Veraison Winery

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  August 2011

  Veraison Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

  Snoothrank: Starting at $65^.31

  Excellent Cab well worth another try!

  Wine review by themellowman

  
  

• July 2011

  The Terlato Family Vineyards selection of wines is produced by Anthony ... resembles Pinot Noir until veraison (the transition from berry growth to berry ripening). This Pinot Grigio has all the intrigue, complexity and flavor interest of Pinot Noir. Lively and fresh with... Read moreThe Terlato Family Vineyards selection of wines is produced by Anthony ... resembles Pinot Noir until veraison (the transition from berry growth to berry ripening). This Pinot Grigio has all the intrigue, complexity and flavor interest of Pinot Noir. Lively and fresh with flavors of granny smith apple, stone fruits, and a core of minerality with a mouthwatering, crisp, clean finish. The 2007 Pinot Noir is Burgundian in style with an elusive aroma of violets, raspberries and strawberries. It has a light, nicely acidic balance. Well-integrated tannins lead to a long, silky smooth finish.  Terlato Family Vineyards also produces the following wines: Chardonnay, Syrah, a single block Syrah, a Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Rutherford and a Cabernet Sauvignon produced in the Stags Leap District. Three wines are made to emulate and honor the areas of Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Margaux in Bordeaux. They are Angels’ Peak, Devils’ Peak and Cardinals’ Peak. In 2001, Tony released the first vintage of Episode, a blend of the classic Bordeaux grapes, grown from the very best Napa Valley fruit including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. And, finally, there is Galaxy – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. The 2009 Pinot Grigio is grown in the Russian River Valley and it is no surprise that it finds such a beautiful expression here, in a place well-known for its top quality Pinot Noir.  The 2007 Pinot Noir is Burgundian in style with an elusive aroma of violets, raspberries and strawberries. It has a light, nicely acidic balance. Well-integrated tannins lead to a long, silky smooth finish. To find where you can purchase these fantastic wines, please visit Terlatowines.com.    (hide)

  From the article Terlato Family Vineyards

  
  

• May 2011

  Don’t believe the hype.So a quick review of first to market reports in ... flowering, fruit set, veraison and harvest. The last two steps, veraison and harvest, are the crucial steps in this graph. As you can see, the precociousness of the 2007 vintage forced these two periods... Read moreDon’t believe the hype.So a quick review of first to market reports in ... flowering, fruit set, veraison and harvest. The last two steps, veraison and harvest, are the crucial steps in this graph. As you can see, the precociousness of the 2007 vintage forced these two periods of vine growth into markedly warmer temperatures than a more typical vintage may encounter. 2007 simply was not so historically cool to prevent this shift from having a profound impact on the vines. So where does that leave us? Well, in short, with many wines that show the effects of excessive heat: cooked, fruit flavors and flabby textures. The regional variation that makes Barolo’s villages distinct is fairly obvious in 2007, and the crus that are most famous have sometimes suffered from an excess of sun or heat due to their usually ideal exposition.For example, in La Morra, the wines were, as a group, fat and sweet with cooked or roasted flavors and sadly low acids. At first I thought that this was indicative of a vintage that presented growers with a particularly narrow window in which to harvest. While this goes contrary to the cool temperature model claimed for the season, it would explain why so many of the wines suffered from low acid and cooked flavors – they were harvested too late. In Castiglione Falletto and Barolo there was much greater variability, with some wonderful wines being produced; but many wines were very alcoholic, over 15% with pronounced acids and some green, unpleasant tannins. I had thought that this was due either to the drought nature of the vintage (which reduced yields by 10%-20%) or the heat of the vintage (a little raisining of the berries can concentrate sugar and acids, and cause the producer to pick even when the tannins are not fully ripe). But one producer gave me an alternate explanation: hail.In late May and early June of 2007, there were some widespread, if patchy, hail storms that travelled through Castiglione Falletto and Barolo, with  particularly localized damage in the region where the vineyards of Barolo meets of the expansive Bussia cru. In the worst cases, some producers did not make any wine from certain vineyards. In other cases, the crop of the vineyards was greatly reduced. This naturally thinned crop may help to explain the concentration of both sugars and acids in the remaining fruit, not to mention tannin, as they ripened under unusually warm conditions.So that brought me back to the idea that there was a particularly narrow window for harvesting this year. In fact, the more I tasted and the more I thought, it seemed to be that for many producers there simply wasn’t an ideal time to harvest. The compressed season simply threw the maturation cycle out of whack for many vineyards and the results are these wines with elevated levels of alcohol, acid and sometimes tannin, or cooked flavors and low acids with not inconsequential tannins. In any event, the wines of these two villages (Castiglione and Barolo) were better than the wines of La Morra, but still regions with a troubling number of difficult wines. It was with these groups that I was struck by the vintage’s famed acidity. In talking with many producers, the fact that acidity levels in 2007 are equal to or higher than those in 2006 repeatedly came up, with almost everyone commenting on how this gave freshness to the wines. I think this is one of the interesting and misleading elements of the vintage. The idea that acidity by its very presence lends freshness to a wine is a mistake. Wines with flavors of coffee and cola are simply, weirdly out of whack with these elevated acidities. Freshness comes from flavor and texture, and these acidities are only helping on the textural side of that equation.Monforte and Serralunga are where I found salvation with the most successful wines in 2007. Both villages produced wines with rich, deep, balanced and fresh fruit. In Serralunga, in particular, the wines exhibited a great level of consistency in the raw materials. Each producer will do what they wish of course, and I liked some wines more than others, but I was struck by the freshness and aromatics here more than in any other village.This is all good and fine, I hear you saying, but what about the wines? Well all my scores will be coming soon, so make sure to check out tomorrow’s email with my top 10 2007 Barolo. Most of these wines are not yet on the market (the Nebbiolo Prima event is designed to give people in the trade a preview of the latest releases), but many of the wines are already being offered on a pre-arrival basis. Some extraordinary wines have been made in 2007 and many entry-level Barolos are above average due to the growing conditions, but there are far too many wines that don’t make the cut for me. I’ve always said it takes a decade to see the true character of a vintage and I think a lot of writers are banking on that – and hoping you’ll have forgotten what they wrote by then! Click here for the 14 Top Picks from Nebbiolo Prim    (hide)

