Hello to all those who Imbibe,
(The following are Dave's notes from a couple of weeks ago, before our first batch of Baton Pinot and Chard hit the store - and was just as quickly gone, which is why I didn't send this before. We've since gotten our second shipment, and have the wines in stock now - don't know how long we'll have access to these wines at these prices, but they are barnburners! -tami)
Baton Wines
I just got off the phone with an old friend who is the Queen Bee of Wine Brokers in So Cal. She called to let me know about a new wine she has just started to carry named Baton. The owner of Baton Wines - and my old friend, Bill Vyenielo - was the GM at Peter Michael for fourteen years and now works alongside David Abreu at Leslie Rudd's Rudd Estate. Need I tell you more?
Well, I will.
Baton just released their first wines. Three bottlings have been released, including the 2007 Baton Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard (Sonoma Coast), 2007 Baton Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge (Sonoma Coast) & 2006 Baton Late Harvest Chardonnay. Robert Parker says of these wines, "This is the personal winemaking project of Bill Vyenielo, who was the brilliant vineyard manager at Peter Michael for many years. These first releases are very impressive."
These wines were going to come in around sixty dollars a bottle; but being friends with the owner does have its benefits. Bill has decided to release these wines at a much lower price, gain some market share and then ease the wine's price up in the years ahead.
I'm very excited about the Baton wines. You'll not taste wine of this pedigree for twice the price. Since their release, these are among the most requested wines at Spago Restaurant in Beverly Hills and we are thrilled to be getting in on the ground floor here at Imbibe. Quantities of this wine are very limited so be sure to stop in and pick them up by the bottle (or case) before they run out.
- David
2007 Baton Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard $31.99
Parker calls Heintz Vineyard "one of the great grand cru Chardonnay sites in California." This wine is elegant, silky and rich. Aromas of white flower, vanilla, apple crisp and honeyed-pineapple. Vibrant natural acidity and minerality with flavors of mango, pineapple and hazelnuts. Only 314 cases made for the world. 92/100 WA, 94+ Imbibe. You will see this wine around from $40-50/bottle; the Imbibe price is $31.99.
2007 Baton Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge $34.99
This is a deep and full-bodied Pinot Noir. Soft plum, fig and black cherry fruit with hints of clove. One of the finest years for Pinot Noir was 2007. 90/100 WA, 93+ Imbibe. Only 327 cases for the world. You will see this wine around from $39-65/bottle; Imbibe price $34.99.
2006 Baton Late Harvest Chardonnay (500 ml) $26.99
Some of the most sought-after wines in the world are sweet, late harvest wines (Chateau d'Yquem, Kracher). In Sonoma County, late harvest wines are extremely rare due to the fact that only once every 15 to 20 years does nature provide the proper conditions necessary to produce a world-class late harvest wine. In 2006, this amazing Late Harvest Chardonnay was produced under the watchful eye of winemaker Jeff Pisoni along with some key advice from winemaker and friend Gerhard Reisacher (an 8th generation Austrian-born winemaker who's known for his late harvest TBA [Trockenbeerenauslese] wines). Bill said, "we watched this wine develop far beyond our greatest expectations." Liquid gold, honeysuckle aromas with flavors of honeyed pear, apricot nectar and fresh picked pineapple; creamy, viscous and silky. Enjoy this wine on its own or with desserts such as poached fruit, fresh berries, crème brûlée, decadent chocolate or fruit pastries. You will not find this wine anywhere else. 220 cases for the world. $26.99 a bottle.
Wine Bar Friday
