We didn't let the rain stop us from having our parade of the 8th Annual Trilogy Release. We saw many guests from all over the nation that came out to enjoy the 2007 Trilogy with us.
Our guest of honor was Cindy Pawlcyn who conducted two pairing sessions that after each one our guests were in absolute awwwh of her and the pairings.
Another guest of honor our Winemaker, Paul Steinauer who hosted two blending sessions that he will be announcing the winner of those soon.
Here are some pictures of the event and the wonderful food that we got to enjoy! Thank you to all of you for bearing the rain and making the Trilogy Release a success.
In February we are having all kinds of fun events at The Room! On 2/2 we will be celebrating Groundhog Day with special discounts! Also, every Friday we will offer a Chocolate and Cabernet pairing. We also are having a special Valentine’s weekend 2.13- 2.14 package that includes a brunch at The Room and dinner at The Estate with a stay at our sister property, Rancho Caymus Inn. The last weekend we are having our first ever “We Care Weekend” where we will take pet food donations for the local St. Helena Animal Shelter-a good cause which benefits you since you will receive a complimentary tasting for your donation!
February is going to be a great month here at The Room and we look forward to welcoming you!
One of Flora Springs finest, Richard Tiedemann was the host at The Gasparilla Inn Food & Wine Festival last weekend. Richard conducted a food and wine pairing that featured:
2007 Holy Smoke paired with fllet mignon
2007 Out of Sight paired with New York strip
2007 Wild Boar paired with Tri-Tip
2007 Rutherford Hillside Reserve
After the pairing, 90 guests were treated to a 7 course dinner that featured all of Flora Springs wines. Everyone had a blast and enjoyed all the wines.
Posted by Robert Whitley on January 19, 2010 at 1:53 PM
Value Wineries: The Top 25
In my Creators Syndicate Wine Talk column this week I tackle value wineries. The emphasis is mine because my take on value might be considered somewhat out of the mainstream. I refuse to draw a dollar-line in the sand.
Even if I have an arbitrary limit of, say, $18 for a red and $15 for a white, I am willing to spend a bit more if I believe I'm getting a bang for the extra bucks. Value isn't necessarily a synonym for cheap. Nor should it be.
So this week's Wine Talk lists my Top 25 "Value" wineries from around the world. These are wineries that have impressed me over the past year, but as always the list is subject to change and will be updated as warranted over the course of this year.
I've posted the first five of the Top 25 here, but the entire list can be accessed over at Whitley On Wine.
1. Flora Springs, Napa Valley -- No fair, you might think, because I lead off with perhaps the most expensive wines in the Top 25. Yet, the $26 price tag on the 2006 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon this week was truly remarkable. Think about that. A solid Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from a big-time Napa winery for under $30. A few years back the regular Napa Valley Cab from Flora Springs very nearly won the award for best red wine at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition. Enough said.
*Please note the price is incorrect the Napa Valley Caberent Sauvignon is $36
I wish we could be there for the Trilogy party, but we have to fly home that day. We've been looking forward to returning since you last hosted us on a tour of the winery on 7/31/08. My husband and I started and ended our last trip to wine country with Flora Springs. The last day of our visit we were pleased to be the first guests at The Room on the morning of 8/8/08. Margaret was kind enough to take care of us even though she was obviously very busy with the final touches that were being done at The Room.
Not only do we love Flora Springs wine, we love how nice the Flora Springs team is to us. You never fail to make us feel special!
Over the years, we’ve joined and dropped out of several wine clubs. Flora Springs is definitely a keeper!
As lifelong and career environmentalists, we appreciate and respect Flora Springs commitment to the environment.
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Reserve, from a vineyard planted in Rutherford’s famed red soils, is a classic Rutherford Bench wine with exceptional concentration as well as depth. Brambleberry, cassis, black cherry, spice box, and cedar notes are accompanied by superb, full-bodied flavors, exceptional polished, refined tannins, and a finish that lasts nearly 45 seconds. It can be drunk now or cellared for 25 or more years.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
2007 Holy Smoke Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 94
From: Oakville
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $85
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Holy Smoke, which comes from an Oakville site, exhibits classic Pauillac-like notes of creme de cassis, cedar, licorice, and incense. It is a full-bodied, powerful effort with stunning concentration, richness, and length. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
2007 Out of Sight Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 93
From: Napa
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $85
Nearly as impressive, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Out of Sight is produced from the Stags Leap area, and possesses more graphite and floral notes along with red and black currants and licorice. Its saturated purple color is among the darkest of all these wines. This elegant yet substantial 2007 should drink well for 15-20 years.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
2007 Rennie Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 93+
From: St. Helena
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $100
A wine I had not seen before is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rennie Reserve, which comes from a different block of their Rutherford holdings, located on the valley floor rather than the hillsides. This block of vines has been the foundation for Flora Springs’ 20th and 25th Anniversary offerings. The 2007 Rennie Reserve reveals beautifully sweet blackberry and black currant fruit, incredible charm and suppleness, and perhaps the most endearing and seductive personality of all these 2007 Cabernets. It is drinkable already, and I suspect it has two decades of life ahead of it. The wine is impeccably balanced, opulent, and voluptuous with loads of red and black fruits kissed gently by toasty oak, licorice, and spice box. A beauty!
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each
The 2007 Trilogy might be called a Napa version of St.-Emilion blended with a Margaux. A harmonious blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, it offers undeniable elegance as well as lovely black currant and black cherry notes intermixed with hints of cocoa, roasted herbs, cedar, and licorice. This textured, lush, medium to full-bodied, beautifully constructed 2007 can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
2007 Wild Boar Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 91
From: Pope Valley
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $85
Meat juice, roasted herb, and charcuterie aromas jump from the glass of the peppery, earthy, potent, almost savage 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Wild Boar. Coming from Pope Valley, this cuvee can have an excess of tannins, but that component has been tamed in the 2007. It is a big, tannic, impressive, full-bodied, muscular example of Napa Cabernet.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.
A sleeper of the vintage, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa possesses abundant black currant and black cherry fruit, and hints of white chocolate, espresso, and loamy soil. This terrific value in Napa Valley Cabernet is soft, silky, and opulent with 10-12 years of life ahead of it.
One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.-Robert Parker
Even if I have an arbitrary limit of, say, $18 for a red and $15 for a white, I am willing to spend a bit more if I believe I'm getting a bang for the extra bucks. Value isn't necessarily a synonym for cheap. Nor should it be.