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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2004 and 2010 (based on 6 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.6 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 25 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by drycreekwhine on 3/5/2018 & rated 94 points: Wonderful. (1076 views) | | | Tasted by Tarpon222 on 4/8/2013 & rated 87 points: Fini!!! (3175 views) | | | Tasted by TwoSmoochies on 10/14/2012 & rated 90 points: A little past its prime but still nice (3345 views) | | | Tasted by mgastwirth on 10/20/2011 & rated 92 points: Wonderful cedar nose, black fruit on the palate with the Cabernet flavors upfront and the Merlot flavors to finish. Soft, velvety tannins. We did not decant, although it could have used it. (3867 views) | | | Tasted by marka on 3/27/2011 & rated 89 points: I saw a 98 in the cellar earlier this week, but couldn't find it today. So we settled for the 2000. This was nice and mature. It perhaps has another two years left. There was cedar, nice fruit (bordering on too much), nice balance except for the possibility of being too much red fruit. But it was good. Paired with a Flannery butterflied leg of lamb. I really like the AVV Cyrus, I just wish it wasn't in the $50-60 range. If it was in the 40s, I'd continue to buy. (4278 views) | | | Tasted by Pbellah on 12/16/2009 & rated 91 points: Garnet Clear Medium leg , oak pepper plum current , medium tannin confirm plum and current wet stone mushroom (4308 views) | | | Tasted by rbrianni on 6/6/2009 & rated 90 points: The wine smelled and tasted good. We let it decant for 10+ minutes in the glass prior to drinking, so it would open up. When we drink our next bottle, we will properly decant for 1-2 hours prior to drinking, as our last sips of the wine were the best. It is hard to give a proper note, as the wine was not fully open when we drank it. The good news is that the wine was really good, and we can easily see it would be even better with the proper treatment. (2622 views) | | | Tasted by The Hov on 12/23/2008 & rated 92 points: Really good. Good fruit flavors and nose. (2706 views) | | | Tasted by theplatz on 7/30/2008 & rated 95 points: Perhaps the best wine I can personally remember drinking. Had such a wonderful nose. My wife loved the oak and I loved how smooth it was and the very long, outstanding finish. (2685 views) | | | Tasted by marka on 3/17/2007 & rated 93 points: Fabulous. Cannot understand why Cyrus doesn't get more publicity. I guess that is good for selfish reasons. Color was dark; nose had leather, fruit, and oak; palate had wonderfully integrated fruit and tannins. Thoroughly enjoyed. (3389 views) | | | Tasted by tewks on 12/26/2006 & rated 90 points: enjoyed with nice beef dish for christmas dinner. good nose, but not as big a wine as i expected. improved as it opened more. decanted for 1 hour and it actually opened more in glass. (3548 views) | | | Tasted by Redteeth on 9/11/2006 & rated 94 points: This was delicious. It was decanted and tasted side by side with a 1997 Beringer Reserve Cab Sauvignon. This wine had a beautiful medium red color. It tasted of black cherry and/or plum with a bit of sweetness and white pepper and spice. As it opened up in the glass the spice characteristic lessened. I am not sure if this is a long term ager but it is great to drink now. (3774 views) |
| Alexander Valley Vineyards Producer website
Alexander Valley Vineyards is owned and operated by the Harry Wetzel family. Founded in 1975, it is located on Cyrus Alexander's old homestead.
The Wetzel Family Estate now grows fourteen grape varieties, on diverse sites stretching from the banks of the Russian River up onto the hillsides. Each grape variety is matched to a specific soil type and exposure. Vineyard Manager Mark Houser and Winemaker Kevin Hall work as a team to maximize fruit flavor in the vineyard and to create balanced wines that capture the grapes’ varietal characteristics. Hank Wetzel oversees the vineyard and winery operations, and his wife Linda continues to oversee administration. Now the third generation of Wetzels has joined the winery. Harry Wetzel, IV is assistant winemaker while younger brother Robert is the National Sales Manager.
Alexander Valley Vineyards produces 100,000 cases annually, 17 varietal wines and proprietary blends. Seventy-five percent of AVV’s production is red wine. Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon constitute roughly half of total production. Other varietals include Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Gewurztraminer, Syrah, Sangiovese, Viognier, and Cabernet Franc.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyAlexander Valley Alexander Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia
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