First and foremost, let me start by saying how grateful we are at Top Flight Wine Club. Our wineries and our consumers alike, we appreciate all the support throughout the last two years. Without each, we wouldn’t be here today and we’re thankful.
Alright, the wines. We had a lot of fun selecting these and had a jam packed tasting schedule this fall. The wine selections come from a wide range of producers in this business and we are fortunate to get our hands on these wines. The selections were tough and the outcome was exactly what we were looking for when putting together the December shipment.
We tasted a TON of wines and are quite pleased with the selections for this quarterly shipment. Enjoy the wines and thank you for the ongoing support.
Purchase these wines on our website or join the club to secure this selection.
2021 Patent Wines Sauvignon Blanc, Yountville Napa Valley
Why We Love This Wine:
This producer creates exceptional wines of distinction and excellence from specific varietals within an AVA.
Situated on the west side of Napa Valley, just south of the town of Yountville, Miller Ranch is an old vineyard that sits flat on the valley floor. The Sauvignon Blanc planted here enjoys full days of sun, unshaded from the hillsides, and by design, the vineyard has a few Muscat vines sporadically intermingled amonst the rows making it truly unique.
Sommelier Tasting Notes:
Aromas of lemon/lime and honey suckle with a touch of vanilla and tropical notes. Lime zest and juicy acidity, ripe flavors linger on the palate. Finishes with a charming touch of nutmeg. I think this wine will speak for itself!
Producer: Patent Wines
Region: Yountville Napa Valley, California
Grape Varietals: Sauvignon Blanc
2019 D’Avino Family Aglianico Suisun Valley, California
Why We Love This Wine:
Some people live off the land. Some have devoted their lives to studying it. Paul Skinner does both. With a PhD in viticulture and soil science, Paul has a deep understanding of how soil and climate impact grape growing. After two decades consulting on all aspects of growing super premium quality wine grapes, Paul began producing his own wine in 2003. His “Sequum” wines, named for a science term describing the sequence of layers in a soil, combine his scientific knowledge with artisanal sensitivity and an unparalleled vision.
Sommelier Tasting Notes:
This fruity but tight and well-focused wine blends bright red and black cherries, tart blueberries and subtle smoke and black-pepper nuances. Tannins are moderate and the mouthfeel is on the lean, appetizing side.
Producer: Sequum Wines
Region: Suisun Valley, California
Grape Varietals: Aglianico
2018 Crosshatch Wines Unveil Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, California
Why We Love This Wine:
All of the wines produced by CrossHatch Winery are co-fermented blends sourced from Santa Barbara County vineyards. CrossHatch was created in 2011 by winemaker Ryan Carr. After making only single varietal wines for eleven years, Ryan wanted to try something different. He and his wife Jessica came up with the idea for CrossHatch, inspired by the classic form of art. Cross hatching is an artistic technique that uses closely spaced intersecting lines to create shading, definition, and form in a drawing.
Carr took this technique and adapted it into the winemaking process by harvesting multiple varietals on the same day, then crushing and fermenting them together. Some of the best and oldest wines in the world are made this way, but with the microclimates of Santa Barbara it really adds another layer to the process. Co-fermentation brings out and creates flavors in the wine that would not have existed otherwise. This makes the CrossHatch wine truly one of a kind. Only 1000 cases are produced each year.
Sommelier Tasting Notes:
Put simply, to “Unveil” is to uncover a physical object or idea. This co-fermented blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah reveals a winemaking secret. A widely practiced technique not regularly spoken of, rather kept unknown, is the 5% percent addition of Syrah to Pinot Noir. The Syrah adds complexity and depth to the fruitful Pinot Noir. The wine is light ruby in color with hints of roasted strawberry, ripe plum, an earthy mid-palate with a touch of spice.
The Unveil is a red wine blend made of 95% Pinot Noir from Hilliard Bruce Vineyard and 5% Syrah from Kærskov Vineyard. The grapes were picked, crushed, and co-fermented together and then aged for two years in French oak barrels.
Producer: Crosshatch Winery
Region: Santa Barbara, California
Grape Varietals: Pinot Noir and Syrah
2016 Paloma Vineyard Merlot, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley
Why We Love This Wine:
Located five miles northwest of St. Helena, Paloma is a small estate compared to other big names of Spring Mountain District. Perched atop a ridge between Bald Mountain to the south and Diamond Mountain to the north, the vineyard is off-the-beaten-track so to speak.
The topography of this area has its own weather patterns. It’s the coolest, wettest place in the Napa Valley. Springs appear everywhere after a good rain, hence the area’s name. The combination of the summer heat and low pressure from the cool coastal air lengthens the growing season into late fall. The prolonged hang time – several weeks longer than warmer Napa Valley floor – add resonance and concentration to the resulting small clusters.
Sommelier Tasting Notes:
The 2016 is a blend of Merlot (85%) with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). It is fermented in French oak—33% new—for 18 months before being bottled in the spring, then bottle-aged for an additional 30 months before release.
Complex aromas of black berry fruits, black stone fruits, chocolate, tobacco, spice and floral notes with a mineral overtone. On the palate the wine has a big silky mouth feel, well balanced, with flavors of berries, fruit, cocoa, cassis, and spice, and a long spicy finish.
Producer: Paloma Vineyard
Region: Napa Valley, California
Grape Varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
2014 Ondule Esme’ Red Wine, Coombsville Napa Valley
Why We Love This Wine:
The love of wine and recognition of its role in their family inspired them to create a brand we could all enjoy. In Ondulé , they combined the old-world style with new-world organic grapes, the result of which is a timeless collection of wines to be enjoyed together on any occasion.
Sommelier Tasting Notes:
Elegant, rich flavors of black currant, blackberry and dark chocolate mingle with intoxicating sweet tobacco aromas on the nose.
The palate opens with silky dark plum notes developing into a coffee and mild leathery finish. Cassis, sage, and cocoa powder are present underneath the brambly, slightly smoky presence of the Alicante Bouschet, whose red skin flesh imparts the beautiful dark amethyst cast.
Producer: Ondule Cellars
Region: Coombsville, Napa Valley, California
Grape Varietals: Primary Red Bordeaux Varietals, Alicante Bouschet
2018 BACA Wines Somersault Zinfandel, Pacini Vineyard Mendocino County California
Why We Love This Wine:
BACA is Latin for berry, so that’s where they started. Bounding headlong into some of California’s most noted growing regions—Calistoga, Russian River, Rockpile, Howell Mountain, and Paso Robles—they sourced the most intriguing fruit for their wines. Grapes from gorgeously old vines and historic areas, which they transformed using masterful winemaking techniques into wines that reflect the unique places in which they’re grown. The result is 8 complex, charismatic Zinfandels, and a few other delectable curveballs. All of which pair beautifully well with both food and adventure.
Sommelier Tasting Notes:
The 2018 BACA Somersault is everything we love about Old Vine Zinfandel. It is powerful, yet elegant. The wine leads with delicate, floral aromas of white pepper and rose hips. Pure, vibrant fruit flavors of blackberry and raspberry coulis follow. The finish is energetic with the signature minerality of these 100-year old vines. Fresh, round and polished, this is a serious wine with structure. It is luxurious now, and will age beautifully.
Producer: BACA Wines
Region: Mendocino, California
Grape Varietals: Zinfandel