The Wines
Our Latest Release
Rudius 2009 Fion Bainise
$35.00 Coming Soon- ALCOHOL: 13.8%
- PH: 3.8
- PRODUCTION: 90 cases
- RELEASE: March 12th, 2012
The 2009 Fion Bainise is a California Rhone made for those who adore the wines of the Rhone Valley. Exotic and nuanced, this wine is perfumed with aromatics of dried lavender, wild game and burning embers, with rich crushed mineral undertones. The palate is elegant and bright, with silky tannins and broad mouthfeel. Notes of clove spice and strawberry give way to a long floral finish that is both satisfying and refreshing. This co-fermented 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah blend is drinking well on release, but will continue to develop and age gracefully for 7-10 years.
Our Library Wines
Rudius 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
$65.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 14.8%
- PRODUCTION: 353 cases
The nose on the 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and very dense with pronounced notes of blackberry, roasted meats, black truffles, and rich cocoa.
Rudius 2009 Panek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
$85.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 14.9%
- PRODUCTION: 249 cases cases
The 2009 Panek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon may be my favorite of any Cabernet we have done to date. The nose on this wine simply explodes from the glass with barbequed meats, rich spices, licorice and sweet smoke.
On the palate, it has tremendous weigh, depth and length but no sense of cloying thickness. There is an exciting graphite edge to it as well as sweet notes of black cherries, mint and cloves.
2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
$65.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 14.8%
- PH: 3.6
- PRODUCTION: 250 cases
Normally, the color of a wine is not something of note. But the rich, concentrated color—the darkest of all the Rudius Cabernets released to date—gives a wonderful first impression of this wine.
Aromatically, there are more floral, violet elements to this vintage than in previous years likely due to the Cabernet Franc inclusion this year. The nose also shows rich black cherry, cloves, licorice, melted dark chocolate and even a hint of dry aged steak.
On the palate, this wine is slanted toward the dark flavor spectrum showing braised meats, BBQ dry rub, blackberry, and truffles, with subtle notes of cocoa. The full, complete mouth feel, accented with smooth sweet tannins, tails off with outstanding length to a finish of roasted meats.
Though certainly drinkable now, this wine benefits from either decanting for several hours, or pouring off a glass to taste and then leaving the rest of the bottle alone overnight to breathe. Also, like all Rudius wines, this Cabernet was bottled without any filtration or fining, so please stand it upright for a day ahead of time and then enjoy!
2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
$62.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 15.2%
- PH: 3.7
- PRODUCTION: 110 cases
The color is a deep garnet/dark ruby red. On the nose, this wine has soaring aromatics of earth, spicy meats (think of the bark on a slab of ribs), cedar and cassis. On the palate, this wine is perhaps a little more seamless than the ’06 Cabernet and has graphite, herbs, espresso and blackberries. Good full, sweet tannins and an absolutely palate-coating richness, finishing with great length. While certainly delicious now, I have no doubt this wine will age better over the next 10 years than I will. This wine is all about balance.
2007 Alder Springs Emerald Pool Syrah
$45.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 13.8%
- PH: 3.8
- PRODUCTION: 130 cases
On the nose, you immediately sense the floral lift from the Viognier component. There are lilacs and honeysuckle as well as spice, roasted meats, leather, earth and a bit of road tar. When you first take a sip you get a touch of meats again, along with black truffles, menthol, iron and cherries. The weight is more mid/full than heavy, with full tannins side-to-side and front-to-back. The flavors carry all the way through to a finish of boysenberries, cloves and some sweet mint. For once, I do think that a wine of mine is best right out of the bottle. This seems to show its best either right out of the bottle or after AT LEAST 30 hours in a decanter. As I write these notes, I am drinking the wine without decanting. Although this wine will have been in bottle for almost 18 months when shipped, it is clearly capable of many more years of development in bottle.
2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
$62.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 15.2%
- PH: 3.8
- PRODUCTION: 147 cases
This wine shows the best qualities of both valley-floor and mountain fruit. On the nose, there are rich cedar, blackberry, chocolate, licorice and tobacco components. On the palate, this wine is full-bodied with strong though sweet tannins, characteristic of Howell Mountain fruit. Flavors including cherry, cassis, baking spices, and pine as well as classic Howell Mountain blueberry, create great richness and interest from start to finish. Although this wine was aged in 100% new French oak, the wood never takes over; instead, it acts as a frame for the rich fruit and serves to focuses the flavors. This drinks very well now, but should age beautifully for at least another 5-7 years.
2006 Alder Springs West Block Syrah
$45.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 14.2%
- PH: 3.9
- PRODUCTION: 74 cases
This is the wine that I drink more of than any other that I have made. Its
lower alcohol and more subdued profile has always made it one of my
favorites.
