2007 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

I wish I could report something different on this particular wine, and I wish I could come up with something bad to say about this wine, but words just cannot describe just how good this wine is for the money.  And to think that this is just a baby from 2007 is beyond me!

To think that the 2008's aren't even released yet, and the simple fact that we have already burned through 7 of these bottles is almost sickening.  The definitely have the guts to age for 5 plus years in the cellar is not more.  These wines will definitely get better with age as well, so how can these be drinking so good right now?  I wish I knew, because I would be making wine in this region as well!

I actually grabbed this by accident tonight, wanting to grab a 2006 to bring to West Side Gravy in Collingswood, NJ.  But when we got tothe restaurant and I reached into the Riedel carrier, I noticed it was a 2007, not that I was disappointed.

Notes are similar to other bottles, with a nose of bright cherry, berries, pepper, and spice, with a bit of vanilla and smoked oak. On the palate, this was gorgeous considering it was popped and poured at room temp as this was pulled out of the cellar earlier in the day.  Awesome cherry and spice are represented here, with some nice dark berries and a bit of mint. The spice on this wine is magnificent, and the light pepper is really nice. I am not a big fan of the over the top spicy, peppery syrah’s, and this is not the case here in the least. Hints of mocha and plum round out the palate, with a bit of earthiness, and this is just pure joy. Yet another winner from Paul and Stef, and we are look to them visiting NJ on September 11th, 2010.  If you are interested in meeting Paul and Stef, and tasting through their 2008 lineup, be sure to drop me an e-mail at njfoodies at gmail dot com.

In short, another wonderful bottle that is not disappointing in the least, and I really need toset up a mouse trap on these bottles so I quit grabbing them from the cellar! 92 points! Cheers!

Stefania Wines Release Alert - Futures for Top Mailing List Customers!

If there is one release that is an absolute must buy, it comes from Stefania, located at http://www.stefaniawine.com/.  You have read us rant and rave about Paul and Stefa's wines for years now, with good reason.  They are by far the number one producer in our cellar, and I am guessing that they are going to hold that title for a long time.

We are fortunate enough to fall into the top 10% of their mailing list, so we get to take advantage of their futures program.  Sure, we pay for the wines 6 months in advance, but we also receive a hefty 20% discount in doing so.  This works out great for everyone, and we are truly grateful.  As if their wines were no brainers at release price, receiving them at 20% off makes it such a bonus.

As an added bonus, Paul and Stef will be visiting NJ in September, and we are going to host a tasting for them somewhere.  We truly look forward to seeing them, and tasting through their lineup with them, so if you are interested, drop us an e-mail fro details.  At this point, we are unsure where we are going to host this tasting, but it will be somewhere great with good cuisine!  We hope to see you!

See their letter below regarding the upcoming release!  We were allocated a case of each, and will be taking it all!  Cheers!

Dear Friends,

We've had a busy spring this year with cool and rainy weather. We will have more work than normal through the summer and fall adjusting the vineyards to insure we get a ripe crop of grapes. We are hopeful that this will be a good year for us.

It is now time for our Summer Futures Program offer. For those of you new to the program, the Futures Program will only be available to our top mailing list customers. Today those of you receiving this announcement represent just over 5% of our total list and we do not plan to expand this program beyond that level. This really is our way of thanking you for your continued support and recognizing the role you have played in our success.

Futures Program Features:

* Program is limited to top tier of our mailing list.
* 20% off of release prices on all futures orders.
* You receive guaranteed access to our lowest production wines.
* Secure allocations on limited releases.

There is no commitment needed on your part, no purchase necessary, and you do not need to sign up. You may choose to continue to wait for the standard offer letters that we send to the entire mailing list. We hope you will take advantage of the program and you have our sincere thanks for your support.

This offering will include three wines that will be offered to our general list in September 2010. This is your opportunity to secure them before they become available to our general list. In an effort to shorten this email we have provide links to our website which contain detailed winemaking information and tasting notes on each wine. We have also included a recap of the 2008 growing season.

