Cliffs Wine Picks – July 2017 Vol 3

2012 Carlisle The Derivative White

2007 Elyse Petite Sirah Barrel Select

2014 Jean Edwards Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Dalla Gasperina Vineyard

2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc

2015 Azienda Bologna Cinsault a’Campo Old Vine Rosé

2013 McCay Cellars Grenache Abba Vineyard

2012 Carlisle The Derivative White – $28.50

This wine is a blend of:

54% Sonoma Valley Semillon, Monte Rosso Vineyard

30% Sonoma Valley Muscadelle, Pagani Ranch

16% Russian River Valley Palomino, Saitone Ranch

This was the third vintage of this versatile white wine. The amount of new oak used for this wine has decreased to allow the fruit to shine. The Muscadelle was fermented in stainless steel. The Palomino was fermented in 75% stainless steel and 25% new oak. The Semillon was fermented in all oak but only 22% was new. The wine did not go through malolactic fermentation to allow the retention of the acidity and to retain the freshness. There were 316 cases produced

The wine is a nice golden straw color. The fresh nose has melons, beeswax, lemon zest, orange blossoms, pineapple, chalky minerals and just a hint of spicy oak. This has a fairly full body and a creamy texture with good acidity. On the palate melon, beeswax, minerals and orange blossom grab your attention on the front end with under ripe pineapple coming in later. The finish has nice length with lemon zest and a touch of spicy oak providing depth. This is drinking very nicely right now and it should continue to show well for at least a couple more years. This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (91 pts)

2012 Carlisle The Derivative White

2007 Elyse Petite Sirah Barrel Select – $20.83

I’ve been a big fan of the quality red wines being produced by Elyse for many years. The winery was one of the first we visited on our first trip to wine country. This is an outstanding winery with equally outstanding people selling their wines at very consumer friendly prices.

This wine includes 9% Zinfandel. The grapes are from Oles, Souyoultzis, Massa, Wood and Chavez-Leeds vineyards. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 10 1/2 months in American oak with 40% being new.

The wine is a dark, inky maroon color, almost black. The very expressive nose is full of crushed blackberries, minerals, blueberries, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, warm baking spices and vanilla. This has medium to full body, moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity. On the palate the spicy blackberries and minerals hit first and slowly allow some coffee and chocolate to peak through. The finish is long and full of berries and dark chocolate with nice spice and coffee adding depth. This is now in its’ prime drinking window and should hold for several years. This isn’t made in a massively ripe style, the alcohol is a manageable 14.7%. This could last another decade. This wine has 14.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (93 pts)

2007 Elyse Petite Sirah Barrel Select

2014 Jean Edwards Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Dalla Gasperina Vineyard – $24

The 2015 vintage of this wine was included in last week’s post.

This is the first white wine produced by Jean Edwards Cellars. Dalla Gasperina Vineyard is on the northern end of the Rutherford Bench, down the road from Franciscan Winery. This is a blend of 92% Sauvignon Blanc and 8% Semillon. I highly recommend getting on the winery’s mailing list to get first shot at these limited production wines and to enjoy mailing list prices. Check out the mailing list by clicking here.

The wine is a pale straw yellow color. The enticing nose has apples, lemon zest, white pepper, leafy herbs, pineapple, dusty minerals, apricot, orange blossoms and anise. This has medium body with mouthwatering acidity. On the palate tart apples, white pepper, lemon zest and an herbal streak immediately take control on the front end with apricot and orange blossoms coming in later. The finish has very nice length with anise and dusty minerals joining the tropical fruit and white pepper. The crisp acidity will leave your mouthwatering for another sip. A great initial white wine effort from this formerly red wine only winery. This is very drinkable now but will last for at least two or three years, maybe longer. This wine has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (93 pts)

2014 Jean Edwards Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Dalla Gasperina Vineyard

2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc – $9.49

Ironstone Vineyards is a family owned winery that we visited during our Lodi excursion. The Kautz family were gracious hosts during the visit. I enjoyed their entire line-up of value priced wines. The quality of the wines far exceeded the “low price of admission”. To me, their Petite Sirah and this Cabernet Franc were the standouts. I like the wine enough to include a few bottles in the case I bought soon after returning home. Visit the Ironstone Vineyards website for a ton more information on the winery, family and the wines.

This wine is 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alta Mesa and Sloughhouse AVAs in Lodi. The wine gets a brief two month aging in new French oak.

