Making pinot noir is no joke

>> Announcer: On the next episode of sips, suds, and smokes. >> Brent: Our sip segments are all about wine, distilled spirits, tea, coffee, and anything else you can sip. And, uh, today is a wine episode. So here are the wines we're going to be discussing today. From Silver Ghost, we have the Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet franc 2022. The Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022.

The Silver Ghost, Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, and the Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. And from Croix Estate, we have the Croix Estate, 2020 212 Row Chardonnay, the Croix estate, 2021, old Manzana, pinot noir, and the Croix estate, 2021 South Block six, pinot noir. So, not too shabby. >> Harm: No? Very good lineup. >> Announcer: We'll be right back after this break. Brought to you almost live from the dude in the basement studios. Why? Cause that's where the

good stuff is. It sits, suds and smokes with your smokin host, the good old boys. And now it's sippin time. >> Brent: Hey, it's sippin time. Once again, welcome to this sips episode where everything good in life is worth discussing. As always, we are the best thing on it. >> Harm: 01:00 a.m. it's 02:00 a.m. not 01:00 a.m. anymore. >> Brent: Okay, I'll take 02:00 a.m. yeah, I've. >> Harm: Been watching the boys lately. You should be watching streaming that.

>> Brent: I still haven't seen it. I just. >> Harm: I think they beat us. Cause, you know, it's. They've got some really good, um. It's gory, it's violent. We don't can't do gore and violence on the show. Why can't we do gore and violence? >> Brent: Because the last time I did it, I had to find three more idiots to sit at the table with me. >> Harm: Oh, yeah, sorry. Thanks. Okay, thanks, Bob. >> Brent: You know, I mean,

what do you want from me? Well, this is made man, Bob. Joining me today are, uh, good old boy harmit. >> Harm: Thank you for having me. It's a great day to be in the basement with lots of wine in front of me here. >> Brent: Yahoo. And maidman Mori. >> Maury: Good morning. Excited for some juicy fruits in the basement? >> Brent: And good old boy jasmine. >> Harm: I resent that remark. >> Bob: Always a pleasure to be in the basement. Keep thinking

of golden earring when it starts. It's 02:00 a.m. my favorite song, twilight Zone. >> Harm: Oh, yeah. >> Bob: Yeah. >> Harm: You are a child of the eighties. >> Brent: Definitely. >> Bob: Yeah. >> Brent: Well, I mean, it was really, like, their one hit. >> Bob: Yeah. >> Maury: You know, you got. >> Bob: It was awesome. >> Brent: You got to hang on to that one. >> Bob: Yeah. >> Brent: It's 02:00 a.m. um. Yeah.

>> Bob: Yep. >> Brent: One guy's reading. One guy's singing. Yeah, I could do the reading part. Yeah, singing. Not so much reading I could do. >> Bob: Yeah. >> Brent: Well, our sip segments are all about wine, distilled spirits, tea, coffee, and anything else you can sip. And today is a wine episode. So here are the wines we're going to be discussing today. From Silver Ghost, we have the Silver Ghost, Napa Valley Cabernet

franc 2022. The Silver Ghost, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022. The Silver Ghost, Oakville Cabernet sauvignon 2022, and the Silver Ghost, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018. And from Croix Estate, we have the Croix estate, 2020, 212 row Chardonnay, the Croix estate, 2021, old Mazana, pinot noir, and the Croix date, 2021, south block, six, pinot noir. So, not too shabby. >> Harm: No. Very good lineup. >> Brent: So we're gonna. >> Harm: Oh, yeah.

>> Brent: Why do I do it? Just. Why do I do it? Oh, I do it. Cause nobody else wants to do it. >> Bob: Okay. >> Brent: That's why I'm gonna do it. Okay. Justin is gonna do our sips. Ratings. Cause nobody else wants to do it. >> Bob: So how do you like those manzanas, huh? >> Brent: Yeah, exactly. So take it away, Justin. >> Bob: One sip. >> Brent: Nancy, uh, give me a glass of water to wash out my mouth.

>> Brent: Okay, that's much better than the last impression. And I'm not saying that that one's good. I'm just saying, compared to the last one, it's much better. >> Brent: Oh, yes. That Donald Sutherland was so horrible, it crashed the hard drive. Thank God no one will hear it. Two sips. Nice. But what else do you have? >> Maury: Well, isn't that nice? >> Bob: Three sips. >> Maury: Hmm. >> Brent: Interesting. Uh, uh, what was this again?

>> Harm: Interesting. >> Bob: Four sips. >> Brent: Nancy, uh, let's keep this secret to ourselves. Pour me another. >> Harm: That's classified. Five sips. >> Brent: Gorby. Oh, my. I was unaware anything could be this good. >> Brent: Oh, my goodness. >> Harm: You know, the only time he ever got first billing was when I, a monkey, was on the show. >> Brent: Bedtime for Bonzo. >> Brent: Yeah, that was great. >> Brent: I loved that movie.

>> Brent: They paid me in cash for that one. >> Brent: Hey, it's a movie, and it's got a chimp in it already. I'm on board. I mean, I didn't watch Tarzan. Cause Tarzan was cool. I watched Tarzan cause there was a chimp on board. >> Harm: You were watching for the glistening chest. I know you. >> Brent: There were animals and kids that movie. And I still did well. >> Brent: Mm hmm. >> Maury: You guys are weird. >> Harm: We're not denying it.

