The Desert Wine Guy - Choosing The Right Stemware For Your Wine.

   Do you have a favorite wine glass that you drink white or red wine out of? How important is the wine glass to your enjoyment of your wine? Today we are going to find out because today we are going to look at the wine glass itself and just how important it is. The first point to remember here is that like anything else that is sold there is marketing involved and wine glasses are no different. Here is an example of what I am talking about. One of the things we will discuss in this article is a part of the wine glass known as the stem. The most obvious purpose of the stem most people would say is to hold the glass. The stem however, is much more than just something to use in order to hold a glass as we will see down below. Why are there stemless glasses? This is a perfect example of marketing. Because something is new and different people will take to it....at least at first they will. Why are there colored glasses when I thought one of the factors in  rating a wine is how the wine pours or looks in the glass? That is just another example of marketing. We are going to move into the main body of the article now and break down each part of the wine glass and their function(s).

Base/Foot - The first part of the wine glass we will look at is called the base or the foot. The base has the sole purpose of keeping the glass upright. The base does not effect the taste of the wine as we probably already know.

Stem - Coming out from the base is the stem. The purpose of the stem is for you to hold the glass. The stem as we discussed in the opening of this article is there to also make sure that you do not warm the wine you are drinking. Why would you put a wine in the refrigerator to chill only to warm the wine when you have it in your hand? The stem also supports the bowl which is where the wine is kept. The stem also does not effect the taste of the wine. The stem also serves the purpose of keeping your fingerprints off the glass, again appreciation of the wine. We see now that a stemless wine glass is simply a fad and something that should not be taken seriously.

Bowl - The bowl is the section of the glass we pour the wine into. The bottom of the bowl is usually wider than the top of the bowl which serves a very important function. A well designed wine glass will gather the bouquet of the wine together towards your nose so that you can appreciate the bouquet of the wine. Remember here that the bouquet effects what and how we taste. I think that a lot of people forget or simply don't know that our sense of smell goes right along with our taste. Have you ever had a cold and had trouble breathing and noticed that your taste was also off? The reason why is our sense of smell goes hand in hand with taste. This is also one reason we swirl the wine which in turn releases the aromas in the wine so that they can be funneled toward the opening in the bowl which is where our nose is and therefore also why we stick our nose into the glass. Try this experiment. Hold your nose tightly and put some spicy food in your mouth. Do you taste it? The bowl shouldn't have anything that detracts from the swirl of the wine or the appearance of the wine. A red wine bowl will also be shorter that a white wine bowl. The bowl in a wine glass is very important to the taste of the wine. The bowl should also be big enough to be able to pour at least 6 oz of wine and still leave enough room for our swirl. There are also glasses specially made for Champagnes which are called Flutes. They are Tulip shaped and are the best for Champagne due to the carbonation in the Champagne. This shape also helps ensure that the bubbles in the carbonation  and the flavor remain in the glass longer since the bubbles are instrumental in the flavor.

Lip - The lip or edge of the bowl is where we drink the wine from. The lip of a red wine is wider that the lip of a white wine glass because the aroma is said to be less delicate and directs the wine to the back and sides of the mouth. The thinner the lip is also means that the glass detracts less from the wine.

Material - The one thing we have left to talk about for wine glasses is material. There is glass, Crystal and Titanium Crystal (fairly new) and I guess even plastic that can be used for wine. Wine glasses that are made from glass are great for large parties since they can go right into the dishwasher when done with and if one breaks just go back to the dollar store and buy another one. If I was having a large party I would use inexpensive (all purpose) glasses for my wine since I probably wouldn't be serving expensive wine anyway. When it comes to me enjoying a nice bottle of wine or performing a wine tasting I use my crystal wine glasses made by Libbey of all names. I actually use the Platinum Collection which is Titanium Crystal (see the picture). The crystal is very thin however and care must be taken so as to not break it. These glasses are actually available on EBay right now for $13 for a set of 4 so you do not have to spend a lot to get a beautiful set of crystal wine glasses. You can use hot water and just a tiny bit of soap to clean these in the sink, wiped down with a soft lint free towel or cloth and they are ready for the display case again. Is the material important scientifically? Well honestly no ones really knows for sure. Crystal is rougher that glass and that might add the ability to assist with the bouquet as the wine swirls across the glass. Other then that there is no evidence that materials matter. I myself however, could never sit down (if I had any say in the matter) and drink wine from a plastic cup. Call me a wine snob that is fine but I do believe that wine does demand some sort of class.

