Simi Landslind Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

I’ll admit it; I’m a sucker for packaging. Not so much how it’s displayed on a shelf in the store, really more how I carry my goodies out the door. Some tissue paper and ribbon really goes a long way with me. I know some will say I’m paying for that little happiness with higher store prices, well so be it! It’s a small price to pay when you think about it. Why should our bundles be shoved into a plastic bag, don’t we deserve to feel a little special every now and then?

Several weeks ago I received a wine sample that was packaged not in the usual Styrofoam or cardboard form but in heavy card stock box, cushioned in shredded paper and wrapped in a mock newspaper detailing SimiWinery’s 135 years in the wine industry. I have to tell you, I don’t know if it was the packaging but Simi Landslind Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 was one of the finest wines I have tasted in some time.

As the aromas waft out of the glass I think, “oh, this is going to be something special.” Aromas full of black fruits and oak. First sip is pure ecstasy with black cherry and delicious oak flavors. Tannins are bold yet smooth and elegant. Finish goes on and on, I never want this wine to end. We paired the wine with a cut of meat from our 1/8 of a cow purchase. A wonderful grass fed filet made this pairing a match made in heaven. 

Appellations: Alexander Valley
Varietal composition: 80% Cabernet Sauvginon, 9% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Tannat
Fermentation: 34 days on skins
Aging: 26 months in 78% new oak
Total acidity: 5.8 g/L
pH: 3.61
Alcohol: 14.5%

Simi is Sonoma County’s longest continually operating winery. Founded by Italian immigrant brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi in 1881. The brothers left their home in Tuscany following their quest for fortune in the California Gold Rush. After making a few bucks selling wine on the streets of San Francisco, the brothers purchased the winery in Healdsburg and planted their first vineyards in Alexander Valley.

The first harvest was in 1890 but their run was short lived. Both brothers died in 1904 from the Spanish flu, leaving Giuseppe’s daughter, Isabelle, at the reigns. During Prohibition, Isabelle sold the vineyards but held onto the winery by making sacramental wine. This decision among others allowed the winery to continue making wine and once Prohibition ended, the winery had an abundance of wine to sell to the thirsty public.

Fast forward to 1970 when Isabelle retires after selling the winery to Russell Green. Green, a leader in obtaining AVA status for Alexander Valley expands by purchasing  vineyards in the Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley. This is in keeping with the wineries tradition of obtaining quality grapes from top growing regions. Simi now owns 600 acres of vineyards in Alexander Valley and 100 acres in Russian River Valley.

Cheers to one of California’s oldest running wineries!

If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.

2011© Kellie Stargaard.  All Rights Reserved.

http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

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2005 Marietta Cabernet Sauvignon

Sometimes a wine has all the perfect components making it a truly enjoyable experience. Other times, the wine has totally missed the mark and can really put a damper on your evening. Then there are other times when the wine is lacking complexity and subtleness but is still very enjoyable, that was my experience with Marietta Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Toasty oak and blackberry aromas float out of the glass. The flavors are sweet yet avoid that jammy flavor that usually turns me off from a wine. Firm tannins and high acidity are present but the wine is still lacking a lot of complexity. While the wine is lacking complexity it’s still a nice wine for everyday drinking.

Marietta Cellars, founded in 1978 in a converted cow barn, is located in Sonoma County. After decades of producing wines, Chris Bilbro still approves all wines before bottling but the day to day operations are handled by Bilbro’s two sons, Jake and Scott. The winery currently produces 7 labels with vineyards in Alexander Valley and Mendocino. Bilbro stresses they don’t put a lot of emphasis on what appellation a wine comes from or what score a wine received. They instead concentrate on a wine that tastes good and makes life a little better.
I think that sums up my feelings for wine, I just want a wine that tastes good, is affordable and makes me happy.
2010© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

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