ELITE OPERATIVE WINE ALERT:

Today’s Elite Operative selection is a very limited allocation of a classic Paso Robles Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. If you are fan of big and rich Paso wines, then this wine belongs in your cellar!

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Mission Codename: Exceptional Vertical Development

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Secure a limited allocation of Twilight Cellars’ Cumulus Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for our Elite Operatives.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Twilight Cellars

Wine Subject: 2006 Cumulus Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Richard Gumerman

Backgrounder:

Paso Robles, in California’s Southern Central Coast region (San Luis Obisbo County) is one of California’s oldest and also newest wine growing regions. The first vines were planted in the late 1700s by the Spanish missionaries.

Paso’s unique climate, perhaps influences its vine more than any other area in California. The hot, dry weather that is only minimally effected by coastal fog and wine results in grapes that are more concentrated in flavor and intensity. This climate makes Paso uniquely suited to grow the big red varietals including Zinfandel, Syrah and as in this wine,a Cabernet Sauvignon that has spent 40 months in oak maturing.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deepest ruby red with dark purple tints that extend to the very edge of the glass. Ruby streaks glisten though its clear core when held to the light and when swirled, fast and randomly spaced medium-thick legs ring the glass.

Smell – Prominent notes of black cherry mingle with hot spice and savory cigar-box and meaty undertones. Distinct cocoa, toasted vanilla and soft herbal notes immediately follow the rich, ripe and fruit-forward cherry aromas.

Feel – Smooth and generous on the initial attack then the firm and textured tannins and a touch of hot spice hits at mid-palate drying your tongue as this full-bodied wine expands over the palate. This wine’s bright acidity lends itself to a variety of food pairings.

Taste – Classic Paso fruit-forward flavors lead off with the dark blackand red cherry found on the nose and framed by both a touch of hot spice and chocolate cocoa powder (including a mouth drying textural quality). Savory notes, a touch of cigar-box and soft toasted oak adds depth.

Finish – Long and lingering, this wine’s rich fruit and spice fades first leaving behind the flavors of cherry liquor that blends with the other supporting flavors found on the palate as the medium firm tannins and vibrant acidity linger on.

Conclusion – The 2006 Cumulus Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent example of a classic Paso Robles Cab. Big ripe and fruit forward with rich aromas and flavors that are framed by a sturdy and bold mouthfeel. A great wine to pair with a big steak as recommended by winemakr Richard Gummerman. Enjoy this wine tonight or cellar for the next five to seven years.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Richard Gumerman

WINE EDUCATION: 5 years apprenticing at Wollersheim Winery during crush. Then 6 years here in Paso Robles making wine for 14 different clients and crushing up to 520 tons of grapes per year.

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF:Grew up in Milwaukee, WI and moved to Newport Beach, CA in 1986. Education at University of Notre Dame in Business Finance and Economics. Worked at many financial institutions including General Electric and Bank of America doing Information Technology jobs. Dabbled in growing wine grapes for over 10 years, especially in Prairie du Sac, WI where I farmed Marechal Foch.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Pick the grapes when they are ripe and make the smoothest full bodied wine you can get and age it a long time in oak barrels.

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 02/10/2006

WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT WHITE: Greetings, Richard. We are thrilled to be showing your 2006 Cumulus Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

RICHARD GUMERMAN: Thanks, Agent White, We are happy to go on another mission with your operatives!

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

RICHARD: My father was a wine collector all through my childhood. He would teach me about the differences between the different types of wine and where they were from around the world. Then on my honeymoon 22 years ago, we spent two days in Napa Valley and bought 9 cases of wine. We found out a couple of years later that the lowest rated wine that we purchased was 98 out of 100 points on Wine Spectator. So we discovered we knew what the good stuff was.

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

RICHARD: Philippe Coquard of Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, WI. Philippe and I became good friends when we moved back to Wisconsin from California in 1996. He grew up in Beaujolais and told me to stick to the old world ways in making your wines. You can never go wrong making a wine that has already proven itself.

WHITE: Who do you make wine for?

RICHARD: I make wine mainly for the foodie’s that love to have wine with food. Along the way I also make wine for many other people, both under contract and for the mass market. But my main love is the people that have wine with a meal.

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

RICHARD: Cumulus is one of our favorite wines. It is smooth and rich in your mouth. It just tastes great. We always age our Reserve Wines for at least 36 months in the barrel before we bottle it. This one was in the barrel for 40 months. This allows the wine to age better than in the bottle, thus being ready to drink earlier.

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

RICHARD: I like it with a thick, juicy Filet Mignon and my wife Aurora always saves a little for a dark chocolate dessert. We have food pairings listed right on each bottle of our wine. So if you don’t know what goes with a particular wine, just read our back label and there it is. Another new thing we just started, was putting dates on the bottle when we feel the wine will be at its best to drink. This way, you know how long the bottle can sit around before you drink it. Cumulus shouldn’t have that problem though. You’ll probably enjoy it right away.

WHITE: In your opinion, what makes the Paso Robles region so special?

RICHARD: Paso Robles is blessed with a Mediterranean type climate with the added bonus of being cooled at night by the Pacific Ocean. During the growing season the average daily temperature swing is 50 degrees a day. It gets to 100F during the day and cools back down to 50F by morning. Allowing the vines to grow during the day and rest during the night, extending the growing season into October or November for Cabernet.

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

RICHARD: It is pruning time. This is where we cut all of last year’s growth off the vines and to save the best buds for growing this year’s crop. It has been a dry, warm winter thus far. Who knows what we will have for this year.

WHITE: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?

RICHARD: Because we age our reds at least 22 months in oak before bottling, you can expect our wines to be smoother and softer from the beginning. Our wine is meant to be drank with food so you can count on our wines to be a good pairing at any dinner you make or attend at a friend’s house.

WHITE: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

RICHARD: Our winery will be celebrating its 50 anniversary in late November. It started as HMR Winery back in 1961 as a 1200 acre ranch. They planted Pinot and Cabernet between rock outcroppings of limestone and by 1976 were making award winning wines that received accolades in Europe. A special competition was held in 1979 like the one in 1976 where Stags Leap won and HMR’s 1976 Pinot beat Romaneé-Conte. Then we bought the property in 2005 and have concentrated on Rhône varietals and Cabernet.

WHITE: 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!

RICHARD: On one final note, I wanted to let your Operatives know that we were forced to change our name earlier this year from Thunderbolt. We chose Twilight Cellars which was the name of our Pinot Noir. I know some people think we did it because of the movies, but we had the name before the movies came out.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Twilight Cellars can be seen in this satellite photo.