Free Wine Tasting featuring new releases from Sonoma County’s Smith Story Wine Cellars – Saturday, February 27th from 2:00 to 5:00 – Trust us, you do not want to miss this tasting! The wines from Smith Story Wine Cellars were some of the best I tried on my recent trip to the wine country, and we’ll have winery founder/owner Alison Smith in the house pouring and talking about the newest releases from this rising star producer.
Ali and her husband Eric Story are industry veterans and two of the nicest people in the biz. They started their winery in 2013 and winemaking is handled by Ross Cobb (Cobb Wines, former winemaker at Hirsch and Flowers) and Katy Larue (Larue Wines), two of California’s most gifted winemakers. Grapes are sourced from carefully selected, cool climate vineyards scattered throughout Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, and the Rheingau (Germany), and the resulting wines are pristine, pure, and beautifully detailed. Case productions are tiny, but Ali made sure we got our fair share. Stop by, taste, meet the winery owner, learn and save up to 20% off on all of the featured tasting wines.
All of the featured tasting wines are on sale the day of the tasting: take 10% off if you mix any 3, 15% off if you mix any 6, or 20% off if you mix any 12.
The Wines
1. 2014 Sauvignon Blanc (Sonoma Mountain) – This is destined to become one of California’s benchmark Sauvignon Blancs. Antonio Galloni says it “is made in a fresh, reductive style that shows the brighter, stonier side of Sauvignon. Even with all of its freshness, the Sauvignon shows plenty of depth and an attractive element of phenolic weight that adds complexity.” We agree wholeheartedly! Vinous Media 89 points
2. 2014 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast) – One of our favorite wine writers/reviewers is Antonio Galloni, and flipped for these wines. “The 2014 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast ) is an attractive, appealing wine. Orchard fruit, gentle apricot, spice and almond notes meld together in an effortless, gracious white that hits all the right notes. This is a gorgeous Sonoma Coast Chardonnay to drink over the next handful of years.” Vinous Media 91 points
3. 2014 Riesling (Rheingau, Germany) – Ali and Eric are crazy about German Rieslings and they work with a very famous producer to craft this wine. Pretty much dry and packed with pure Riesling “snap, crackle and pop,” style, this one loves sunny days and back porches along with spicy Asian cuisine. Yum!
4. 2014 Pinot Noir “Helluva Vineyard” (Anderson Valley) – With Ross Cobb and Katie Larue working together to craft this wine, there is no way it could be bad. And it isn’t, it’s great! “The more finessed side of Anderson Valley comes through in the 2014 Pinot Noir Helluva Vineyard. Bright, floral and lifted, the 2014 offers lovely understated punch in its bright red fruit. The 2014 was done with fully destemmed fruit, which helps bring the fruit forward.” Vinous Media 93 points