2008 Stefania Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
Mailing List Price: $45 per bottle. Total Production 52 cases.
Futures Price: $36 per bottle.
Allocation (2) Six-Packs @ $216.00 each

2008 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch Mendocino County
Mailing List Price: $33 per bottle. Total production 63 cases.
Futures Price: $26 per bottle
Allocation (2) Six-Pack @ $156.00 each

2008 Stefania Haut Tubee California
Mailing List Price: $20 per bottle. Total production 108 cases
Futures Price: $16 per bottle
Allocation (2) Six-Pack @ $96.00 each

The following are available in magnum format:
2008 Stefania Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
Bottles available: 12 Regular Price $108 per bottle. Futures Price $86 per bottle.

2008 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch Mendocino County
Bottles available: 9 Regular Price $80 per bottle. Futures Price $64 per bottle.

Magnums will be available on a first come first serve basis with a maximum of one of each wine per person.

We also still have the following 2007's available and will extend the futures price of 20% off on any reorders:
2007 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch $32 / $25
2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard Santa Clara Valley $38 / $30
2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains $40 / $32

Allocation Details:

Your allocation expires on 7/16/2010. We will send out one reminder after the Fourth of July.

Futures are offered in 6 bottle lots. You do not need to purchase your full allocation you may select any combination of 6 bottles each. Shipping is $15 on 6 bottles and free on orders of 12 bottles or more. CA residents and those shipping to CA addresses will be charged CA State Sales Tax.

Our normal conditions on shipping, terms and guarantees apply. We will use your credit card on file for all orders. Please contact us if you would like us to use another card, or you would like to send a check. Your wine will be shipped to you when the wine is officially released for sale in November of 2010. To order please reply to this email with your order, or contact us at 408-242-8598.

Winemaking Notes
http://www.stefaniawine.com/winesvineyards/wines.html#2008

Tasting Notes
http://stefaniawine.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-futures-release-notes.html

2008 Growing Season Notes:
http://www.stefaniawine.com/winesvineyards/vineyards/2008.html

2006 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains

How many times can F. Scott and Zelda possibly drink and write about Paul and Stefania Romero's wines of Stefania? Well, unfortunately for you all, you are going to have to keep reading about them until we finally run out of them, but I don't see that happening for quite sometime. You all know how much of wine lovers we are, and how we like to drink many different varietals of wines from a whole plethora of producers. Who might the number one producer in our cellar be? You guessed it, Stefania, for good reason! Paul and Stef are crafting incredible wines, at incredible prices, that really suit our palates! A quick Grape Stories report reveals that we have 116 bottles of Stefania in our cellar, making up almost 16% of our total inventory! I think that those numbers speak wonders for what Paul and Stef are doing with their fruit! This happens to be the third bottle of this particular wine that we have opened, and has showed the best yet out of all of them. This wine was open for about 2 hours prior to consumption, and the nose revealed nice sweet and dark berries, with hints of mint, eucalyptus, tobacco, and currants, with a bit of cedar and and cassis. On the palate, this is where the wine really shines, and I would put this wine up against many cabernet in the $60-$100 price range. Awesome full bodied creamy feel of dark cherry, cassis, currants, blackberry, and spice, with a good acidity, and nice soft tannins. I am actually pretty surprised at just how soft the tannins are on this wine as it is so young, yet I do believe that this wine will age easily or another 10 years, and get better as it goes. Regardless, I do not think that extended aging is necessary for this wine as it is drinking so well now. I also do not believe that this wine needs to be decanted, and is just as good popped and poured. Even so, this wine does benefit with air, and only gets better with more time to open up. In short, what is there to say other than awesome! At $32, this is an incredible QPR, and such a pleasant wine to open and share with friends! Kudos to Paul and Stef on taking such pride in such affordable wines! 93 points! Cheers! -F. Scott

2007 Stefania Haut Tubee

So it's been a whole month and a half since I have visited this wine, what can I say? This is a wine that I cannot keep my hands off of, and like all of the wines made by Paul and Stefania Romero, it just happens to be quite tasty. This seemed like the perfect bottle tonight after a long day, so it was popped and poured into a Riedel Grapes Syrah/Shiraz glass. Note that this is the first time I have used these new glasses, and figured I would give it a test drive tonight. The stem itself seems nice, and is a good daily drinker glass for a wine like this. This glass really seems to let the cherry dominate on the nose, even more than other times I have drank this wine. Was it the bottle? Or was it the glass? We may just find out in a bit if I pull out another glass for comparison sake. Popped and poured tonight, this was showing some classic dark color in the glass. Nice purple hues to it, and it looked darker than normal, but it turns out it was just the light in the room. As I said before the nose was dominated by cherry, with nice dark fruits in the background, to include some blueberry and blackberry. Nice spice on the nose, but not nearly as prevalent as other bottles. Could this be bottle variation? Doubtful, but possible. Could it be that the wine has integrated a bit in the last month and a half? Quite possibly. On the palate, the red fruits once again seemed to be a shining star, with the spice and white pepper following it closely on its heals. Some nice cherry and strawberry on the front of your palate, with the spice coming through on the mid and back palate. Nice acidity, and well integrated tannins already, but I am sure this bottle will be even better as I am sure I will not finish it tonight. On the finish, again, some pleasant white pepper shines through, very reminiscent of Stefania's Eagle Point Ranch syrah. What a pleasure this wine is to drink, and at $16 on future, who could possibly not like this wine? Very enjoyable, and just what the doctor ordered after a long day. 91 points once again. For more information and other tasting notes on this wine, please visit: http://jerseyfoodies.blogspot.com/2010/01/2007-stefania-haut-tubee.html Cheers! -F. Scott