The wine is a medium to dark ruby color. The very approachable nose has crushed berries, stony minerals, dried leafy herbs, vanilla, cedar and wild flowers. This has medium body with soft tannins and good acidity. On the palate juicy berries, vanilla and dried herbs dominate the front end with toasty cedar coming in on the back end. The fruit laden finish has nice length. This isn’t a wine to lay down, I’d drink this one on the younger side while the fruit is crisp and fresh. Open this one with a juicy burger hot off the grill or even better with a platter of cheeses and meats with a few friends. This wine is a steal if you can find it for around $10. This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an artificial cork. (90 pts)

2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc

2015 Azienda Bologna Cinsault a’Campo Old Vine Rosé – $14.40

I couldn’t find much information on the winery online. I assume I’m just looking in the wrong places.

The wine is a light pink salmon color. The soft and laid back nose has cherries, strawberries, stony minerals, orange blossoms, white peach and lemongrass. This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and seems to be totally dry. On the palate bright red fruit, minerals and white peach jump out on the front end with lemongrass and orange blossoms coming in later. The finish has very nice length with mineral and red fruit. The is a very flavorful and balanced rosé that pairs nicely with a light meal but also excels sipping on its’ own on a sunny day. This has 13.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork. (90 pts)

2015 Azienda Bologna Cinsault a’Campo Old Vine Rosé Lodi

2013 McCay Cellars Grenache Abba Vineyard – $25.60

Michael McCay and his family moved to Lodi in the mid 1980s. He started making wine in 1994 and launched McCay Cellars in 2007.

This is 100% Grenache that utilized a “native yeast” fermentation and that was aged in neutral oak. A total of 178 cases were produced.

Much more information is on the winery’s website.

The wine is a light, translucent ruby red color. The entrancing nose has raspberries, crushed stone minerals, warm baking spices, plums, white pepper, dry underbrush, fresh flowers and charred wood. This has medium to full body with medium tannins and great acidity. On the palate tart berries, white pepper, minerals and under ripe plums quickly grab your attention with baking spices and a nice floral note coming in later. The finish has very good length with tart cherries and charred wood providing nice depth. This is on the young side but already tastes great. This has good balance and is not on the highly extracted/over ripe side of the line. An outstanding effort! This tastes more like a Rhone wine than one from the new world. This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (93 pts)

2013 McCay Cellars Grenache Abba Vineyard

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle. You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site. All of these wines were purchased at a big discount. I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list. Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out. They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year. Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase. I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site. After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

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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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store. 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.

Cheers!

July 24, 2017

Cliff

Cliffs Wine Picks – Lodi Wines Vol 4

2013 Bokisch Vineyards Tempranillo

2014 Mettler Family Vineyards Pinotage Lodi

2011 Bokisch Vineyards Garnacha Terra Alta Vineyard

2014 Macchia Sangiovese Amorous Lodi

2015 Michael Klouda Wines Hatterle Zinfandel Lodi

2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc

2013 Michael-David Vineyards Syrah 6th Sense Lodi

2012 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Barbera Lodi

2013 Borra Vineyards Old Vine Barbera

This post includes a mix of wines from my cellar that I purchased and samples that were provided to me. I have the samples clearly stated as samples and show the suggested retail prices. Some were from my cellar, some were purchased during my recent tour of Lodi and some were purchased after I returned. I write about wines but I am also a collector and wine consumer. I may write about some wines that are provided to me but I buy the wines I want to drink. Here are some of the wines from Lodi that are now part of my cellar.

I had the extreme good fortune to be invited on a Press Trip to Lodi last September and it was a wonderful trip. I had been a fan of Lodi Wines before the trip but now I am a fan of the people of Lodi. The growers are outstanding people with a true dedication to tending to their vines and producing some of the best grapes in the world. The winery owners and winemakers treat the grapes with the respect they deserve and produce some of the best wines in the world. If you think Lodi means big, burly red wines, you owe it to yourself to revisit the area. Besides the big red wines, the area produces outstanding, lighter bodied, nuanced red wines and some of the best white and rose wines in the world.

2013 Bokisch Vineyards Tempranillo – SRP $23

This is based on a sample provided to me but this is a personal favorite. I have a couple bottles in my cellar that I purchased before this sample arrived.

This wine includes a touch of Graciano.

Bokisch Vineyards is one of my favorite Lodi wineries. The winery specializes in Spanish varietals. If you ever find yourself in Lodi, I highly recommend a stop at Bokisch. Besides their top notch red wines, they make some of the best white wines anywhere. Much more information is available on the Bokisch website.

