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Swim against the flow.

Lightning glimpsed through water;

Sustain the species!

WOW! An impressive selection of wines that shows dedication, passion and love for the wine making at a great prices. The Headwaters 2005 just tasted by R. Parker few months ago, got a 95 point rating, in a week ‘SOLD OUT’ in New York.

So don’t miss the chance to try one or two:

-Coho Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir 2007

Elegant, with aromas of violet and vanilla while in your mouth develops plum and black cherry. This is a wine that will grow in your glass 90 Pts. SP

-Coho Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2007

Only 357 cases were produced, this means it will sell out fast! 90 Pts SP

-Coho Summit Vine Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

A mouthful, medium-full dark and rich with well balanced fruit. 90 Pts. SP

-Coho Michael Black Vineyard Napa Valley Merlot 2005

This perhaps the best MERLOT ever, you will need another bottle around. 92 Pts SP

COHO Wines

Coho is the shared aspiration of Brooks Painter and Gary Lipp to produce flavorful, balanced wines. Grown in select cool-climate vineyards, Coho wines emphasize fruit purity and vitality. Our combined experience working for California wineries totals almost fifty years: both of us involved in all aspects of our craft, acquiring the skills to bottle our passion.

Our choice of Coho as the name of our brand might seem curious as it doesn't invoke images of vineyards or wine, but to us the salmon embodies an innate wisdom so essential to understanding ourselves and our environment. As stewards of the land winemakers must strive to sustain our habitat and the species that share it. And like the salmon we need the steadfast will to keep going no matter how difficult the journey.

Kongsgaard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007

A real Burgundy made in California with a deep nose lemon zest, bits of tropical citrus, mango and butter with a touch of oak. Full bodied with smooth and polished tones of green apple with some mineral, roasted nuts. Great balance and good medium acidity. 

Fifth-generation Napa natives John and Maggy Kongsgaard produce The Judge, Chardonnay, VioRous, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Shy-bearing vineyards and traditional low-intervention winemaking techniques produce powerful, graceful wines — high intensity expressions of vineyard and variety. The core of their endeavor is the ten-acre vineyard they planted in the late 1970s on a rocky hilltop in southern Napa Valley which has belonged to the Kongsgaard family since the 1920s. In addition to these family acres, they direct the farming under long-term contract on another seven acres in the Napa Carneros and three acres near St. Helena. The winery, on the eastern rim of Napa Valley, is a cave drilled into the volcanic rock. Production is limited to what they can make with their own hands.

Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2007 Napa Valley comes from two great Carneros vineyards – Hudson and Hyde. Like The Judge, it is fermented with its indigenous yeast and ages in French oak barrels for 22 months. When most Napa Chardonnays are bottled after 10 months of barrel age, ours is just finishing its fermentations and awakening from adolescence. In the second year of barrel aging, the wine’s more sophisticated qualities evolve. Parker described the 2007 as “beautiful,” displaying “liquid rocks, pineapples, honeysuckle, orange blossoms, and lemon oil.” Tanzer noted “the zesty finish featuring mineral and minty nuances and terrific energy.” $75/bottle, 1000 cases produced.

Wine Advocate

The full-bodied 2007 Chardonnay offers notes of liquid rocks, pineapples, honeysuckle, orange blossoms, and lemon oil. This beautiful effort should turn out as well as Kongsgaard’s superb 2005.

Score: 91-94. —Robert Parker, December 2008. 

Pannier!
The Station Plaza Wine tasting bar is a destination for wine makers and winery owners when they are in town. We have seen about 10 wine makers from Italy over the last week.
Yesterday Gabriel Massa, a Master Sommelier from the Island of Capri stopped in for a tasting. He told us he has never seen the Pannier Rose Champagne at our low price globally!    He also told us that the French Embassy’s all over the world serve this Champagne.
It also makes a GREAT Valentine gift.    There are 2 size bottles to choose from.  
Also, next Thursday Gabriel will be at the tasting bar pouring some great Italian wines. He’ll also demonstrate opening a Champagne bottle with one stroke of a huge knife. Stop in for some fun and have any wine questions you may have answered by a Master Sommelier. (There are only 171 Master Sommeliers in the world)

http://www.stationplazawine.com/r/products/pannier-brut-rose?id=paM6zG9h