2007 Stefania Haut Tubee

Having 100 bottles of wine in your cellar aging is one heck of a nice feat! Having 115 bottles from a single producer is downright INSANE...unless of course that producer is Stefania! Over the last few years, you have read about my love for Stefania Wine here on our blog. I first heard of Stefania from the Wine Spectator Forum, where I virtually met Paul Romero, owner and winemaker, along with his wife Stefania. Paul seemed like a great guy, and upon researching his winery, I really fell in love with Paul and Stef's story, and I had to try their wines. Unfortunately, I did not sign up for their mailing list to get in on their inaugural release of their 2005 Eaglepoint Ranch syrah, however, I did order their second offering, of their '05 Uvas Creek cabernet sauvignon. From there, the rest was history, and Paul and Stefania are crafting wines that my palate absolutely loves. Their wines are my go to wines that I really love to share with friends, and for what these wines cost, you really cannot go wrong. You have heard me say it before, and I will say it again! Go to their website, and sign up for their MAILING LIST! I think there is currently a bit of a wait, but you should get an offering within a release or two. Once you do, order all that you can. If you get these wines and don't like them, drop me an e-mail and I'll take them off of your hands. I am lucky enough to be in the top 10% of their mailing list. Quite honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I am in their Top 10 customers, and that is something that I can say that I am proud of. Being in their top 10%, I am offered their wines "on futures," where we get our allocation in advance at a substantial discount, and order them before they are offered to the rest of the mailing list. This not only gives me guaranteed access to the wines so long as I place the order before the deadline, but it also gives me a chance to order wines that are much smaller in production. For this I am grateful. With all of that being said, so far we have purchased 147 bottles from Stefania since October of 2007, and consumed 32 bottles to date. The rest are in the cellar aging, where they get better and better every day. That said, check them out. These are some of the best QPR (quality to price ratio) wines out there! So after a long day, I came home to a perfect winter meal that Zelda cooked, and felt the need to crack open the 2007 Stefania Haut Tubee. This wine has gotten some great press already on the Wine Spectator Forum, so I had to give it a shot. This wine also won gold at the San Francisco Chronical Wine Competition January 5th-8th, 2010 in Sonoma, CA. The 2007 Santa Cruz Mountain cabernet sauvignon also took home bronze, so kudos to Paul and Stef for some welldeserved recognition! Tonight there was no time to decant, so this wine was popped and poured. Again, classic Stefania color in the glass, with a nice purple/dark red hue reminiscent of a nice Rhone styled blend. On the nose, there are so many things going on, but what really stands out are the black fruits: blackberry, and hints of blueberry and boysenberry. There is definitely a ton of spice on the nose, but nice floral notes as well. The last thing I can get from the nose is a nice creamy caramel sweetness that is full of pleasure. On the palate, this wine if hard to figure out because there is just so much going on. There is so much fruit on the palate that it is insane. Is it really possible that this wine has been in the bottle for less than a year at his point? Surprisingly, I found more red fruits on the palate than the black fruits that I smelled on the nose. The palate reviews lush tones of raspberry, strawberry, and other red berries. There is definitely some nice spice to this wine, which I am assuming comes from the zinfandel in the blend. Finally, there are some hints of toasted cedar, and a ton of complexity, with a nice tannic backbone, and subtle acidity. For such a young wine, this is drinking very well, and it is only going to get better. I would guess that in another year, this wine is going to be amazing, and could very well be the bargain of the year in 2010. The one problem I have with this wine you may ask? Easy! A case allocation wasn't enough, and I need to get some more! All in all, another winner from Paul and Stefania, and this is one that is not going to last in the cellar long. I would truly be surprised if the case lasts through 2010 as this is drinking nicely right now! So you want to know what grapes are in the blend? Here you go: 50% Syrah, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Grenache and Mourvedre. For a better explanation on this blend, here are some notes straight from Paul: "In 2007 I started with our home vineyard, and Millie and Kathy's vineyard as a base. That's Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel and a tiny bit of Mourvedre. Later I added in Zinfandel from the Elandrich vineyard that was also just a few hundred pounds. When we started doing barrel testing and blending I decided to add Cabernet and Merlot from the Elandrich vineyard. Normally that goes in the SCM Cabernet blend, but I didn't want to get the Elandrch percentage over 1/6 in that blend so a barrel went to the Haut Tubee. At that point the wine was missing some backbone, so about a month later I added some Chaine d'Or Estate wine. I blended in about a 50/50 mixture of press wine and free run. That added more Cabernet, Merlot, and a tiny bit of Cab Franc and Petite Verdot. The final component was Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah. I had tried out an Ermitage barrel Bradley Brown had recommended. The barrel turned out great, but it was so different from the other barrels I decided to add it to the Haut Tubee. It added the new oak and spice flavors. Bradley thought I was nuts, he said he would have bottled the barrel on its own. I hate the idea of 'hostage' wines, and Stef and I really want to keep this as our 'anti-hostage' wine. A really good, small lot, hand made wine for $20 and you don't have to buy anything else to get it." What a great story by great people! In short, this wine is going to get better and better for the next 1-2 years, but don't be afraid to pop one now if you have a few. Currently a 90 point wine on the MJWineDrinking scale, but heading towards 91-93 with some time in the bottle! WOW! All of this for $20? Keep up the great work Paul and Stef, and keep these wines made with true love coming! Cheers!

* * *UPDATE * * *

DAY 2: Stored in the fridge overnight after a vacuum. The nose on this wine seemed to show a bit more alcohol today, however, it seemed to blow off as the glass warmed up over the course of an hour. Very strange as it is usually the opposite. As the glass warmed, the black fruits were more pronounced on the nose, with a hint of white pepper. On the palate, at first, the wine seemed to pick up more acidity over night, which I thought was odd. I figured if anything, it would mellow out a bit. The fruits again seemed to come out a bit more from last night, and you could really taste and feel the syrah influence in this wine, especially with the white pepper. Other than that, there were not a lot of changes with this wine, and I think that it is going to need a few more months in the bottle before it will really start to show it's potential. Regardless, I am not going to change the score on this wine, but I do look forward to seeing how it develops. This was vacuumed again with about a glass left, and will be revisited again tomorrow, but I am not sure that I am expecting good results.

