"What To Drink Now: Refined California Cabernet"

D Magazine, By Hayley Hamilton Cogill, May 18, 2015

Though summertime temperatures are here, we still love to drink big hearty Cabernets in Texas. Few do this luscious variety better than Napa Valley. The region has built a reputation on producing high quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet based red blends that create harmonious wines with a fruit forward flavor profile, many also reflecting the terroir of the surrounding, highlighting the flavor of the land.

As Napa Valley prepares for their upcoming Auction Napa Valley celebration, here are a few great Cabernet Sauvignon wines to consider from Napa. I included a few additional selections from around the state as well. I am sure they may surprise even those who only drink Napa. A few selections were sent for editorial consideration. Also on Mount Veeder sits Brandlin, a historic vineyard sitting at 1200 feet above sea level, overlooking Napa Valley.

Originally planted in 1926 in very steep, rocky terrain, the vineyard today produces highly concentrated fruit, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties, but there are also 10 acres of very old vine Zinfandel that the current owners, Cuviason Estate Wines, are dedicated to maintaining. Sustainably farmed in the same manner as the original Brandlin family, wines are nurtured by hand to display true characteristics of the land. Brandlin Henry’s Keep Proprietary Red Wine pays tribute to the Brandlin family and their patriarch, Henry Brandlin.

Aged 22 months in 75% new French oak, the small production wine is filled with layers of mocha, wild sage, black cherry and tobacco. The tannins are bold, but nicely balanced with cedar spice accents. This a wine that has plenty of aging potential. $100, available via their website.
May 28, 2015

Racking and Blending at Brandlin

It is springtime in the cellar and we are busy racking and blending our 2013 Brandlin wines. When wines age in thin staved French oak barrels, a small amount of sediment, or lees, will settle to the bottom of the barrels over time.  To remove the sediment, we siphon (called "racking”) the clear wine off the lees, dump the lees, wash the barrels and refill them with the racked wine.  Given the tannic nature of mountain grown grapes we will typically rack our Brandlin wines about four times a year.

When racking, it not only cleans up the wine, it also introduces a small amount of air that will help polymerize the grape tannins.  As tannins come out of the grapes at crush and fermentation time, they are small molecules that can readily fall into your taste buds and be perceived as astringent and bitter.  With the help of a little bit of air through the winemaking and cellaring, the tannins will start to bind together forming long chains (polymerizing), creating big molecules that are too large to fall into your taste buds, but rather glide over your tongue leaving an impression of silkiness or velvety feeling.

During the spring racking, we also blended the various blocks to create our 2013 Brandlin Estate Cabernet and Henry’s Keep blends.  Our 2013 vintage shows lush, forward wines that will drink well in their youth and be quite appealing. The vintage was slightly warmer with an earlier harvest than the past few years and the wines are a bit showier for it, making them great restaurant wines when released. 

  

"We’re Toasting: The American Dream on 'The Broadcast'"

We’re Toasting: The American Dream on “The Broadcast”
Dallas Uncorked  |  March 6, 2015

"For those of us living in Texas who may not be from here but still love everything about our adopted Texas roots, we have a saying, “we’re not from here, but we got here as quick as we could.”

Many wines with worldly heritage can say the same thing about their beloved American wineries. From California to Oregon to Washington, Texas, New York and every state in between great wines are being made by producers from all over the world, each finding the perfect place in America to produce exceptional wines.

Each and every wine produced has a great story. I shared a few of these stories with the ladies of “The Broadcast.  A little bit more about each winery we discussed is below. Keep these stories in mind when you open your favorite wine tonight and celebrate the heritage behind the bottle.

Brandlin Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon  $60, Switzerland – “Small Fire” in the swiss language, the Brandlin family settled in California in the 1870’s, coming over to America during the gold rush and settling on their Mount Veeder estate, planting vineyards in the extremely rugged terrine in the early 1920’s. Now almost 100 years later the quality of the hand farmed vineyards is exceptional. The Brandlin family sold their 170 acre ranch, of which only 38 are able to be planted, to Swiss family owned Cuvaison in 1998 knowing they would maintain their land, caring for it by hand and being good stewards as the Brandlin family had been. Farmed sustainably and planted with Bordeaux varieties and a touch of old vine Zin, the wine from the estate is highly concentrated and robust with layers of blackberry, black cherry, tobacco, espresso and spice."

Two Fabulous eRobertParker.com Reviews to Share!

2012 Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley

"The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Brandlin Estate exhibits a dense purple color, sweet blackberry and cassis fruit, an attractive floral component, impressive purity, and the vintage’s hallmark characteristics of ripe tannin, luxurious texture and medium to full body. Drink it over the next decade."
- Robert M. Parker (10/2014)

90 Points

Retail: 60.00 / Bottle

Learn more and purchase this wine here. 


2012 Brandlin Henry's Keep Proprietary Red Wine
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley

"The sexy 2012 Proprietary Red Blend Henry’s Keep, a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, is a beauty. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by notes of Asian plum sauce, blueberries, cassis and a chocolaty component that emerges with coaxing. Full-bodied, rich, savory, complex and delicious, it should continue to age nicely for 7-10 years."- Robert M. Parker (10/2014) 

91 Points 

Retail: 98.00 / Bottle

Learn more and purchase this wine here. 

"Valentine's Day Gift Guide, What to Get Her"

"Valentine's Day Gift Guide, What to Get Her" 
Men's Journal | February 2015 

"You know what they say: flat wine, flat relationship. Okay, no one says that. But this isn't the time for a bargain bottle. Instead, try this robust red (85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 percent Petit Verdot, and 6 percent Cabernet France); the blend of black cherry, black tea, and caramel is balanced yet complex. $60"

Retail: 60.00 / Bottle

Learn more and purchase here. 

"More Winners for Dinner" - Houston Lifestyles Magazine

"More Winners For Dinner"
Houston Lifestyles Magazine | January 1, 2015

2011 Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley

"First planted in the 1920s, Brandlin Vineyard has been nursed and farmed by hand for almost 90 years. It is a certified sustainable vineyard located in the southern Mayacamas range at 1,200’ elevation. The 15 distinct vineyard blocks leverage the site’s diversity of sun exposure, slope and soil. Purchased by Cuvaison Estate Wines in 1998, the Brandlin name live on with the elegant, classy label. Black currants, black cherry, a hint of black tea, followed by a lovely finish. A great new find! $60" 

Retail: 60.00 / Bottle 

Learn more and purchase Purchase Here.