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Monticello

Chris Corley
 
February 20, 2023 | Chris Corley

Ambassador Club | Spring Release 'Pickup Party'

The drought in California over the last few years was not just limited to water, we felt it socially as well. With the rains this winter, and our resuming of group events, it sure feels nice to be getting together again! We've had a wonderful Presidents' Day Weekend at MONTICELLO. A highlight was our Ambassador Club Spring Release Pickup Party on Sunday!

Our local Ambassadors joined us for the afternoon, to taste new and inaugural releases, and specially bottled club exclusive wines. Many of our club members have been loyal fans of MONTICELLO for years, and we were pleased to welcome them back to the winery!

  

We also enjoyed inviting potential new club members into the cellar for a taste of the new wines, and were pleased to have these new members join the club on Sunday as our newest MONTICELLO Ambassadors!

    

We enjoyed wonderful live music from Megan Schoenboem, whose beautiful singing and gentle guitar playing filled the winery cellar with cheer. We also enjoyed Brazilian-inspired chocolate truffles courtesy of Fabi Hayes and her Brigachero trailer. Both Megan and Fabi enhanced our afternoon, we we'll be sure to have them both back again!

  

This was a unique Ambassador Club event, with three new releases ...
 
MONTICELLO Corley Reserve Chardonnay 'Block 1, Clone 96' 2021
MONTICELLO Il Corvo Nero Pinot Noir 2020
MONTICELLO E Pluribus Unum Red Wine Multi-Vintage
 
All of the wines resonated deeply with our club members, as much for the uniqueness of the wine, but also for what the wines represent.
 
Il Corvo Nero is a Single-Vineyard, Single-Block, Single-Clone, Single-Barrel Pinot Noir. Bottled from a single puncheon, this wine was made in honor of our Dear Ol' Dad, crafted in the classic style that he loved so much. The label was designed in the simple, clean style that he favored. The wine itself displays exuberantly fresh strawberry, red cherry, cola, and cinnamon aromas. It is medium bodied with very light oak, fresh fruit and a lingering finish. 
 
 
E Pluribus Unum has been a fascinating journey of blending time. This wine inspired many lengthy conversations during our pickup event, as it was the first time any of our members had experienced a true and thoughtful blending of time. E Pluribus Unum translates from Latin as 'Out of Many, One'. As a winemaker, I represented this in terms of blending many vintages into one wine. This was an inspired exploration of working my way through our wine library and cellar, blending together previously bottled wines with wines from barrel. This wine is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with some Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It encompasses wines from as far back as 2000, and as recent as 2021. It is a wonderfully juxtaposed medley of youth and maturity, vibrancy and subtely, richness and refined tannins. 
 
 
Both Il Corvo Nero and E Pluribus Unum are Ambassador Club Exclusive wines, so are only available to our members. If you're interested in purchasing either, or joining our Ambassador Club, please call our club line at (707) 253-2802 x32 or email us at wineclub@monticellonapa.com.
 
 
 
 
 
Time Posted: Feb 20, 2023 at 10:10 PM Permalink to Ambassador Club | Spring Release 'Pickup Party' Permalink
Chris Corley
 
January 29, 2023 | Chris Corley

TEAM | Together Everyone Achieves More

MONTICELLO | Napa Valley
S54 E1 | TEAM
Together Everyone Achieves More
 
When I first started working at our family winery as a teenager in the late 1900s, our dad had implemented an initiative called TEAM, an acronym for 'Together Everyone Achieves More'.
 
As a young kid rolling barrels around the cellar, it resonated with me, because it made me understand that I was part of making a difference ... and as I've grown older and evolved through every position from Cellar Rat to Winemaker & Vice President over the last 35 years ... it resonates with me even more.
 
A company is a team. 
 
It's not a group of disparate individuals, because that simply doesn't work and has the potential for too many unintended outcomes, and lacks the collective synergy for the whole to succeed.
 
It's not a family, as the psychology of a family structure in the workplace can burden employees with unnecessary, inappropriate and counter productive emotional baggage at work.
 
A company is a team. A group of people with different skills and tasks, where everyone works together, with symbiotic function and mutual support, to achieve a common goal.
 
I've been rooting for the 49ers ever since I could, going to countless games at Candlestick Park with our dad as a little kid, then with my friends, then with my own son, sitting in the same season seats from 1971-2014, ... Lower East, Section 31, Row 23, Seats 9-10. And we continued going to games at Levi's, (although I still miss Candlestick)!
 
