There is nothing like a wine event held in a new venue to rev my engines/salivary glands, and The Garagiste Festival Urban Exposure held inside the Wiltern theater, with the auditorium seats moved over to the side to accommodate wine tables and guests, made for a grand showcase for so many grand wines!
We were offered an early tasting of the “Rare and Reserve” (R&R) wines and took full advantage of it. To the point that after selecting no less than 30 wines to taste, I took a break to abate palate fatigue…and still had difficulty going back to the tables to taste everyone’s full line-up. My conclusion had to be that if I loved their R&R I would most likely dig more!
So this is what I noted for you thirsty readers:
Rare and Reserve (R&R) Note: Wines denoted with the acronym GSM are a Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, but Grenache is not automatically predominant though listed first.
Alma Sol Winery: 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – $60 – 50 cases.
Alta Colina Vineyards: 2011 Block 2 Bio Syrah – $55 – 110 cases.
Archium Cellars: 2012 Haven Grenache – $34 – 74 cases.
Artisan Uprising: Pre-release, 2013 Merlot – $32. (My husband loved their 2012 Malbec and the rest of their line-up.)
Bellissimo Cellars: Barrel sample, 2014 Chardonnay, Mount Eden. (I love winemaker Lora Marie Taylor’s current 2013 Chardonnay as well!)
Bon Niche Cellars: 2010 “Voutes” Bordeaux Blend – $50 – 97 cases.
Caliza Winery: Loved tasting the older 2006 Estate Syrah – $70 – 230 cases.
Cholame Vineyard: 2012 Grenache – $45 – 90 cases.
Cordon Wines: 2011 Highway 1 Blackbird Cuvee of Merlot and Cabernet Franc – $26 – 90 cases.
DENO Wines: 2010 Two Bill’s Zinfandel Grenache blend – $35.
Dilecta Wines: 2011 Tillers Grenache Syrah blend – $46 – 75 cases.
Halcon Vineyards: Loved them all: a Marsanne/Roussane blend, Pinot Noir, Grenache Mourvedre blend, Syrah and a Petite Sirah as well as the R&R 2011 Alturas Syrah – $70 – 180 cases.
Harrison Clarke Vineyards: 2012 Syrah Whole Cluster – $68 – 25 cases.
Imagine Wines: Another lovely older Syrah, the 2007 “Winged” Syrah, Paradise Mountain – $80 – 146 cases.
Incendium Wines: 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa – $32.50.
Kaleidos Winery: The entire line-up (Pinot Gris/Viognier blend, two GSMs and two Syrahs) including the 2012 Preying Mantis (Syrah) R&R – $55 – 24 cases.
Kessler-Haak Vineyards: 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Starlane Vineyard – $45 – 47 cases.
Larner Vineyards: 2010 Reserve Syrah – $72 – 106 cases. (I love all of Michael Larner’s wines!)
Mattina Fiore: 2012 Grenache, Murmur Vineyard – $60 – 312 cases.
Overland Wines: 2010 “Kick Ranch” Petite Sirah – $45 – 66 cases. (And I also enjoyed a very golden colored and honeyed 2011 late harvest Sauvignon Blanc.)
Powell Mountain Winery: 2011 Alta Montana blend of Tempranillo, Grenache and Mourvedre – $32 – 61 cases. (Another favorite table of my husband’s.)
Prizm Winery: 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, barrel sample $60 – 175 cases.
Pulchella Winery: 2013 Block 6 Syrah Reserve, La Vista Vineyard, yet to be named. OMG can’t wait for this one!
Ser Winery: A low acid and low alcohol but incredibly tasty 2014 Dry Orange Muscat $16 – 45 cases.
Shai Cellars: 2009 Adome blend of Syrah and Grenache…I’m a long time fan of winemaker Shawn Shai Halahmy.
STANGER Vineyards: 2009 Pinot Noir, Library Reserve – $114 – Club Only. The only Pinot I’ve ever had that doesn’t taste like a Pinot! Deep, dark and spicy. A must try! Hubby loved their 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tercero Wines: 2009 Les Deux Comtes Rhone blend – $45 – 88 cases.
The Central Coast Group Project (CCGP): 2013 Barrel sample.
Tlo Wines: 2012 Reserve Petite Sirah – $35 – 90 cases.
Vinemark Cellars: 2009 Primitivo – $32 – 1st Vintage.
Vines on the Marycrest: Sangiovese – $36 – 60 cases None available so instead I tasted and LOVED everything else Victor and Jennifer Abascal shared: 2014 Summertime GSM and Zinfandel blend, 2012 Zinfandel, 2010 Syrah and 2012 My Generation blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah.
Story in photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206033352380288.1073741922.1455706632&type=1&l=b35921aa8d
Credits
Thanks must go out to the fabulous planning team that includes founders Doug Minnick and Steward McLennan, event director Lisa Dinsmore, great PR from Melanie Webber and a wonderful group of winemakers, wine reps, food vendors and knowledgeable volunteer sommeliers.
If you missed this Garagiste Festival event sign up for their newsletter to keep track of the next one: http://garagistefestival.com
Wine List
Alma Fria Winery, Alma Sol Winery, Alta Colina Vineyards, Archium Cellars, Artisan Uprising, Ascension Cellars, Bellissimo Cellars, Blair Estate, Bon Niche Cellars, Caliza Winery, Carucci Wines, Casa Dumetz, Cholame Vineyard, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Coda Wines, Cordon Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, DENO Wines, Diablo Paso, Dilecta Wines, El Lugar, Falcone Family Vineyards, Frequency, Graef Wines, Halcon Vineyards, Harrison Clarke Vineyards, Imagine Wines, Incendium Wines, Kaleidos Winery, Kessler-Haak Vineyards, Larner Vineyards, Last Light Wine Co., Levo Wines, Maidenstoen Wines, Mattina Fiore, MCV Wines, Moonwalker Cellars, C. Nagy Wines, Overland Wines, Pace Family Wines, Powell Mountain Winery, Prizm Winery, Pulchella Winery, Rendarrio Wines, Ryan Cochrane Wines, Ser Winery, Shai Cellars, STANGER Vineyards, Tercero Wines, The Central Coast Group Project, The Farm Winery, Theopolis Vineyards, Tlo Wines, Travieso Winery, Turiya Wines, Two Shepherds Wines, Valley Floor Vineyard, Vinemark Cellars, Vines on the Marycrest and Weatherborne.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com
