabernet Sauvignon, (Karios Vineyard) Napa Valley–$125.00
Here’s another freaking awesome Cabernet that you’ll only find here and at the winery. Only 96 cases of this seductive and succulent wine were made, so don’t think about getting it in a few months. Lindsay Garvey came by Groezingers this morning (8/12), and we opened this bottle. It was delicious and complex with layers of smooth, dark fruits, a light nuance of oak, and a long enticing finish. It’s now 4:45 pm, and this stuff has opened up and is in-fucking-credible. The balance is spectacular, the fruit is relentless, and the wine is ultra pure and refined while still retaining a core of raw and unmanipulated fruit. The younger Garvey’s, Sean and Lindsay, whose parents own Flora Springs and Buehler Vineyards, fermented 40% of this wine in barrels with one end popped off. Three of their four barrels were new French Oak and the other one was neutral. From a thirty one year old vineyard just south of Stag’s Leap District on the same hill that Groezinger’s previous owner, Martin Blumberg, has a vineyard, this Cabernet exhibits a true sense of place while showcasing many subtle nuances and characteristics that are only achievable with mature vines. Julie Garvey named the vineyard “Karios” after the Greek descriptor for the indefinite moments in time when something special happens. Something special has definitely happened here, and it’s in these bottles. You’ll taste candied black fruits with nuances of licorice and cedar followed by cherry, spice, and a delicate earthiness. The finish lasts for minutes. This is awesome Cabernet from a great vineyard with a super cool package. On Monday 8/15, it’s still drinking great.
2008 BIG BASIN VINEYARDS, Pinot Noir, Alfaro Family Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains–$40.00
With a name like Big Basin, you might think this wine had something to do with Richard Pryor or Whitney Houston. Nope. But, this wine is so awesome that at forty bucks it’s almost like free Basin. There are Pinots at more than twice this price that aren’t half as good. I can’t emphasize enough how much you need to get your glass and take a big, slow drag of this stuff. Proprietor and winemaker, Bradley Brown has enlisted the help of William Selyum’s former enogolist, Lindsey Otis, who must have some magical method or recipe for making incredible Pinot Noir because this is one of the best I’ve tasted all year. It has super vibrant red fruits and a giant palate presence. Flavors of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, and spice are elevated with brilliant acidity and a firm structure. It is seductive to say the least and highly addictive. Like freebase, one of the downsides is that you need to drink some about every three minutes or else you’ll freak out. That’s about how long the finish lasts. I’d recommend getting a bunch so you don’t lose it when you blow through the first bottle. Another downside is that your friends or company just won’t leave when they know you have more, so stash it good. Less than 125 cases were produced, so get crackin’ and call me immediately.
2009 STOLPMAN VINEYARDS, Estate Grown Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley–$27.00
These dudes have produced one of the best and most food friendly Syrahs in the country. That is, if you’re eating brined and cold smoked porterhouse pork chops from the Fatted Calf in Napa. Or you could just drink this with a giant pile of bacon. We had this with my chef buddy, Ryder, a few weeks ago and he loved the wine, saying he found aromas and flavors of Skoal and Slim Jims. Translated, that would be dark black fruits, black tobacco, mint (eucalyptus), spice, and meatiness. It’s a huge wine that brilliantly opens up with about an hour of air. Many wineries have made wines with large scores from this vineyard at much higher prices. Now you can get the real deal right from the teat on the cheap.
2007 STORYBOOK MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS, “Antaeus”, Estate, Napa Valley–$32.00
Normally $40, this is a sweet deal on this wine. Jerry Seps gave me a break on the price so I’m just passing it on to you instead of putting it in the register. Antaeus is an estate grown blend of 50% Zinfandel, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 4% Petite Verdot. At first sip, the wine tastes like a big Zin, then out of nowhere come the Bordeaux-esque flavors that carry on into the long and complex finish. This inmate is kind of like the Prisoner except it’ll kick the Prisoner’s ass. It’s way bigger, way badder, has more structure, is a very small estate grown production, and will probably age for ten years from the vintage date. Plus at this price, it’s cheaper too. Vibrant Zinfandel flavors of black raspberry and wild blackberry are followed by structured black cherry, cocoa, spice, and just a hint of oak. Get paroled from the confines of typical and predictable wines with this steal of a deal. It’s so good you’ll feel like you robbed me.
