February 2008 Newsletter
What a deal for a delicious dozen
A Delicious Dozen CaseOne bottle of each featured wine in this newsletter.
$425
Includes 10% discount. WHAT A DEAL!!!
Fast, dependable shipping by UPS. Good rates, too. Click here for shipping rates and options.
MULTIPLE CASE SHIPPING SPECIALS. Click here for details.
Welcome back to the wine shop, fellow wine-lovers.
Our theme this newsletter is “what a deal for a delicious dozen.” Twelve featured wines, all California, all tiny production, all most-enjoyed by your Back Room Wines staff, and all very highly recommended to you who adore the potency and purity of the finest California wines. Lastly, we find these dozen to be awesome values for super-premium California wine!
Take a moment, please, and enjoy the powerful prose of this modestly produced Back Room Wines newsletter. If every single wine turns you on (we can only hope) then consider our Delicious Dozen Super Deal: one bottle of each for $425 (includes 10% case discount). Only thing we like better than turning you on to such great wines is enjoying them ourselves. And we do, regularly! Keeps us chipper.
Thank you! Daniel Dawson, your Back Room Wine Merchant. 
Engel Family Merlot “Rock Mountain Vineyard” Napa Valley 2004 ($40 net)
Remember when you could buy Pride Merlot for $40? Well, you almost can again, but now it’s even BETTER. Engel Family “Rock Mountain” Merlot is made by the talented Bob Foley, longtime Pride Winemaker. The Engel vines grow on a terraced hillside vineyard in the toasty northern Napa Valley. This does not disappoint even the most staunch Merlot critic. It’s powerful, juicy, full-bodied, robust, complex and still finely polished as we expect a Bob Foley-made wine to be. Only 140 cases made, no reviews that we know of (besides our own) and very few merchants sell this wine.
We’re one of the lucky few.
Two Angels Petite Sirah, High Valley, Lake County 2005 ($20)
The Two Angels Petite Sirah grows on steeply-sloped, 2000+ foot altitude vineyards in Lake County (just north of Napa Valley, inland from Sonoma & Mendocino.) As Petite should be, this is REALLY BIG. It’s smoky, spicy and bold. Makes us hanker for some barbecue. Tons of flavors like blueberry, pomegranate and dark chocolate. It’s super-concentrated and chewy but not too tannic. We submit this as the best, biggest, boldest wine for twenty bucks made in the Golden State.
Willowbrook Cellars Pinot Noir, Marin County 2006 ($36)
We think a lot of Willowbrook wines. We’ve sold many of you Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs recently, and the response has been great. This just-released Willowbrook Pinot adds a twist as it’s from Marin County. We describe it as “almost Sonoma Coast” as the vineyard is just over the county line they share. The strawberry preserves, rose petals, candied ginger, white pepper nose makes us think a little of Grenache. In the mouth, it’s an explosion of fruit a la Kosta Browne but not as much oak. Taste more strawberry, plum preserves, raspberry coulis and then classic Pinot floral notes: rose again, and lavender.
Oberschulte Syrah “Monte Rosso Vineyard” Sonoma Valley 2005 ($37)
Owned and made my Mark Oberschulte, a good man whose day job is to tend the vines of “Monte Rosso” and other such special places for vines. He nurtures enough Syrah to make 218 cases of deep, luscious, strong red wine. This is very California style with abundant blueberry, cocoa, black cherry and black pepper flavors. All is buttressed by just enough sweet oak to round it out. We poured this recently at the wine bar, and one taster said it best: "Doesn't express the unique qualities of Syrah, but it's totally delicious, and that's what's most important." This is Daniel Dawson, and I approve this message.
Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2004 ($75)
In this era of commonplace $100+ Napa Cabs, “what a deal” wine extends to $75 if it’s really good, and this is REALLY good! The Altamura pours out purple-black and launches with aromas of espresso, cherries jubilee, blueberry liqueur and malt. The flavor is turned up in every aspect: high volume fruit, sweet oak and huge tannins. Alone, any one of these would be too much. Together, they complement one another and make for a complete, glorious Cab you may enjoy tonight or cellar for 5+ years. We suggest trying it soon as its youthful spirit is part of its charm.
Fast, dependable shipping by UPS. Good rates, too. Buy multiple cases for best shipping rates.
Click here for shipping rates and options.
Top of page
Thoughts? E-Mail Us.
Order? Try Here.