Conclusion -  I am not a believer in all the wine snobbery by any means, but wine is not beer. I actually wrote an article a few months ago on this blog about the wine hype (marketing) and how a lot of it is truly nonsense. Maximilian Riedel, the 11th generation of famed Riedel glass maker and CEO of Riedel Crystal America says this about his favorite wine glass “My favorite glass has an emotional connection; it’s the first varietal specific glass ever created (by my grandfather), a Pinot Noir glass (the Riedel Sommeliers Burgundy Grand Cru / Pinot Noir Wine Glass)which holds 37 ounces, more than a single bottle."  In an April 6, 2011 article of Wine Spectator Magazine entitled "It's Just a Wineglass", writer Tim Fish says "If you're ready to move up, a good, entry-level glass will cost between $6 and $10. The first thing to remember is to keep it simple. Start with two types of glasses: one for reds and one for whites, or more specifically, use "Bordeaux" and "Burgundy" glasses designed to bring out the best of the aromas and flavors of particular wine types." This I feel is great advice. If you have decided to move from plastic to real glass there are lower lines of crystal glass wear that you can purchase. This will indeed show you that there is a difference in the taste of the wine and the bouquet. After you make this jump into glassware or upgrade in glassware the sky is the limit on how much you can spend but in my opinion spending a lot of money is unnecessary. Some final words pertaining to glassware. Have a set of wine glasses for times when you have a large group of company and are not planning on doing a wine tasting. An inexpensive set of wine glasses set you back $10 for a set of four and that is well worth the piece of mind when it comes to a shattered glass that you can just clean up and throw away and not think twice about as opposed to a glass that shatters and you just broke up a beautiful set of wine glasses. Have another set for you and your "special" friends, those friends that appreciate a good wine and a good vessel to drink it from. I am sure some friends come to mind as you read this. These types of glass can set you back $40 or so however I challenge you to find the Libbey glasses I mentioned above, at your favorite wine store and tell me you are disappointed with them. With that being said you actually have no excuse for drinking good or even semi-decent wine out of a plastic cup. For around the same price you can have the Libbey Crystal glasses I mentioned. I am sure that every maker has the same line of glass for about the same price. I hope this article shed some light on the wine glass issue. I hope that those of you who have newly discovered wine or made your very first trip to Napa Valley will have enjoyed the wines so much that they will go right out and buy a decent set of wine glasses that suite their own needs. 
   If you have enjoyed this article please check out my Facebook which is dedicated solely to wine. This is more of a personally look into me (The Desert Wine Guy) and his two backyard vineyards. Here is the link and I hope to hear from you there.
https://www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?ref=hl

                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                           The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert Wine Guy - 2007 Huntington Cellars Chardonnay

   Today's review is on the 2007 Huntington Cellars Chadonnay. Nicolaus (Nicky) and Gaby Hahn founded their first vineyards in the late ‘70s in Monterey County. Started in 1988 Huntington Cellars is located (according to the wine bottle) in Grayton California however their website puts them in Napa Valley California. While the two areas are fairly close they are not the same. The winery on a map is actually located very close to Santa Rosa California instead. According to the Huntington Wines website the Hahn family of Nicolaus (Nicky) & Gaby Hahn (who own the Huntington label) live part-time in Northern Kenya , Africa and the other half of the time in the United States. They own "Mugie Ranch" in Kenya which has a school, farm and wildlife preserve. The Hahns say that the sales of the Huntington Cellars label benefit a Scholarship Fund for higher education for children in Kenya. Every bottle of Huntington Cellars wines also features an artists series of Gaby Hahns paintings.
   Now it's time for the review of this Chardonnay. Wherever the vineyard is truly located they have the right soil for grape growing. Let's start by breaking this down by subject here starting with visually since Huntington Cellars opted to stand out with a green bottle.
    I personally think that if you have a nice color to your white (especially) wine that you should be proud of it and show it off and not cover it up, after all wine is also judged on its color as one of it's pluses or negatives. You would (in my opinion) only cover something when you have something to hide. In this case there really is nothing to hide because there is no real color to show off so I guess we know why they chose a green bottle. A pour of the wine showed it to be a mostly clear in color wine with only a very slight hint of yellowish Gold. Color wise don't expect anything special because you will be disappointed in that category. Now on to the bouquet of this wine.
   Now lets get to the good part because this review does end up turning out O.k in the end depending on your needs. Let's move on to the Bouquet. This wine does have a nice bouquet that hits your nose with heavy oak initially after opening which is followed closely by Apricot & Nectarine. There was also a sense of a soft buttery type of bouquet to the wine. There was a hint in the bouquet of Apple as well as Peach also mixed however it remained deep in the wine yet not too deep where you could not detect in sufficient quantities. This is also one of those wines that when left to sit for a few must be swirled again to bring out the bouquet however once it comes back out it is nice but it does not stay long.
   Now we will move onto the taste of our Chardonnay. This is where the wine excels. While it is not a sweet wine by any means I would describe the overall taste of

