Your favorite Cali Wineries... that are gone now?

WINE TALK
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I had forgotten about this thread and enjoy reading back through it. I am one of the long list of folks who miss Haven. I had forgotten about Jade Mountain, which I liked, and Guillliams which I discovered as it was going away. Although apparently in the minority, Garretson’s wines were not at all in my wheelhouse.

A new addition to the list. MacPhail. I always enjoyed their wines when in the mood for a larger-scaled pinot. And the folks at the tasting room in Sebastopol were always gracious and the sunshine on their deck was joyful.

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Arcadian

[cry.gif]

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Piazza Family Wines purchased the old Harrison-Clarke Vineyard and an adjacent property. I did an interview with Ron Piazza and his winemaker Gretchen Voelcker a few weeks back.

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Is Arcadian gone??

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Bressler

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Randy,

Thanks good to know.
Their prices seem similar to Harrison Clarke.
Talk about under the radar, could not find any of their wines on CT or Vivino which makes me all the more motivated to try them.

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Salinia Wine Company. I’d buy a case of the 500ml St Marigold chard if I could find it.

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Rabbit Ridge. Not a great winery but when I was 23, didn’t know much and didn’t have much money to spend these fit a good need.

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Wow, what a way to go

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Yikes

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Rabbit Ridge OVZ was a regular at our Easter lamb dinners. I always thought of their wines as pretty good QPR value.

That was in the early '90s. I wonder.

fred

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I just recalled one I bought a lot of back in the early 90s. I searched for the brand, Cinnabar (Santa Cruz Mountains) and saw they are still around though no longer making ‘Fox Hollow Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon. Polished, earthy and must have been cheap! There were some delicious 1987 California Cabernet available then, wines that may be still around as brands but significantly less interesting. Anyone remember Clos du Bois Marlstone, or William Hill Gold Label from that era?

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Inglenook Cask and BV Private Reserve - THE legends of California wines, now only around in name only.

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I’ve a soft spot for Robert Pecota, his Passito was always a favorite. He’d visit my buddy’s wine shop in IL occasionally as did Kathy Joseph who was making wine for him at the time. Enjoyed the labels, still have some framed and signed posters. I did a 3 week harvest stint at the winery early 2000’s, treated me like family, so if you have a bottle of his '02 cab that tastes a little off might be that I a dropped a flashlight or two in a couple of barrels :slight_smile:

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:hushed:
Cinnabar was probably the first wine I bought multiple bottles of and would be my go to on a list. Thanks for the flashback.

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Cinnabar is still around and has had the same winemaker George Troquato since 1990. The original winery and estate vineyard was sold to Jeffery Patterson of Mount Eden Vineyards in 2007 after the death of founder Tom Mudd. The winery is run out of a tasting room in Saratoga. The wines have been made at various wineries over the years but are generally very good.

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Thanks! I’ll hunt down a bottle of Mercury Rising for old times sake :blush:

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Yikes is right! And the $810,000 settlement for mislabeling wines was on the back of a $500,000 land use settlement. We enjoyed a tasting there back in the 90s. I don’t remember buying any wine, though.

However, they are still around. They sold that property moved to Paso Robles in 2001.

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Ahlgren Bates Ranch Reserve 1997 was pretty good wine, pity that is not produced anymore.
The same with Brewer Clifton single vineyards chardonnay: Mount Carmel & Sweeney Canyon. I think last vintage for both was 2011.

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Ahlgren Bates Ranch Cabernets are great. A shop near me was selling some older vintages, I think I still have a 1992 and 1985. Had one of the lowest tech wineries to visit, basically their garage.

-Al

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