Featured Winery, FALL 2006
T-VINE CELLARS
T-Vine Grenache, Napa Valley 2004 ($29)
T-Vine Zinfandel "Brown Vineyard" Napa Valley 2003 (sold out)
T-Vine Petite Sirah, "Frediani Vineyard" Napa Valley 2003 ($35)
THE T-VINE MIXED CASE
six bottles each: T-Vine Grenache, t-vine Petite sirah
$345
That's 10% off all the wines.
Order Today!
It is most appropriate that I launch the "new and improved" BRW website with the winery that best exudes the energy we, too, like to present. Back Room Wines presents to you T-Vine Cellars and Owner/Winemaker Greg Brown.
Another good reason to welcome T-Vine to the Featured Winery page is our mutual upbringing. Greg got a head start on me, but we've watched our businesses grow over the years. T-Vine was one of the first wines I loved and sold when he was just getting started in the early 90's. Since then, it's been a fun and synergistic relationship.
T-Vine makes about nine wines a year and staggers their release to merchants and restaurants. The three just-released wines, when tasted the first of the year, were the ones that particularly lifted my skirt, if you will. If you know T-Vine, you know the signature style of these is fruit forward, nothing shy, nothing subtle about the wines. That written, they're typically not too much of a good thing either. They always have the flavor of the California sunshine, but you're not feeling like you just threw back a shot of cognac. Oh yes, and silky. Expect a liquid velvet sensation over your tongue and palate as your selected T-Vine glides down your throat. Doesn't that sound like fun? Here are our Back Room Wines' three featured T-Vine wines for the fall:
T-Vine Grenache, Napa Valley 2004 ($29)
If one must identify a signature T-Vine wine, Grenache is it. All the T-Vine wines are on the same level of high quality, but so few folks make Grenache in California, and no one does it better than T-Vine. Strawberries, black raspberries and white peppercorns jump from the glass and dance on the palate. 14% Petite Sirah adds color, depth and structure. This is all "Frediani Vineyard" fruit, Greg's primary source of outstanding grapes. It's in Calistoga, the northernmost, hottest section of Napa Valley. The grapes bake here but don't fry. The ensuing wine, like this, is jammy-juicy and super fun to drink. 700 cases made.
T-Vine Zinfandel "Brown Vineyard" Napa Valley 2003 (sold out)
I find the "Brown" Zinfandel to be the most hedonistic T-Vine wine. I agree that R.P. has overused the word, but heck I still like it, and I don't use it all that much. "Brown Vineyard" is no relation to Greg Brown, by the way. This is Brown Estate, in the Chiles Valley, east and above the Valley floor. I'm not exactly sure what Greg does to the Brown Zin, but it's a different wine than the Brown Estate. The T-Vine is black cherry and blueberry, very viscous, and framed with sweet vanilla and cinnamon flavor. It's richness is as impressive as its flavor, for it reminds me of when a chef makes an amazing sauce with his/her generous yet deft use of butter. I don't believe Greg uses butter in this wine.
T-Vine Petite Sirah, "Frediani Vineyard" Napa Valley 2003 ($35)
This is probably T-Vine's most popular wine. Not surprising, for Petite Sirah is another grape that has little competition at this level of quality. It's "Frediani" too, just like the Grenache above. Typical of the grape, the Petite Sirah has more bite than the Grenache and Zin, but on the scale of Petites it's pretty mellow. Again, it's about the fruit, and boy is there a lot of it! Mulberries, blueberries, and boysenberries come to mind. Where the Grenache has Petite Sirah in it to beef it up, this Petite has Grenache and Charbono added to brighten the wine. Great deep dark nose, powerful in the mouth but doesn't go bonkers, lovely expansive finish. This is a winner that is not to be missed. Too bad, for it goes away too quickly and is missed by too many.