 
As the 49ers go into the NFC Championship game this afternoon with their previously third-string quarterback, Brock Purdy, we're seeing the true embodiment of TEAM culture. In what immediately seemed like a crisis at a leadership position, the entire organization rallied around a young QB, previously known as 'Mr. Irrelevant' by being selected the last player in the 2022 NFL Draft. With the entire team supporting him, this young man has helped spark the team and they are playing in the NFC Championship game today, coming in on a 10 game winning streak.
 
I'm rooting loudly for the 49ers today. Whatever the result is, Brock Purdy has risen to the occasion over the last 7 weeks and can walk very proudly away from this season. More importantly however, is the concept of TEAM that the entire 49ers organization, from the head office down to the field, has shown this season.
 
Let's Go Niners!
 
Dear Ol' Dad had it right so many years ago ... 
 
TEAM | Together Everyone Achieves More
 
#togethereveryoneachievesmore #team #teambuilding #teamappreciation #teameffort #teamculture #leadership #work #people #culture #together #winebusiness #wineindustry
Time Posted: Jan 29, 2023 at 2:34 PM Permalink to TEAM | Together Everyone Achieves More Permalink
Chris Corley
 
January 28, 2023 | Chris Corley

Winemaker on the Loose | Kansas City

MONTICELLO | Winemaker on the Loose
Kansas City, KS | Vintner Events
 
Winemaking is one of the great pleasures of my life, surpassed only by my family. Like all of the wonders of our lives, it is most enjoyed when shared. There are many aspects of mgrowing and making wine that I cherish, but there are a few that excite me very much. Filling a brand new french oak barrel, with warm just fermented red wine is absolutely one of the great pleasures of life! The joy of peering into the barrel with a small flashlight, watching the deep purple wine rise up the stainless racking tube ... with the most tantalizing aromas of blackberry, cherry, pepper, oak, vanilla and spice rushing out of the barrel as the wine displaces the headspace is almost undescribable.
 
Describing and sharing these experiences is also part of what we do as winemakers. We can't always share the physical experience with our customers, but we can share it vicariously, and this is what I love to do when I go out on the road! 
 
This past week, I visited our distributor and many of our accounts in Kansas City. We also had two wonderful evening events, which provided terrific opportunities to share our wines and conversation with our friends and fans in KC. I love going to Kansas City because everyone is so friendly and enthusiastic ... lots of firm handshakes and direct eye contact, and good old midwestern hospitality.
 
 
With our distributor, Handcrafted of Kansas, we hosted a wonderful Winemakers Dinner at 801 Chophouse in Leawood. The chef prepared a mganificent dinner with wonderful, and inspired, pairings. A duck course paired with our MONTICELLO Estate Chardonnay was a wonderfully innovative and somewhat counter-intuitive pairing but it worked so well!
 
 
We enjoyed a terrific evening at Indian Hills Country Club in Kansas City. Many members came out for the evening. This was a terrific social event, which provided a great opportunity for me to share much of our 50 year family winemaking history in Napa Valley, but also to enjoy meeting many new friends and sharing some wonderful conversations. To really make the night a hit, they had a great old grand piano in the room, so I was able to share some insight into our wine blending process by playing the piano. I think it was the first time everyone in the room had ever 'listened' to wine!
 
 
I enjoy sharing my love for wine! Making a wine is a great pleasure of my life, although sharing it with others and seeing the joy it brings them is a close second!
Time Posted: Jan 28, 2023 at 10:00 PM Permalink to Winemaker on the Loose | Kansas City Permalink
Chris Corley
 
January 22, 2023 | Chris Corley

S54 E1 | Library Sessions

Many of us in the wine industry entered the business due to some level of intrigue with wine or grapes. It generally starts as a curiosity, although when nurtured properly, this curiosity typically grows into full-fledged fascination. How else can you can explain a room full of grown men that have each been in the business for between 20-40 years that are still wowed, and floored, and fascinated by opening six (very special) bottles of wine?
 
I recently hosted one of our top national retail accounts at MONTICELLO, and we enjoyed a simple but wonderfully thought provoking and entertaining tasting of our library wines. It's so much fun to taste with a knowledgable and curious group, and we worked our way backwards through forty years of MONTICELLO history, in five year increments. 
 
 
Here are some highlights from the evening ...
 