The wine is a deep ruby red color. The exotic nose has black cherries, crushed stone minerals, baking spices, blackberries, dry underbrush, roasted leafy herbs, wildflowers, white pepper and a touch of dark roast coffee beans. This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity. Tart black cherries, baking spices, underbrush and wildflowers immediately grab your attention on the palate with minerals, tart berries and roasted herbs coming in later. The finish has very nice length with dark roasted coffee beans and white pepper providing nice depth. This has great balance and is very easy to enjoy. Who says Lodi only makes big, bold red wines? This is full of subtle nuances with no rough edges. This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (92 pts)

2013 Bokisch Vineyards Tempranillo

2014 Mettler Family Vineyards Pinotage Lodi – SRP $25

Pinotage is an rare grape in California. In the entire state there are only 58 acres of Pinotage vines and the Mettlers have 4 of these acres.

The Mettler family has been growing grapes for 8 generations and in Lodi for over 5 generations. The grapes the family produced were sold to other well known wineries. In 2001 the family started the winery and released their inaugural wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon. Much more information on the family, the winery and their history is available on their website.

The wine is a deep ruby red color. The inviting nose has crushed berries, underbrush, baking spices, dark roasted coffee beans, dried herbs, cherries and dry loam soil. This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and nice acidity. On the palate crushed berries, underbrush, coffee beans and dried herbs take over on the front end with loamy soil and baking spices coming in later. The finish has good length with berries and earthiness lingering nicely. With out a doubt one of the best Pinotage wines I have ever tasted. It seems like the grape could have a future in Lodi. This is a nice wine, not a novelty. This has 14.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (91 pts)

2014 Mettler Family Vineyards Pinotage Lodi

2011 Bokisch Vineyards Garnacha Terra Alta Vineyard – $12.12

This bottle was purchased from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site. If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase. Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

Markus Bokisch was raised in California but spent his childhood summers in Spain with his family. In 1992 Liz & Markus Bokisch moved to Spain and worked in the Spanish wine industry. Upon returning to California, they quickly purchased the Terra Alta Vineyards property. Using the connections they formed while living and working in Spain, they began importing “budwood” and planted the Las Cerezas Vineyard. They produced their first vintage under the Bokisch label on 2001.

The wine is a bright red color. The enticing nose has cherries, crushed blackberries, baking spices, white pepper, crushed stone minerals, dried violets and dry underbrush. This has medium body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity. On the palate ripe cherries, berries and white pepper come through on the front end with dried flowers, baking spices and minerals coming in later. The finish has good length with cherries and dry underbrush carrying the load. This is in a prime drinking window and should hold for a few years. This is another wine that shows the diversity and quality of wines being produced in Lodi. This wine is a steal at the SRP of $20. This wine has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (91 pts)

2011 Bokisch Vineyards Garnacha Terra Alta Vineyard

2014 Macchia Sangiovese Amorous Lodi – $21.99

This is another wine from Lodi I picked up at Total Wine in Columbia after returning from my trip to Lodi. I loved my visit to Macchia and highly recommend trying any you may see on a shelf. I’m thankful the local Total Wine carries several Macchia wines.

Besides the usual Lodi wine suspects, Macchia produces several wines from Italian varietals. A stop at the “man cave” tasting area at Macchia should be on your short list of places to visit in Lodi. Additional information about the winery is available on their website.

This wine is a fairly deep ruby color. The sexy nose has cherries, warm baking spices, raspberries, dry earthy underbrush, violets, dusty minerals and a touch of licorice. This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity. On the palate this wine is full of rich fruit, spices and earthiness on the front end with minerals and a nice floral note on the back end. The long, lingering finish closes with a hint of orange zest. This is nothing like an Italian Sangiovese but the wine world would be a boring place if every wine made from a specific grape tasted the same no matter where it was grown. This demands a hearty meal, think pasta with a meat sauce or a pizza with plenty of pepperoni and sausage. This has 16.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (92 pts)

2014 Macchia Sangiovese Amorous Lodi

2015 Michael Klouda Wines Hatterle Zinfandel Lodi – SRP $26

This “own rooted” vineyard was planted in 1930, Mr Hatterle has been farming the vineyard for almost 50 years.