>> Brent: Yeah, exactly. So, all right, so let's talk about a, uh, little bit about silver ghost. So, silver ghosts. Founder, Weston

Edison. His great grandfather was John Montana. This time, I like skipping lines. His great grandfather was John Montague. He was an automobile pioneer at the turn of the last century. He was a british lord and in parliament. And because of that, he was instrumental in much of the early automotive legislation and even gave the future King Edward VII his first ride in

a car. He was friends with Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, and his assistant served as the model for the Rolls Royce hood ornament, the spirit of ecstasy, which we still see on the cars today. >> Harm: His assistant should be in, uh, quotation mark, shouldn't it? >> Brent: Yeah, if she looked like that, I'm sure she was an assistant. Okay. >> Brent: I'm sure she was very helpful. >> Brent: Yeah. Don't. Again, don't park it in Miami, though.

No, they won't. They won't just steal the hood ornament. They'll steal the whole grill. >> Bob: My friend had a Rolls Royce wraith ripped off right front of his house. >> Harm: Nowhere. >> Bob: Yeah. >> Brent: Where do you live? >> Bob: Cooper city. >> Brent: Well, there you go. >> Bob: I have community. >> Harm: Yeah. >> Brent: Well, Silver Ghost derives its name from John Montague's favorite car, the 1909 Rolls Royce

Silver Ghost. And like its name, the wine itself is filled with layers of richness, culture, and authenticity. Nearly 100 years later, while attending graduate school in the UK, Weston traveled around the world, visiting as many wine regions as he could, from Chile to South Africa to Bordeaux to Alsace to Veneto. His adventures eventually led him to Napa Valley, where he met Jason Moore of modus operandi

cellars. Under Moore's guidance, he worked the 2012 harvest and quickly gained invaluable winemaking skills and developed a conviction for making rich and balanced wine with minimal intervention, allowing the fruit to express its full potential while crafting wine that naturally reflects its distinctive terroir. So our first wine is going to be the silver ghost. Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2022. It's 13% abv, 95% cab Frank, 3% Malbach,

2% petite verdot. 50% of the fruit is Oakville, and 50% of the fruit is Yonville. It's aged in new French. Uh, it's an aged in french oak barrels, 50% of which are new. It's got a lovely sort of bordering on purple garnet color on the nose. There's some lovely flowers there. It's got that, it's got a dusty nose, which is unusual for a cob front and on the palette. Mhm. Blackberries, dark fruits. It's got a nice can, it's got a nice tannin to it. A little bit of,

a little bit of a tartness to it. That cab Frank coming through. But this is not your regular cab, Frank. This is definitely different, which is what attracted me to it in the first place. So a, uh, lovely wine. What do you think, Mori? >> Maury: Uh, I agree with much of what you said. It's got a beautiful nose, it's got a nice palate, and it's very pleasant. It's very drinkable. Um, I agree. There's blue and black fruits on the palate. There's some hindu dark chocolate, some fine tannins.

It's a little bit of a different style for most cab francs, but nonetheless, for what it is, it's delicious, it's pleasant, it's it's an all day sipper for me. Uh, I've really, I've really enjoyed it. It's a little bit on the lighter side, I think you could drink this wine with or without food. Very pleasant, very well made, very enjoyable. Harm? >> Harm: Yeah? Um, it's, it's not varietally correct, so I understand there's gonna be a little bit,

I mean, I don't know. That's not variety. Correct. It's just I, it does not match my expectations for Cap Franc, for what I've had usually, especially from Napa valley. Um, it's on the more medium bodied, not as heavy as most, uh, cab franc is. Uh, it's, it doesn't have that pepper that I expect from cav franc, but it does have that beautiful BlackBerry and floral note. The floral note is the redeeming value here. It's gorgeous. Um, the blue and black fruits all there, the

chocolates all there. I was just expecting something different, and maybe that's fine, to have something different. You know, the wine is actually very well made. The tannins are perfectly, uh, perfectly ripe and fine. Hmm. Great mouth feel. >> Maury: Yeah. It's well balanced. And, uh, uh, there's really no flaws. >> Harm: No. Well, except it's not doesn't, it wouldn't be varietally correct. >> Maury: It doesn't meet your expectations for the varietal.

>> Harm: How's that, Justin, do you agree? >> Bob: I really liked it. Um, it doesn't taste like a typical cobb franc, but that's okay on the nose. I got like, red curry, thyme spice cake on the body. >> Brent: BlackBerry red curry. >> Bob: Red curry. Like thai red curry? >> Harm: Ty. Red curry. I knew he was talking about. >> Brent: Yeah. >> Harm: I don't get it, but I understand. >> Brent: I know what red curry is. I'm just like, okay.

>> Bob: Kind of envelops the fruit along with. >> Harm: Like, Thai, but I'm not getting any of the pepper at all. So then, um, the red curry, it. >> Maury: Does have a little bit of pepper. I disagree. It has some pepper. Not a lot. >> Bob: What's interesting is this. Second time I've had this today, and it's totally different nose this time. >> Harm: Yeah.

>> Maury: Then last, honestly, it dissipated in the glass. I think it was better when we first poured it, and to me, it's just kind of gone flat. >> Harm: Well, we all report our wine. You didn't report your wine. This is. This. It is better right now, actually. Then when I. I got here a little bit later. Been breathing too much. >> Brent: Yeah. Report. >> Harm: Just. I think I. Listen the cab franc over here. Try that.

I think when I. By the time I got to the tasting of I in the. You guys don't know about the, uh. We've been talking about it obliquely, but the hard drive crashed when we were recording at 20 minutes of this show the first time. So we're starting again. >> Brent: Damn. >> Harm: What? Drink more wine. >> Bob: Drink more wine. It's hard job. Uh, somebody's got to do it. >> Brent: You drank and talk for 20 minutes, and now you have to do it

again. Ow. Ow. Let go of my arm, you ruffian, you. >> Harm: Yeah. >> Bob: Thank you for all the wine. You're reporting us enough wine? >> Brent: Like many of us have anything else going on in our lives right now other than this. >> Bob: Correct. >> Maury: Speak for yourself. >> Harm: My wife kicked me out of the house for today. She's going back to school, shopping. I don't have to be anywhere. >> Brent: There you go. Yeah.