2013   MONTICELLO   'Corley' | Cabernet Sauvignon | Yewell Vineyard | St. Helena
We've been making wine from the Yewell Vineyard on Ehlers Lane in St. Helena for a little over forty years. 2013 was one of my favorite vintages in the last decade, producing wines of exceptional depth and structure. When we opened this wine, everyone remarked on the deep, vibrant color of the wine. The dark red and black berry, cassis aromas filled the glass, with a light beam of mocha and vanillin oak on the nose. On the palate the wine was youthful, vibrant, with dark fruit, and it was very clear that this is a wine that is going to age gracefully for another 30 years.
Drink Now Through 2053.
 
2008   MONTICELLO   'Corley' | Cabernet Sauvignon | Tietjen Vineyard | Rutherford
Hugh Tietjen and Pat MacDonald, owners of Tietjen Vineyard have been family friends and active participants at MONTICELLO since the founding of the winery. Their vineyard consistently produces some of my favorite wines each vintage. Even though this wine was 5 years older than the first, everyone remarked on the deep purple color of the wine, and the rich, youthful fruit aromas. At 15 years, this wine is exhibiting a lot of dark primary fruit, but is also just starting to show some wonderful tertiary character on the nose. On the palate, this wine is like velvet, so smooth. This wine will continue to develop for another 15-20 years.
Drink Now Through 2043.
 
 
2003   MONTICELLO   'Corley' | Cabernet Sauvignon | Reserve | Napa Valley
Our 'Reserve' bottling is the flagship bottling of any given vintage. Working our way backwards, this was the first blended appellation wine of the evening, and also when we pulled out the decanter and the ah-so. This wine had a wonderful melange of light to medium spicy red berry on the nose, with hints of mocha and coffee. On the palate, this wine was as smooth as silk, with tannins that were wonderfully resolved, and just melted on the back of the palate. Delicious, and still alive.
Drink Now Through 2033.
 
1998   MONTICELLO   'Estate' | Cabernet Sauvignon | Jefferson Cuvee | Napa Valley
Our MONTICELLO 'Jefferson Cuvee' has always been blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and since its first vintage has been produced in a serious, yet easy-drinking style intended to be a little more approachable in its youth. Given that intent, we were all very pleased to see how robust and vibrant this wine is tasting at 25 years old. This wine had plenty of primary berry fruit on the nose, and just a hint of spice and oak, since we're a little lighter with the new oak in this wine. Wonderfully balanced with some years still to go!
Drink Now Through 2028.
 
1993   MONTICELLO   'Estate' | Merlot | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
When I pulled out a 30 year old Merlot, everyone was certain that our run of stellar bottles might hit a snag. This was the first cork to give us any pushback, but it came out in two clean pieces with our ah-so. As the wine was pouring into the decanter, we were all impressed with the vibramcy of the color, no fading at all. With a little bit of breathing, this wine opened up to the most beautiful fruit aromas, with light berries and floral tones. On the palate, the wine showed a wonderful brightness, a hallmark of our Oak Knoll District wines grown in this cooler southern end of the Napa Valley. A good reminder to all winemakers and wine lovers how important balanced acidity is in wine, especially when aging for the long run.
Drink Now Through 2028.
 
1988   HOSPICES DE BEAUNE | Pinot Noir | Volnay-Santenots
This was an amazing wine, the only wine not produced by MONTICELLO, but with a compelling backstory anyway. Jay Corley, our dad and Founder of MONTICELLO, purchased this wine about 30 years ago at the famed Hospices de Beaune auction in Burgundy, France. It was specially bottled for MONTICELLO, and actually references our winery on the label. This was a stunning example of the ageability of well-grown and well-made Pinot Noir. Still showing light berry fruit on the nose, with hints of clove, cinnamon, spice, this wine glided across the palate with just the slightest beam of acidity to remind us it was still singing! Beautiful!
Drink Now Through 2028.
 
