Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Featured Smash Hits

A little bit about each of today's great wines:

CellarThief Smash Hits 121509 from Cellarthief on Vimeo.

A bit of education, a bit of fun, a whole lot of great wine...these smash hits features are a quick intro to wines and wines featured on CellarThief.com.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Today's Featured Wine #3: 2006 Long Shadows Syrah

Great Wine Profile

We feature each great wine sold on CellarThief in our blog to be able to give more information on that wine and tell the unique story of each wonderful winery we work with. 

2006 Sequel Syrah

2006 Sequel Syrah - This is an absolutely stellar wine with incredible richness and complexity.  It is ready to roll or can be put in the cellar for years to come.  Made in partnership with the former winemaker from Grange, this is a world-class wine that can stand up to many of the best wines in the world.  

Long Shadows Winery : 2006 Sequel Syrah Rating

Rober Parker - 93 points
The 2006 Sequel is made by John Duval, former winemaker of Penfolds Grange. The wine is 96% Syrah and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18 months in 65% new French oak. Aromas of cedar, smoke, game, bacon, and violets are alluring while leading to a round, layered, smooth-textured, full-bodied wine with several years of aging potential. This hedonistic effort will be at its best from 2013 to 2021. CELLARTHIEF TRANSLATION: All bad beer commercials aside it really "doesn't get any better than this"...come on, a wine made by the former winemaker of Grange. This wine is usually nearly impossible to come by, but we've got it and at a delicious price. This is a drop dead steal!

Long Shadows Winery: Owner

Long-time wine industry vet Allen Shoup has been instrumental in putting Washington state and has been a pioneer among Washington Wineries.  Shoup created Long Shadows to make world-class Washington wines with top winemakers from around the world.  Not only are the great wines that make Washington proud but are emerging as some of the most exciting wines made on the planet right now.

Long Shadows Winery: Region

Columbia Valley, Washington (Wine Washington)

Long Shadows Winery: Background

A quirky and brilliant idea...1) Set up shop in Washington State, a region emerging as one of the most promising in the world; 2) Partner with world-class winemakers to craft individual wines that scream "holy hot dang that stuff is amazing"; 3) Only make a little bit and make it hard to come by; 4) Repeat. That's exactly what industry vet Allen Shoup did and boy are we glad to have a little juice from his Sequel project. Made in partnership with former Grange winemaker John Duval, only one wine is made per year from Sequel and it is down-right amazing every year.

Long Shadows Winery: Wines Made

Long Shadows makes great wines under different winery projects, all with leading winemakers.  Other great wines made by Long Shadows include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Riesling. 

Long Shadows Winery: Food Pairing

This 2006 Sequel Syrah needs hefty and hedonistic foods that can keep up with this great wine.

• Cheese: Mature Hard Cheeses like Cheddar
• Meat: Mmmm....Red Meat! And..Game...And...Lamb
• Pasta: Lasagna or Pasta with Bolognese
• Other: Smoked Pork Chops; Indian grub like lamb or Chicken Korma

Long Shadows Winery: Wine Style.

Big Bombers!
Wines that'll make you nearly go weak in the knees

With each sip, your teeth turn a deeper shade of red and your appetite starts roarin' for a big steak. These wines are mostly unruly in their youth (who isn't) though they are fun in their extra bit of danger (again, who isn't). Put them down in the cellar for a while and these wines will mature and shed the exuberance of youth without losing their fiery spirit.

Wine Washington. Great wine from Washington. 

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Today's Featured Wine #2: 2005 Chapel Hill Shiraz

Great Wine Profile

We feature each great wine sold on CellarThief in our blog to be able to give more information on that wine and tell the unique story of each wonderful winery we work with. 

2005 Chapel Hill Shiraz

2005 Chapel Hill Shiraz - Wonderful Shiraz from a highly regarded producer that started making wine in an historic church in South Australia in the 1970's.  This highly rated wine out of Australia is an excellent value for a wine that is sure to be a crowd pleaser for the many holiday parties around the corner.

Chapel Hill: 2005 Shiraz Rating

Rober Parker - 90 points
The 2005 Shiraz reveals the fullest body of this trio in addition to more blackberry, tar, smoke, and meaty notes, a supple, opulent palate, and a heady finish.  CellarThief Translation: Oh, Shiraz - you're silky and luscious and so darn yummy...and, our friends at Chapel Hill make one worth slurping all night long. Don't be fooled by the screw top - the twisters are cool these days and a quick test unveils some serious juice!

Chapel Hill: Owner

The winery has changed hands a couple of times and is currently owned by the Swiss Schmidheiny Family. 

Chapel Hill: Region

McLaren Vale, Australia (Wine Australia)

Chapel Hill: Background

What do you get when you mix an old church in dis-repair, a nutty professor and the crazy beautiful climate in McLaren Vale? Well, if you're Chapel Hill - you get delicious wines that aren't too pricey.

Since Professor Tom Nelson founded the winery in the 1970's it has changed hands a couple of times and is currently owned by an ambitious Swiss family looking to spread the great wines of Chapel Hill.

