IntoWine Staff

417 Wines' Chris Ball Discusses His Winemaking Tangent

IntoWine recently caught up with Chris Ball of 417 Wines, the producers of Tangent Cabernet Sauvignon, to discuss his foray into winemaking: How did your foray into winemaking come about? I was first really exposed to wine while studying Architecture in Sienna, Italy. After I came back I began developing a taste for what I appreciated, which in turn led to collecting wines, and eventually the desire to make wine…specifically wine in the image of what I enjoy. My good friend David Dain of Dain Wines has served as a mentor as well as consultant on our inaugural release of the two 2007’s

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Tangent Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - IntoWineTV Episode 140

In this episode of IntoWineTV, host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent and Loren Sonkin convene among the vines at Crushpad in Napa Valley to taste and discuss the cult wine brands of Crushpad. Theme: Cult Wines of Crushpad Wine: 2007 Tangent Cabernet Sauvignon , $79 Buy this wine Vineyard: Carrefour Vineyard Region: Napa Valley Varietals: 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cab Franc Alcohol %: 15% Background: Tan-gent [tan-juhnt] adjective 1. The point where a life changing bottle of wine touches a great circle of friends. —noun 2. An abrupt change of course: Wine provides a tangent to our everyday lives. Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: An exuberant expression of Cabernet, it offers notes of blackberries, blueberries, espresso roast, and smoky oak, a super-rich mouthfeel, great freshness and purity, and enough acidity and tannin to provide structure as well as definition. It will be delicious young, but should become more civilized in 4-5 years, and keep for two decades.

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Cult Vines' Michael Cochran Winemaking & the Evolution of His California Cult Wine Brand

California has been home to many cult wines over the past few decades. Typically a small production label makes a series of great wines, a few -usually connected- wine enthusiasts discover them, word then spreads through the wine community as the financially well endowed lay claim to the membership lists and clamor for the next release, driving up prices in the process. Meanwhile, the producer breathes a sigh of relief knowing that, not only will their next release sell out, but that it will sell for a premium. Napa Valley's Cult Vines , as its name not-at-all-subtly implies, has focused its efforts directly on this sub-sector of the wine market; and there is nothing modest about their strategy. They are choosing the best grapes from the most respected vineyards and endeavoring to make the finest Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Roussane/Marsanne possible to sell to cult wine fans with deep pockets. And to their credit, their strategy appears to be working as planned. IntoWine caught up with Cult Vines co-founder Michael Cochran to learn more about his foray into cult winemaking.

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Cult Vines Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - IntoWineTV Episode 139

In this episode of IntoWineTV, host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent and Loren Sonkin convene among the vines at Crushpad in Napa Valley to taste and discuss the cult wine brands of Crushpad. Theme: Cult Wines of Crushpad Wine: 2007 Cult Vines Cabernet Sauvignon , $125 Buy this wine Vineyard: To Kalon Vineyard - This is the site that started the California cult cab mania. It has produced many legendary wines, including 99 point scores from the beloved Robert Parker. Located in the Oakville American Viticultural Area (AVA), at the base of the Mayacamas Mountain range, To Kalon experiences warm daytime temperatures tempered by the morning and evening fog influence from the Pacific Ocean.This is our oldest vineyard and the fruit is sourced from a block planted with clone 4 in the mid 90's. Consisting mostly of clay loam, it drains well and doesn't retain nutrients well. The effect is natural devigoration that results in smaller, more concentrated clusters of fruit. Wines produced from this site have a phenomenal combination of power and silkiness. This is the Grand Cru vineyard of the new world!

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IntoWine Interviews Sunset Ridge Vineyards Co-Founder Linda Stinson

IntoWine recently caught up with Sunset Ridge Vineyards Co-Founder Linda Stinson to discuss winemaking: What inspired the name Sunset Ridge Vineyards? The view next to our vineyard has a ridge and the sunsets here in Paso Robles are inspiring. How did your foray into winemaking come about? It all...

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Sunset Ridge Vineyards Petite Syrah 2007 - IntoWineTV Episode 138

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Do screw caps on wine bottles indicate a cheap wine?

QUESTION: Do screw caps on wine bottles indicate a cheap wine? No. Cheap wine indicates cheap wine . There is an issue with corks as a small percentage of them will cause a problem with the wine in the bottle. The most famous of these is TCA which is a bacterium that, while harmless, can cause a wine to smell and taste muted at best or like wet cardboard at worse. Other issues are imperfect seals which cause a wine to age prematurely.

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What differentiates old world wines versus new world wines?

QUESTION: What differentiates old world versus new world wines? This is a question that does not have a consensus in the wine business. It used to be that countries like France were old world and New Zealand were new world. In general, these arguments can still stand. New Zealand really is a new wine producing country. However, it gets into murky water. Some people would consider South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Spain, Lebanon and Portugal as new world producers.

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What does decanting do to a wine?

QUESTION: What does decanting do to a wine? There are two reasons to decant a wine. The first reason is to remove the sediment that can build up in a wine over time. Sediment is particulate matter that has fallen out of the wine. It is safe to consume, but some find it unpleasant and unattractive. The older the wine, generally the more sediment, although certain types of grapes produce more than others. To decant a wine for sediment, stand the bottle up in a cool place for a few days at minimum.

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What does it mean for a wine to be unbalanced?

QUESTION: What does it mean for a wine to be unbalanced? When a wine is young , it can take years for all the various elements, such as acidity, tanning and fruit to integrate. Until such time the wine can be considered out of balance. However, some young wines can be balanced in the beginning and age gracefully to develop more elegance or character. A lot of the time, a wine professional will refer to a wine as being unbalanced if the wine tastes too strongly of one particular element, very commonly oak, alcohol or acidity.

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IntoWine Staff

Articles

417 Wines' Chris Ball Discusses His Winemaking Tangent

Tangent Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - IntoWineTV Episode 140

Cult Vines' Michael Cochran Winemaking & the Evolution of His California Cult Wine Brand

Cult Vines Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - IntoWineTV Episode 139

IntoWine Interviews Sunset Ridge Vineyards Co-Founder Linda Stinson

Sunset Ridge Vineyards Petite Syrah 2007 - IntoWineTV Episode 138

Do screw caps on wine bottles indicate a cheap wine?

What differentiates old world wines versus new world wines?

What does decanting do to a wine?

What does it mean for a wine to be unbalanced?

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