1983   MONTICELLO   'Corley' | Cabernet Sauvignon | Reserve | Napa Valley
We finished our historic walk down Memory Lane with our Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Just the third vintage produced at the young MONTICELLO winery, this wine displayed the full potential of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Spicy tones, red berry and dried floral tones on the nose led into a wonderfully balanced texture on the palate from front to finish.
Drink Now Through 2028.
Time Posted: Jan 22, 2023 at 8:12 PM Permalink to S54 E1 | Library Sessions Permalink
Chris Corley
 
January 11, 2023 | Chris Corley

In Memoriam : Jay Corley, 1931-2016

MONTICELLO Founder and our Dear Ol' Dad, Jay Corley, passed away peacefully on January 11, 2016. We miss him, and remember him with admiration and love. We choose to celebrate his life rather than remain sad. He loved the wines of Burgundy, and that passion led him to the southern end of Napa Valley, where he founded MONTICELLO with original plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 2023, we'll be honoring our Founder and Dear Ol' Dad with very special limited-edition bottlings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The following piece is from Jay's memorial, and helps share a little about our Dear Ol' Dad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jay was born on July 30, 1931 in Chicago, to John and Helen Corley. After graduating from Cranbrook high school in Detroit, Jay moved west to attend Arizona State and Stanford University. He later attended Pepperdine, where he received his MBA. His thesis was based on how to start a vineyard and winery business in the Napa Valley. Jay's interest in culture and languages also led him to serve as an Italian linguist with the NSA.

An entrepreneur at his core, Jay founded and managed a number of successful business ventures in Southern California in the 1960s. His family's long history of farming was always on his mind, and he felt himself drawn towards the reemerging wine regions in Northern California. When the post-prohibition reincarnation of Napa Valley's winegrowing industry began to germinate in the 1960s, Jay was quick to recognize the region's potential for growing world-class wine, and he made the decision to move north and follow his dream.

He established his vineyard in 1969 in the cooler southern end of the Napa Valley, now known as the Oak Knoll District. When he first surveyed his land, he stood in a tired and gnarly prune orchard peppered with black walnut trees, but what he saw was a world-class vineyard with the potential to make classic wines. In 1981, after more than a decade of growing and selling his grapes to other wineries, he built the winery at Monticello Vineyards and began to produce his own estate-grown wines. Jay took great pride that the winery he founded has entered into its second generation, with its third generation showing early interest in the family wine business.

Jay with daughter Carolyn Corley on her wedding day.

Jay nurtured a strong sense of civic duty, and served on several boards and foundations, including Queen of the Valley Hospital and Napa Valley Planning Commission. He served twice as Chairman of the Napa Valley Wine Auction, served on the Napa Valley Grand Jury, and was longtime and active member of Napa Rotary. He enjoyed his affiliations with the Chevalier du Tastevin, and with his fellow GONADS (The Gastronomical Order for Nonsensical and Dissipatory Society), a group of fun-loving yet dedicated friends and fellow Napa Valley wine industry pioneers.

Jay was a life-long and devoted Chicago Cubs fan, rooting for his beloved Cubbies since he was a kid at Wrigley Field in the 1930s. Jay also cheered for the Stanford Cardinal, and loved to spend weekends tailgating at the eucalyptus grove at Stanford stadium, and cheering on his alma mater from the old wooden benches.

He had a wonderful sense of humor, and would light up a room with his smile and wit. His love of swing music lifted the spirits, and was frequently playing in the background. He was a well-traveled man, familiar with international cultures, yet was most comfortable at home with family.

PRESS ON!
 

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

- Calvin Coolidge

Time Posted: Jan 11, 2023 at 5:10 AM Permalink to In Memoriam : Jay Corley, 1931-2016 Permalink
Chris Corley
 
December 26, 2022 | Chris Corley

MONTICELLO 'Corley Reserve' | Proprietary Red Wine

A great pleasure of estate winegrowing is to see how our wines develop over time, sometimes very long periods of time. We’ve been farming our estate vineyards for more than 50 years … in fact we’re one of the few fifty plus year old, family owned, estate grown wineries remaining in Napa Valley. We tend to develop personal relationships with our wines and vineyard blocks.

One of my favorite wines to blend is our MONTICELLO ‘Corley Reserve’ Proprietary Red Wine. I love the freedom this wine allows me during the creative flow of the blending process. Since this wine is labeled simply as red wine, I’m free to follow my palate through all of the barrels in our cellar when assembling this blend each year. Ever since the first vintage in 1999, this wine has typically been composed of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, although there have been a few vintages over the last 24 years, that I’ve unconventionally blended in some Syrah.

Most of the blends have been led by Cabernet Franc, which is such a magnificent grape when grown with love. We grow four different selections of Cabernet Franc on two estate ranches in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Each selection has a different nuance of the varietal, and all of them represent it wonderfully.

