Two Wines from Selene

This week we taste with Mia Klein, who brings her 2006 Selene Sauvignon Blanc and 2003 Chesler Napa Valley.

More information on the wines we tasted in this episode.

2006 Selene Sauvignon Blanc, Hyde Vineyard

Varietal Composition:
100% Sauvignon Blanc (Musque selection)

Vineyard:
Hyde Vineyards is located in the Carneros Region of Napa between Highway 12 and Old Sonoma Road. This is a relatively warm part of the Carneros, since it’s further from the cooling influences of fog and wind from nearby San Francisco Bay. It also has good elevation above sea level, making the soils lighter in clay with better drainage. Selene has been sourcing grapes for this wine from Hyde Vineyards since 1992.

Vintage:
2006, even more than 2005, was good year for water. Winter rains lingered well into spring, but the Sauvignon Blanc vines held up very well, and we had a wonderful crop that matured evenly through the summer and early fall. The grapes were harvested in the second and third weeks of September.

Fermentation:
We whole-cluster pressed the grapes and transferred the juice into both new French oak (45%) and stainless steel barrels (55%) for fermentation. The wine remained in barrel on primary lees, gaining complexity, until February, when it was racked and bottled. There were no acid additions and no malolactic. .

Tasting Notes:
Nectarine, pear, honeydew melon, papaya, and pineapple notes are the first aromatics you notice, followed by tangerine and lemon curd. All this developed fruit translates very well on the palate, which is marked by creamy texture and balanced by crisp acidity. The depth, complexity and intensity of the flavors carry through on the long, delicious finish.

2003 Chesler Red Wine Napa Valley

Vineyards:

Both the Cabernet Franc and Merlot come from the Frediani Family Vineyard in Calistoga. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Block C-1 at the Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa.

Wine Making:

2003 had a cool and wet spring. Early season vine growth fell behind, setting the stage for a slightly later harvest and keeping crop size on the small side. Summer and fall provided more of a textbook Napa Valley weather pattern, giving the vines the chance to fully ripen their grapes.

This vintage of Chesler has more Cabernet Franc and a nice chunk of Merlot in the blend compared to the 2002 wine. Both the Franc and the Merlot were particularly strong wines in 2003 because crops were very small and the growing season was mild and even. The two varieties complimented each other well and presented very focused aromas and flavors with the addition of just a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon to the blend. I think you will find the same powerfully aromatic style in the 2003 that was so fetching in the 2002 wine.

Tasting Notes:

Violets, raspberries, blackberries, and plum; dark chocolate, sandalwood, caramel, toasted vanilla, very slight mint. A big mouthful with some impact; intense, long flavors with a chewy density to the extract.

Web Tasting Room “Shipping Included” Package Price $80.00

Price includes ground shipping to the states listed below.

This offer is no longer available.  We expect to have Mia and Selene Wines back very soon.