The Wines

Previous RELEASES

2005 sauvignon blanc musquÉ (Lake County)  SOLD-OUT

      
Little known Sauvignon Blanc grape clone with a Muscat lineage, presenting a wonderful tropical fruit & “grassiness” balance and contrast.

Bronze Medal, 2007 San Francisco International Wine Competition.
> Price: $16 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2005 Titan vI (Sierra Foothills)  SOLD-OUT      

A blend of Petite Sirah and Barbera, or a marriage of dark berry and red berry characters, this generous wine respects the varietal clarity of its parents, while still managing to project a smooth personality of its own.  Thoroughly enjoyable !  
> Price: $19 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 CAbernet sauvignon (Sierra Foothills)   SOLD-OUT   

A superb Cabernet Sauvignon nose, friendly tannins and a long finish capture the essence of this wine. No need for an over-priced "monster" Napa cab to enjoy a full-flavored, but approachable wine.

Bronze Medal, 2007 California State Fair and San Francisco International Wine Competitions.

> Price: $21 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2005 souvenir PORT (Sierra Foothills)   SOLD-OUT 

An intense and smooth blend of five traditional port varieties originating from the Douro Valley in Portugal, this versatile wine pairs wonderfully with dark chocolate or a blue-veined cheese. Equally, it is a rich & classy choice for sipping by the fireside. 

To enjoy now or as a souvenir for the ages !
> Price: $18 (500ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 CAbernet franc   (Sierra Foothills)    SOLD-OUT 

Intensely varietal expression of this wonderful wine, but without the excessive herbaceousness sometimes encountered with this variety.  Balance between the various wine components is always a main objective for Solune wines and this release is a particularly successful example of this synergistic vision.   

Gold medal, California State Fair (& Best Sierra Foothills Cabernet Franc and, at 94 pts, the top scoring Cabernet Franc in California), as well as Silver medals at the 2007 Amador County Fair, El Dorado County Fair and the San Francisco International wine competitions.

> Price: $22 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Merlot (Monterey)        SOLD-OUT

Merlot used to be a favorite of Jacques' before its overwhelming popularity resulted in the over-production of generic & bland wines which lacked the personality that Merlots were once famous for.  Our Merlot is intended to set the record straight and show that this wine can indeed have a distinct, appealing, and interesting personality.  On the intense nose, classical plum pudding aromas share the stage with toasty vanilla and nutmeg notes.  In the balanced mouth, a medium but friendly tannin structure leads to a long spicy finish. This smooth wine can be enjoyed on its own but has enough oomph to hold its own with any red meat dish.
> Price: $18 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Titan IV (Sierra Foothills)   SOLD-OUT

Full-flavored red blend of our 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (1/3) and our enormously popular 2004 Barbera (2/3).   Snapped up by those Barbera lovers missing the '04,  this wine sold out in a month.  Gold Medal, Amador County Fair 2007.
> Price: $18 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Tempranillo  (Sierra Foothills)  SOLD-OUT

Our Tempranillo is a wonderful Northern Sierra rendition of this variety idolized in Spain and rapidly gaining popularity in this part of the world.  The name of the grape, "Tempranillo", means "a little early" in Spanish and refers to its early ripening properties, making it a perfect match for mountain growing.  Aromas of strawberry, cinnamon and vanilla characterize the nose, continuing with great oak integration and a long & smooth finish in the mouth.  We have yet to find someone who does not like this wine.  Double Gold Medal, Amador County Fair 2006.
> Price: $21 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Titan III (Sierra Foothills)     SOLD-OUT

A blend of two noble varieties (Syrah & Cabernet Franc), this Titan is a medium bodied wine with a long finish. Strong cherry notes dominate both in the nose and the mouth. Although there is not a drop of Pinot Noir in this wine, its style will appeal to Pinot Noir lovers (like Jacques) with its silkiness and friendly/moderate tannins.
> Price: $17 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Syrah (Sierra Foothills)    SOLD-OUT

Perfect balance between fruit and oak characterizes this full body & very smooth wine The lingering finish will leave your mouth feeling happy.  This wine is evolving very nicely in the bottle, with each bottle opened even smoother than the previous one.