>> Harm: Just drinking wine, man. Just drinking wine. >> Brent: Yeah. Well, it's a good day for you. And we'll be back. We'll be back. Hey, and we're back. And we were just finishing up talking about the Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet Franc 2022. Anybody have anything best to add? Or should they just give us a score? >> Maury: Score, score. Call to question. Score. >> Brent: We are going to be giving that cab Frank from Silver Ghost a well deserved three sips.

>> Harm: Interesting. >> Brent: So that's going to take us on to our next one that we're going to have Justin tell us about. >> Bob: Now we're going to talk about silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet sauvignon 2022. It's 14%

alcohol by volume, comprised of 92% cabernet sauvignon, 4% merlot, 4% petite verdot. It's from Yountville Oakville Sugarloaf mountain. Slow, cool fermentations and temperature controlled tanks with daily pump overs aged in french oak barrels. Half of them are new on the nose. I got menthol, pistachios and lemons on the palate.

I got the fresh maker, mentos, mouthfeel, dark fruits, and the note in jamaican blue mountain coffee that their caramel note just smell like I'm, um, on the top of the mountain doing things that are legal in some states. What did you think, Harvey?

>> Harm: I don't know where you come up with those. Yeah, the pistachio, I don't get now, give you the lemon only because it's got a high enough acidity that I can see where you might think it's lemon, but it doesn't come across that way to me at all. And, uh, the menthol here is more eucalyptus. >> Brent: I guess you're worried about the lemon. He said mentos. >> Harm: Okay, mentos on the pal. I haven't addressed that yet. I I was getting there.

>> Brent: Okay. Just making sure that didn't get past you. >> Harm: I can see where you get the lemon at you, which is surprising, but to me, it's more like berry. It's cassis and blueberry. And of course, there's, there's a good floral note there. >> Bob: Um, um, of course, I would know Cassis if it hit me in the face, but I know what a lemon is. >> Harm: If you've had cabernet sauvignon from Napa valley or Bordeaux, you know what cassis is. You haven't tasted a regular

fruit yet. It's a common thread in all those wines and. >> Bob: All right, time to go to the grocery store anyway. >> Harm: Um, it's a beautiful, opaque garnet with a clear edge. It's very young. The, uh, the fruit is there, but it's not a, uh, big, ripe fruit bomb. It's, it's, it's medium bodied. It's a little bit restrained. That compared to other California wines in the area, it's got, it was, it's really got a silky mouth

feel, which I really love. I don't know where the hell you're getting mentos from. What's going on? The texture. >> Brent: He didn't brush his teeth. >> Bob: Have you, have you had Mentos lately? >> Harm: No. >> Bob: They're silky. >> Harm: What, are you sucking on them and chewing them. >> Bob: Sucking on them. And then I chew them. >> Harm: You chew a mento, boy, you guys. >> Maury: This is a family show.

>> Bob: Talking about Mentos, people. >> Harm: All right. Uh, anyway, I think the menthol went to your head because the menthol is coming back. Menthol. Eucalyptus. It's the. The blue fruit is gorgeous. It's got the silky entry. I got a little bit of licorice on it. It's an easy to like wine. >> Maury: Yeah. As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with you completely. Harm, um. Um. It really pains me to agree with you, but you've nailed

it. Uh, uh, Justin, I'm having trouble comprehending, but I would agree with your assessment. >> Harm: We always trouble pistachios, man. There's no pistachios here. >> Bob: It's been about a month, month and a half. >> Maury: It's a nice wine. >> Brent: You finally ate the last of your stash again. >> Maury: You could drink this all day. It's beautiful. It's easily approachable. You can drink it with or without food. It's light to medium bodied. It's not

a big, bold cab. It's got plenty of fruit. I don't think it's too young. I mean, it's young, but it's not too young. >> Harm: I just like to taste it in a couple more years. >> Brent: Yeah. >> Maury: I think it will evolve in a few more years in terms of finesse, but I don't see it getting bigger or bolder. >> Brent: It's not going to get bigger, but it's.

>> Maury: It's very feminine. It's got a feminine style. It's not a big brick to the teeth and massive and blockbuster, but it's made with finesse and style. It's very well made. And I think you'll see some more finesse developing over the next couple of years. But it's. I just want to state that it's not a big, bold, traditional cap. >> Brent: I don't know. He keeps talking about pistachios. Now I'm hungry. >> Bob: You're welcome.

>> Harm: Other than your hunger, what do you think about the wine? >> Brent: Wishing I had pistachios. >> Maury: Oh, boy. It's time to go back a lot, Justin. >> Bob: It's time to go back. >> Brent: Uh, well, when we went to Darios, they had pistachios because the guy who owns Darius is from Iran, so he brings, uh, pistachios in through Canada from Iran. >> Harm: They grow pistachios in California. They go really nice. >> Maury: Yeah.

>> Brent: But the runs from a ratter much better. Yeah. >> Bob: Yeah. >> Maury: So. Yeah, really. >> Brent: So we. When we were there, we brought some back and he actually just finished his mine lasted about a week. >> Bob: I ran. I ran so far away. >> Brent: Yeah, yeah. Uh, it's, it's a very pretty wine. >> Harm: It's iranian. Caviar is great, too. It's purple flowers and get the caviar and pistachios. >> Bob: Mmm. >> Harm: Yes.

>> Brent: And it's got some nice fruit to it. Hmm. Again, a very, very nice mouthfeel to it. A very soft, very round wine. Ah. A little bit more feminine than you would expect from, from a napa cab. Um, um, but really well done. >> Harm: There's a good amount of Oakville in here, too, which is. Yeah, you expect a little bit bigger body. >> Brent: Yeah. I mean, just, I mean, a really well done wine. Definitely one. What do you want, the 18? There you go.

>> Maury: No, I want the oakville. >> Brent: No, that's the wrong one. That's the wrong one. Give him that one. >> Harm: Grass. >> Maury: Yes, amigo. >> Brent: So, I think, you know, really well done cabin. Um, nothing I can really add to it that you guys haven't already said. So we're going to be giving the silver Ghost napa, uh, Cabernet sauvignon 2022. Well deserved. Three sips. >> Harm: Interesting.

>> Brent: So that's going to take us to our next wine from silver ghost, and we're going to have Maury tell us about that one.

>> Maury: Thank you, Bob. The next wine is the silver Ghost ofhil Cabernet sauvignon 2020. 214 percent abv. It is 95% cabernet sauvignon, 3% merlot, 2% petite verdot. The source is 100% Oakville fruit. It's been aged in french oak barrels, 50% of which are new. It's got a beautiful garnet color on the nose. I get ripe plum, rich black currant, um, and a little warm spice on the palate. It's got a voluptuous and juicy mouthfeel. There's definitely. >> Brent: Is that like, baby spice?

>> Maury: Yes, it's got some, uh, black, excuse me, red and blue fruits, a, ah, little, slight hint of mocha, and some deep, fragrant spice on the, on the, uh, finish. It's medium to long. Uh, I like this wine quite a lot. I think it was a real step up from the previous wine. It's got a lot more fruit forward. It's still medium bodied. It's still not a massive, masculine, uh, cabernet, but more of a feminine style with some finesse. But I did appreciate added, uh,

fruit and layers of complexity. I really enjoyed this. >> Announcer: Harm, would you bring us some fresh wine? >> Harm: No more of this old stuff. This wine's a little too fresh. Again, 2022. I think this needs a couple more years before we drink it. We're drinking it way too early. I, uh, mean, you look at the color, the edges are, like, almost absolutely clear. It needs a little more time in the bottle. Um, the. It's a lot of ripe plummete and black current on the nose.

Uh, you said warm spices. Yeah. I don't disagree with you. It's just, it's quite good. And the mouthfeel is better than the Napa valley. This is Oakville coming out. It's got a great grip. And, um, it's not. But it's not. It's not as, um, velvety as expect for Oakville. >> Maury: Okay, that's fair. >> Harm: It's a more restrained style. Nothing wrong with it. Everyday, easy drinking wine. And it's probably not an arm and a leg.

>> Maury: And I think it'll improve with, with some age on it. I don't disagree with you, but I think it's approachable. Now, it's certainly not, uh, tight and unapproachable. >> Harm: We also decanted all these wines before we started. >> Maury: Right. But, uh, I think it'll gain a little bit of finesse and complexity over the next couple of years. I think it's well made. >> Bob: Justin, we got big plums on this nose. >> Harm: Soju, you got big plums. I got big.

>> Brent: You got big plums. You cannot lie. >> Bob: I got, like, indian chai, bold fruits. >> Harm: There are no chai spices in this. >> Maury: And there are no bold fruits. >> Harm: No, the fruits more bold than the nappa. >> Maury: It is definitely more fruit forward. But it's not a fruit bomb. It's not a napa fruit bomb. >> Harm: Go ahead, guy. >> Brent: You want to let him actually finish?

>> Harm: Guys, I was dumping with the whole insulting indian chai. >> Maury: We thought he was done on the more words than usual. >> Bob: I got, like, big, bold fruit. Cinnamon, black pepper on the finish. It kind of disappeared off mid palate. It stayed on the sides, but enjoyable. >> Harm: You know, you're absolutely right. The mid palate did, did go away, but the sides are there. Yeah, it's, it's, it just needs more time in the.

In the glass, uh, in the bottom before you drink this one, bob, uh, what do you think? >> Brent: I. Hmm. >> Harm: M. I waited till you had your mouth full of wine to ask. >> Brent: I think it's. I think it's a very pretty wine. Again, more. More feminine in style than you might be used to for a nap. Napa cab. >> Maury: Ah. >> Brent: Especially for an Oakville cab. Um,

again, nothing wrong with that. That's what made them different. That's why I wanted to get these wines, because I thought they're different. They're not our usual. So. Great, great fruit on the palate. Dark, um, red fruit, plums and berries on the nose. I don't know about warm spice, baby spice, maybe scary spice, but posh. Posh. You might. Yeah, you might have something there. It might be pie spice. Um, it's got a really pretty nose on it and it's got a really nice mouth feel.

They're. They're soft tannins, but they're absolutely there. >> Bob: They're. >> Brent: They're well pronounced, but they're not hitting you over the head. I'm not getting that drop off in the mid palate. I'm getting it. It's definitely the sides. I'm getting more, but I'm not really getting much of the drop off. >> Maury: Yeah, I agree with you. Something, um, defective with your tongue. >> Brent: Yeah, I mean, I'm getting.

>> Harm: I think there was definitely a drop off, too. >> Brent: Yeah, I'm getting, you know, the whole mouthfeel to it. I mean, it's got a nice finish. The. It stays with you for a while. Honestly, considering the. The lighter style of the wine, I'm surprised how long the finish is. >> Harm: So what I really enjoy, there's not a huge amount of residual sugar in these wines. >> Brent: Yeah. >> Harm: Too many napa valley cabs these days are sweet. Just too

damn sweet. There's no, there's no point. >> Brent: Yeah. Cougar juice. So, um. But a lovely wine. So we're going to give the silver Ghost Oakville cab Savignon 2022 a well deserved four sips. >> Harm: That's classified. >> Brent: So that's going to take us to our last wine that we're going to have. Harm, tell us about. >> Harm: Thanks, Bob. Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is 14.8% abv, 92% Cabernet sauvignon, 4% merlot,

4% petite verdot. It's Rutherford, Calistoga, and Yountville. It's aged 22 months in french barique, 50% of which are new. This is a deeper color than the others. A, um, little bit more rich garnet. You've seen the edges are starting to turn brick, which is which you should be getting at 2018. So I think we're getting some more mature wine here. Just from looking at it on the nose, it's like the others, but more rich.

