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January 2006
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The Latest from Karl Lawrence Cellars
Our Offering Letter will be coming out shortly. Here's Michael's notes for this years releases.
2006 Vintage and Growing Season
The 2006 growing season proved to be an interesting journey, providing us with lots of unpredictability and surprises. In the end, it produced great wines for Karl Lawrence. The Napa Valley started the season under water with our New Years Eve flood. The cool drizzly weather hung around through the spring with the sun coming out in June, causing the vines to finally bloom. The vines were hit with a record ten day heat wave in the middle of July. Most of the wines faired well with the heat boosting them to the normal season schedule. A cooler August gave the grapes a perfect, slow repening and extended hang time period. The fruit weathered the rains of early October with no damage. Our patience and the good weather that followed gave us that last bit of ripening to perfection. All in all we were given a great vintage.
Winemaker Notes from MIchael Truillo: 2005 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2006 vintage wines are very rich and bright with expressive dark fruit characters. This year is not a power vintage with lots of bold tannin, but one built on finesse, richness, and complexity. Michael blended in the barrels set aside for the Reserve programs, judging that this vintage was one not to be cherry picked as it shows better as a whole.
Michael states that our Cabernet Sauvignon is very fruit expressive in the aromas and taste, with big forward black cherry, currants, with hints of bittersweet chocolate and mocha. It's rich, smooth flavors follow hand in hand to the aromas. Plush with bright dark cherry and currant, coco, sweet vanilla, toasty oak are all laced together with perfect tannin and perfect acidity. This 2006 will be a crowd pleaser young and will only improve with time.
73 % Gary Morisoli Cabernet Sauvignon
11% Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Beckstoffer-To Kolan Cabernet Suavignon
6% Beckstoffer-Dr. Crane Cabernet Suavignon
2006 Aldin Red
The 2006 Aldin Red is made from the same Cabernet grapes from all the vineyards that make the Karl Lawrence cabernet but it is complimented and blended with Merlot and Cab Franc. This is a smooth silky red wine with a bit more spice and herbal notes coming in from the Merlot and Cab Franc. The Aldin Red is a Meritage style wine and put together to be more approachable with a smooth soft texture complimented with a forward abundant rich flavor. Michael suggests that you don't rush into consuming the Aldin Red too quickly as it has been showing wonderfully with a bit of bottle time.
70% Cabernet Suavignon (Morisoli, Lamb, Beckstoffer To Kolan & Dr. Crane, & Healy)
18% Merlot (Boeschen Vineyards)
12% Cab Franc (Beckstoffer-To Kolan)
2007 Chardonnay
The 2007 Aldin Chardonnay shows great elegance and finesse. This was a very good year for Chardonnay. The long and cool growing season lends itself to the subtleness of this wine. This wine has nice delicate Chardonnay aromas of pears, red apples and honey with hints of pineapple and roasted nuts. The initial flavors are crisp with fruity pear and apple, shifting towards ripe peach and pineapple. The nice balance of acidity hold these rich flavors together for a full, rich finish. Michael recommends that you drink and enjoy this Chardonnay with food and that it is good to consume now and possibly throught 2011.
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On another note: we finally got some rain after a month of record setting highs and blue skies. I say, let it rain as I'm off to the Blues Cruise.
. Friday, January 16, 2009 .
It's that time again, during the dead of winter (it's been 80 degrees here everyday for the past week) that we do our data base clean up. It may take us a bit longer to clean it up this winter as there's golfing to do. Just as a reminder, for data base clean up we:
1. activate the people from last year's wait list,
2. archive people who haven't purchased during the last three years,
3. upgrade people who have purchased from us for three years in a row to Select Customer status,
4. downgrade Select Customers who did not purchase wine last year.
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As we did the last couple of years, the 2006 Release Offering Letter will go out to people in the warmer areas on February 1, and to people in the cooler areas on March 1.
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Jefferson in Robert Gallery's jersey at the Raider game.
Last year the Raiders had us serve Karl Lawrence wine to the luxury suites. I failed to get a picture then. So this year, they had Cante Swerigen, from Viader serve wine. Cante's a good friend and first baseman on our ball team. So Jefferson and Alisa got a second game in the luxory suites serving wine. Both times, Cheryl refused to go up there as she wanted to stay down where the action was, even in the rain.
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Shad Harris plays keyboard with former frontman Tommy Castro.
We had the opportunity to experience a rarity at Modesto's State Theater; our good friend Shad Harris was reunited with Tommy Castro for one blistering blues night. Shad used to be Tommy's drummer. However, he had a stroke and can't fully use his left side. So he took up the one handed keyboard and gave us another bring down the house version of Big Legged Woman. These are tough economic times and tough times for all businesses. When I went up to say hi to Shad, before I could say anything, he asked, "Hey Ric, how's your writing going?" I was too choked up to reply. Inspiration from Shad will get me through this year.
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At Raider game for start of 35th wedding anniversary celebrations.
And speaking of inspiration, Cheryl and I could think of a no better way to start our 35th wedding anniversary celebration than another rarity: a Raider victory. We got married in 1973, which was called the worst recession since the depression. Now at our 35th, we're once again at the worst recession since the depression. Love conquers all.
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Sophia in the snow of Howell Mountain.
Elizabeth took this picture during our one week of winter that we had in December. Hopefully we don't have bud break this week or next. And hopefully winter returns as we are already on water restrictions here.
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