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What We Say 2007 SPELLwine Lodi County Sangiovese
SUPERIOR WINE/HIGH QPR ALERT:
Today’s wine deserves this double recognition, as it delivers a truly exceptional drinking experience for a truly exceptional price.
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Mission Codename: Sangio Redactico
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Revisit Spellwines, at Spelletich Cellars, and acquire their 2007 Lodi Sangiovese, a wine that was made from the same grapes as the world-famous [REDACTED] Sangiovese, a wine that sells for a great deal more money. This information is so Top Secret that only a select group of operatives were given access to the wine. Thanks to Agent Red, a small allocation of this wine is available, today only.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Spellwine the new generation of Spelletich Cellars
Wine Subject: 2007 Lodi Sangiovese
Winemaker: Kristen Kahler and Barbara Spelletich
Winery Backgrounder: Today’s wine represents the new generation of wines from our friends at Spelletich Cellars. Guided by Kristen Kahler, the daughter of winemaker Barbara Spelletich, Spellwines are an exciting addition to the Spelletich lineup.
Varietal Backgrounder: The most widely planted grape in all of Italy, Sangiovese is used in everything from blended inexpensive table wines like Chianti, to the finest Super Tuscans. Italian immigrants introduced this varietal to the U.S. in the 1800’s. First plantings of this grape in the Sonoma County region were in California. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes on this great wine, followed by his mission report, to learn more about today’s fantastic wine.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Beautiful ruby hues, from edge through the slightly darker core. Swirl the wine and it settles quickly, leaving behind tall columns of skinny tears that run slowly down the glass.
Smell – Cinnamon sweet candied cherry, dried orange peel, blackberry and dark blueberry mix with more subtle aromas of gentle clove, earth and a hint of dried tobacco leaf.
Feel – Round and soft on entry and across the mid-palate, the wine settles onto the rear palate, where it takes on a fuller, more grippy feeling. Plush tannins and a bright acidity work a unique magic on the palate, adding complexity and driving flavors into the long finish.
Taste – Layered and packed with rich, diving flavors of black cherry, dark plum, and bramble. These are closely followed by spiced dried orange peel, earthy bright red cherry, clove and cinnamon.
Finish – Bold flavors last a great long time, with rich fruit ultimately yielding to spice and earthen characteristics. The earthy cherry and spice make a surging appearance and then tail off slowly, leading to soft spice and a hint of oak.
Conclusion – A beauty of a wine, this delicious Sangiovese is a delicious, multi-dimensional wine that has more character and more fruit than a traditional Italian Sangio. I ound myself inhaling deeply of this wine – again and again – before ever taking my first sip. When I did sip, I was enthralled; This is a delicious, complex, fruit and spice-driven wine that delivers on all fronts. Approachable, delicious and easy to love, this wine is a great solo-sipper, but I would suggest pairing it with a delicious meal. I paired my review bottle with cold Penne with fresh Sage, lemon juice, capers, fresh goat cheese and slivered parmesano Reggiano.
Mission Report:
WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER
SUBJECT: Barbara Spelletich
WINE EDUCATION: UC Davis
CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Cork & Bottle, Seattle Washington, Retail Store Manager. Taught Wine Classes, wine tasting and cheese; St. Michelle, Woodinville, Washington, Retail Sales Manager, Public Events, Tasting Room Zephyr Imports, Owner; Imported wines from Italy, France, Germany, Spain & Portugal; Whitwhams, Responsible for US sales. We were negociants for Cru Classe Bordeaux, Ports & Burgundies. Offices in Manchester England & Cenon, Bordeaux; St. Clement, St. Helena, CA National Sales Manager; Spelletich Cellars, Owner & Winemaker
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: As natural as possible.
WINEMAKER QUOTE: ” I do want to manipulate wine. I want to harvest when ripe, ferment cool to capture the fruit essence and age until the wine is ready to be bottled. The most important feature of my wine is that it smell and taste of the grapes it was made from. Simple.”
FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: Bodog Red 1993, Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 & Chardonnay 1994. All Napa Valley.
WINEMAKER INTERVIEW
AGENT RED: Greetings, Barbara. Welcome back! We are thrilled to be showing your 2007 Spellwines Lodi Valley Sangiovese today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.
BARBARA SPELLETICH: Great to be back with you, Red.
RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?
BARBARA: Yes, a trip to California when I was 18 years old. I tasted Cabernet Sauvignon at a dinner and that was it!
RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?