I’ve now had the opportunity to try a couple Michael Klouda wines and both have left me VERY impressed. In my opinion, we will hear more about the winery in the coming years. More information on Michael, the winery and the wines is available on their website.

The wine is a garnet color. The sensuous nose has brambly berries, black peppercorns, baking spices, scorched earth, violets and licorice. This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity. On the palate tart berries, black pepper and baking spices take control on the front end with scorched earth coming in later. The finish has very good length with a nice floral note providing some depth. This is a stylish and refined Zinfandel, not a burly beast. This food friendly and balanced wine would be a nice companion with your dinner. I like this style of Zinfandel more than the ones that push the ripeness levels to the extreme. This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (93 pts)

2015 Michael Klouda Wines Hatterle Zinfandel Lodi

2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc – $9.49

Ironstone Vineyards is a family owned winery that we visited during our Lodi excursion. The Kautz family were gracious hosts during the visit. I enjoyed their entire line-up of value priced wines. The quality of the wines far exceeded the “low price of admission”. To me, their Petite Sirah and this Cabernet Franc were the standouts. I like the wine enough to include a few bottles in the case I bought soon after returning home. Visit the Ironstone Vineyards website for a ton more information on the winery, family and the wines.

This wine is 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alta Mesa and Sloughhouse AVAs in Lodi. The wine gets a brief two month aging in new French oak.

The wine is a medium to dark ruby color. The very approachable nose has crushed berries, stony minerals, dried leafy herbs, vanilla, cedar and wild flowers. This has medium body with soft tannins and good acidity. On the palate juicy berries, vanilla and dried herbs dominate the front end with toasty cedar coming in on the back end. The fruit laden finish has nice length. This isn’t a wine to lay down, I’d drink this one on the younger side while the fruit is crisp and fresh. Open this one with a juicy burger hot off the grill or even better with a platter of cheeses and meats with a few friends. This wine is a steal if you can find it for around $10. This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an artificial cork. (90 pts)

2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc

2013 Michael-David Vineyards Syrah 6th Sense Lodi – $12.99

This wine is mostly Syrah with a touch of Petite Sirah. The winery likes to add a bit of Petite Sirah to most of their wines. I was jokingly told they would add it to their Chardonnay if they could. This wine was aged 12 months in French oak barrels.

The winery is one of the “big boys” in Lodi. The family has been growing fruit and vegetable in the region since the 1850s and have been growing grapes for nearly 100 years. With an eye to the future the winery has adopted some of the most progressive sustainable farming practices in the state. All of the 750 acres of family vineyards are third party certified as being sustainably farmed. Since the 2011 vintage, 100% of the Lodi grown fruit crushed at the winery has been certified as sustainably farmed.

Much more information on the winery is available on their website.

From the winery:

The Phillips brothers planted one of the first Syrah vineyards in California in 1982. With Michael’s son Kevin continuing the Phillips grape growing tradition into the 6th generation, this Syrah vineyard was one of the first he tended to as our Vineyard Manager. If you turn the bottle around you will see Kevin’s eye looking out from the inside of the bottle, making sure the wine is being enjoyed!

The wine is a deep purple color. The intoxicating nose has blackberries, blueberries, asphalt, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso beans, dry underbrush, licorice, violets and black pepper. This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity. This has massive berries and ground espresso beans on the front end with underbrush, dark chocolate and a big floral note coming in on the back end. The finish is long and lingering with black pepper coming into play. Not a lot of subtlety here but the big fruit and nice structure makes for a worthy companion for something hot off the grill. This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. This is a steal for the price. (89 pts)

2013 Michael-David Vineyards Syrah 6th Sense Lodi

2012 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Barbera Lodi – SRP $25

The Proprietor and Winemaker for Uvaggio is Jim Moore. You may not have heard of Jim, but there is a good chance you have tasted some of his wines over the years. While working for Robert Mondavi winery, Jim envisioned and developed La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi in California. Jim was also instrumental in helping to launch the partnership between Robert Mondavi Winery and Frescobaldi family of Florence to launch the Luce and Lucent labels from Tuscany.

This wine is 98% Barbera from the Leventini Vineyard and 2% Primitivo from the Bella Vigna Vineyard. The wine was fermented with a yeast strain isolated in Barolo. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 9 months in 27% new French oak, 13% once or twice used French oak and the reminder in fairly neutral oak.

Much more information about the winery is available on their website.