Chapel Hill: Wines Made

Great wines from the following varietals - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Port

Chapel Hill: Food Pairing

The 2005 Chapel Hill Shiraz should be paired with balanced foods that have flavor but aren't too rich.  Some ideas for pairings include:

• Cheese:  Cheddar, Parmesan and other hard cheeses
• Meat:  Shepherd's Pie & BBQ Meats
• Pasta:  Pasta with red sauce and Pizza, Pizza, Pies
• Other:  Fajitas, Chinese Food

Chapel hill : Wine Style.

This wine is considered "Rich & Tasty"!
Hello you juicy, yummy, over-ripe pineapples and bananas you. These wines are usually made in oak, have richer flavors while still having good fruit and are definitely crowd pleasers (whoop! whoop!) So, cork one of these , get some big ol' sippin' glasses out and let it roll!

Wine Australia. 

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Today's Featured Wine #1: 2004 Au Bon Climat Hildegard

Great Wine Profile

We feature each great wine sold on CellarThief in our blog to be able to give more information on that wine and tell the unique story of each wonderful winery we work with. 

2004 Au Bon Climat Hildegard

The 2004 Au Bon Climat Hildegard is a great wine from a top producer known for making classically styled wines that also live a bit on the edge.  This bottle is bursting with yumminess, satisfies the crazy side in all of us and is right in its prime to slurp down with some holiday cheer.  We chose to feature this wine for its unique character from the interesting blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Aligote. 

Au Bon Climat: Hidegard Rating

Rober Parker - 90 points
One of my favorite Clendenen wines year in and year out is his blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Aligote called Hildegard. The 2004 possesses honeysuckle, roasted hazelnut, orange rind, and lemon oil characteristics offered in a soulful, medium-bodied, richly fruity style. Satisfying both intellectually and hedonistically, it should drink well for 2-3 years.

Au Bon Climat: Owner

Jim Clendenen, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara who caught the wine bug and decided to dedicate his life to the vine rather than attending law school.  Clendenen is known as one of the most talented winemakers around and carries with him a bit of wine industry celebrity status. 

Au Bon Climat: Region

Santa Barbara County, California (Wine California)

Au Bon Climat: Background

Jim Clendenen graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with ambitions to head to Law School. It was during his "junior year abroad" in 1974, while turning 21 in France, that he discovered "life beyond tacos". After graduation, a one month stay in both Burgundy and Champagne convinced him to ditch a career in law to focus on wine.

The winery, whose name is French for "a well exposed vineyard", was founded in 1982 and has built a worldwide reputation for great wines that are innovative and classic at the same time. Clendenen's most famous wines are his Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, but he also has a reputation for crafting interesting and unique wines from a variety of less-than-common varietals. Wine & Spirits Magazine has named Clendenen "Winemaker of the Year" and Robert Parker has twice named Au Bon Climat one of the top wineries in the world.

Au Bon Climat Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are highly sought after and tough to come by in the best vintages. 

Au Bon Climat: Wines Made

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Blanc and more. 

Au Bon Climat: Food Pairing

The 2004 Au Bon Climat Hildegard should be paired with balanced foods that have flavor but aren't too rich.  Some ideas for pairings include:

• Cheese - Rich and Goooooeeeeyyyy Brie
• Seafood - Smoked Fish
• Pasta - Mushroom Ravioli
• Other - Thai Food; Pizza and a terribly dumb movie that you can only get away with watching on a Friday night

Au Bon Climat Hildegard : Wine Style.

This wine is considered "Rich & Tasty"!
Hello you juicy, yummy, over-ripe pineapples and bananas you. These wines are usually made in oak, have richer flavors while still having good fruit and are definitely crowd pleasers (whoop! whoop!) So, cork one of these , get some big ol' sippin' glasses out and let it roll!

Wine California. 

Friday, December 11, 2009

What We're About

"What are we about?"...It's a tough question really but one that you get asked every day in different ways:

• What do you do for a living? (translation: what are you about?)
• What kind of drink do you want with that? (translation: what are you about?)
• Do you wear boxers or briefs? (translation: what are you about?)
• Are you one of those people who has a pet porcupine that lives in your guest room and keeps you up all night with his loud music and frolicking? (translation: what are you about?)

So, simply stated...here is what CellarThief is about: We are about wine - good (usually way beyond good...even down-right, out-of-this-world delicious) wine at that. Yep, we are wine lovers who love a good story, a good life and a good bit of juice.

• We are about access - we don't think you should have to give up one meal per day to be able to drink great wines. So, we work hard to find you wines that aren't going to cause your bank to call you to up your over-draft protection.
• We also think that enjoying wine shouldn't be mixed with annoying descriptions and up-ticked noses (especially hairy ones). We are about having fun- we drink wine because we want to and it's fun and it makes life a bit better. We think you are probably the same way so we want to make sure you have fun being our friend and customer.
• We're about technology - we love technology because we think you can do really cool things that you can't do without it.
• We are about you- we want you to be happy and enjoy great wines and feel we care about you (we do you know).
• We are about doing good - we are excited that we can do our own little something to make a difference. We hope you are as proud to shop with us as we are to be able to make the world a bit better place.

Thanks for being part of CellarThief - we love having you as our friend.