this Chardonnay as "Bright Acidity". I think that when you read that description and you are familiar with Chardonnay you will understand what I mean. For those of you who have no experience with Chardonnays let me explain. The fruit of the wine has a moderately acidic taste and (of course) it is fruity at the same time. If done right this is a great combination and in this case it was done right. The buttery, Apricot/Nectarine taste is closely interconnected in this wine with one not standing out over the other. The remainder of the fruit, the apple and peach are in the finishing end of this wine. This wine is very pleasant to drink.
   In closing I would recommend one thing. I ended up coming to the conclusion that despite my unwillingness or dislike to chill a wine this Chardonnay does require it if you want the full taste. I also would let this wine sit open for a half an hour because it will tone down the oakey initial bouquet as well as taste in it. I thought the taste of the wine was decent and the bouquet nice for the short time it lasted. Bottom line here is this.This wine is kind of a mixed bag. To begin with there is nothing visually appealing about this wine. The bouquet while nice when swirled does not last long at all requiring the glass to constantly be swirled. The taste when left to sit open in the bottle is nice and I did enjoy it. If you are looking for just the taste which I guess is the biggest part of something you drink, then it will be good. If on the other hand you are looking for the complete package then you should look somewhere else.


                                                                                                        The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert Wine Guy - The Grapevine, Let's Talk about It.

   Today we will look at what makes up a grape vine as well as the names and purpose of each part of the vine. For your assistance I have provided a diagram if needed to help you follow along.

Roots - The roots are simply the part of the vine that allow it to get it's nutrients from the soil. There are actually two kinds of roots the vine has. The first type of root is called subterranean. These quick growing roots grow near the top and try to capture moisture, they do not live long. They also also help to stabilize or anchor the vine to keep it secure in the ground. The next type of root is called principal. These roots bring moisture and minerals directly to the vine and store nutrients to help feed the vine while in the dormant stage which takes place in the winter.

Trunk -  The next part of the vine we will look at is called the trunk. The trunk is the part of the vine we see that comes from the ground. The trunk is the base that everything grows from or off. Most vineyards we see have one trunk but there are some that are grown with two trunks.

Cordons / Arms - Next in line is what is called the arms or cordons. These are the only two (if pruned correctly)  branches that grow along the wire we set up for the vine to grow on. Everything we want from this vine will start from the cordons.

Shoots / Buds / Nodes - This is one of the items that will grow directly from the cordon. Sometimes these are also called Shoots, Buds or Nodes. These Shoots/Buds and Nodes become canes and that is the next item to discuss.

Canes - The Canes grow the part of the vine that we visually identify as the branches. A cane will also have Shoots / Buds / Nodes. This is where our grapes will come from.

Tendrils - These are what allow the vine to attach itself to walls or anything else including other parts of the vine.

Leaves - I am sure I don't have to explain to you what these are. Leaves are very important to the survival of the grapes in the hot summer months. Leaves act as shade to the grapes, keeping the direct heat off of them. Ever heard of Raisins?

   That is pretty much it everyone. It seems pretty simple and it is. I hope you learned a little something from today's post. If you did and would like to check out my Facebook dedicated solely to wine here is the link.
https://www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?ref=hl I hope to see you there.

                                                                                                                    The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert WIne Guy - Grapevine Soil Properties In Angel & Mirror Image Vineyards.

