1000+ MISSIONS ALERT:

Join us, today, in celebrating over One Thousand Wine Spies missions! All this month, we are pulling out all the stops, to bring you the finest wines we can get our spy gloves on…

QPR ALERT:

Today’s wine carries one of the highest QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) ratings we have had the pleasure to enjoy. Due to our superior sleuthing skills, we are able to bring you a limited quantity of this wine at what is, frankly, a remarkable price

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:

Today’s selection from Robert Craig Winery is truly a wine of elegance and finesse. If you are a fan of the great Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine belongs in your cellar and on your table!

SECRET SAVINGS ALERT:

Subscribe to our Daily Dispatch (above) and you’ll always know what our Top Secret coupon code of the day is. Every day we issue a new members-only code that entitles you to have Ground Shipping included on orders of six or more and, sometimes, an added discount!

Mission Codename: Veederonomy

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Investigate Napa’s Robert Craig Winery

Mission Status: Complete!

Current Winery: Robert Craig Winery

Wine Subject: 2006 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Robert Craig

Backgrounder:

Mt. Veeder, located on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas range has a climate that is cooler than the valley floor below. This climate and the more difficult (less fertile) volcanic mountain soil influence the flavors of the wines from this region. Most known for both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder is known for producing grapes of exceptional character and bold intensity.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Darkest garnet with a deeper heart of nearly black plum. When swirled this wine shows thick, widely-spaced legs that start slow, teasing us with a notion of the richness to be experienced on the palate

Smell – Bold intensity with deep purple aromas of blackberry that lead the charge, giving way to black cherry, darkest unsweetened chocolate and bramble. The overall effect is one of full richness, where the wine shows on the nose as voluptuous. This is a description that is usually reserved for the feel of a wine, so this is an intriguing characteristic

Feel – Soft and satiny, round and full, this wine starts off with a big, wet, medium-bodied feel that goes to dry, as fine tannins show up rather quickly, sustaining flavors through to the long finish

Taste – Bold, initially, with big black cherry, underripe blackberry and cassis on the attack. Then, as the tannins take hold and a dryness appears, black pepper, dark spice and smoky raisin mingle with soft vanilla oak and dark chocolate

Finish – Plush at first, then more taut and firm, with lingering black fruit, spice, black pepper and clean oak. Flavors tail off slowly, with spice and soft minerals

Conclusion – Only procure this wine is you love amazing, incredible, fantastic, beautiful, delicious and excellent Cabernet Sauvignon! If you don’t, leave it for the rest of us! With beautifully balanced feel, flavors and aromatics, this is a true delight that is fun to drink on it’s own – but also with a hearty meal. We paired our review bottle with griddle-pan fried Filet and a plethora of complex dipping sauces (think meat fondue without the boiling oil). The wine held its own, throughout, accentuating the exotic flavors of the foods and cleansing the palate for the next bite to come. I give this wine my heartiest recommendation, dear Operative!

Mission Report:

What follows is our original interview with winemaker, Keith Emerson:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Keith Emerson

DATE OF BIRTH: 3/22/76

PLACE OF BIRTH: Boston, Mass.

WINE EDUCATION: Enology & Viticulture / Fermentation Science B.S., UC Davis

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Director of Winemaking – Vineyard 29, Consulting Winemaker – Robert Craig Winery, Winemaker – Knighton Family Vineyards, Leaf + Twig Vineyard, Gundlach Bundschu Winery, Bartholomew
Park Winery, Owner / Winemaker – Emerson Brown Wines, Owner / Winemaker – Emerson Wines (all current)

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Gentle, meticulous handling and attention to detail every step of the way. Small lot, hands on winemaking, utilizing gravity as much as possible and showcasing the fruit from each specific site.

SIGNATURE VARIETALS: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Establishment of Emerson Brown Wines in 2005 (tremendously successful, boutique Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc), hand crafted in Vineyard 29’s state of the art facility

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Establishment of Emerson Wines in 2009. Single-vineyard (Shea Vineyard) Oregon Pinot Noir, hand crafted in Vineyard 29’s state of the art facility

WINEMAKER QUOTE: If you work harder than the next guy and pay attention to detail every step of the way, good things will happen!

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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Keith Emerson. We are thrilled to be showing your 2006 Robert Craig Winery “Affinity” Cabernet Sauvignon today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

KEITH: Thanks for having me

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

KEITH: I grew up in the restaurant and bar business back east. I’ve always said that I fell in love with wine through food.

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

KEITH: Honestly, on the job experience has been even more beneficial than my studies at UC Davis (though I learned a lot there as well, of course).

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

KEITH: Gentle, meticulous handling and attention to detail every step of the way. Small lot, hands on winemaking, utilizing gravity as much as possible and showcasing the fruit from each specific site.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

KEITH: I’ve been fortunate to work with and learn from several world class winemakers including Philippe Melka, Andy Erickson, Celia Welch, Zelma Long, Allan Johnson (NZ), and others.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

KEITH: 12 years

RED: Who do you make wine for?

KEITH: The wine drinker!

RED: Tell me, what makes the Napa Valley so special?

KEITH: The amazing geological activities that have occurred here over time. So many microclimates and soil types in such a small valley!

RED: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

KEITH: Lots of hard work, ridiculous hours, don’t ever plan on vacationing in September or October for the rest of your life!

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

KEITH: Online interviews (kidding)! Post-harvest vineyard meetings, post-harvest wine lot evaluation tastings, barreling down 2009 reds, ordering bottling supplies for upcoming bottling season, winterizing the winery, etc.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

KEITH: 2006 was my first vintage working with Robert Craig Winery and thus my first opportunity to influence the wines. The 2006 Affinity is a harmonious blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few additional Bordeaux blenders, from select valley and hillside vineyards.

Aroma: Concentrated berry and black cherry fruit at the forefront, underlaiin with sweet cassis and touches of violets, lavender and spicy oak. Flavors: A beautifully polished core of black fruit on the mid-palate, interwoven with black olive, red currant, espresso and a hint of maple. Finish: Lush and generous, focusing on more dense fruit, enlivened with crisp acidity and silky, fine-grained tannins.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

KEITH: Rack of lamb

RED: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

KEITH: Huge Boston Celtics, Red Sox, New England Patriots fan

RED: What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

KEITH: Difficult to say though I always love a clean, refreshing Vhinos Verde from Portugal.

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

KEITH: With an open mind and an appreciation for exciting, unique, well-made wines

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

KEITH: Tough question… maybe DRC La Tache

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

KEITH: Thanks very much!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Robert Craig Winery in the Howell Mountain region of Napa can be seen in this satellite photo.