For over four decades, we have been pleased to offer wine "futures" and "near-futures" from some of California's and France's finest wineries. This gives our treasured customers not only a chance to purchase rare and hard-to-find wines, but to be able to save a good deal of money by ordering in advance.
Among the first futures programs we have each year are the wines of Au Bon Climat, Qupe and Hitching Post. All three wineries are owned by close friends of the Duke and produce some of California's finest wines. Located on the California Central Coast in the Santa Maria Valley, both ABC and Qupe have attained world-class status and, since "Sideways," Hitching Post has become iconic.
Recently, the Duke's David and Doug visited Jim Clendenen (ABC) and Bob Lindquist (Qupe) at their unique, under-one-roof winery and tasted many, many upcoming releases. (See surveillance photo above) They also had the opportunity to speak with Frank Ostini (HP) and discuss his and his partner Gray Hartley's offerings. We are pleased to offer these wines on "future" or "near-future."
All of the wines are discounted up to 20% or more from their release prices. See each wine's write-up for pricing information.
Believe us when we say these are all superior wines and deserve your attention. You are welcome to call and speak to any of our staff members and they will be happy to help you make your selections.
Thank you for taking the time to read the following notes. We suggest you print this catalogue and enjoy reading it at your leisure. Many of the wines described will be available to taste at The Wine Association's "Sooner or Later" seminar on April 9, 2008. Call the Duke for more details and to make reservations.
2006 Vintage
The 2006 vintage is the latest in a string of successful vintages in the Central Coast of California. The vines started late, but the season was long and cool. Two beautiful weeks of Indian summer during October was the key. The wines are generally accessible and have great fruit characteristics. Although crops tended to be smaller than recent years, the fruit quality and ripeness was excellent. Cooler than normal temperatures kept acidity high and allowed the grapes additional "hang-time" to fully develop flavors.
Historic Vineyards Collection (from Au Bon Climat)
Jim Clendenen has been making wine in the Central Coast for nearly 25 years. As he finishes the wines from the 2006 vintage, he continues to look back at his "roots" and honor the vineyards that furnished grapes for his (and others') ground-breaking wines that put the area firmly on the world's winemaking map. The Historic Vineyards Collection (H.V.C.) notation on the label is being used to highlight the original important sites that distinguished Santa Barbara County.
Au Bon Climat 2006 Chardonnay, Bien Nacido (H.V.C.)
Regular Price: $30.00 - Futures Price: $23.99 - Available: 05/01/08
This is a wine that will live a long time, but right now it brings to the glass enjoyable citrus and pear notes and lots of Chardonnay fruit on the palate. Juicy acidity and a pleasant finish linger in the mouth. Barrel-fermentation in neutral oak gives the wine a pleasant feel on the tongue. (150 cases produced)
Au Bon Climat 2006 Chardonnay, Los Alamos (H.V.C.)
Regular Price: $25.00 - Futures Price: $19.99 - Available: 05/01/08
A bright yellow color with aromas of lime, mint and a bit of grapefruit, this wine was barrel-fermented in neutral oak. Its earthy aromas and mouth-filling flavors reminded the tasters of Chassagne-Montrachet. A delicious, fruit-driven wine and a fantastic bargain. (120 cases produced)
Au Bon Climat 2006 Chardonnay, Sanford & Benedict (H.V.C.)
Regular Price: $30.00 - Futures Price: $23.99 - Available: 05/01/08
Here is a pale straw-colored wine with clean, fresh aromas and flavors. After a honeyed-apple nose, the palate experiences the crisp acidity and pleasant mineral character one would expect in a great Chablis. A wine with good aging potential, low in alcohol and very Burgundian in nature - Grand Cru quality. (150 cases produced)
Au Bon Climat 2006 Chardonnay, Sierra Madre (H.V.C.)
Regular Price: $30.00 - Futures Price: $23.99 - Available: 05/01/08
This wine comes from a very cool, wind-swept vineyard. The flavor profile is typical of Santa Barbara with a wonderful nose with hints of vanilla and tropical fruits on the palate. A limited-production wine with very good aging potential.
Clendenen Family Vineyards 2007 Tocai Friulano, Borgo Buon Natale
Regular Price: $18.00 - Futures Price: $14.40 - Available: 05/01/08
Bien Nacido Vineyard, in California's coolest growing region, is home to the grapes that make this delicious wine. Tropical fruits abound on the nose and continue on the palate with hints of nuttiness followed by crisp acidity and minerality. The finish is clean and crisp and leaves the mouth begging for more. This varietal is virtually unknown in the USA, but if you were to find an import of equal quality from Friuli, you would easily shell out $45-50.00. Call yourself lucky and order at least 6. It is as close to stealing wine as you will ever come.
Au Bon Climat 2006 Pinot Noir, Elke Vineyard
Regular Price: $35.00 - Futures Price: $27.99 - Available: 05/01/08
Fermentation with 50% stem retention produced a brick-red wine full of spice in a package of distinctive, classic Pinot Noir character. Clear, with red fruit on the nose, spicy aromas and good acid, the wine will drink well on release and certainly improve with cellaring. Note: Jim has bottled this wine under the Ici/La-Bas label in the past.