   Today I will be writing a short blog on soil. What type of soil do grape vines like best? If I grow grapes in the Desert how important can soil really be? Is the soil in Las Vegas good? Today we will look into this subject. Lets start off this article with the "perfect soil" for grapes. One of the first things to look for in determining if your soil is appropriate is to determine what you are wanting to grow. There are 4 basic soil types these are sand, silt, clay and loam. In this case we are discussing growing grapes. One of the items we look for in our determination process is something called pH.
   What is pH? Soil pH or soil reaction is an indication of the acidity or alkalinity of soil and is measured in pH units. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14 with pH 7 as the neutral point. From pH 7 to 0 the soil is increasingly more acidic and from pH 7 to 14 the soil is increasingly more alkaline or basic. A pH in the range of 5.5 to 7.0 is ideal for most varieties. Everything below 7 is considered to be acidic. Everything above is considered to be alkaline.  The reason a pH between 6 and 7.5 is optimal for garden plants is that between 6 and 7.5, phosphorus in the soil is soluble meaning that it dissolves in water and is taken up by the plants roots. Now that we know this lets find out what makes soil acidic. There are three things that make a soil acidic and they are the items that decay in your particular soil. The second way is excessive rainfall or irrigation. Too much water can cause important nutrients to be washed away. One other way for soil to become acidic is the use of high-nitrogen synthetic fertilizers. These fertilizers are usually ammonia based which also increases soil acidity. By the way Jack Sanders , owner of the Sanders Family Winery in Pahrump who has extensive experience with vineyards in Napa Valley informed me that for the soil in Las Vegas I would need a 15-15-15 fertilizer which is also know as "Triple Fifteen". These numbers are also known as N-P-K ratios. The numbers stand for the following. 15% ammoniacal nitrogen, Available Phosphate (P2O5) - 15%  & Soluble Potash (Potassium) (K20) - 15%  as well as Sulfur (S) 9%. While we are talking about these nutrients here is a short explanation of what each does. Lets take Nitrogen first. Nitrogen is essential for the growth of leaves and helps keep the green. Nitrogen gets lost from soil very easily. Phosphorous stimulates root growth, promotes development of flowers, fruit (grapes) and seeds. Phosphorous does not get flushed as easily. Potassium helps the vines tolerate changing weather conditions (warm to hot). It also assists the vines with fighting pests as well as help strengthen the plant itself. Potassium does leach from the soil but not as fast as Nitrogen. What causes a soil to have high or low pH? One thing that increases soil acidity is cover crops because they require high amounts of nutrients like Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium. Rain also increases high pH nutrients and makes soil more acidic. In order to lower soil pH there is something called Ground Algime which is a powder form of Lime.
   Now that we have looked into pH lets see some other interesting things about our vineyard soil. To start off with almost any soil can be improved with the incorporation of organic matter. Heavy clay and silty soils will benefit from vegetable and manure compost, chopped hardwood or pine bark, leaf mould and small amounts of pea gravel. Excessively sandy soils will benefit from composted organic materials, peat moss and humus. Do not amend clay soils with large amounts of sand, because this will inhibit drainage even further and may turn your grape garden into a brickyard. Avoid enriching the soil with high nitrogen supplements, which may lead to healthy green grapevines at the expense of fruit production. Drainage is also very important in our soil. While we want the roots of the vines to actually get the water we are giving them we on the other hand do not want them sitting or soaking in water since this can be the cause of some diseases such as Root Rot. We need a soil that will drain but yet not so quickly that the roots will not have a chance to get the very water we want them to have. Grape vines also do not like it when water pools on the surface of the ground around them When I was planting my vines I actually left small rocks in the hole in order to help with drainage. We can also add mulch.  A mulch is left on the soil surface. Its purpose is to reduce evaporation and runoff, inhibit weed growth, and create an attractive appearance. Mulches also moderate soil temperature, helping to warm soils in the spring and cool them in the summer. Mulches may be incorporated into the soil as amendments after they have decomposed to the point that they no longer serve their purpose. The interesting thing here is that soil fertility for vineyards does NOT have to be great since grape vines are naturally vigorous plants and very fertile soils produce overgrown canopy and abundant, but mediocre fruit. These grapes taste diluted because the resources of the vine are being stretched too thin. Ideally, vines will put the majority of their energy into a small amount of grapes. Too many grapes and the vines resources are stretched. Excessive foliage (too much Nitrogen) can also deny grapes the amount of sun-exposure necessary for optimal ripening. Here are a couple of more important things for our soil in our vineyard. The depth of the soil is important. Deeper soils tend to produce more consistently high-quality and subtlety flavored fruit than shallower soils. These vines are also less susceptible to extreme weather patterns. There is one more item to discuss when it comes to vineyard soil and that is the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). This is  the capacity of the soil and its capability to hold nutrients. Each type of soil will have a unique CEC many of which are difficult if not impossible to measure. Some soils have the inability to have their CEC altered and this is due to the nature of the soil the vines are planted in.
  Now lets talk about the soil in Angel Vineyard & Mirror Image Vineyard. I have posted a picture with this article so you can see just one of the types of soil I have to deal with (at least in appearance) her in the vineyard. While planting my vines I came across areas that appeared as if the house was built on top of a rock Quarry. I will post a picture of one of the rocks that I had to dig up which actually took an hour to get out. I couldn't use a shovel because the rock was jammed in by many smaller rocks that stopped it from coming out. It was actually easier to use a hand tool to dig it out. There were other parts of the vineyard that had soil like you see in my hand. There were other parts that had small rocks but not small enough that I wanted to leave them where the vine was going. Then there were others that had small rocks that I was able to leave for drainage. The actual soil composition such as pH I have never looked into to be honest. I am going off the way my original Cabernet Sauvignon vines grew last year, before I learned how to take care of them. I can only assume that if they grew that wonderful with no knowledge of grape vines how well they will grow now that I have at least knowledge on the caring of them. It is also my understanding that for around $30 I can buy a home testing kit to check pH but I (again) am going by past experience in the vineyard and I believe my vines will grow just fine.
   Well folks I hope you learned a little bit about soil and how it effects our vines. I hope you will use it to benefit you should you decide to grow a vineyard of your own. 