The wine is a medium ruby red color. The very inviting nose has cherries, black cherries, dry sandy loam, roasted herbs and wild flowers. This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity. On the palate tart cherries and dry earth take control on the front end with roasted herbs and a nice floral note coming in later. The finish has very nice length and is loaded with fruit. This doesn’t offer a lot in the complexity department but the front loaded fruit makes it easy to drink and enjoy. No hurry on this one, it may even show some improvement with another couple years in the cellar. This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork. (88 pts)

2012 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Barbera Lodi

2013 Borra Vineyards Old Vine Barbera – SRP $25

I was able to attend a tasting at the winery’s Gill Creek Ranch in late September and loved the “alternative” wines they served. Their white wines were crisp, light and mineral driven. I was able to sample this specific wine at a large Barbera tasting with several wineries participating. This was one of the standouts (for me) at the event. The winery has a “second label” called Markus, these wines must be tasted, they are truly outstanding.

This is 100% Barbera from over 40 year old vines from the vineyard planted around their tasting room in Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA. The winemaker, Markus Niggli (Swiss born) uses native fermentation of only free-run juice. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 22 months in 35% new French oak. Total production was a miniscule 120 cases.

If you ever make it to Lodi, a stop at Borra Vineyards is a must. If you’re lucky enough to meet Markus, you’ll be impressed with his forward vision and old-school approach to wine making. Much more information about the winery, people and wine is available on their website.

The wine is a nice garnet color. The seductive nose has black cherries, crushed stone minerals, baking spices, cola, scorched earth and dried wild flowers. This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity. On the palate black cherries, minerals and spice quickly jump out with cola and dry earth coming in on the back end. The lingering finish adds a nice dried floral note. This won’t be mistaken for an Italian Barbera, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I liked this wine…a lot. This has 15.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist-off cap. (92 pts)

2013 Borra Vineyards Old Vine Barbera

Conclusion and recommendations

These are all wines made with pride by families who either grow their own grapes or buy them from “friends”. The over riding thing I learned during my visit is this region performs like one big team. Everyone from the grape growers to the winery owners are equals when it comes to producing these world class wines.

If you want to plan a trip to Lodi, which I highly recommend, your first step should be to visit the Lodi Wine Site. If you find yourself in Lodi and want to sip some wine, buy some wine or look for recommendations, I encourage you to visit them at:

Lodi Wine & Visitor Center

2545 West Turner Road

Lodi, CA 95242

Phone: (209) 367-4727

Email: lwwc@lodiwine.com

This is also a great place to buy Lodi wines. They have an extensive inventory of wines that you can have shipped to your home.

Lodi Information

Lodi is just east of San Francisco and has provided grapes for producers all over the world since the 1800’s. The Lodi area has provided grapes for producers all over the world for decades, and many families in Lodi have been growing grapes for six and seven generations. Today, there are approximately 85 wineries and tasting rooms, over 750 growers and more than 100,000 acres planted to vineyards. The wines we tasted commemorate the heritage of Lodi and are not only exquisite, but tell a narrative.

It is a well-known fact that Lodi is predominantly a red wine region, proudly holding the self-proclaimed title of “Zinfandel Capital of the World”. What is lesser known is that Lodi’s unique Mediterranean climate allows for over 75 different varietals to thrive.

Tons of great and useful information is available on the Wines of Lodi, LOCA website. I highly encourage you to read about the area by clicking here. You can also follow Lodi on Twitter at @Lodi_Wine.

Lodi Green Program

The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing is California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing program. Originally launched in 2005, over the past two years the program went through and extensive review to update and make standards more rigorous.

The Lodi Rules takes a comprehensive approach to farming that goes beyond just pest management to promote practices that enhance biodiversity, water and air quality, soil health, and employee and community well-being. This allows us to produce higher quality wines more reflective of the places and people that grow them. It gives you the opportunity to promote responsible farming by enjoying the great wines from these vineyards.

When you drink a certified sustainably grown Lodi wine, you are supporting a farmer, a vintner, and a community that embraces its responsibility to take care of the environment.

Visit the Lodi Certified Green site for more information on the region’s sustainable winegrowing.

Calhoun & Company enjoys a diverse portfolio of wine and spirits clients. From family owned to corporate managed, luxury to everyday priced, small lot wines to nationally distributed, Napa to Oporto, we thrive on the varied media opportunities each of these categories presents. We are exceptionally proud of the breadth and depth of our practice, as illustrated by this partial list of brands we have worked with over the past 13 years. For more information, visit their website.