Au Bon Climat 2006 Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido (H.V.C.)
Regular Price: $40.00 - Futures Price: $31.99 - Available: 05/01/08
Some whole-cluster fermentation produced a wine full of dark fruit aromas, a hint of briar patch and lots of spice - classic Pinot Noir character. The intensity of this wine is evidence of the judicious farming that led to low production in the vineyard. It is very powerful and has good tannic structure that promises ageability.
Au Bon Climat 2006 Pinot Noir, Nielson (H.V.C.)
Regular Price: $50.00 - Futures Price: $39.99 - Available: 05/01/08
Black fruit and licorice on the nose opens to a mouthful of decidedly California Pinot Noir. The acid, tannin and fruit are well-balanced and complement the spice and dark fruit on the palate. Absolutely delicious! This is a "must-buy," especially at this price. (180 cases produced)
Au Bon Climat 2006 Pinot Noir, Sanford & Benedict (H.V.C.)
Regular Price: $50.00 - Futures Price: $39.99 - Available: 05/01/08
This beauty has a pretty, dark-garnet color with earth and spice on both the nose and the palate. It is dense and delicious, with blackberry and huckleberry notes derived from the whole-cluster fermentation and solid structure that comes from low yields in the vineyard. Good acid, bold tannins and a long, lingering finish lead one to rxclaim, "Untamed!"
Au Bon Climat 2006 Pinot Noir, Knox Alexander
Regular Price: $45.00 - Futures Price: $35.99 - Available: 09/01/08
"Knox" is a big, showy wine, yet supple, full, concentrated, and packed with juicy flavors. With a bold, rich palate and solid tannins, this is a wine for the hedonists among us. Knox is drinkable early, but cellaring will bring out the Burgundian notes of earth and minerals. (500 cases produced) Note: One of the Duke's staff recently opened a bottle of 1998 Knox and can't stop talking about it.
Au Bon Climat 2006 Pinot Noir, Isabelle Morgan
Regular Price: $50.00 - Futures Price: $39.99 - Available: 09/01/08
Isabelle is a blend of the best barrels and the best sites from a sensational vintage. This is a most generous wine with a rich ruby color and a sweet nose with hints of mint chocolate and dark fruit. On the palate, there are layers of blueberry, blackberry, earth, mushrooms, well-incorporated acidity and balanced tannins. Isabelle's elegant nature prevents us from calling it a blockbuster, but it is certainly a top-notch wine. (400 cases produced)
Au Bon Climat 2005 Pinot Noir, Larmes de Grappe
Regular Price: $150.00 - Futures Price: $99.99 - Available: 09/01/08
Only 4 barrels (100 cases) of this beauty were produced. The grapes had fully lignified stems, giving a slightly different tannic structure than would be derived from just the skins and seeds. This is a wine that will age very well. The nose is powerful, yet elegant and the palate rich and full-bodied. This is a great wine from a classic vintage. Jim says, "Think Richebourg or La Tache!"
* * * * *Qupe 2006 Roussanne
Regular Price: $40.00 - Futures Price: $31.99 - Available: 09/01/08
These Roussanne grapes are grown on a steep, cold, west-facing hillside at Bien Nacido and produce a truly classic Roussanne. Fermented and aged entirely in once-used barrels, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. It is packed with aromas and flavors - pear fruit, minerals and wet stone. The wine has superb balance and definitely shows Winemaker Bob Lindquist's skills. This is a white wine that, while delicious now, will age for a decade or more. (620 cases produced)
Verdad 2007 Albarino, Ibarra-Young
Regular Price: $20.00 - Futures Price: $15.99 - Available: 05/01/08
Characteristically lean, dry and crisp, this Spanish varietal is meant to be drunk young. The wine is very aromatic, with notes of apples, citrus and peaches. Light, bright and full of flavor, this is a perfect wine for lite meals and patio dining in the spring and summer. Inexpensive to be sure, but one would never be able to tell from the taste!
Qupe 2006 Syrah, Purisima
Regular Price: $35.00 - Futures Price: $27.99 - Available: 05/01/08
Dark and luscious with a blueberry nose and a palate of sweet, dark fruit, here is a lean and elegant wine from Qupe. The tannins are complemented nicely by the sweet fruit and hints of spice on the palate. It is well-balanced with a long and satisfying finish.