DAY 3: WOW!!!!! This is exactly where this wine should be, and I cannot wait until this wine is like this with some age right out of the bottle. Still a bit of alocohol on the nose, but the fruit is nice, and there is a nice sweetness to it. On the palate, the red fruits are nice and lush, the heat is toned down, and there are some nice white pepper hints. The finish still has a nice acidity to it, and the tannins are mellowed. Again, the pepper seems to come through on the finish,and you really taste the syrah influence. All in all, day 3 gets this wine another point. I'm sure we'll pop another before the end of the month, and I look forward to seeing this wine develop! 91 points at day 3!

2007 Stefania Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

Out of all of the wines that I have been dying to taste, this one may rank at the top of my list, and I finally gave into the peer pressure and popped one since I have a few of them laying around. Let me say that I will let the other 5 rest for a while in the cellar before popping another, but this wine shows some great potential, but what else do you expect from a wine hand crafted by Paul and Stef. This wine was popped and poured over the course of 3 hours, and had a nice light ruby color in the glass with lots of strawberry and floral, earthy notes on the nose. There were also hints of spice, and some nice vanilla tones which I attribute to the barrels used for this wine. On the palate, firs thing you’ll notice is that this is not your typical fruit forward pinot. I didn’t find any candied fruits on the palate whatsoever, but I did find some nice dark cherry hints that I love in pinot from this area. The acidity on this wine is nice at this point, but there is a bit of tannin, which is not overwhelming in the least, but I think it’ll settle out nicely with another year in the bottle. All in all, this wine shows some great qualities, and have potential for some serious improvement with time. For now, I would score this wine 88 points, and I could easily see it going up another 5 points or so with some aging. That said, the others will rest, and we’ll try another one in the Spring or Summer of 2011 to see where it is at. This winery shows so much promise, and I look forward to their future offerings! Cheers!

Spring Fever - 2007 Pali Sunset and a 2006 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

What a day it was today, and you could see everywhere that people were taking advantage of the nice weather after months of cabin fever. Being the first nice day in quite a while in NJ, the crowds were out, and Spring was in the air as the temps neared 60 degrees today. That said, we watched the movie "Bottleshock" for the first time, and then retired out to "The Bistro" for some vino with Todd & Michelle. With Spring Fever, we opted for one of our favorite Spring/Summer wines....a nice Rosé! I went down to the cellar and grabbed a 2007 Pali Wine Co. Sunset. This is a nice Rosé of pinot noir, made from 60% Oregon, and 40% California grapes. I had this downstairs in what I consider migh white wine fridge, and I did notice some crystalization in the bottom of the bottle. It was weird how the crystalization was actually a bright red color, however this had no effect on the taste of the wine.

The nose gave off some hints of peach, pear, and citrus, and this looked absolutely gorgeous in the glass, with a nice peach color. It doesn’t have the almost neon color that we are seeing in some of the other Rosé out there, but it was still nice on the eyes...especially after being couped up in the cold the last few months. On the palate, this was more of the same things that we have tasted with this bottle and vintage in the past. Nice citrus, with slight hints of strawberry, with a nice finish that makes this a pleasure to drink. All in all, a great wine to give us a little taste of Spring, and worth of 85 points.

As the evening continued "On the Bistro," it was time to pop another bottle. Earlier in the day, Todd mentioned the fact that he got his first offer from Stefania Wine for their 2006 cabernet, so I figured it would be nice to give he and Michelle a little preview of another exciting wine to be released from Stefania this Spring, the 2007 Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch. That said, I reached into the cellar and grabbed an '06 to share, and it proved once again to be a great crowd pleaser!

Gorgeous, deep, dark color in the glass, with an amazing nose of of floral dark fruits: black cherry, blueberry, blackberries, and plum, with subtle hints of caramel, vanilla, and spice. On the palate, this wine has managed to wow us yet again. This wine is just incredible, bottle after bottle, and exactly how a like a syrah. This wine has great, creamy dark fruits...black cherry, blueberry, and blackberry smother your palate, and the spice does not overwhelm you one bit, with just subtle hints of white pepper. Ths finish on this wine only gets better, and this wine has really integrated in the last 7 months since we popped our first one. Kudos yet again to Paul and Stef on making a great wine worth of 92 points! Cheers!

