Each week I pick out one wine to highlight as my wine of the week. This wine may be an outstanding wine, a great value or just something very interesting.

Overview

This was a new winery for me up to a couple weeks ago. I participated in an online tasting of a few of their wines, one of which was the winery’s 2010 vintage of this wine. Just a few days after the event, Wines Til Sold Out (WTSO.com) offered the newest vintage at a great price, so I grabbed four bottles. I need to thank Charles Communications for introducing me to this winery

My post on the event along with reviews of four of their wine is available by clicking here.

The Winery

Casey Flat Ranch a 5,000 acre ranch, is based in the Capay Valley AVA, bordering the Vaca Mountains on the eastern side of Napa County (22 miles due east of St. Helena). The ranch is about 90 minutes north of San Francisco. The family has owned the ranch for 30 years. The vineyard is defined by its award-winning Rhone and Bordeaux-style blends, stunningly rugged location, the purebred Longhorn cattle that roam the estate, and a rich homesteading heritage that dates back to California’s Gold Rush era. With its unique history and stunning high-elevation mountain vineyards, Casey Flat Ranch produces deep, concentrated wines that evoke the raw natural beauty of the land, aided by the earnest, discriminating and pioneering team behind each bottle.

The first vines were planted in 2004 and the vineyard is sustainably cultivated, using materials and farming techniques that emphasize water and soil conservation. The growing season brings warm days and cool nights, creating climate conditions similar to the St. Helena appellation, just 22 miles to the West.

In addition to the vineyards, the family has maintained a Longhorn Cattle operation on the property for 11 years. Current estimates have the herd numbering between 140 and 170 head, with 30 to 40 heifers as annual replacement. Registered Bulls, purchased out of Texas from the Bass Brothers Ranch have been used as the basis for the line breeding program.

More information about the winery, ranch and Capay Valley is available on their website by clicking here.

2011 Casey Flat Ranch Estate – SRP $35

This vintage is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Syrah, 16% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and 1% Viognier. The wine has a release price of $35 and is worth the price of admission.

“Each CFR block is farmed, harvested and made as a unique wine specific to that soil, varietal, clone and microclimate. It is not until almost two years later that we blend these blocks together to craft the CFR Estate Red Wine. Only the very best of CFR goes into the blend.” Laura Barrett, Winemaker

This wine has 14.3% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color. The very open and inviting nose has blackberries, dried herbs, minerals, blueberries, vanilla, fresh ground espresso, eucalyptus, Asian spices, plums and a touch of cedar. This has a medium body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity. Spicy berries and minerals grab the palate initially, slowly allowing espresso beans, vanilla and dried herbs to join the party. The finish has very good length with a touch of eucalyptus adding some complexity. Even though this is very young and opened nicely with an hour of air, I think it will be even better down the road. (94 pts)

2011 Casey Flat Ranch Estate

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines. I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar. I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com. Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear. There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase. I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive. I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount. Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges. None of the prices include the sales tax.

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.