Wine 2.0

Cornelius Geary

Name the top 10 hottest small "unknown" wine brands!

Ok, so everybody and their sister knows Silver Oak, Opus One and the other top brands out there. But who can come up with the next "unknown" brand about to take the wine world by storm?

We'll compile a list of entries and whittle it down to the top 10 leading up to Wine 2.0 New York on Sept 18th.

Let the name dropping begin!

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From Australia

Shobbrook for Barossa Shiraz and Meyer for Pinot in Yarra.
Great choice Ronnie
Ca' Momi Rosso di California and Bianco di California (closed with a Novatwist, tasty and well priced)
Weibel's new Pomegranate Sparkelle Sparkling wine (great as a mixer)
Stromberg Vineyards 2005 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (delicious)
Xumek Syrah 2007 from Argentina (San Juan is the new Mendoza)
Zonda Chardonnay 2009 from Argentina (great balance of oak and fruit)
Ehret 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from Knight's Valley
Manu 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough NZ (go Steve Bird!)
Great selection Jennifer, particularly Manu. I am involved with Alana Estate in Martinborough...a number of varietals including Sauv Blanc though their Pinot Noir is tops. Hasn't been directly available in US for a long time so you probably haven't heard of it. That said, I finally convinced them to provide me an allocation to offer in the U.S. I'm excited to share it.
FRIDAY MONKEY - AUSTRALIAN WINE DOING VERY WELL IN USA AND PEOPLE ARE LOVING IT!




THE WAIT - ARGENTINEAN WINE


ASUNTO DE VINO - CHILEAN WINE

Top 10 unknowns.. Hmmmmmm

10. Red Diamond - Don't let the price fool you - their Shiraz is outstanding!
9. Hopewell Valley Vineyards - Their Barbera is quite impressive for an American brand. I think the fruit is sourced from their sister property in Italy
8. Salice - Salentino Cantele Riserva - A very nice, friendly Italian wine. Made mostly of the delicious but commonly overlooked Negroamaro grape
7. Alba Vineyards - Their reds aren't noteworthy, but their Riesling is outstanding! Very much in the style of a Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese
6. Laurita Winery - For those of you in NJ or in a state where they will ship to, give them a shot. One of my common complaints with NJ wineries is that they overoak their reds, but Laurita is not an offender in this category. They have wines for everyone and quite an impressive selection. I really enjoyed "Bistro" and their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
5. Sonoma Loeb - 2005 Private Reserve Cab is outstanding. Phillip Titus is the winemaker - need I say more?
4. Hestan Vineyards - Their stuff is hard to find but truly outstanding! Hestan also has a brand called Stephanie, and their 2005 Napa Red is a heavy, thick, delicious California cuvee.
3. Titus Vineyards - I haven't had a bad bottle by Titus. Philip Titus is the winemaker which says a lot about this wine. Interestingly enough, my favorite of theirs is called Amphora, which is one of their less expensive bottles. It's a really smooth, well balanced cuvee.
2. Truro Vineyards - Being situated nearly at the top of Cape Cod, Truro has a truly unique and well suited estate for winemaking. Aside from being at almost the same latitude as Toulouse France, Truro is one of the only (if not THE only) wineries on the eastern seabord that has a true westerly Maritime breeze. The result - outstanding wines. Their Maritime Red, Triumph and Cabernet Franc are outstanding!
1. Chappellet - Ok, now some of you are thinking "Chappellet - UNKNOWN???" Yes, they are well known for their Pritchard Hill Estates Vineyards series. However, it seems that a lot of Chappellet's drinkers have been drinking it since the 80s when this was a popular brand. Most people that I know that have tried it were not aware of the brand before my suggestion. Needless to say, every single person has tried it on my suggestion has loved it.

If you're looking to try Chappellet, you can't go wrong with Pritchard Hill. If you don't want to spend $100+ on a bottle, try their Pritchard Hill Cabernet Franc.. Usually the Francs go from $45-75 and every one I've had has been good. You can't go wrong with the Signature series either, and the 2007 signature is shaping up to be almost as good as PHEV.
Glad you mentioned Red Diamond - they do indeed have a delicious Syrah. And their Cab (2006) is tasty too! Not bad for $12.95!!
Here is one from the Dry Creek Valley:

Pedroncelli

Also in Sonoma County:
Kaz
Roche
Corison

Wow...it's hard to decide what others. There are so many small boutique wineries!

http:///wininginmiami.com
Cornelius,

Just wanted to draw some attention to the emerging "Petaluma Gap" region at the southern tip of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Some outstanding wineries such as Kosta Browne and Sojourn are already sourcing fruit from this region and a handful of wineries are starting to produce some killer wines. Look for Keller Estate, Ridgeway and coming soon, CorkScrew from Azari Winery with Joel Aiken as consulting winemaker. Some of my other non-Gap faves are Meander Cabernet from Napa and Shane Syrahs from Mendocino and Bennet Valley.
From New Zealand
Mount Dottrel Pinot Noir - drinkable AND affordable!
Recently tried Kevin Judd's (formerly of Cloudy Bay fame) new Sauvignon Blanc (2009) under the label: Greywacke. A fantastic Marlborough Bay SB that, if marketed correctly, should take on the likes of Cloudy Bay in terms of popularity, and indeed price.

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