2006 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard

I know, and I am thinking the same thing. Popping a young '06 cabernet already? Well, seeing as Paul and Stef spoil us, and we get plenty of this wine, I could resist no longer, so we brought one to Oliver-A Bistro tonight in Bordentown.

Popped and poured at cellar temp, although it may have gotten a little colder on our walk up town, we gave this wine time to warm up in the glass as we talked to Danielle the owner, as well as our friends that work there, "Bruce-Y-Boy" and Jimmy. As I looked at this wine in the glass, it was a gorgeous deep red color that just screams cherry! After about 20 minutes of swirling in the glass, the nose revelated some notes of rose petal, and and oodles of cherry, with soft hints of oak and spice. This wine smells absolutely delicious, and seems to have opened up nicely. After a quick toast to Paul and Stef, the palate is smoothered in cherry, with hint of spice, plums, and a nice berry meddley. You can also taste a bit of wood, but this wine is integrating nicely. At first, the finish had a bit of heat, but that toned dwn over the course of the night, and we have yet another winner from Stefania. How are Paul and Stef crafting such great wines vintage after vintage? The truth is in the caring that they give the vines, and the care they give the fruit as it transitions from vine, through the entire winemaking process! This is yet another winner, and this wine is going to be hard to keep in the cellar. Thankully, we have another 16 of these, so we'll figure out a way to slowly enjoy them over the years.

This wine will make you squeeze every last drop out of the bottle! Kudos as always to Paul and Stef! This one is already worthy of 92 points, and will be on the rise. You just don't find many wines at this price that are this tasty! Keep up the great work! Cheers!

2006 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

Another outstanding bottle enjoyed at Oliver - A Bistro tonight in Bordentown. It's just a matter of time and this will be a 93 point wine in my opinion. Popped and poured with more of the same on the nose from past bottles: blackcherry, blackberry, blueberry, and plum, with some subtle hints of spice. Another creamy explosion on the palate with cherry, blueberry, and vanilla, with a nice lingering finish. It's hard to imagine that this wine is going to get better with time, but I am sure it will. It's also hard to believe that we have already blown through 3 bottles. Yikes! But have no fear, 6 still in the cellar, and 6 more on the way! 92 points, heading to 93 soon! Cheers!

2006 Stefania Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah

Another awesome release from Paul and Stef at Stefania! This bottle hasn't even been in the cellar for a week yet, and I just could not resist popping one of these tonight. Thankfully we have some back ups, because this is a wine that we're never going to want to run out of.

Popped and poured, this had a gorgeous dark ruby color in the glass, and a nose that let it's presence be known! Tons of floral notes, along with tons of dark fruits...black cherry, blueberry, blackberries, and plum. On the palate, the creamy fruit explodes! More cherry and blueberry, with hints of vanilla and caramel, which I attribute to the new French oak that they used in some of the barrels. Just the smallest hint of spice makes this wine absolultely incredible. A nice 30 second finish with surprisingly manageable tannins so early on with this wine make it perfect to drink now, or over the 5-7 years. Kudos once again to Paul and Stef. This wine is a winner now, and we look forward to seeing how it develops. 91 points. Cheers!

Stefania has arrived!

The subject line says it all. After the Spring release, and Paul working feverishly to get get shipping to New Jersey OK'd, 9 bottles of the 2006 Eagle Ranch Syrah and 6 bottles of the 2006 Haut Tubee are in the house! Check out Paul and Stefania's website out at http://www.stefaniawine.com/ for more information. Although their mailing list is full, sign up anyway and get on their waiting list. These are some of the best QPR wines out there, made by the nicest family in the wine industry! Check them out, you will not be disappointed! Cheers!

