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Foxglove Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Tasting Note
Also a strong effort, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) was aged primarily in tank with a small amount in oak. It is a seductive, authentic tasting, slightly herbaceous Cabernet that is dominated by black currant and black cherry fruit notes. With medium to full body, round, soft tannins, and a juicy finish, this delicious, endearing wine should drink well for 4-5 years or longer.
89 points Robert Parker
Foxglove Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Price: £14.95 per bottle | Per Case: £115.00ib/12
Foxglove Chardonnay 2009 Tasting Note
This terrific portfolio of values is led by Foxglove’s remarkable 2009 Chardonnay, a non-oaked, stainless steel-fermented and aged white that sees no malolactic fermentation. Moreover, there are 30,000 cases of this beauty, a blend of two-thirds Santa Barbara County fruit and the rest from Paso Robles and further north in Monterey. It exhibits crisp honeyed lemon, citrus, poached pear, and honeysuckle notes intermixed with a hint of pineapple. However, it is the zesty acidity, stunning purity, and delightful balance this naked Chardonnay possesses that make it so appealing. Enjoy it over the next year.
90 points Robert Parker
Foxglove Chardonnay 2009
Price: £14.95 per bottle | Per Case: £115.00ib/12
Foxglove Zinfandel 2008
Price: £14.95 per bottle | Per Case: £115.00ib/12
Neely Hidden Block Pinot Noir 2008 Tasting Note
The three Pinot Noirs I tasted under the Neely label all had advanced medium garnet colors as well as complex aromatics of pomegranate, apple skins, herbs and earth. My favorite is Neely’s 2008 Pinot Noir Hidden Block Spring Ridge Vineyard, which possesses sweeter fruit, more complexity and a Cote de Beaune-like red fruit character intermixed with spice and earth.
91 points Robert Parker
Neely Hidden Block Pinot Noir 2008
Price: £36.50 per bottle | Per Case: £325.00ib/12
Neely Three Blocks Pinot Noir 2008
Price: £36.50 per bottle | Per Case: £325.00ib/12
Neely Chardonnay Hollys Cuvee 2007 Tasting Note
The steely, crisp 2007 Chardonnay Holly's Cuvee comes from a high elevation vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It exhibits delicate notes of pineapples, white peaches, poached pears, and citrus blossoms in a medium-bodied, zesty style. While it is no doubt barrel-fermented and aged, the oak is kept well in the background, with the structure and terroir fully in charge. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.
90 points Robert Parker
Neely Chardonnay Hollys Cuvee 2007
Price: £39.95 per bottle | Per Case: £350.00ib/12
2009 Bee Block Chardonnay Tasting Note
The 2009 Chardonnay Bee Block is just 20 feet from the Amphitheater Block, but here the exposure turns east. The Bee Block is the most overt of these 2009 Chardonnays from Varner. Here the fruit moves toward the tropical end of the spectrum, perhaps owing to a richer layer of topsoil. Nevertheless, this is the closest wine to what readers are likely to identify as California Chardonnay. Once again, the integration of French oak is nothing short of masterful. The long, textured, finish is striking. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019.
96 points Robert Parker
These three Chardonnays from Jim and Bob Varner are made from three blocks the Varners planted in the early 1980s in the Portola Valley. They are fairly large-scaled wines that at the same time retain considerable minerality and structure in a style that is distinctive of the Santa Cruz Mountains, but that stands apart from the lusher, oakier style of wine many people associate as typical of California Chardonnay. The wines are fermented with natural yeasts and stay on their lees in barrel with no rackings until they are prepared for bottling. The 2009 Chardonnays are big, imposing wines. Nevertheless, my instincts say they will offer their best drinking before age 10 or so. Readers should do whatever they can to taste these majestic Chardonnays.
2009 Bee Block Chardonnay
Price: £44.95 per bottle
2009 Home Block Chardonnay Tasting Note
The 2009 Chardonnay Home Block is fabulous. It is rather inward and reticent, but the wine’s personality is impossible to miss. Ash, minerals, earthiness are some of the notes that add complexity to the intense fruit. This is another sweeping, totally elegant wine from Varner. I find the Home Block a little less mineral than the Amphitheater. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2019.
These three Chardonnays from Jim and Bob Varner are made from three blocks the Varners planted in the early 1980s in the Portola Valley. They are fairly large-scaled wines that at the same time retain considerable minerality and structure in a style that is distinctive of the Santa Cruz Mountains, but that stands apart from the lusher, oakier style of wine many people associate as typical of California Chardonnay. The wines are fermented with natural yeasts and stay on their lees in barrel with no rackings until they are prepared for bottling. The 2009 Chardonnays are big, imposing wines. Nevertheless, my instincts say they will offer their best drinking before age 10 or so. Readers should do whatever they can to taste these majestic Chardonnays.
95 points Robert Parker
2009 Home Block Chardonnay
Price: £44.95 per bottle
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