A very popular wine !
> Price: $17 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2003 SYrah (Sierra Foothills)   SOLD OUT     

This wine is from the same grape source as the very smooth '04 Syrah already released. It benefits from an additional year of "élevage" and is intensified by the addition of 10% Petite Sirah. On the nose, cherry and raspberry dominate, with hints of vanilla and black pepper. A burst of the same berries take over in the mouth, leading to a long and well-balanced finish. Although this wine is ready to drink now, it will benefit from further bottle "vieillissement", in the same way its younger brother is developing.
> Price: $19 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Petite Sirah (Clarksburg)   SOLD OUT     

This is a great example of how much the nose of a wine can develop after it has been opened.  The first nose of this Petite Sirah displays intense blueberry aromas, with fleeting notes of plum, which gradually cross-fade to a rich smokiness complementing the persisting blueberry.  No such transition in the mouth. Blackberry flavors take hold of your taste buds from the start, but with the added dimension of the generous but smooth varietal tannins.  A long, powerful and velvety finish follows.  The French term "charnu" (chewy), definitely applies to this fine Petite Sirah specimen. 
> Price: $22 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Titan II (Sierra Foothills)   SOLD OUT     

Red table blend of Petite Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo - all great wines on their own, but combined in a synergistic manner in this full-flavored "assemblage". The intense nose is dominated by mixed berry aromas (strawberry from Tempranillo and blueberry from Petite Sirah), with a hint of cinnamon (from Tempranillo) and white pepper (from Cabernet Franc). The dark color announces generous fruit extraction and full body in the mouth. Firm but friendly tannins from the Petite Sirah and a well balanced and lingering finish also characterize this wine. A worthy successor to Titan I, in the same full-flavored and friendly tradition.
> Price: $17 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Petite Sirah (Sierra Foothills)   SOLD OUT  `

Tasters either adore this variety or hate it, usually for the same reasons:  It is a big, often rustic, inky dark wine with a generous tannin structure.  Aimed squarely at Petite Sirah lovers, nothing about this Solune Petite Sirah will bridge the gap between these 2 camps.  Definitely not for the faint of heart! 

Gold Medal, Amador County Fair 2006.

Silver Medal (91 pts), CA State Fair 2006.
> Price: $22 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Cinq Etoiles (Sierra Foothills - Estate)   SOLD OUT

A traditional blend of all 5 principal Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec), all grown in our own estate vineyard.  This intense wine embodies a level of complexity only attainable when all 5 components are present.  A rare delight!

Silver Medal, Orange County Fair 2006.
> Price: $18 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Barbera (Sierra Foothills)    SOLD OUT

A definite California incarnation of this usually lighter Italian variety, the deep ruby color of our Barbera announces the intense cherry & raspberry aromas and flavors characterizing this wine, complemented with a nice touch of toastiness coming from the heavy toast level used during oak aging.  On another level, a very interesting and successful balancing act is attained with this wine, where the higher acidity often found in Barbera is completely balanced by the 16.6% alcohol and the fruit intensity.  Quite unique and one of Jacques' favorite.

Gold Medal, Orange County Fair 2006.

Gold Medal, Amador County Fair 2006.
> Price: $24 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Fleur de Lune (Sierra Foothills - Estate)   SOLD OUT

This off-dry blend combines 45% Muscat Blanc (Canelli), 35% Orange Muscat and 20% Gewurztraminer from our own vineyard and the 3% residual sugar is perfectly balanced by the acidity, providing a refreshing finish.  The tug-of-war between these dominant grape varieties results in a tasting equivalent of a M.C. Escher optical illusion, where each variety takes turn in dominating your palate. Quite intriguing and very sensuous!  This wine was also a favorite at last year's events, even for red wine lovers who usually pass on these types of wines (all it took was one whiff!).  The volume of this release is particularly small and we expect to sell out quickly (maximum quantity per person will apply).  We believe these varieties have a great future in our vineyard and we will expand its production to meet demand.

Silver Medal, Orange County Fair 2006.
> Price: $12 (375ml) [ Back to Top ]

2004 Titan I (Sierra Foothills)   SOLD OUT

Our Titan series of red table wine will be released one barrel (25 cases) at a time, each bearing a new and never-repeated Roman number.  This name was chosen because these wines are made entirely from the press fraction of each of the other wines we release individually and represent the most extracted part of the wine. 

Some of this powerful fraction is blended back into the free run fraction if Jacques judges the original wine could benefit from added extraction.  The rest is gradually blended together until barrels are successively filled, each a unique and, like its label number, never-repeated blend.  For example, Titan I is a blend of Syrah, Merlot and Petite Sirah in unknown proportions (unusual combination but the wine is just unbelievable).  Fining is done shortly before bottling if some smoothing out is needed (it is, after all, the most extracted part of the wine).

So, always a surprise in store with this series (but we will only release blends we feel work well together) and a great value!

Silver Medal, El Dorado County Fair 2006.
> Price: $16 (750ml) [ Back to Top ]