{"title":"Hidden Gems in Napa 5.23.24","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"robert-sinskey-pov-2015","title":"Robert Sinskey POV","description":"","brand":"Left Bank","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44071695319273,"sku":"A47060","price":45.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/files\/Websitephototemplate_63.png?v=1691444178"},{"product_id":"snowden-the-ranch","title":"Snowden The Ranch Cabernet","description":"","brand":"Select Sellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47281345036521,"sku":"122801","price":69.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/products\/image_fe24468b-a29a-4289-a7c8-b65d7d2c1cb4.png?v=1632510270"},{"product_id":"smith-madrone-riesling-2016","title":"Smith Madrone Riesling Spring Mountain","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eI have been selling Smith-Madrone wines since the 2001 vintage, and my love of them has never flagged. They make three wines - Cab, Chard, and Riesling, the one we’ll focus on today. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis is a legendary wine in Napa Valley - the first Riesling to drop “Johannesburg” from the label; the first to reduce residual sugar down to an “Alsatian” level; the first wine to be dry-farmed in the Valley; and of course - the first Riesling from Spring Mountain \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eterroir\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e. Having been to the winery and met with Stu and Charles Smith, the brothers in winemaking together, I can assure you that this is exceptional, world-class Riesling. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut sometimes the makers say it best. Here are Stu and Charles on their Riesling:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Aromatically, the 2016 Riesling has strong floral notes with an admixture of lime, stone fruits and minerality. These qualities translate seamlessly into a succulent mid-palate replete with corresponding flavors. Very Alsatian in styles, the creamy center suggests a kind of delicate forcefulness that finishes with a bright, lively, juicy-fruit acidity. Altogether lovely, delicious and stylish, the Riesling would be great ice-cold on a hot summer day or make a superb accompaniment to a wide variety of food either spicy or savory. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“This wine is made from mountain grown grapes, honoring the international tradition of Riesling which thrives on steep hillsides. At Smith-Madrone our goal is to make artisanal wines which are distinctive and are an expression of both the vintage and us as vintners, but above all else, are wines which bring pleasure to the senses. Every year our wine is made from the same vineyards, pruned by the same people in the same way, cultivated in exactly the same manner and harvested at similar levels of maturity, yet Mother Nature stamps each vintage with a unique set of flavors, senses and character. Vintage dating is a celebration of that uniqueness and diversity. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“New with this bottling is the availability of this wine in hand-waxed magnum (1.5L) bottles: quite a stunning presentation.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eQuite stunning indeed. We got just a few magnums. Order while you can! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Left Bank","offers":[{"title":"750 ml","offer_id":46128159228137,"sku":"A47810","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1.5 L","offer_id":46128159260905,"sku":"","price":69.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2018","offer_id":47941677449449,"sku":"","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/products\/image_3bc53124-888b-4a54-93c4-cfb19def8af3.png?v=1634570841"},{"product_id":"barlow-vineyards-barrouge","title":"Barlow Vineyards Barrouge Cabernet","description":"\u003cp class=\"paragraph-spacing-none\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eWhen I first purchased this wine, the salesperson told me that it would be an odyssey, that I just needed to drink the whole bottle over a long period of time to achieve the entire, magnificent experience. That’s not a common sales pitch in the wine industry! But believe me – this magical Napa Cab entirely lived up to the hype.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph-spacing-none\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe wine opens with an alluring and fascinating complexity of aromas – the fruits of Cabernet, black currants, fig, black cherry and plums; but also a wonderful sense of savory aromas of Cabernet– graphite, wet earth, thyme and rosemary. These come together on the palate in a seamless way that nicely flows into the tannin and acidity backing up the wine, giving it a full and powerful body. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eIndeed, it’s that sense of old-school Napa tannin coming together with a slightly lower alcohol content that makes me think of those earth-shattering, recording-winning Napa Cabs from the 1970s … you know, the ones that whipped the Frenchies at the“Judgment of Paris.” Glass after glass, the wine continues getting more and more complex, not revealing its utter deliciousness until, indeed, the final glass is gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eAnd there you have it! An odyssey in Napa Valley Cabernet. Now to the background:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe Smith family came together in 1994 to farm a Cabernet vineyard in Calistoga, Napa Valley. Their first vintage was all of 25 cases, and as reported, it sold quickly! Twenty-eight years later, they’ve grown a little bit, now farming 50 acres, but all their wines are still 100% estate and 100% family-owned. That, and the amazing fact that they age their wines for you—please do note that this is a seven-year-old Cabernet right in its prime drinking window—makes this deal simply astonishing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eI am frequently asked, “What is a ‘hidden gem’ winery in Napa Valley? Someone who is making exceptional wine, but doesn’t price it as a tourist trap.” Well, here is my praiseworthy answer – Barlow Vineyards Cabernet 2015. Exceptional wine, aged for you, and at a fantastic price. Cheers and Happy Holidays!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AVA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45519629254889,"sku":"5200","price":48.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/products\/image_059eca61-b9ce-47be-9af2-b269fc8b3d75.png?v=1671463750"},{"product_id":"ghost-block-cabernet-sauvignon","title":"Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon","description":"","brand":"AVA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45158124355817,"sku":"5726","price":84.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"the-paring-sauvignon-blanc","title":"The Paring Sauvignon Blanc","description":"","brand":"AVA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46436848173289,"sku":"4188","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/files\/Websitephototemplate_52.png?v=1691439763"},{"product_id":"long-meadow-ranch-sauvignon-blanc-rutherford","title":"Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford","description":"","brand":"Left Bank","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44380080177385,"sku":"A16620","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"wonderland-project-cabernet-sauvignon-no-9","title":"Wonderland Project Cabernet Sauvignon No 9","description":"","brand":"Breakthru","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46842356859113,"sku":"9651784","price":41.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0579\/2805\/7022\/files\/Stockbottlewhitelabel_17f388c4-b449-49ba-b62c-da18f43f94af.png?v=1772144132"},{"product_id":"oakville-winery-zinfandel","title":"Oakville Winery Estate Zinfandel","description":"","brand":"AVA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47239921991913,"sku":"5432","price":33.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}]}],"url":"https:\/\/waterfordwine.com\/collections\/hidden-gems-in-napa-5-23-24.oembed?page=2","provider":"Waterford Wine and Spirits","version":"1.0","type":"link"}