2006 Memento
T he extraordinary 2006 Memento is being released to all active wine club members for $85.00 per bottle (normally $110). This wine is to put it bluntly, fantastic. Read the Tasting Notes. We are so thrilled with how well the wine is showing at such a young age that we invite you to try a bottle and if you would like, re-order at the same $85.00 price for 30 days after the wine ships.
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| Recipe Pairing:
Beef Daube |
This hearty and old school French dish is near perfection on a cold night with a glass of Cabernet. Pair with the 2006 Memento as you need a wine that can handle the deep and rich flavors of this dish.
Classic Beef Daube
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| Valentine's Day Dinner
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Mark your calendars now for this event:
Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Details to follow in January
Last year's menu:
Seared Scallops & Foie Gras... Bacon wrapped Monkfish...Noisette of Beef Tenderloin...Duo of Chocolate and Point Reyes Blue Cheese Tarts.
Please contact us in the office to reserve your spot (707) 255-3444 ext 107 or contact
Julia Jinks |
Holiday Shipping Deadlines:
Last Day for 2-day air:
Dec. 21
Last Day for CA orders:
Dec. 22
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Origin of a Wine
We are proud to bring to you our final club release of 2009, Memento, our flagship wine and a wine that we hold very close to our hearts.
Memento is our reserve level wine and we are folks who are not entirely fond of the use of the word "reserve" as it relates to wine. As such, a little history is in order. The "roots" of this wine go back a little while. In 2000 we harvested very low yielding fruit from a new part of our vineyard that was just coming into production, in other words, these were young vines. The fruit was from a new clone of Cabernet Sauvignon and from a winemaking point of view it looked great and tasted delicious. Initially this fruit was to be included in Frazier wines but the characteristics were such that our winemaker decided to keep it to the side. He wanted to treat this new Cabernet Sauvignon as an entirely new wine and see what happened after spending some time in new French Oak. Coincidentally, a few months later, we were ready to go to Premiere Napa Valley, an annual trade only event for wine buyers, sommieliers, writers, and restaurateurs. We took along a barrel sample of the new Cabernet. Our hope was to get feedback from some of the top palates around. Suffice it to say that many of the folks in the trade and one influential writer were blown away with this initial sample and thus, a "reserve" wine was born.
We are fond of Memento not only as relates to wine, but also the memories that we have shared with those close to us while celebrating with a glass. We are happy to hear that many have had a similar experience. The 2006 Memento is truly a spectacular wine but there is not much of it. The production on this wine was small for 2006 with only 200 cases and a few large format bottles produced. The final blend consists of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
For those of you not familiar with the significance of the Memento name, this wine was named in honor of Shawn Frazier who passed away in 2002. We designate our best wine as a Memento to Bill's son and our brother, Shawn.
Please note that air is a great friend of this wine at this stage. It is a big, rich wine with layers of complexity and a great deal of structure. A little time in the decanter or an extended period of time in glass will show you all this wine has to offer. The wine is rich but does possess a great deal of acidity making it great for drinking now or cellaring for years to come. There is loads of dark fruit up front, a hint of toasty oak, and some bittersweet chocolate on the finish which seems to linger on forever.
Enjoy this wine safely this holiday season! |
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Mark Your Calendar!
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March, 2009
2007 Frazier Merlot
Please Note:
If you have any upcoming changes to your billing or contact information please contact us to update at:
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2007 Vintage
We are very excited to have all of the wines for the 2006 vintage under our belt. So excited in fact that we can now begin to discuss what is on deck for 2010. When we began working with winemaker Kirk Venge he was very interested in showcasing all of the wonderful varietals grown in the vineyard. We have always bottled a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, and when we are lucky, Memento. Kirk was interested in these wines but also the lesser known varietals which have such an impact on the final Cabernet and Merlot blends. Kirk and our assistant winemaker Eric have assisted us in creating some new wines, each unique in personality, which show off various aspects of our vineyard terroir. We are pleased to report that wines from the 2007 vintage have progressed very well. The 2007 vintage will represent the largest portfolio of offerings from Frazier to date. On deck for 2007 all under the Frazier label; Merlot, Cab Franc based blend, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Memento, and a Mt. Veeder appellation Syrah. Most of these lots will be very small, with the smallest being only 50 cases. Wine club members will have the first pass at these limited offerings.
Starting with the 2008 vintage we have changed our focus to allow the vineyard to shine brighter through our wines, adopting a more natural approach to our winemaking techniques (some call it a "hands off" approach). It includes the use of native yeast and bottling the wines unfined and unfiltered when at all possible. The actual fermentation of our grapes has gone in a new direction as well. The guys have begun utilizing small vessels to ferment our grapes in addition to stainless steel tanks. These vessels include T-bins (which require a great deal of additional labor), and barrel fermentation (the guys just love this one). The good news is that these more labor intensive techniques will result in richer, more complex wines for you, our loyal customers, to enjoy.
Look for more details on these new offerings in the New Year. | |
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