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New Arrivals
Marquis Wine Cellars Exclusive!
Special Cuvée Pinot Noirs from Ken Wright Cellars
 All these wines come with a story, in this case they are personal, very close to the heart. It all started in 1994 with the birth of our daughter Madeleine. I wanted to do something to mark this occasion, so I contacted my old pal Ken Wright in Oregon and asked if it would be possible to custom blend a Pinot Noir to honour the birth of our daughter. Ken of course obliged. So I headed to Oregon and Ken and I tasted through a plethora of barrels and eventually came up with a great blend that was bottled and sold to my clients.
I was a bit nervous at the time as this was my first foray in doing this type of offering but much to my surprise we quickly sold out of the wine. When I told my wife about the wine, she was very excited to share it with her family and friends but she was not very pleased with me when I told her we had already sold out of the wine and that I had neglected to keep any bottles for us. To this day she has NEVER let me forget about this mistake. That story got around and I was floored when a few of our clients came in the store and gave me bottles they had purchased so that we could have some in our cellar.
My wife and I enjoyed the last bottle of my first custom blend a year or so ago and it was at its drinking peak. Our kids are now grown up; our daughter is in third year university and has a serious boyfriend and our son has just graduated from high school. So, some 20 years later I thought it would be fitting to make some new custom Pinot Noir cuvées with Ken again. This time there are three of them and each represents the personalities of our son and daughter, Darius and Madeleine and her boyfriend, Cole Anderson. The tasting notes below are mine from my trip and all the wines are now in store and available for purchase. - John Clerides, Owner, Marquis Wine Cellars
2012 Cuvée Madeleine Pinot Noir - $64.90
"Named after my daughter, this special bottling is composed of a 50/50 blend of fruit from two volcanic vineyard sites, Canary Hill and Meredith Mitchell. The Canary Hill fruit provides red and blue fruits on the nose and juicy red plum, pie cherry and baker's spice on the palate. While the Meredith Mitchell provides a balance of fruit and power. A delightfully charming wine that is approachable now but it will benefit from a few years in the cellar to soften out the rough edges. Like Madeleine (aka Maddy), this wine has is full of personality with a certainty of purpose that is boisterous, opinionated (where did she get that from?), cunning and erudite all at once. This wine will win you over if you give it the chance."
2012 Cuvée Darius Pinot Noir - $64.90
"This wine is named for my son and it is a custom blend of fruit sourced from the Guadalupe and Nysa vineyards. Floral and spice aromas great you on the nose while the palate is laced with hints of black raspberry, strawberry and Asian five spice. Very elegant and attractive in its youth this wine has deceptive power and structure and will provide many enjoyable years of drinking. Similar to Darius, this wine is somber, reserved with a hidden presence that can be coaxed out in the right situations. A thinking man's wine, the full brilliance of this will emerge in time."
2012 Cuvée Cole Pinot Noir - $64.90
"Named for Madeleine's boyfriend, the Cuvée Cole (or Coley Cole as he is called in our home) came from a single barrel of wine produced from the Carter Vineyard. Fruit focused on both the nose and palate this wine displays robust notes of blue and black fruits like black cherry, ripe plums and blueberries. The acidity and tannins are robust but you can approach this wine in its youth but it will surprise you with its longevity in the cellar. Like Cole this wine is a charmer and a conversation starter. Well rounded and balanced it will be around for the long haul."
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