And the winner is...

With six wines and seven judges, the selection of Meridian was unanimous as the winner.  There was significant debate over the rankings, but the results tallied up as:

 

1st Place: Meridian ($6)

2nd Place: AbbeyVille ($13)
3rd Place: Apex ($17, 91 pts)
4th Place: Trellis ($6)
5th Place: Duboeuf Pouilly Fuisse ($18)
6th Place: Dingo ($10)

Despite finishing last (Four 6th place, two 4th place, and one 2nd place votes), the judges commented that all the wines were very drinkable.  Dingo was described as, "A classic chardonnay: full bodied, oaky and buttery."  While it may not have been the style prefed by the judges, the buttery character of Dingo was created by the "sur lies" technique used in the making of the Chardonnay.  If you like heavy Chardonnay's, a "winter white" as one judge called it, you'll love the Dingo!

Taste Test: Results to Come

Early Wines Chardonnay will go up against some stiff competition this weekend:

• Meridian Chardonnay – California (2011) $6
• Trellis Chaonnay - Sonoma County  $6
• AbbeyVille Chardonnay – Napa Valley (2010) $13
• Apex Chardonnay – 91 pts  – Yakima Valley, Washington (2010)  $17
• Duboeuf Pouilly Fuisse Oak, White Burgundy – France (2010) $18 

 

Assessed by returning judges Jeff, Kristen, and Kyler; we will also joined by Jim and Jeremy - flown in from Nasheville for the competition.

Batches #2 and #3

The Chardonnay and Zinfandel are bottled, labeled, and ready to go! With their extra aging time in the barrel, both wines are ready to drink.  Some upcoming taste tests will determine if we've got the quality to match our Rioja batch.  With this much wine you have to hope it's good!

The Dingo is Out!

The first Early Wine to be aged in the Hungarian Oak barrel, our 2012 Australian Chardonnay was bottled on August 12th.  See the Seinfeld inspired artwork on the Label Archive page, and get ready for the "Dingo!"

And the Winner Is....

...Early Wines!  "Running of the Horses" took 1st and 2nd place over three commercial Rioja's at the first double-blind, Early Wines taste test!!!

Overall Rankings:
1st:   Early Wines, "Running of the Horses" Rioja, Reserva
2nd:  Early Wines, "Running of the Horses" Rioja
3rd:  Valsacro Dioro Rioja, 2005       ($20/bottle)
4th:   Campo Viejo Rioja, 2010          ($10/bottle)
5th:   Cincuenta Ugarte Rioja, 2009   ($13/bottle)

Given Valsacro was rated 92pts by Wine Advocate, and Cincuenta was rated 90pts by Wine Advocate;  the Early Wines Spanish Rioja has been rated a whooping 93 and 94 points by the somelliers of Wagner Lane for the red label and black label Reserva, respectively.

As described around the tasting table the Early Wines Reserva was described as:

• "Smooth" with delicious notes of "vanilla".
• Simultaneously "fruit forward" and "smokey".
• and "muy buena!!!"

Holiday Production

Cellar production is running full tilt as we rush to get wines properly aged in time for the holidays!

The Australian Chardonnay is crystal clear and ready to be bottled, the California Red Zinfindel is fresh out of the barrel and ready to be cleared, while the California Syrah is entering the barrel for two months of aging.

Come Thanksgiving, these wines should be hitting their prime and ready to celebrate the holidays with friends and family!

The Barrel is Ready!

The new Vadai Barrel is now engraved with the official Early Wines logo!
Here's what the Vadai company has to say about Hungarian oak:

The wood:
Sourced from the steep, rocky hillsides of the renowned Zemplen forest, the trees grow in a unique soil with a high mineral content. The wood used for Vadai's barrels is selected from 100 year-old trees that is air-dried for three years before being crafted into barrels.

The results:
The finished barrels have a high perceived-vanillin content along with bittersweet chocolate, subtle black pepper, roasted coffee, and leather notes. They gently structure the wine in a restrained and elegant way that never steps on the fruit (a quality that makes the Vadai barrels ideally suited for smaller sized lots where overpowering the wine might be a concern).