And there's a little bit of m. More, uh, of that. That eucalyptus, uh, than I got on the previous ones. Can I get a fresh glass of this or a little bit more. Where's the, uh. Yeah. >> Maury: Uh, no, you want the 2018 right? >> Harm: 2018 right. >> Maury: All right. Give me a moment and I'll find for you. Keep talking. >> Harm: There's not much left in my glass. >> Maury: So here you go. 2018. >> Harm: The Rutherford dust comes out. That Rutherford dust

that you. That beautiful grip is so nice. And the spices coming out that the balance, the fruit. >> Maury: This gives you an idea where the wines are going in the direction, because this is black plum. This is evolved. >> Harm: This is black plum. >> Maury: This is like the other wine, evolved. It's, um. Um. It's got a few more years of age. Another four, to be exact. Uh. Uh. It's still medium bodied. Again, I told you it's not going to get bigger and more masculine.

>> Harm: This wine is. But it's got more finesse 22s right now. >> Maury: It's got finesse 18 was a great year in Napa. >> Harm: Yeah. This is. This the. There's a gorgeous layer of black plum and kirch in here and licorice and cinnamon. I freaking love the nose on this one. This is great. Justin, do you. What do you think? Did you get mentos and lemon on here? >> Bob: No, I thought the nose was subtle. Nice, dusty, got, like, white grapes. The palate was really balanced.

>> Maury: Some mike and Ikes. >> Bob: I don't know what it is. >> Maury: Never mind. >> Brent: Good and plenty. Yeah. >> Bob: Okay. And I got, like, uh, you know, the different terra of the different regions. And then, uh, I got a little bit of white chalk in a pleasant way at the end. >> Harm: I think that's that. I think that's the Rutherford dust. That grip, that chocolate. Describing that the tannins that. Those. Those tannins from Rutherford are there.

>> Brent: No, he means white chalk. He used to eat the chalk when he was a kid. >> Harm: You know, my dad did that when. >> Bob: He was a kidney. Chalk. >> Brent: Really explains what. >> Bob: And the finish. You don't want it to end, and it doesn't for a while, so it's really nice. >> Brent: Did he eat the stick chalk or did he get, like, the chalk line and, you know, suck it up, the strings? >> Harm: I don't know. >> Bob: Stick chalk.

>> Harm: Clearly a vitamin deficiency. >> Bob: Keep the ones you're not eating in the eraser. >> Maury: We call that pico. >> Bob: That's the easy way his mom used the chalk line. >> Brent: That way, she could always find him and just reel him back in. >> Bob: You ever put the chalk in the eraser so that when the teeth teacher rub the board, it would end up putting more chalk on the board? >> Brent: No. I had, like, a life in school.

>> Bob: So, uh, not me. >> Maury: No. >> Brent: Yeah, no, sorry. >> Bob: I really make her mad. >> Harm: Okay. >> Maury: The word for the day is pika. Eating inanimate inedible objects is called pika. >> Brent: Cool. >> Bob: Okay, now I'm. Now my m pika. You have Austin Pika. >> Harm: Oh, uh. >> Brent: Dear Lord. Anyway, it's just right in the toilet.

>> Maury: Got anything you want to add to this wine, or you want to give it a rating? >> Brent: I think it's lovely. It's, um, again, here's the thing. Hold up. Hold that up next to the 22, and just look at the difference in color and what you can get. >> Maury: I got nothing left on my glass. >> Brent: What you can get from another four years in that bottle. >> Maury: I'm not complaining. I'm just saying I drank it down.

>> Brent: It's. >> Maury: It's not brown, but I drank it down anyway. >> Harm: What strikes me the difference between this and the other, the spice is so. >> Maury: Much richer, but that's the miracle of age. >> Harm: It could be the vintage, too. 18 was like he said, vintage. 18 was an exceptional vintage. >> Brent: Well, it could be that. It could be the blend of grapes. I mean, you know, they're

coming from different vineyards, they're coming from different places. You've got different years, you've got more time in the glass. You know, the whole thing is very different. So it's, uh, it's got some plums, stewed red fruit, dry stones on the nose and palate. >> Harm: I don't get the dry stone. >> Brent: M the tannins are there. They're not the kick your teeth out tannins, but they're like a silk blanket. >> Harm: They're big.

>> Brent: They're big, but they're nothing. Grip you by the throat, you know, rough tannin. They're more silky. >> Harm: And so, because the wines well made, I don't want. I don't want tannins like that. >> Brent: Like, just so lovely and mouth coating. >> Harm: Hmm. Absolutely. >> Brent: Mhm. >> Harm: There's no fall off in the mid palate either. Like, lost. >> Bob: Correct. >> Brent: No.

