Join us at our Harvest Ranch Market El Cajon store for our weekly wine tasting:
759 Jamacha Road El Cajon, CA 92019 619-442-0355
FRIDAY APRIL 29th
5:00-7:00PM
$15.00 EA
Wine Tasting must be purchased by 5:30 to guarantee a taste of each wine, thanks.
Purchase any bottle of wine at Harvest Ranch Market on Friday*. Present your receipt at our neighboring Junction Steakhouse and we will waive your corkage fee. An $18 value!
We also have a wine tasting every Saturday from 3pm-5pm. Cost $10.00 each.
Our Featured Wines:
2009 Torii Mor Pinot Gris Willamette Valley
Winemaker’s notes:
Our 2009 Pinot Gris aroma begins with floral notes, a mix of honeysuckle and dried herbs, perhaps a touch of mint, followed by notes of ripe pears and more floral-herbal accents. The flavors show a crisp acidity, with a sweet entry and the same herbal-floral characters of the aroma. The ripe pears flavor co-mingles with the dried herbs to bring the taste to a long lingering finish. The wine texture is rich and round with a very light touch of spritziness. The finish is oily and long with lasting spiciness, fruitiness and freshness.
Critical acclaim:
“Bright and silky, delivering a lively mouthful of pear, apple, melon and floral flavors that persist nicely.”
90 Points
Wine Spectator:
“The 2009 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley has a bit of barrel fermentation in large neutral oak casks. It is light straw-colored with an enticing perfume of melon, tangerine zest, and floral notes. Medium-bodied, dry (the residual sugar is right at the threshold of perception), and spicy, it is meant for drinking over the next 1-2 years. 90 Points
The Wine Advocate Mt Difficulty Pinot Gris 2007 Central Otego
The warm dry vintage of 2007 has resulted in aromas of white peach and nectarine. The palate displays luscious fruit in the same vein, while the mid palate is full, creamy and well textured. The wine has a rich grapefruit driven finish.
Winemaking Considerations:
The grapes for this wine come from four of our Bannockburn vineyards; Templars Hill, Long Gully, Bannockburn Bay and Ferris. The fruit was hand harvested in top condition from the 5th April to the 4th of May: it was harvested at 23.3-24.40Brix, ~3.2pH with an acidity ranging from 7.8-8.5gL-1. The fruit was processed in a reductive manner, with the juice settled overnight and racked slightly cloudy the following morning. The wine was fermented cool, to help maximize varietal character. All the components were left on gross yeast lees for three months post fermentation with weekly stirring. These techniques were used to help enhance the complexity and textural aspects of the wine.
2006 Merlot, Napa Valley 30th Anniversary
TASTING NOTES
Keenan Winery is located in Spring Mountain District, high in the Mayacamas mountain range above the town of Saint Helena. Fifteen acres of Merlot vines have been planted in the rocky soils surrounding the winery, and it is these vines that produce some of the finest Merlot in Napa. The vineyards are situated above the dense layer of fog that creeps up the Napa Valley most evenings. Consequently the vines warm up earlier in the morning and stay warm through the night. The combination of warm temperatures, steep hillside vine rows and gravelly soils promotes more stress on the vines leading to increased intensity in the finished wine.
The ’06 Merlot has been aged in thirty-three percent new French and American oak barrels for eighteen months. The resulting wine shows intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, and cassis. Complex nuances of cocoa and coffee bean emerge as the wine opens up. This is a “big” Merlot that will age for many years to come.
Corvidae “Rook” 2008 Red Blend Columbia Valley
Corvidae Wine Company’s “Rook” blended red wine is a crowd-pleaser. A little more than half of the fruit for this wine comes from the organically farmed Ironbird Vineyard in the Applegate Valley in Southern Oregon. Here the fruit hangs well into late October which delivers exuberant fruit flavors and tremendous color. 34% comes from St. Isidore Vineyard in Walla Walla on the Oregon side of the AVA. The remaining 15% is from Erickson Vineyard in the dry Columbia Valley. This site gives more complexity to the wine and riper flavors. Owen Roe’s logo for Rook says: ”Lucky at cards…” Corvidae’s Rook is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. The ripe and rich Cabernet flavors prevail – juicy loganberry, cassis, and a base note of black plum and cherry. Syrah adds richness, and Merlot smooth’s the velvet finish. As we’ve come to expect, Owen Roe has created another amazing value. ”Corvidae” is named for the family of birds that includes crows and ravens. Crows have a long history in folklore and mythology. David was inspired to name the label Corvidae by the many crows that circle the sky over his winery in Yakima. With a robust nose of rich black cherry, mocha, and a whiff of Syrah smoke, this is definitely not a shy wine. Lots of ripe fruit flavors are here, with cassis and plums dominating, but it’s all kept in balance by ample acidity and chewy tannins. Pair this big red with almost anything off the grill, a hearty beef stew or richly red sauced pasta.
2005 Jake-Ryan Cellars Zinfandel, Bald Mountain, Napa
Located 1900-2100 feet in elevation, this vineyard is dry-farmed and terraced to accommodate the altitude and steep slopes of the mountain. Temperatures tend to be cooler than in most parts of Napa Valley; however, the vineyard is generally clear and sunny when the Valley is blanketed with fog. This Zin is bursting with aromas of cherry, raspberry and blackberry, with some integrated caramel and vanilla notes. In the mouth there are flavors of ripe cherry, rhubarb, and blackberry preserves with cedar and spice characteristics adding a punch of complexity and personality.
For more information about our wine department visit our wine page at harvestranchmarkets.com.
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