Friday, January 22, 2010

2006 Sequel Syrah

Sequel from CellarThief on Vimeo.

Great wine from Washington.

Friday, January 22, 2010

2007 Novelty Hill Chardonnay

2007 Novelty Hill Chardonnay from CellarThief on Vimeo.

A great wine from Washington.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Today's Featured Wine #1: 2006 Barnard Griffin Syrah

Great Wine Profile

We don't mess around with swill at CellarThief...nope, only great wines at stellar prices. Here is another great find from the cellar...

2006 Barnard Griffin Syrah

On the Eastern side of the mountains in Washington, they are making some smokin' wines for dynamite prices - this is a great example. Washington is becoming the king of Syrah in these parts and this one is silky smooth and impossible not to like. Serve it to anybody and everybody and you'll having raging fans!!

Barnard Griffin Winery: 2006 Syrah

Wine Spectator - 90 points
"Velvety in texture, this is generous with its cherry, pomegranate and sweet spice flavors, deftly balanced to slide some oak notes into the background. The finish lingers enticingly. Drink now through 2013."

Barnard Griffin Winery: Owner

Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard

Barnard Griffin Winery: Region

Columbia Valley, Washington (Washington Wine)

Barnard Griffin Winery: Background

There's a great show on the Sundance Channel called "Iconoclasts"....all about interesting folks who have made life and adventure by doing things a bit differently and going the distance when nobody believed they could. Rob Griffin wouldn't be out of place on the show - a guy who didn't listen to his U.C. Davis instructors when they told him in the mid-1970's that you couldn't make great wine in Washington State. Wow, I guess those profs have eaten their words - and I also bet they have washed those words down with some of the great wines coming out of Washington.

Rob starting making wines under his own label in 1983 and has made wines at Hogue and Preston.

Barnard Griffin Winery: Wines Made

Barnard Griffin makes a number of hard not to like wines, including Fume Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling.

Barnard Griffin Winery: Food Pairing

The 2006 Barnard Griffin Syrah is meaty and rich without being too over-the-top...the food you eat with it should be the same:

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.