>> Harm: Type is time age in the bottle, just more time in the bottle. Be better, right? >> Brent: No, it gets the front, the back, the sides up in front of the teeth, and the back, when you swallow, it stays with you. The tannins are still there. And again, just very silky and very velvety smooth. Really, uh, well made wine. Uh, m. Yeah,

yeah, that one. That one. That one kicks. So we're going to be giving the Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 a well deserved four sips. >> Harm: That's classified. >> Brent: So that's going to take us to our next, uh, winery and we're going to have more. Tell us about that

one. >> Maury: Thank you, Bob. Croix State was founded in 2009 by Curt Wenge with their first bottling in 2012. Born in 1976 and raised in Rutherford, Napa Valley, Kirk Venge earned his degree in viticulture in oenology at the prestigious University of California, Davis, graduating in 1998. And quickly he set his sights on buying the vanguard excuse me, on buying the Venge brand and winery from his family and establishing his reputation as

its winemaker. Once that was accomplished, he decided to cross the myakimas and set routes in Sonoma county, where his mother was born. It was here where he acquired the land and opened Croix estate in the heart of russian river valley. The first wine is the Croix estate twelve Rose Chardonnay 2022 this is Ritchie vineyard Middle Reach Russian River Valley 100% Wenty Chardonnay clone coming in at 14.6

abv. Whole cluster press via gravity flow to french oak fermented with 100% native yeast aged for 15 months in french oak, 45% of which was new. The legendary Richie vineyard sits on the hillside bench in the center of Middle Reach, subregion of russian river valley AVa. First planted in 1972. Numerous top end wine producers source fruit from this site. Kent Richie granted Croix Estate a new twelve row block of the vineyard planted to the old Wenty clone Chardonnay. And we'll be back.

>> Brent: Hey, and we're back. And we've got Maury telling us about our first wine from the folks at Croix estate. >> Maury: Thank you, Bob. This is a really light, pale straw color on the nose. I get all kinds of things going on. I've got some citrus, I've got vanilla. I've got creme brulee on the palate. It's got a beautiful mouthfeel. It's got everything I want in a chardonnay. It's got some butter, it's got some oak, it's got some vanilla.

>> Harm: You can get pear. I got pear, too. Everything you said is right. Um, I agree with everything. >> Maury: Didn't get a lot of pear, but now that you mention it, I, there's a hint of pear. >> Harm: Yellow pears. >> Maury: I just thought it was delightful. It's got a long finish. It's everything I like in a California Chardonnay. I thought it was well made. I thought it was fantastic. Um, it's really improved in the glass. It was a bit cold when we first poured

it. It's warmed up to room temperature. It's had a chance for a little air in the glass. I find this delicious. This is this is my jam. Uh, uh. What did you think, harm? >> Harm: Well, I think you pretty much nailed it, but you left out a bunch. I got toasty brioche. No. >> Maury: Yeah, there's some brioche. >> Harm: It's. And it's. It's got a lot of butter, too, so a lot of nice mention butter. Did you mention. I didn't. I did. >> Maury: It's buttery.

>> Harm: It's. >> Maury: It's got some definite mallow in the fermentation. >> Brent: But. >> Maury: But you're right about brioche. I didn't mention brioche. But you're 100% right. >> Harm: On the palate, it was a big citrus bomb. A lot of lemon peeled in pears. Uh, the butter came in earlier when it was colder. The lemon came later. Now that's warmed up. The lemon comes earlier. A lot of butter. Good. The oak is very toasty. It's, like, almost a hint

of smoke on the nose as well. And on the palate, that oak comes. That the tannins from the oak are balancing out all that fruit. It's got a long finish. It's super clean. It's, uh, pleasant without being too unctuous. You know, Justin, I didn't think. >> Maury: I only disagree. Excuse me. Justin is. I didn't think it was a lemon balm or any kind of bomb. >> Harm: I really thought it's a bomb. That lemon hit me.

>> Maury: It was really balanced both on the palate and on the nose. >> Harm: As it warms up. As it warms up. Getting more the citrus. Yeah, go ahead. >> Bob: On the palate, I got a nice, like, Connecticut broad leaf note and a. Ah, beautiful dryness at the end, which. >> Harm: Direct never compared a chardonnay to a cigar. That's a good one. >> Bob: Yeah. Like the front mid palate, just a little bit of Connecticut broadleaf in there. Hits it, fades away.

>> Brent: It's weird. Have you met Justin? >> Harm: Yeah, I know. >> Brent: Okay, cool. >> Maury: Bobby Joe. >> Brent: I think this is absolutely fantastic. Um, I get the pear in the tip of the nose and the back of the nose, I get crisp, green apple. >> Harm: Now I'm m getting the cigar note. Damn it, Justin. >> Bob: Front mid. Right. >> Brent: There was a little bit more minerality when it was colder.

When it was colder, the minerality came out. Now the fruit is overwhelming the minerality. It's still there, but when it was. >> Maury: Cold, it's fun to see a change in the glass. It's changed in a positive way. >> Brent: That's why I chill these as much as I do, because it takes us a while to do the show, and we can watch it sort of change through. >> Harm: I love tasting white wines. >> Brent: And you can always uh, put your hands on it, warm them up

and. Yeah, because you never know until you've tried it. Where this wines, where it sweets. >> Maury: Oh, I love them early because we can come back to them later on in the show or in the meal or the tasting. >> Harm: The thing, whenever I taste white wine to purchase, I always taste them the proper temperature. They would be served out with most restaurants and I let it warm up. And if you get it warm, the flaws will show. Exactly. Exactly. There's no flaws here. It's great.

>> Maury: Yeah. >> Brent: I'm getting on the nose. I've got, there's Meyer lemon, there's cold hides all flaw. >> Maury: Many flaws. >> Harm: There's, that's why you should, in the. >> Brent: Tip of the nose, there's a hint of kind of lime as well. >> Harm: Don't get the line. >> Brent: Just in the tip of the nose. I get that. It's not so much. >> Maury: Okay. Pinocchio. >> Brent: It's more the peel than it is the flesh.

>> Harm: Yeah, yeah, I got you. But that's still not getting it on the palate. >> Brent: When it was colder, the green apples really came through. And white flowers. Now that it's warmed up, I'm getting that buttery. I'm getting that brioche, I'm getting that toasted bread. Um, I'm getting that pastry, uh, cream. There's a nice warm oak on this. >> Maury: They, ah, don't mention. I bet this was aged on the leaves for quite

some time. It's definitely got that full bodiness and yeastiness and uh, all those bread notes and brioche mentioned. >> Harm: How much mallow either probably, I don't know. It's probably close to a hundred percent mallow. I'm not sure. M mhm. >> Brent: Yeah, this is, this is lovely. >> Harm: It's kind of, it's kind of uh, going back that old, old school, um, old school shard. Old school shard from California. People are cutting back on

mellow recently. These guys are thinking they're going back, they're going back to it. >> Maury: Well, uh, yeah. >> Harm: Justin Yoke is not overpowering. >> Brent: We were lucky enough to visit the vineyard in January and they're doing some really, it's, it's a, it's Kurt Vinge's passion project, this, this second label. And really they're doing some really nice stuff. They're very small. So I mean, if you like it, buy it because you're not going to find this everywhere.

But yeah, some lovely ones. >> Harm: These type of wines, when they come to Florida, they usually, they usually uh, allocate, uh, them only to white tablecloth restaurants. >> Brent: Well, we're going to be giving the Croix estate twelve rose chardonnay 2022, a well deserved. So that takes us to our next one and we're going to have Justin and tell us about that. >> Bob: So we're going to talk about

Croia State, south block six, pinot noir, 2021 from Platte Vineyard. Freestone occidental Sonoma coast. It's 100% pinot noir. Clone 828 six c. It's 15% whole cluster pressed open top fermentation, 100% native yeast, seven day cold soak, 100% carbonic maceration with hand punch downs, transfer via gravity flow to french oak which is 60% new age 16 months. Located in the westernmost hills of Sabbath at elevation Sebastopol. Yes, Sebastopol at ah, elevations of

400 to 800ft. It's situated just 5 miles from the Pacific coastline. And uh, I got lemons and pencil shavings on the nose. On the palate I got rich dark fruit, graphite. And the finished was this like beautiful kind of grape raisin thing going on. I enjoyed it a lot. What did you think? Army? >> Harm: Well, I don't know where you came up with some of that but thank you for that. The right wine. >> Maury: I was beginning to think I was insane.

>> Harm: It's a, it's a pretty translucent ruby. You can see they're not adding Sarah to this. This is, this is the way it should be. When they say hundred percent pinot noir, they really mean it. That you should be able to read through your pinot noir. Um, it's that carbonic maceration is what they use in beaujolais. High car I, high CO2. It's supposed to enrich the fruitiness of the wine and I think it does here I get crayon, raspberry and forest floor.

Like a lot of raspberry. Lot cranberry. There's some spice and the forest floor coming out. Um, it's strange for California, um, to taste like this. To me this is actually reminding more. >> Maury: Further north of an Oregon. Reminds you of an Oregon pinot. >> Harm: Yeah, exactly. This reminds me more of Oregon pinot, which is crazy.

>> Maury: I like that. I agree with everything you said, harm. Um, I'm having trouble identifying with some of the things that Justin said, but that's nothing new. >> Harm: But honestly, it's got a good mouthfeel too. >> Brent: It tastes like fabuloso and lawnmower straight. >> Maury: You and I, harm, our in sync today. I agree with everything you've said. I think this wine is delightful. It's got a lot more fruit than most pinot.

>> Harm: Yeah. But the thing is, uh, that kind of throws me off. I tend. I tend to like the pinot noir a little bit more restrained on the fruit. But this is. I can see why they want to do this. Should be a very popular wine. >> Maury: Yeah, I agree. >> Harm: I'm not a big fan of. >> Brent: I think this one's actually gotten better in the class. It's, you know, it was good when we opened it, but I think it significantly increased for me in the glass.

>> Harm: Pouring some of that. >> Maury: Yeah, yeah, there's plenty. >> Harm: This one here, um. Um, south block six. >> Brent: Yep, that's it. Yeah, this is, uh. Um. >> Harm: Oops. >> Brent: Yeah, I definitely get the. I get purple flat. When we first poured, it was purple flowers for me, but that's kind of. >> Harm: Blown off on the fresh pour. The spice is coming out more than the raspberries. That's good.

>> Brent: I get. I definitely get the forest floor. I had. I had on my notes, herbal vegetal. Um, that definitely comes through on the nose, but on the palate, it's. Mhm. It's fruity. Oh, it's got a lovely mouthfeel. The tannins are mouth coating. I mean, I get them front, back, sides, under the tongue there, but they're. >> Harm: Very silk, very silky. >> Maury: They are not aggressive. >> Brent: Yeah, exactly. It was like. Like that 2018

that we just had. They're there, but they're like satin sheets. They're just. They just roll around in your mouth. So well done. And, um, I mean, for a 2021 to have that much maturity to it, that's pretty damn impressive. I think this was. I think this was, uh, an extremely well made wine. I definitely enjoying this one. So. >> Harm: So it's. It's kind of, uh. I don't know, it tastes better than I first, when I first gave it a rating.

>> Maury: Yeah, it's improved. We initially rated it, but I think our rating is gonna go up right now. >> Brent: Yeah, it's. And again, when we decant this. >> Harm: Right. This was also decanted. >> Maury: Your patience has been rewarded. >> Harm: Yeah. This is not a pour and drink pinot noir. >> Brent: No. All the red wines here, I have decanted once in the little flip decanter, and I took them all and ran them all through an aerator as well.

>> Bob: Um, I think we have no wine before it's time. >> Brent: Well, you know, being on the show, we tend to, um. You know, we tend to get wines that are a little bit. Sometimes a little bit young. Um, but even when we get some of the older

ones, they, you know, they need the time. And if you don't aerate them, as we see often when we're doing shows, throughout the show, all of a sudden, the ones we were looking at, we were given, you know, ones and twos and threes, are now getting threes and fours and fives. >> Harm: Yeah. >> Maury: Well, as I said, your patience will be rewarded, and that's, and we need it.