Or call Back Room Wines. Toll Free: 877-322-2576
Frostwatch Chardonnay, Bennett Valley 2005 ($29)
Back Room feels a little proprietary when it comes to Frostwatch. We discovered them in their infancy, turned many of you on to their wines (Chard & Merlot) and continue the relationship with this strong, balanced, cool climate Chardonnay. Truth is, Frostwatch would do just fine without us because fine wine at a fair price will always be “discovered.” We’re lucky to have their wines here. The Frostwatch Chard tastes of sweet butter, pineapple, yellow grapefruit, apricot, summer melons, roast nuts and brioche. Bright acidity splashes over the tongue as you swoosh and swirl, giving the wine life.
Three Saints Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley 2005 ($17)
It is not often that a wine this good, with this kind of pedigree, is offered at such a nice price. We start with great grapes from the warmest parts of Santa Barbara. Then the best winemaking, with oak ageing normally reserved for $50 wines, gets it into bottle. Syrah lovers like these adjectives: smoky, sappy, spicy, bold. This low acid, rich, deeply fruity Syrah crosses over to non-Syrah drinkers, too, because it’s just so good! We keep a few bottles of this at home and suggest you do the same.
Coho “Headwaters” Napa Valley 2005 ($38)
Voluptuous Right Bank Bordeaux-style red blend, mostly from “Michael Black Vineyard,” which we’ve found consistently makes wonderful, strong wine. “Headwaters” blends Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot into a seamless, luxurious, quintessential Napa red. Enjoy the smells & flavors of melted dark chocolate, black currant, blackberry, vanilla bean and sweet cigar smoke. The Merlot gives the velvet, the Cab gives structure and length, the Petite Verdot gives soul.
Emilio’s Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley 2004 ($50)
Emilio’s Terrace vineyard rests in the tenderloin of Napa Cab country. It’s Oakville Bench, where the wines run from delicious to profound…and typically sell for a lot more than fifty dollars. No apologies for price here, because “E.T.” delivers the power, the richness, the sweetness and length we want from big-time Oakville Cab. Very ripe bordering on jammy fruit flavors here with decided Bordeaux-like touches of cigar wrapper, black truffle and woodsmoke. 500 cases made.
Miss Olivia Brion Pinot Noir “Heron Lake Vineyard”
Wild Horse Valley 2006 ($38)
This local, artisan Pinot is in very few wine shops. With this 2006 vintage, not only are we one of the few, we’re the first! We tasted this around Christmas and convinced our friend David (the winemaker) to let us start selling this delicious wine sooner than later. Wild cherry, juicy red-fleshed plum, framboise, coriander, white pepper, wild thyme and ruby grapefruit flavors dance through the wine. Silky, intense and succulent, this very pretty and formidable Pinot Noir is drinking great now and will get significantly better as the months go by.
Fast, dependable shipping by UPS. Good rates, too. Buy multiple cases for best shipping rates.
Click here for shipping rates and options.
Top of page
Thoughts? E-Mail Us.
Order? Try Here.
Or call Back Room Wines. Toll Free: 877-322-2576
Elyse Zinfandel “Eaglepoint Ranch” Mendocino 2004 ($28)
Never shy to make a powerful, super-ripe & rich red, Elyse winery has outdone even themselves with their “Eaglepoint” Zinfandel 2004. It’s the only vintage that Elyse made Zin from this vineyard that soars above the Ukiah Valley. “Too big a chance that the grapes won’t ripen,” they say. No problem in 2004, for this is thick, jammy, chewy (thanks to 22% Petite Sirah in here), sweetly spicy and luxurious a la the popular red blend “The Prisoner.” It satisfies the Big Zin lover in all of us.
Stewart Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2004 ($62)
The Stewart family employs Paul Hobbs as winemaker. The Cab is their best, their signature, wine. 70% comes from the mountain vineyard “Stagecoach,” and the rest comes from the Valley floor. 70% new French oak, the rest once-used. What’s it all mean? Well, the mountain fruit gives spice, cola and truffle flavors. The Valley floor fruit adds black cherry and blackberry fruits. The oak gives vanilla flavor and creamy mouth feel. We think it would greatly benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring. We dig Parker’s description of the finish, “tastes like cassis infused with melted black chocolate." Mmmm baby!
A Delicious Dozen Case
One bottle of each featured wine in this newsletter.
$425
Includes 10% discount. WHAT A DEAL!!!
Shipping Discounts On Multiple Case Purchase
Two cases: 10% off shipping fee
Three cases: 15% off shipping fee
Four cases: 20% off shipping fee
Five or more cases: 25% off shipping fee
Applicable discount applies to all cases shipped at one time.
Multiple shipping addresses are OK. Applies to Ground or 3 Day shipping options only.
Click here for our very good rates even before discount!
Shipping special valid through March 2008.