                                                                                                        The Desert WIne Guy

The Desert WIne Guy - 2005 Trinitas Cellars Old Vine Mataro

   Hello everyone and welcome back to The Desert Wine Guys latest blog. Today the word of the day is WOW. Why is that the word of the day? Let me tell you why. I say WOW because of the Trinitas Cellars Mourvedre Blend Contra Costa County Mataro Old Vine 2005 that I was lucky enough to do a tasting of. I do not remember just how I came to acquire this wine, I think it might have been through one of my wine clubs I subscribe to. However I acquired it,  this wine ended up in my downstairs "everyday wine rack" which judging by the name should tell you what type of wines end up there. I actually have two of these wine racks downstairs which are reserved for average day to day company that might come over. These wine racks usually consist of wines I really don't expect much from or don't appear to be from locations or vineyards that are known for above average wine. I guess, after tasting this wine I should change the name of these two racks to "Unproven Wine Racks". As luck may have it  I also have two refrigerated wine racks upstairs in my Tasting Room where I keep some wines that have some age on them and have actually been tasted by me some time ago. So here I am with the mindset that I am going to review just an average wine, a wine I really don't expect to much from. This should be easy right? That is what I thought. Today the wine picked happened to be the Trinitas Mourvedre Blend Contra Costa County Mataro Old Vine 2005. Since I have never tasted a Mataro I was kind of excited to be tasting this grape. Having explained all of this let me be the first to say that The Desert Wine Guy should look a little deeper into the wines that go in the "everyday wine rack" because I really goofed here. How badly did I goof? Let's get started on this review and we will see. By the way for those of you interested. This is not my first review of the Trinitas Cellars wines, I actually did a review of their 2007 Trinitas Sauvignon Blanc. For another great Trinitas wine please check out that review on this blog.