This wine does not wow you with sheer extract, but instead pulls you in
with elegance and finesse. It is a fascinating contrast to the intensity of Spirit Rock as they were picked on the same day!
The nose on this is tilted slightly towards the red fruit spectrum with red cherries,
raspberries and a beautiful hint of violet, with a meaty background of BBQ spice.
On the palate, you get a tinge of cool mint at the front along with a long finish of cured meats, currants and cloves.
This wine will age and evolve at least as well, if not better, than any wine from Rudius.
2006 Alder Springs Spirit Rock Syrah
$45.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 15.6%
- PH: 3.7
- PRODUCTION: 73 cases
There is always something about the nose on the Spirit Rock that thrills me. It has an amazing savory profile to it; the dizzying meaty character of the wine jumps out of the glass, accented by a subtle hint of lavender. On the palate, it has a broad, full weight with sweet raspberry and boysenberry hitting you right off the bat, while a touch of burning ember smokiness hangs in the background.
This wine is quite enjoyable to drink now, but should improve for at least another 2-5 years.
2006 Alder Springs Emerald Pool Syrah
$45.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 15.8%
- PH: 4.1
- PRODUCTION: 55 cases
While 2006 Spirit Rock and West Block Syrahs have their feet in the Rhone, this wine is all California in its richness and bold fruits. The Emerald Pool is the exception to the rule for the 2006 wines with regards to new oak. Its regime included 100% new oak and a 100% whole cluster fermentation. The characteristic richness and sweetness from the new oak (one new Saury 300 liter hogshead and one new François Freres barrel) shows on the palate. In your mouth, the wine feels remarkably thick, showing notes of cedar and vanilla. These qualities are not as strong on the nose, however, due of the intensity of the fruit. Aromatically, this wine also gives impressions of macerated blackberries, meat, smoke and tar. Even though this Syrah has strong tannin structure, it will not overwhelm you, as the fruit components are so ripe and sweet. Extremely broad and dense, this wine is pure, in-your-face California.
2006 Russian River Syrah
$35.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 15.7%
- PH: 4.1
- PRODUCTION: 100 cases
This wine has great aromatic complexity, and exceptional richness and textural firmness on the palate. These characteristics make it reminiscent of both the 2006 Emerald Pool and the 2006 Spirit Rock Syrahs, though this wine has the potential to outlive them both. On the nose, you will find notes of roasted meats, deep black fruit, dark chocolate, and hints of menthol, along with a fascinating evergreen/pine note that I have never gotten on any of my wines. This wine’s palate is simply massive. It has a dense, meaty quality accented by espresso, black licorice, and barbecue spices along with a spice component typical of whole cluster. The final blend for this wine includes about 10% Grenache, so see if you can pick up a slightly more earthy profile that I believe comes in part from this Grenache addition. I prefer this wine served at cool room temperature, following at least a couple hours in a decanter.
2006 Russian River Grenache
$35.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 14.5%
- PH: 4.0
- PRODUCTION: 69 cases
This wine is aromatically complex, initially showing an essence of meat and damp earth while retaining subtle notes macerated blackberry and mint. This year’s Grenache has more palate weight and more of an earthy profile than the ’05 Grenache. Additionally, it has tremendous length and spice from the whole cluster fermentation, while still maintaining notes of raspberries, cassis and a touch of menthol. This is how I love Grenache—100% whole cluster, no new wood and with amazing focus and precision. This wine is very good right out of the bottle, but certainly gets better with air and is best served just at room temperature.
2005 Russian River Syrah
$35.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 15.6%
- PH: 3.9
- PRODUCTION: 192 cases
Massive blackberry, boysenberry and some tar on the nose. On the palate, there is an initial hint of baking spices and cloves then a rich, palate coating middle and an earthy finish accented by roast beef and macerated cherries. The longer this wine has stayed in bottle the more resolved the tannins have become and the richer the fruit shows. This is not at its peak yet but is drinking very well. For peak drinking I would recommend consuming in the next 18 months.
2005 Russian River Grenache
$35.00 Sold Out- ALCOHOL: 15.7%
- PH: 3.6
- PRODUCTION: 74 cases
Sweet damp earth, cherries, and roasted meat on the nose. On the palate there is cedar, blood, dried herbs, black licorice and a lingering impression of sweet BBQ smoke. When I first put this in bottle I thought it would be shorter lived than the Syrah but the longer it has stayed in bottle the stronger it has become. This continues to gain weight and depth. The wine simply screams for food but performs well on its own. For trying this wine at its peak I would recommend another year in bottle and then maybe a couple hours in a decanter.
