Annapolis, MD
“Hopefully she hasn’t read what we’ve written about that buttery Chardonnay,” we thought.
We were talking to Maggie Kruse, new head winemaker for Jordan Winery in California. Don’t worry, we’re not about to sell you a $90 California Cab (though if you like that stuff, go for the 2012 vintage).
We did, however, get a few tips about the upcoming 2019 vintage of Californian wines.
More on that below… This week, our resident wine expert, Julien Miquel, is hot on the trail of some champagne (our fall collection of wines will be from France). We’re taking the opportunity to re-run a favorite of Julien’s – his two-part tour of Italy and its wines.
In these videos, you’ll discover the best regions for red… Leonardo Da Vinci’s favorite wine… and why you shouldn’t count out Italian rosé, sparkling, or white wines!
What a Jordan Insider Told Us (continued)
So two tips about 2019 California wines…
First, it’s been a late harvest year in the Alexander Valley. It was wet, which is typically not terribly promising for reds. However, early reports indicate that phenolic expression in whites and sparkling wines is better than expected. White lovers could be in for a pleasant surprise come next summer.
Second, Californian wine may never be the same again.
The wild fires that culminated in last year’s mega-blaze ravaged so much of the coast that entire vineyards in Napa and Sonoma have been lost, along with vines over one hundred years old.
Even those not lost to the flames may never produce the exact same kind of wine, as the environment around them has been irrevocably changed.
We’re already hearing whispers that one day in the future, pre-fire Sonoma wine and post-fire Sonoma wine may develop into two entirely different categories – with very different valuations.
More interesting to us, however, are the wines from the fire years themselves.
Grapes grown next to a blast furnace, coated with soot and ash, will not yield the same wines as grapes grown in the traditionally cool, dry environs of regular Sonoma and Napa.
If you have spare room in the cellar, you might consider grabbing a case of Sonoma 2018. Some years from now… you might open it up to find a wine that can never, ever be replicated.
That wraps things up for this week. But before we part ways, we need to make you aware of some recent Partnership news.
Here it is: We’ve secured some additional cases of wines from our Italian collection.
If you loved that Barolo… Brunello… Bolgheri… Sangiovese… or Chianti… you can now order your very own case (half and full cases available – you can see all the wines here).
Here’s why we don’t want you to miss this: these wines are very hard to find in the U.S. On the off chance you do see them again, it will likely be with a very high mark-up (any restaurant in the U.S. could justify charging over $100 a bottle).
Until Sunday, however, you can get a case for up to 20% off… that’s a saving of up to $137!
But supplies are already running low. Your fellow members have already claimed over 800 bottles. If you haven’t looked at which wines are available yet, you really should. Click here to reserve your case (or cases)…
Sincerely,
Bonner Private Wine Partnership
P.S. We are allowing members to reserve half cases (6 bottles) of Italian wine as well as full cases. And when you do reserve a half case, you’ll get up to $70 off! You can see all the wines here.
P.P.S. As always, shipping is on us.