BARBARA: The list is long as I imported wine from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal & Spain for years. Angelo Gaja taught me to not compromise, Signore Gentini taught me to blend, Egon Mueller taught me to plant the right clone of grapes and keep the vines healthy. Each of the wines I exported to my company, Zephyr Imports, in Seattle Washington had a story, a style, a commitment to excellence & a creative curve.
RED: Who do you make wine for?
BARBARA: I make wine for customers. I make wines that are great with food. So my customers are also foodies who like wine. Same me & my family & friends.
RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?
BARBARA: HARVEST!
RED: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?
BARBARA: Use your nose first. As a winemaker, I love the smell of wine. So the aroma is the first sense of any wine we taste. I like to swirl my wine to open it up and then take my first sip and roll this around my mouth a bit before I swallow. Sometimes we need to let a wine open up and show its personality before we really get it. Take your time with wine. The wait is worth it.
RED: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
BARBARA: Taste wines you have never tried before. You will fall in love. Again.
RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The approximate location of the Spelletich Cellars can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Spelletich Cellars
About This Wine:
Ruby red with lush, red fruit, spice and plenty of character. Bold but balanced with delicious fruit, spicy barrel character and endearing approachability. This wine comes to life when snuggled up to a bold pasta dish.
About The Winery:
Spelletich Family Winery started with the 1994 harvest in Napa Valley. The first wines were Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Bodog Red. With minimal intervention, they rely upon their secret weapon: Barb’s palate. Focusing on three basic, yet critical principles: when to harvest, when to press and when to pull off the oak to pursue something larger and more elusive than your ordinary wines. Their approach is to produce wines of integrity; that are rich, ripe and refreshing. Barbs focus is the fruit. She wants you to be able to taste real fruit flavors and smell the incredible nose of her wines. This winery is truly only family owned and operated. Husband & wife team Timothy and Barb Spelletich and their daughter Kristen.
Barb was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. She stared her career in the wine industry as the manager of The Cork & Bottle. She worked for Ste. Michelle Winery, G. Raden & Sons, and then established her own distributorship, Zephyr Imports. This began her international travels and relationships with the finest wineries in the world. She spent every spring traveling to Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. The purpose was to visit each producer to choose the wines to be exported to the United States. These producers became friends and taught Barb much about wine making. Mainly the importance of ripe fruit and the gentle way to preserve that fruit flavor. Her next step was Whitwhams Fine and Rare Wines, based in Manchester, England and Bordeaux. Life as a negociant enhanced her contact with winemakers of all Cru Classe. She futher enhanced her winemaking skills with courses at UC Davis. Barb arrived in Napa Valley in 1992 and started working for St. Clement Vineyards in St. Helena.
Timothy grew up half way across the country in Davenport, Iowa. After graduating with a degree in business from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he had an opportunity to work in Italy. He worked at the Locanda Del Sant’Uffizio, a small country inn and restaurant located in a town outside of Asti. At this former monastery he experienced an old fashioned way of life. Each prix fixe meal was prepared with the freshest seasonal ingredients available on the property and nearby villages. The exposure to herbs, fruits and vegetables harvested at their peak of ripeness, creating menus, plus pairing the food with wine introduced Timothy to flavors and sensory evalationsthat changed his life forever. This small exclusive inn also made their own wine from estate grapes. He then returned to the United States to work for The Pierre Hotel in New York City and The Four Seasons in Philadelphia. Timothy arrived in Napa Valley spring of 1993 and started working for Tra Vigne Restaurant in St. Helena as manager and wine buyer.
After 11 years of business, Barb & Timothy were able to hire their daughter Kristen. Born in Seattle, Washington, she grew up in St. Helena. Kristen spent 10 years working in the wine and hospitality industry before she was ready to tackle her own family business. While attending college in Napa for Psychology, she had an opportunity to work at The French Laundry and realized that she needed to start thinking more seriously about the industry that had been part of her life since birth. She continued learning through sales and relationship marketing at The Culinary Insitute, Viansa, Sterling Vineyards and Mumm Napa. Her main focus now is to build Spelletich Cellars to fit the 21st century market.
Timothy and Barb’s individual experiences in Europe, interests in wine, food, cooking and entrepreneurial drive generate an awesome team of artistry and hard work. The combination of wine industry preparation and lifelong passion is what united them in the heart of Napa Valley to launch Spelletich Cellars Winery.
Now with the second generation on board and a strong outlook on the future, we share our passion and remind you that life is to be enjoyed with food, family & friends!
Technical Analysis:
Varietals: 91% Sangiovese, 7% Cabernet Sauvingon & 2% Cabernet Franc
Region: Lodi County
Alcohol: 14%