>> Brent: And we do that with whiskey shows as well all the time. We tell people, you need to let your whiskey sit out and you need to let it breathe a little bit. But, but with wine, it's absolutely essential. I mean, if, if you're opening a nice bottle of wine, not an insane bottle, just a nice bottle of wine, you need to let that thing sit for a good hour at least before you even start diving into. >> Maury: It's been cooped up in that bottle like the darn genie.

>> Brent: Yeah, exactly. >> Maury: So needs to stretch its legs. >> Harm: When we're talking about letting it breathe, a lot of people think you uncork it and just walk away. No, the wine is up at the neck of the bottle. There's not enough surface area for the oxygen. Again, you need to pour it into a glass or a decanter. >> Brent: Exactly. >> Harm: More surface area for the oxygen to attack. >> Maury: 100%.

>> Brent: Well, uh, we're going to give the Croix state south block six pinot noir 2021 a well deserved forceps. >> Harm: That's classified. >> Brent: So that's going to take us to our last wine of the day from croix estate as well. This is the Croix estate. Old Manzana Pinot noir 2021 Dutton Manzana vineyard Green Valley, russian river valley. This is 100% pinot noir cone 777 and 820 814.5% abv. The wine has been open top fermented

with 100% native yeasthen. Five day cold soak, 100% carbonic maceration with hand punch downs. Transfer via gravity flow to french oak, 50% new and aged for 16

months. This is located in the green valley subablation of the russian river valley, just across Purrington Creek outside of the town of Grattan. The Manzana vineyard is planted on a gently sloped hillside composed of gold ridge soils. The name is spanish for apple, honors the area's long heritage of apple orchards. Get that out of your head now. Good luck. >> Bob: Haven't gotten it out since the vineyard.

>> Brent: Is certified Sonoma county sustainably farmed and fish friendly vineyard. >> Maury: So can I ask what a fish friendly vineyard is? >> Brent: I have no idea. >> Harm: It's probably not pointing to the opposite. >> Bob: Of a fish averse vineyard. >> Brent: Yeah. I guess they're, when you're drinking water, when you're drinking it, you're really nice to the fish. My guess is they're controlling runoff

into the local stream. They're making sure they're not getting a lot of pesticides, they're not getting, uh, fertilizers, things like that in there. They're going to affect the fish. So, but on the color, sort of a dull garnet to it, on the nose, a little bit of a dust, a little bit of a minerality to it, but a little bit of dry fruit on the palate. Let's see. On the palate, I get a little bit of a sweetness on the front of the tongue, but on the back, you get the nice silky tannin to

it. Some dark red fruit. A little bit of a, uh, citrusy note on the tip of the palate. >> Harm: Really? Hold on. >> Brent: It's, it's just, it's. >> Harm: Yeah, you're right. Ah. Because I haven't, I haven't revisited the wine. >> Brent: It says there that acidity comes through. It's. It's got a lovely balance between the silky tannin and the acidity to it. Um, again, not your typical pinot noir. Um, definitely different.

But again, this is another one that I think, with time sitting in the glass has significantly changed for me. >> Harm: Um. >> Brent: What you think, arm? >> Harm: I think Justin should go first. >> Brent: Right, Justin? >> Bob: So I really like this wine. They, on the nose, I got like, uh, some oakland, very light graphite, a little bit of pixie sticks on the palate. >> Harm: I was waiting for that. Pixie sticks. >> Bob: Pixie stick.

>> Maury: Candy. >> Bob: He's in the candy mode today on the palate. It was sweet, tangy. The finish was complex. And, uh, I'm just sad it's a low production wine because I could drink this every day. >> Brent: What'd you think? Morihood. >> Maury: Wow. Uh, well, I didn't know anything about the production. Uh, Justin, how low is the production? >> Brent: Very small. >> Bob: Only a few hundred cases. >> Brent: Yeah.

>> Maury: Wow. Well, I thought it was pleasant. I thought there were no flaws. I thought it was beautiful. I thought it had nice fruit, had a pleasant nose. And, uh, we'll be back to finish discussing it. >> Brent: We're not gonna be back. That's the end of the show. >> Harm: That's the show, dude. Anyway, I should have let them go first. I don't like thinking. Give it a high rating, dude. >> Maury: I gave it a three, but whatever you guys choose.

>> Brent: Well, we're gonna be rating the Croix estate, old Manzana Pinot noir, 2021, a well deserved. Four sips. >> Harm: Yeah. I think Maury's totally wrong. >> Brent: Well, that's all the time we have for today. In spite of what Maury says,

we're not coming back. So this is the end of the day for us. >> Harm: So what you guys missed? Black tea. There's a lot of black tea here. >> Brent: Oh, yeah, there's definitely black tea. >> Bob: Yes. >> Brent: Well, I want to thank everybody for joining us. Thanks, Harm. >> Harm: Thank you, Bob. It was a good show. I like the stuff. >> Brent: And thank you, Maury. >> Maury: Thank you, Bob. Another grand day in the basement.

>> Brent: And thank you, Justin. >> Bob: Thank you. I'll be back. >> Maury: Not now. >> Harm: The show's over. >> Brent: Well, for sip says and smokes this maid, man. Bob, thanks for joining us. Remember, it's too short to drink bad wine. And I did get the tea in this one, so. >> Bob: Yeah. >> Brent: Always interesting to just watch how much they change over time. >> Brent: I know. >> Bob: Uh, yeah.

>> Harm: I'm glad I poured me a fresh one. It's good. >> Announcer: We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you're listening to us online, do yourself a favor and tap just tappity the subscribe button. >> Brent: Give it a little tappy. Tap, tap tap a roo. >> Announcer: The easiest way to listen to our show is to ask Siri, Alexa, Google, Uncle Larry, or whoever it is that talks to you on your phone, play podcasts,

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