   Since this review is on a type of grape named "Mataro" I would like to talk a little about this grape since prior to this tasting I had never heard of this grape and I will assume that you readers probably have not either so lets break this grape down and see what we can learn about it. The Mataro grape is a thick skinned, red wine grape and is typically used to blend with other wines. This grape was at one time widely grown in California however it now is nowhere near as popular  as it once was. The grape requires a lot of sun and and water (sounds perfect for the Las Vegas desert). This is also a late budding and ripening grape and is usually the last vine picked because of this. Some of the other characteristics of the Mataro grape are that it is high in Tannins and have intense color. The grape also usually takes several years of growing before the vine produces fruit worthy of being used as wine. The grape is believed to have a Spanish origin although this is uncertain. At one time it was the second-most-planted red-wine variety in Spain (behind Garnacha). The grape is known by many different names but when it came to California it took the name Mataro (also in Australia) which was taken from a town near Barcelona where the varietal was grown in the mid to late 1800s. In France the grape is known as Mourvèdre and Monastrell in Spain The grape is believed to have arrived in California in the 1860's. Mataro was first recognized as a distinct varietal in the 16th century. For those you who want to learn a bit more about this grape here is a great article. http://www.winebiz.com.au/pdf/WIJ-MourvedreVarietalReport.pdf please check it out.
   Lets now have a quick little look into the Trinitas Cellars vineyard itself. Located in Napa Valley California, Trinitas Cellars was established in 2002 by the Husband & Wife team of Tim & Steph Busch. The Busch family currently run the vineyard and do so from a godly standpoint as they point out on their website http://www.trinitascellars.com/Our-Story/Meet-The family and are very respected in their Catholic faith. When referring to Tim Busch the Trinitas cellars website says the following "Additionally, he (Tim Busch) serves on Boards for The Catholic University of America, Patrons of the Vatican Arts, John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington DC and the Papal Foundation".  The vineyard is a small one however Trinitas cellars has three different wine club consisting of The Trinity Club, Cardinal Club and finally the White Wine Club. Trinitas has a very unique tasting room which is located 40 feet below the actual vineyard in a cave and consists partly of a tasting bar which is made of beautiful marble and is located directly behind the Meritage Resort and Spa. The underground tasting room also happens to be the first underground tasting room in Napa. The tasting room is open daily from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. The winemaker for Trinatas is Kevin Mills who joined Trinitas in 2007 after he spent approximately five years mentoring under Peju Province Winery winemaker Sean Foster. 
   Lets now move on to the part we have all been waiting for and that is the tasting. As I stated above having realized that I had never heard of let alone tasted a Mataro or a Mourvèdre or Monastrel as it is also called I was excited to see what this grape was all about. This wine is actually 81% Mataro, 9% Black Malvoisie, 7% petite Sirah and 3% Alicante Bouschet. What an incredible combination it turned out being by the way. I also decided that this was as good a time as any to open the box containing my new wine glasses I had recently purchased which is the Robert Mondavi By Waterford, Wine Tasting Collection. These beautiful glasses are real Crystal and each have a capacity of 16 ounces. They are 9 inches high x 3 inches in diameter. I grabbed one of these beautifully made glasses as well as the  Mataro and headed upstairs to my wine tasting room for what, to my surprise would turn out to be a review of way more than just an everyday wine. In keeping with my belief that a wine is best tasted at room temperature that is what I did. I also made the decision to not decant this wine. This wine, by the way was aged for 14 months in approximately 27% New American and French Oak. The first pour of our wine revealed a light to medium purple, almost plum in color. I filled my glass approximately a quarter of the way full and I proceeded to get down to business. The first thing I noticed apart from the color was that my nose was struck with the big, bright, incredible bouquet of this wine. The wine glass just erupted with fruit and oak. There was also the very nice taste of oak and a bright, power packed cherry mixed with blackberry and Cassis. The wine did strike me as having a bit of an alcohol taste but it did seem to compliment the wine rather than detract from it. The Mataro grape when made into wine sometimes can display a slightly high level of alcohol. This is most definitely a "big fruit" wine without a doubt. The wine explodes with flavor in your mouth. The wine was slightly on the dry side but again nothing that detracted from the taste in fact the slight dryness mixed with the bouquet and powerful fruit seemed to again compliment each other and increased the overall taste and enjoyment of the wine. There were also quite a bit of Tannins that held up very well in this wine to help ensure that it still maintained that powerhouse status in my opinion and will also ensure that this wine will hold up for at least another five or so years. Remember this is a 2005 bottle of wine that sold for $20. Talk about a deal. The end result in this tasting is that I was highly impressed with this wine and the fact that it has held up so well. The Bouquet, the taste, everything was simply wonderful. This happens to be a sign of the great knowledge and caring that the winemaker, Kevin Mills has put into his wine. It is also a sign that time was taken to craft this wine from the soil to the bottle, or as Trinitas Cellars says "the connection among sun, soil, and humanity". In summarizing, this is one heck of a wine and one not to be missed.
   I wanted to add this little bit of information in closing. Having enjoyed this wine so much I searched around on the Internet and was unable to find his wine available for purchase Since there was only between 367 & 700 (depending on whom you talk to) cases made originally this is understandable. I contacted Trinitas Cellars themselves and was informed that the wine is not available. I am sorry to say that unless you, the reader currently has a bottle of this wine you will just have to go thru life knowing that you did lose out on tasting a great bottle of wine. If you do happen to have a bottle in your wine cellar treat it well because you have Gold there Sir.

                                                                                                       The Desert Wine Guy