Josh Ferrell - This wine is one that the new owners of the winery came up with after they harvested 2012 and realized they had big quantities of fruit. In the cellars were already aging, barrels of wine from 2011 and 2010. So the decision was made to produce a blend of all of these. It consists of Zinfandel, Alicante, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and perhaps dash of one or two others. The wine shows a delightfully complex nose of black cherry, plum, ginger snap, aged tobacco, licorice and cocoa. on the palate it's beautifully dry with supple tannins and bold flavors. Again there's black cherry, plums, brown spice, tobacco and dark chocolate. A perfect match for anything off the grill as well as your favorite well-spiced dished or perhaps even a fine cigar. Rotta Red is good expression of this unique terroir and a super value.
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From th Luna Website: "Aromas of dried plum and blackberry with the smoky spice of toasted vanilla fill the glass. The flavor follows; warm and mouth filling, kept in balance with fine grained tannins from both fruit and barrel."
Also: "86% Merlot 14% Cabernet Sauvignon
VINEYARD The plurality of the Merlot hails from Tom Farella’s Vineyard just east of the town of Napa along the flanks of the Vaca Mountains. The balance is from the other side of this range in Suisun Valley, from the Ledgewood Creek Vineyard. The Farella Merlot reflects cooler summer temperatures and the frequent foggy mornings of this vineyard site, being strongly influenced by San Pablo Bay. Deep color and firm tannins are its hallmarks. The Ledgewood Creek site is a warmer, more protected location where Merlot can develop luscious flavors reminiscent of a juicy, sun warmed plum. This gracious fruit from Ledgewood and the good tannic structure from Farella form an elegant combination. Further strength and depth resulted from blending in 14% cabernet sauvignon.
WINEMAKING The 2009 harvest was an extended affair for us. We were fortunate to have good warmth and sufficient time to allow our reds to remain on the vine long enough to develop mature flavors and resolved tannins. The grapes typically arrived at the winery in excess of 25 percent sugar. As a result, we had extended fermentations, often not complete until months later in barrel. This wine was aged entirely in European oak for 20 months and bottled in October of 2010."
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NV Rotta San Luis Obispo County
6/28/2014 - idietrying wrote: 88 Points
Josh Ferrell -
This wine is one that the new owners of the winery came up with after they harvested 2012 and realized they had big quantities of fruit. In the cellars were already aging, barrels of wine from 2011 and 2010. So the decision was made to produce a blend of all of these. It consists of Zinfandel, Alicante, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and perhaps dash of one or two others. The wine shows a delightfully complex nose of black cherry, plum, ginger snap, aged tobacco, licorice and cocoa. on the palate it's beautifully dry with supple tannins and bold flavors. Again there's black cherry, plums, brown spice, tobacco and dark chocolate. A perfect match for anything off the grill as well as your favorite well-spiced dished or perhaps even a fine cigar. Rotta Red is good expression of this unique terroir and a super value.
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2008 Elsom Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
12/31/2013 - idietrying Likes this wine: 90 Points
Certainly a full-bodied tannin-bomb; but a bit of a one trick pony with limited complexity and development over the course of a 2 hour meal.
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2009 Luna Vineyards Merlot Tom Farella’s (Vaca Mountains) & Ledgewood Creek
5/20/2012 - idietrying wrote:
From th Luna Website: "Aromas of dried plum and blackberry with the smoky spice of toasted vanilla fill the glass. The flavor follows; warm and mouth filling, kept in balance with fine grained tannins from both fruit and barrel."
Also:
"86% Merlot
14% Cabernet Sauvignon
VINEYARD
The plurality of the Merlot hails from Tom Farella’s Vineyard just east of the town of Napa along the flanks of the Vaca Mountains. The balance is from the other side of this range in Suisun Valley, from the Ledgewood Creek Vineyard. The Farella Merlot reflects cooler summer temperatures and the frequent foggy mornings of this vineyard site, being strongly influenced by San Pablo Bay. Deep color and firm tannins are its hallmarks. The Ledgewood Creek site is a warmer, more protected location where Merlot can develop luscious flavors reminiscent of a juicy, sun warmed plum. This gracious fruit from Ledgewood and the good tannic structure from Farella form an elegant combination. Further strength and depth resulted from blending in 14% cabernet sauvignon.
WINEMAKING
The 2009 harvest was an extended affair for us. We were fortunate to have good warmth and sufficient time to allow our reds to remain on the vine long enough to develop mature flavors and resolved tannins. The grapes typically arrived at the winery in excess of 25 percent sugar. As a result, we had extended fermentations, often not complete until months later in barrel. This wine was aged entirely in European oak for 20 months and bottled in October of 2010."
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