Spring & Our Cellar Club Shipment

“It's Spring again at Edward Sellers, and, as I write this, a cold wind has blown in too..... the warm weather I thought was here to stay. We were all gearing up for bud break—Spring temperatures mean the sap is flowing in the vines-- but it looks like it isn't going to come early after all. In the winery, Spring means that the current vintage, the 2009’s, are finally starting to taste like wine. Blending is just around the corner, and I already have some ideas about how to portion out the stunning, structured, and low-yield wines of 2009 into some stellar cuvees. The 2008’s are beginning to mature as well, and already taste ready to bottle, with lush fruit and well-integrated barrel characters. But oh, the 2007 reds! You have those now, in this shipment. (Last shipment you got a preview with our Saboteur) The ‘07 Mourvèdre is, in my opinion, a textbook rendering of Paso Robles Mourvèdre, with its earthy and almost gamey character, soft tannins, and rich, velvety fruit. If you've been with us for a while, you probably know that this is our first single-varietal bottling of Mourvèdre. Also in your shipment is the ‘07 Cognito, which has the highest percentage of Zinfandel ever in a Cognito bottling, and shows a great deal of spicy Zinfandel characters and mouth-watering fruit flavors. The 2007 Vertigo is possibly the most serious Vertigo since ‘05, with bones and structure to hold it up for years to come, but enough youthful and inviting Rhône wine intensity to make it a lot of fun to drink now. It's possibly the most French-influenced wine I've made, with the exception of the Cuvée des Cinq. I can't wait to throw it into a blind tasting with some of my winemaker friends! The verdict is still out on the ‘08 whites-- the only one you've tried is the Estate Blanc, I believe -- but I think the whites just keep getting better and better with each vintage. 2008 Viognier goes back to the crisper style I started with in ‘05, while the Roussanne and Blanc du Rhône come out on the richer end of the Edward Sellers style spectrum. Enjoy the wines, and remember that I always love to hear your comments!” Amy Butler, Winemaker