Qupe 2006 Syrah, Alisos (Old Vines)
Regular Price: $35.00 - Futures Price: $27.99 - Available: 09/01/08
Alisos is another standout wine in the portfolio of single-vineyard wines that Bob produces. The wine has good tannic structure and it opens nicely in the glass. It is full of red fruit flavors with notes of licorice and iron filings in the nose. The finish is long and delicious. The wine's firm tannins suggest that it be decanted before serving. (150 cases produced)
Qupe 2006 Syrah, Stolpman
Regular Price: $35.00 - Futures Price: $27.99 - Available: 09/01/08
Stolpman is adjacent to Purisima and shares many of that wine's characteristics. It is dark purple but not inky and has nice fruit aromas in spite of being a very tightly wound wine. On the palate, the wine's structure become very evident - good acid and solid tannins. In spite of its youth, the wine is very accessible. (100 cases produced)
Qupe 2006 Syrah, Nielson
Regular Price: $35.00 - Futures Price: $27.99 - Available: 09/01/08
Nielson is thought to be the oldest commercial vineyard in Santa Barbara County. It has produced award-winning wines for several different wineries, including Byron. This is a darkly beautiful Syrah that coats the inside of the glass. Luscious fruit aromas and flavors almost assault the palate, but the typical pepper notes that we love about Syrah come through. Despite having the tightness of youth, the wine promises to have elegant balance. (150 cases produced)
Qupe 2006 Syrah, Bien Nacido Hillside Estate
Regular Price: $45.00 - Futures Price: $35.99 - Available: 09/01/08
Taste this wine to learn the definition of cool-climate Syrah. Well-balanced, with spice, black pepper and oak on the nose, this is still a powerful wine. One could call it voluptuous in spite of its being closed. BNHE is archetypal Qupe Syrah, intense, yet velvet on the palate. Drinkable now, it will improve with cellaring and easily last two decades or more.
Qupe 2006 Syrah, Bien Nacido, X Block 25th Anniversary
Regular Price: $75.00 - Futures Price: $59.99 - Available: 09/01/08
X Block is the original Syrah block at Bien Nacido, grafted to the Estrella clone and still on the original Riesling roots. How can a wine be both powerful and subtle? Taste this one to find the answer. Fermented with about 50% whole-clusters to bring out the fruit, the cool climate of Bien Nacido brings dark fruit and pepper to the party going on in the taster's mouth. It was aged in specially made Ermitage barrels that add a smoky note to the palate. This is a big, intense Syrah that promises decades of life.
* * * * *
Hitching Post 2006 Pinot Noir, St. Rita's Earth
Regular Price: $34.00 - Futures Price: $27.20 - Available: 05/01/08
This gem shows fine balance with elegant flavors, lower alcohols and nice, crisp acidity that makes for lively palate impressions now and helps preserve freshness as the wine ages. This Sta. Rita Hills blend includes Fiddlestix and Rio Vista vineyards. At first pour, it is reserved, with earth and light cherries, and, with time, opens to a balanced yet full and rich expression of Santa Rita Hills.Hitching Post 2006 Merlot, Westerly and Alisos
Regular Price: $25.00 - Futures Price: $19.99 - Available: 05/01/08
Gasp! A Merlot from Hitching Post? You bet! A good one and a great value to the cost-conscious consumer. To quote Frank and Gray, "When Miles made disparaging remarks about Merlot in Sideways, we thought it high time we came forward with our own expression of Merlot." This wine blends two well-suited warmer sites: Alisos Vineyard in the hills above Los Alamos and Westerly Vineyard in the Happy Canyon area of eastern Santa Ynez Valley. Westerly lays down structure and tannins and Alisos adds rich and ripe roundness. The blend is better than each alone. After all, you can tell from the Hitching Post wines that Frank likes to blend (it's the chef in him). The tannins are pleasant, but not overpowering. The fruit flavors are delicious and feature blueberry with just a hint of vanillin from the barrel.
Hitching Post 2006 Pinot Noir, Highliner
Regular Price: $42.00 - Futures Price: $33.60 - Available: 05/01/08
Proprietor/Winemaker Frank Ostini tells us that this is the "best wine that Hitching Post can do" and that it is "most expressive of the vintage and the vineyards." This is the eleventh bottling (the first, in 1996, retailed for $40) and blends wines from the Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills AVAs. With a goal to create balance and complexity, Frank and partner Gray Hartley have combined Bien Nacido, Julia's, Fiddlestix, Sanford & Benedict, Rio Vista and Cargasacchi Vineyards. Aging in 70% new French oak accentuates the rich, dark fruit flavors. This Pinot Noir should continue to improve for many years and last for at least a decade.
Hitching Post 2006 Generation Red
Regular Price: $18.00 - Futures Price: $14.40 - Available: 05/01/08
Generation Red is a tasty blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Refusco. Young
and rustic, with air it opens to exuberant blueberry fruit and bright acidity that reminds one of a Mediterranean blend made for food. Think grilled meat as a companion.
Hitching Post 2006 Syrah, Big Circle
Regular Price: $20.00 -
Futures Price: $15.99 - Available: 05/01/08
"Big Circle" brings together several of the finest Syrah vineyards in the Central Coast - Alisos, Great Oaks, Cottonwood, White Hawk and Purisima Mountain. This blend of wines from both warm and cool climates yields a wine that has the best of both worlds. An abundance of dark fruit - blackberries - and hints of spices - clove and white pepper - delight the nose and palate. The alcohol is a low 14% that lends balance and makes this an eminently drinkable wine, yet with the structure to develop over time.
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