Today’s wine comes to us from Sam Sebastiani (yes, from that Sebastiani family!). Sam has been making wines for 46 years, and his La Chertosa label is the (delicious) culmination of all of that incredible experience.

We’re absolutely crazy about today’s La Chertosa Wines 2014 “The Winemaker Remembrance” Reserve Barbera! This wine is loaded with rich, dark fruit, spice, and earthy elements. This is definitely new world Barbera - and that’s why we love it so very much. At this price, it may not last the day.

This one telegraphs its aromas from several feet away! You’ll enjoy deep, dark aromas of Spiced plum, grilled black cherry, cherry tobacco leaf, exotic dark spice, hard leather, cigar box, coffee bean and toasty oak. Absolutely beautiful on the palate! The wine opens with a cascade of Black cherry juice, blackberry jam, grilled blueberry, dried Mission fig, darkly toasted oak, tobacco leaf, India black tea and a subtle hint of hazelnut.

Until 2008, the Sebastiani Family had the distinction of being the oldest, continually-operated, family-run winery in California. Indeed, the family has become American wine royalty. With first plantings going back to the 1906 founding of the original winery, Sebastiani is one of the oldest names in wine.

Today, three generations in, Sam Sebastiani is crafting wines that harken farther back in the family’s history - back to their Italian heritage. Today’s wine a rich and delicious homage to the wines of La Chertosa di Farneta, the twelfth century monastery near Lucca, Italy. Sonoma County, where today’s modern classic was made, enjoys climate and soil conditions that closely mimic those of the historic winery.

If you’ve missed out on our previous La Chertosa offerings, now is your chance to pick up the best wine that we’ve tasted from this great family winery. If you are already a fan, why are you still reading this?!

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Here’s what the wine press has to say:

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Gold Medal & Best of Class of Region, 2017 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition

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Gold Medal & Best Barbera, 2017 Monterey International Wine Challenge

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Gold Medal, 2017 San Francisco International Wine Competition

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Gold Medal, 2017 Denver International Wine Competition

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Gold Medal, 2017 Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition

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Gold Medal, 2016 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition