Friday, January 29, 2010

January MVP's

January MVP's from CellarThief on Vimeo.

Top wines of the month.

3 Great Wine Deals to Close January.

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 #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.