RELEASE ALERT - Stefania Wines

It is an exciting day today to come home and find a letter from Stefanie Wines in the mailbox. If you have never heard of them, I highly suggest you sign up for their mailing list at: http://www.stefaniawine.com/

Paul and Stefania are some of the nicest people I have ever dealt with in the wine world, and they are making damn nice quality wines to boot. This current release consists of:

2006 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah
2.1 tons crushed on 10/11/06. Brix 25.0, pH 3.60
100% destemmed and not crushed. The fruit was again excellent and we sorted in the field. No additions were made this year and no water was required. We fermented with two different yeast strains in 3 one ton bins. Fermentation completed on 10/24/05 and the must was lightly pressed with 80% of the wine being free run.
The must was transferred to a total of 20% new French Oak and a mix of 1 year old, two year old, and neutral French and American Oak. It completed Malolactic Fermentation in the Spring of 2007
The wine is showing great color and a very fruit forward nose. It seems more open and floral early on than the 2005, with lots of fruit and spice. Total of 5 1/2 barrels, @ 135 cases
Release Scheduled: Spring of 2008.
Estimated price: 3 pack for $105, 6 pack for $200.

2006 Haut Tubee (named for the hot tub in our backyard)
3/4 tons crushed between 10/6 and 10/29. Brix 24.6, pH 3.60
A little bit of everything includes, 55 % Uvas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, foot stomped at our harvest party and fermented in a 1/2 ton bin. 20% Syrah, Grenache and 5 clusters of Mourvedre from our yard. 20% Zinfandel from the Elandrich Vineyard. 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from Chaine D 'Or. 2% Syrah and Mourvedre from the OttiGurr Vineyard in San Jose. The lots were mostly fermented separately unless there wasn't enough of something, then it got thrown in together, and everything was pressed in our old basket press as it finished, then was transfered to stainless steel until everything was complete and could be moved in to barrel.
The must was transferred to one old French Barrel and one old 1/2 barrel. Jerry threw a dose of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chaine D'Or to top off the barrels and start Malolactic Fermintation. It completed Malolactic Fermentation in January of 2007
To quote Stefania as we transferred it into barrel, "This isn't bad hooch". It's actually pretty good wine, with nice color and a sweet fruit nose, fun to drink. It will likely be a "Gratis" gift for our friends and customers. Total of 1 1/2 barrels, @ 35cases
Release Scheduled: Spring of 2008.
Estimated price: 3 packs for $60.

After having their cab from the 2007 Fall release, I jumped all over this, took my full 6 bottle allocation of syrah, 3 bottle allocation of the Haut Tubee, and requested 3 extra bottles of the Haut Tubee, which Paul was kind enough to allocate to me! Thanks Paul.

All I can say, is that their cab is incredible, and I have yet to hear anything bad about any of their wines. People love them! If you are not on their list, sign up as soon as you can! They make very small quantities of wine, and their mailing list already has a lot of members. Is this going to be yet another California cult wine? Possibly, but unlike the cult wines, I don't see Paul and Stefania raising their prices like the cult wines. They are just that good of people and we tank them, and look forward to meeting them in the future!

2005 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard

What is there to say about this wine other than awesome. Many of you have heard me talk about them before, and I think they are producing the best $35 cabernet on the market today.

This is the 2nd bottle we have enjoyed of a half case, and we brought it to Dave's Annual Wine Bash to introduce to others. Needless to say, it went over well and was a huge success, and I am sure a few of you signed up for their mailing list after this.

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I had this bottle opened for a good 4 hours before we took our first pour, and it showed a really nice dark ruby color in the glass, with hints of mocha and dark cherry on the nose. On the palate, lots of darker blueberry and raspberry notes shine through, with a good acidity, and the faintest bits of toasted oak and spice. A nice medium long finish was to follow, and this wine showed to be very well integrated, with a nice and creamy full bodied texture! All I can say about this wine is wow. Great to drink now, or cellar for yet a few more years. This is a must buy for us, and I look forward to their syrah release in the Spring. No matter what they release, you can count on us to go "all in." Awesome wines at $35 a bottle, and to boot, Paul and Stefania seem like great people. I can't wait to meet them at an offline in the future.

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Overall, I'll go a point higher on this wine than the last bottle we had, and give it 92 out of 100 points. Could be a 95 pointer with another couple years in the bottle. We'll see! Check them out at: http://www.stefaniawine.com/ and be sure to let them know that we sent you! Cheers!