Will do. We’re staying very close so we can get in on the ground floor.
I have been a huge fan of Jacquelynn from Chateau Boswell but since Luc left I was going to hold off ordering until I saw the results. Great hearing your thoughts on the wines. What is the name of Chris Tynan’s mini side project?
I have a case of Hayfork coming in and just signed up on the list for Scully.
Has Roy said anything else about his side project?
Continuum, Hobel is awesome, Fairchild
Mondavi cannot really be called new, can he?
No…just a new wine, TRB is not new either (Hobel)
On the same note has anyone had Carte Blanche, Luc Morlet and Nicholas Allen
I’ve tasted (not purchased) a couple disappointing wines from Luc Morlet that were ridiculously overpriced. They were smoke-tainted Pinot Noirs from the 2008 vintage when Sonoma was affected by wildfires and they were asking $90 and $113 for these flawed wines! It made me distrust the producer although the Cabernets may be a different story.
At a Myriad tasting Mike brought a bottle of another wine he is making, Scarlett 2009 Cab. This is a wine that will polarize, either love or hate. Here is the CT note:
2/24/2012 rated 92 points: At a recent tasting with Mike Smith in Boca and this was the most surprising wine of the night. Reminded me of a barrel sample of ToKalon. Probably the most indulgent and intense cabernet I have tasted. Full bodied, subtle creamy tannins, ripe fruit, vanilla, cotton candy, with a touch of oak, maybe a bit over the top. My wife would love this wine. Looking forward to trying again and hearing others thoughts.
I have had only the Cab. Great, very balanced juice. My friend thinks highly of the Chards, but then again I’m not into the white wines as much. Interested in giving it a swirl?
I was just at Chateau Boswell, where I had a chance to taste the 10/11’s from barrel. There are 2 new offerings that I know of for 2010, the 2010 Ritchie Chardonnay and the 2010 Dr. Crane and a 2011 Georges III. I had the Ritchie from bottle and the others from barrel. The Ritchie and Dr. Crane were stellar and I mean stellar.
Hope I come across an open bottle sometime in the near future!!
The OP asked about “smaller wineries with very involved wine makers” that he might not have heard about. Two of his examples, Myriad (first vintage 2007) and Corra (first vintage 2004) are not new. But then, he never used the word “new.”
He did in the subject line of the thread, Counselor.
I am sorry for my confusion.
Kinsella Estates. They make a killer new cab I found last year. 2008 was their first vintage so the winery is new but the winemaker, TRB, is not. I think they only make 150 to 200 cases as of right now but the '08 was one of my favorite cabs of the year. Highly recommended in my opinion.
It is amazing how many projects TRB has!! A quick list: Schrader, Maybach, Jones, Harris, Hobel, GTS, Rivers Marie, Black Sears, Hestan, Wallis, Outpost, Casa Piena, and Revanna. Most of them being @ $100 each, how do you narrow it down?!?
Tell me about! It all comes down to style preferences, which lists you can get on/want to be on and what the tariff is you are willing to pay. For all of those mentioned, I think Rivers-Marie ($55 for Napa and $75 for single vineyard) and Outpost ($65 Howell Mt) provide the best QPR ratio…though I do love the style of Schrader, Maybach and Kinsella as well…which is one huge reason why my discretionary fund is always getting depleted (that and my Brent Cotton art obsession).
Still no affirmation for the Vineyardist? 
2009 is their first release and while not new , but very involved are Mark Herold and Jim Barbour.
Checked out the website and am now on the mailing list. So many new cabs in the $100+ range. This will just be added to the list of hope to try one day down the road.
Reading really is fundamental, isn’t it?