  From the article 2007 Barolo

  
  

• April 2011

  "-- The 2007 ----- is 100% Tinto Fino aged for 24 months in French and American barriques. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it emits a super-fragrant bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, Asian spices, black cherry, and blackberry. Dense and opulent on the palate, this loaded... Read more"-- The 2007 ----- is 100% Tinto Fino aged for 24 months in French and American barriques. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it emits a super-fragrant bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, Asian spices, black cherry, and blackberry. Dense and opulent on the palate, this loaded effort is succulent, pure, and exceptionally lengthy. It will evolve for 6-8 years and offer a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2032."Where to begin? I like the last sentence which generously informs us that the wine will evolve for 6-8 years, 4 of which will be required to move the wine to its drinking window, where it will continue to evolve for 2-4 yers before freezing in stasis for 12 more years, then it will no longer be in its drinking window.Where it might be is unspecified but based on its glass coating qualities, denseness, opulence, and slathering of oak most likely in my toilet well before then, having not had the please of passing through my kidneys i might add.At least I know enough to read this and know I want to avoid this wine at all costs. Pity the point chaser, Actually, nah.Bonus score for guessing how many points this was annointed with.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic What is wrong with this note

  
  

• March 2011

  Hi everybody, this is my first post on SnoothI was wondering if anyone had an opinion on the effects of proximity to the ocean for changing characteristics of wine. Does it have similar effects, even in different parts of the world? For example, grapes grown from... Read moreHi everybody, this is my first post on SnoothI was wondering if anyone had an opinion on the effects of proximity to the ocean for changing characteristics of wine. Does it have similar effects, even in different parts of the world? For example, grapes grown from Sancerre to Muscadet in the Loire valley demonstrating similar changes to characteristics to Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula?I know obviously their are different grape varieties - but do all (for example) white varieties start to demonstrate mroe minerality? And is there such a thing as too close to the ocean?CheersLuke    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic The effects of geography...

  
  
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  February 2011

  Veraison Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

  Snoothrank:

  I absolutely loved this wine; I ordered it at a restaurant, but now I cannot find it anywhere and I live in one of those states that I can't have it shipped.

  Wine review by lmsheckels

  
  
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  December 2010

  Veraison Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2002

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by aaronarnold

  
  
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  September 2010

  Veraison Synchrony Stagecoach Vineyard 2005

  Snoothrank:

  The cab franc in this wine is excellently done with the veggie notes seamlessly blending into deep, rich but not overpowering ripe fruit (blackberry, black cherry, perhaps cassis). Nose is alluring and elegant with warm aromas that caress the nose with crushed perfumey flowers, hints... Read moreThe cab franc in this wine is excellently done with the veggie notes seamlessly blending into deep, rich but not overpowering ripe fruit (blackberry, black cherry, perhaps cassis). Nose is alluring and elegant with warm aromas that caress the nose with crushed perfumey flowers, hints of vegetables, red fruit, hints of gentle sweet spices. Finish fades of same elements from palate and nose. Dry. Body medium plus, acid medium, tannin medium. 15.1% abv. Very good. 65% cab franc, 35% cab sauv.    (hide)

  Wine review by dynowine

  
  

• August 2010

  IE: HARVEST TIME.  Especially this year concerning the bud break and all, ... at the Mill - 08/28/2010Veraison Celebration! - 08/28/2010Wine Dinner at Fox Meadow Winery - 08/28/2010Winemaker Walkabout! - 08/29/2010 

  Forum post in the topic New List: "End of Summer"...

  
  

• August 2010

  Yes, that is really me in the profile pic. P90X!Anyway, I just found out that I like wine. Who knew? I like Cabs the most. Drop me a note and say HI!

  Forum post in the topic Cabs RULE!

  
  

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