WORLD EXCLUSIVE SCORE PREVIEW:

Our mole, [REDACTED], infiltrated Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and learned that today’s wine will receive a 94-point score, in the February 2010 issue of the magazine.

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: The Bavarian Code

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Respond to a secret report, leaked to us by insiders near Wine Enthusiast Magazine, that Ehret Family Winery is about to receive a stellar 94-point score for their * 2006 Bella’s Blend*

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Ehret Family Winery

Wine Subject: 2006 Bella’s Blend – Red Wine – Knights Valley

Winemaker: Nick Goldschmidt

*_Backgrounder*_:

The Ehret Family Winery produces small, specialty lot’s of handcrafted wines from their renowned Bavarian Lion vineyard. The vineyard is also a prized source of fruit for a very select group of wineries that also make award-winning wines from the extraordinary fruit grown there.

Regional Backgrounder:

Sonoma County’s Knight’s Valley sits at the easternmost edge of the County, far from the cooling of the Pacific Ocean. The fact that this high benchland AVA (American Viticultural Area) gets so much hot sun during the growing season makes it the perfect region for growing richly extracted Bordeaux varietals.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Darkest Burgundy, with a deep and inky heart of dark purple, ruby-hued edges and a soft-looking surface. Give this wine a quick swirl, and you’ll be intrigued to see how quickly it settles. When it does, it leaves behind skinny, tightly-spaced legs that streak down the edges of the glass

Smell – Bold and richly layered dark fruit and spice, leading off with blackberry, plum, black currant and black cherry. These are joined by clove and cinnamon, with soft oak, black licorice and a hint of dried mixed herbs

Feel – Lush and weighty, up front, cool and wet on the mid-palate. After a few moments, the subtly spicy tannins begin to grip in at the edges of the palate as a coating occurs, adding a soft mineral dryness

Taste – Dark and delicious, leading with dark mixed berries, black cherry, black plum, mild oak, dark chocolate dust, soft spice, a hint of European salt licorice and a hint of soft cedar

Finish – Long and lingering, sweet then slightly smoky and pleasantly tart toward the rear of the mouth. Overall the dark fruit is present for a long time, before it tails off gently

Conclusion – A fantastic wine from one of our favorite vineyards in the Knight’s Valley! This wine is about to receive a 94-point ratting from Wine Spectator Magazine and I have to say that this high rating is perfectly deserved. This delicious wine is pure pleasure to imbibe. From its boldly aromatic nose, to the full feel of the wine, to its remarkable balance of fruit and earthen spice components, this wine is easy to fall in love with.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Nick Goldschmidt

DATE OF BIRTH: April, 1962

WINEMAKER BIO:

Born and educated in New Zealand, Nick Goldschmidt’s career began in 1982 with a research position at the New Zealand Lincoln University where he graduated with Distinction in Horticulture. Nick went on to specialize in viticulture studies at Wagga Wagga, and oenology at the highly acclaimed Roseworthy program, at Adelaide University in South Australia. During his time as a student Nick worked at noted wineries such as Kumeu River, Coopers Creek and Babich. In 1989, after 18 months of winemaking in Australia, New Zealand, California, and South America; including his first harvest in Chile as winemaker for Calitera, Nick returned to California with an amazing range of winemaking experiences.

In 1990, Nick and his wife Yolyn settled down in Healdsburg, California, as Simi’s Associate Winemaker. Nick was promoted to Chief Winemaker 1991 and became Vice President and Chief Winemaker in 1996. Nick spent a total of 13 years at Simi and was one of the driving forces that brought the Simi Reserve Cabernet program to notoriety. In May of 2003 Nick accepted the position of Executive Vice President and Winemaker at Allied Domecq Wines USA. During recent acquisitions Nick has been named Vice President and Executive

Domestic Winemaker for Beam Estates wine portfolio
As winemaker for Beam estates, Nick oversees the production of Clos Du Bois, Buena Vista, Haywood, Garcia, Atlas Peak, William Hill, Gary Farrell and Jakes Fault. In the global arena his work takes him to Mexico, Spain, Argentina and New Zealand where he is involved with blends being imported into the domestic market as well as several domestic brands that are being exported into other global markets.

In 1998 Nick and Yolyn Goldschmidt, established their own line of wines with the release of Goldschmidt Vineyards. The goal of the company was to produce two distinct brands of fine wines, Forefathers and Goldschmidt Vineyards; with the idea of focusing on site specific winemaking from great vineyard sites from around the world. Having produced so many world class wines from around the globe, Nick knew exactly which vineyard sites he would choose to make his wines from.

Under the Forefathers brand Nick and Yolyn produce a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, an Australian Shiraz, and a California Cabernet Sauvignon. For the Goldschmidt Vineyard brand they have created two distinct Cabernet Sauvignons, one from Alexander Valley in Sonoma and the other from Oakville in Napa Valley. The wines Nick and Yolyn Goldschmidt produce are all single vineyard, 100% varietal, handcrafted, small production artisan wines.

Currently, Nick makes wines for Ehret Family Wine. Today’s 2006 Bella’s Blend, a 94-point winner, is crafted by Nick from the winery’s world-famous Bavarian Lion vineyard in the Knight’s Valley at the Northern end of the Napa Valley, in Sonoma County.