2009 ENKIDU, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County (Bedrock Vineyard)–$21.00
Who doesn’t love a good deal on great Cabernet? This stuff is $45 from the winery, and for some reason, I can get it to you for $21.00. At this price, you’d be crazy and/or just plain stupid not to load in a case of this. It’s serious hard hittin’ Cabernet from the mountains of Sonoma Valley and the 125 year old Bedrock Vineyard. With the holidays coming up, you’ll probably need some wine to pour for the masses, and how can you beat a half price deal? The coolest thing about this is that it actually tastes like $45. A core of black cherry is backed up with flavors of blackberry, lavender, violet, chocolate, and toasty oak. This Cabernet will age and develop for many years to come and takes about an hour to fully open up. Phillip Staehle, Enkidu’s owner and winemaker, has never made anything but top notch wines. If you haven’t had Enkidu wines, you owe it to your palate to give them a swirl.
2003 PARADOR, Reserva, Napa Valley Red Wine–$46.00 (Tempranillo & Cabernet Sauvignon)
Many of you thoroughly enjoyed the 2002 Parador Tempranillo Reserva. That’s sold out now and has brought the 2003 Reserva to the table. With a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, this is bigger and a bit meatier than the 2002 Tempranillo. The Cabernet comes from the superb Hossfeld Vineyard in Soda Canyon, located at the base of Atlas Peak. The Tempranillo comes from the legendary Rancho Chimiles Vineyard planted with the true Ribera del Duero clone. After fermentation, the wine was aged for three years in barrels and then an additional three years in bottle prior to release. The finished product is bright, lively, dense, and intense. It compliments food better than most wines from California and will age for a long time. The nose is dark and seducing with hints of herb, tobacco, and spice. Once on the tongue, it shows the full tilt cherry, bittersweet chocolate, and concentrated plum flavors. Delicious. Only six barrels (150 cases)
were produced almost eight years ago. While some 2003’s are starting to mature with bottle age, this youngster is just starting to party. Get those pork chops and rib eyes on the grill and crack a jug of this. Your taste buds will thank you.
FEATURED WHITE WINES
2010 ROWLAND TEBB, Chardonnay, Michael Mara Vineyard, Sonoma Coast–$29.00
Only 210 cases were made from this great vineyard located just inside the Sonoma Coast Appellation. This is a beautiful expression of Chardonnay, unlike most on the market. The focus here is the bright and uplifting white fruit, leaving behind the cream, toast, and butter typically found in California Chards. Undeniably delicious upon first sip, it’ll bring you back gulp after tasty gulp. I think the perfect food pairing would be a piece of grilled halibut with a cucumber/ginger sauce or baked sea bass with soy-ginger-sesame glaze. Flavors of white peach, pineapple, Granny Smith apple, and minerality are supported by a taught structure of firm acidity. It’s bright and lively and delicious.
2009 PEAY, Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast–$51.00
Last week, we spent a night out at Peay’s Vineyard, just four miles from the ocean. We tried their upcoming releases, and this wine, in particular, was absolutely stunning. It’s the best Chard I’ve had from Peay, and while it’s not officially released until September 1st, you should get your order in now to secure the goods. Rich, complex golden fruit is souped up with racy (vroom-vroom) acidity and coastal influence. Co-owner and winemaker, Vanessa Wong, learned how to make kick-ass Chardonnay at Peter Michael winery and left in 2001 to start Peay Vineyards. You’ll find stylistic similarities due to the winemaking and delicious differences from the vineyard location. This wine dishes out layer after layer of ripe pear, golden apple, dried pineapple, and baked pie crust with minerality and a hint of lemon zest.
2010 PIERSON MEYER, Sauvignon Blanc, Ryan’s Vineyard, Napa Valley–$26.00
This S.B. has become an annual favorite amongst our customers. Unfortunately, the supply doesn’t last but a fraction of the year. Robbie Meyer rounds out the super clean and grass-less fruit with neutral oak barrels and a bit of lees stirring to build up the mid palate. Malolactic fermentation is bypassed to preserve the bright fruit and make this food friendly and tantalizing. The wine is clean and bright with flavors of melon and green apple, floral notes, and a barely noticeable kiss of oak. Only 190 cases were produced so step to it before they go through it.
2010 VOGELZANG, “Birdsong” Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley–$16.50
Yet another great Sauvignon Blanc made by Robbie Meyer. This is stylistically very similar to the Pierson Meyer S.B. with nuances of melon, super light shadings of oak, a good palate presence, bright fruit, and zippy acidity. The sweet part about this wine is its sweet price. At $16.50, you and your friends can drink this wine till the birds start chirping.
BRICELAND VINEYARDS, Humboldt County, Sparkling Wine, Methode Champenoise–$32.00
Recently at the California State fair this wine was awarded a double gold medal, won the best of California, and the best of class for North Coast appellations in the sparkling wine category. It was scored 98 out of 100 points and judged the best sparkler in California. It’s a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from small, family owned vineyards in Humboldt County. Like the best French Champagnes, it’s fermented in the bottle and given three years of bottle age before being released. Want to see something funny? Go to http://youtu.be/VFevH5vP32s and check out Orson Wells on Paul Masson. But do that after you call 800-356-3970 and get some of the best bubbly in the country. It’s crisp, bright, and dry, with flavors of lemon ice, pear, yeast, toast, and lime with a long, tantalizing finish that’s fit for a king or queen.
FEATURED WINERY— FORT ROSS VINEYARD AND WINERY
I’ve sold Fort Ross for many years but hadn’t visited the vineyard until last week. After being at Peay’s sleepover, we drove down the coast on Highway 1 and made our way to Fort Ross for a vineyard tour, lunch, and a tasting of all their wines. The vineyards are so coastal that you can see about 150 degrees of coastline from the top of the site. These vineyards are cut into the coastal hillsides on very steep inclines that couldn’t be planted by obeying today’s laws and regulations. Lester and Linda Schwartz and their crew work their asses off to make these world class Pinots and Chards. Oh, and they make the best Pinotage on the planet. Many vineyards in the Sonoma Coast Appellation aren’t really on or very near the Sonoma Coast. If you look at aerial photos of these vineyards, you will understand what coastal grape farming really is. The structure and flavor profile of these wines is unsurpassed by other California wineries and by few in the world. All of their wines are spectacular with the reserve Chardonnay and Pinot Noir being absolutely outta sight. I can’t emphasize enough how much you should have these wines, especially if you don’t already know them.
2005 FORT ROSS, Reserve Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast–$30.00
This explosive and truly reserve Chardonnay is a rare treat. Wineries hardly ever hold back their wines until they are five years old. Tiny yields, smaller berries, and higher acidity from the rugged Sonoma Coast make this possible.
Only a half ton per acre was brought in from the 2005 vintage while smaller berry size increased the skin to juice ratio making for a very intense and age-worthy wine. The grapes were harvested into 5 gallon buckets and hand sorted prior to whole cluster pressing. It was given full malolactic fermentation and aged in 30% new French oak. This wine is spectacular and gushes with white peach, citrus, apricot, and hazelnut flavors. The finish is long and tantalizing and while you might think this wine is reaching maturity, it is still a youngster and will drink great for years to come.
2007 FORT ROSS, Pinot Noir, “Symposium”, Sonoma Coast–$25.00
Many of you enjoyed the 2007 Fort Ross Pinot Noir that we sold last year. The “Symposium” Pinot Noir, with a 4% blend of Pinotage, is drinking fabulously and is extremely comparable to their standard issue 2007 Pinot. With an additional year of bottle age, this is smooth and curvy in all the right places, soft in the middle, bright, sophisticated, and won’t mind one bit if you want to lay it down or rip its top off. If you are half as sexy and possess a fraction of this wine’s intelligence, when you whip out your corkscrew it should be a match made in heaven. The grapes were harvested in the middle of the night, punched down only 1-2 times a day during fermentation, and aged in French oak that was 25% new and 75% neutral. This wine is the best deal going on California Pinot Noir right now. Do not think you can find a better and more sophisticated Pinot Noir. And, it’s a perfect wine for Thanksgiving & the holidaze.
2007 FORT ROSS, “Reserve” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast–$44.00
Most idiots know that 2007 was an incredible vintage for Pinot Noir in Sonoma. But only the real smart kids know how amazing the ’07 vintage was on the “true” Sonoma Coast. This Pinot is everything you could hope for plus a bag of chips. Most Pinot producers are selling their ’09 vintage while Linda and Lester have been holding their 2007 reserve until the perfect moment. They will sell no Pinot before it’s time. This is an amplified version of their 2007 “Sonoma Coast” that really dishes out the flavor with wonderful balance, intensity, and structure. You should be thrown down the bunny hole if you don’t get this wine in your cellar. The nose is like the most sophisticated cherry cola with a morel mushroom as a garnish. Kind of like Roy Rogers meets Alice in Wonderland. On the palate, you can find flavors of raspberry, black raspberry, orange zest, cherry, minerality, and yes, Alice, more mushrooms. This is a great food wine that’ll compliment almost anything you dish out. It should age for another six years at the very least and will probably live a lot longer than that judging from its youthfulness at four years old.