In general, these bold red blends hit a wonderful sweet spot on the palate at 10-15 years. With about an hour of decanting, the tannins are as smooth as silk, the fruit is awakened from its bottled slumber, and the finish just keeps going and going. I’ve been enjoying our MONTICELLO 'Corley Reserve' Proprietary Red Wine 2006 and Proprietary Red Wine 2007 over the last couple of years, and as we enter 2023, I’m looking forward to enjoying and featuring our 2008 as a fifteen year library selection!

The 2008 growing season was a little bit of a roller coaster, but It ended up being an exceptional year for quality. Drought preceded a hard frost, which led to an uneven set and a small crop. Then heat spikes hit as harvest began. But after that it was smooth sailing, resulting in wines of very good to exceptional quality. Given all the climatic challenges, our only disappointed was the low tonnage in several vineyards.

Our MONTICELLO ‘Corley Reserve’ Proprietary Red Wine 2008 is a blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. I just enjoyed a bottle of this with Christmas Dinner and it was absolutely terrific. Smooth supple tannins, beautiful aromas of plum, black cherry and tertiary aromas of cinnamon, potpourri and chocolate. The transitions across the palate are seamless, and the finish just sails on and on. The light beam of acidity on the midpalate (a telltale from our cooler southern Oak Knoll District vineyards) has kept the wine vibrant and alive at fifteen years, especially with the softer tannins.

We’ll be celebrating this wine all through 2023 as a fifteen year library selection. As we close out 2022, I’m excited to offer it together in a three-bottle bundle with our 2006 & 2007, so you can experience and enjoy the same multi-vintage transitions that I have for the last few years. And we’ll send it to you in a sharp three-bottle gift box!

If you’re intrigued, please CLICK HERE … enter coupon code BOXDAY, and you’ll receive 20.22% savings and we’ll ship the order to you for a MONTICELLO Nickel ($0.05 flat rate special).

Time Posted: Dec 26, 2022 at 1:24 PM Permalink to MONTICELLO 'Corley Reserve' | Proprietary Red Wine Permalink
Chris Corley
 
January 11, 2022 | Chris Corley

Remembering Dear Ol' Dad | Jay Corley, 1931-2016

Jay was born on July 30, 1931 in Chicago, to John and Helen Corley. After graduating from Cranbrook high school in Detroit, Jay moved west to attend Arizona State and Stanford University. He later attended Pepperdine, where he received his MBA. His thesis was based on how to start a vineyard and winery business in the Napa Valley. Jay's interest in culture and languages also led him to serve as an Italian linguist with the NSA.

An entrepreneur at his core, Jay founded and managed a number of successful business ventures in Southern California in the 1960s. His family's long history of farming was always on his mind, and he felt himself drawn towards the reemerging wine regions in Northern California. When the post-prohibition reincarnation of Napa Valley's winegrowing industry began to germinate in the 1960s, Jay was quick to recognize the region's potential for growing world-class wine, and he made the decision to move north and follow his dream.

He established his vineyard in 1969 in the cooler southern end of the Napa Valley, now known as the Oak Knoll District. When he first surveyed his land, he stood in a tired and gnarly prune orchard peppered with black walnut trees, but what he saw was a world-class vineyard with the potential to make classic wines. In 1981, after more than a decade of growing and selling his grapes to other wineries, he built the winery at Monticello Vineyards and began to produce his own estate-grown wines. Jay took great pride that the winery he founded has entered into its second generation, with its third generation showing early interest in the family wine business.

Jay nurtured a strong sense of civic duty, and served on several boards and foundations, including Queen of the Valley Hospital and Napa Valley Planning Commission. He served twice as Chairman of the Napa Valley Wine Auction, served on the Napa Valley Grand Jury, and was longtime and active member of Napa Rotary. He enjoyed his affiliations with the Chevalier du Tastevin, and with his fellow GONADS (The Gastronomical Order for Nonsensical and Dissipatory Society), a group of fun-loving yet dedicated friends and fellow Napa Valley wine industry pioneers.

Jay was a life-long and devoted Chicago Cubs fan, rooting for his beloved Cubbies since he was a kid at Wrigley Field in the 1930s. Jay also cheered for the Stanford Cardinal, and loved to spend weekends tailgating at the eucalyptus grove at Stanford stadium, and cheering on his alma mater from the old wooden benches.

He had a wonderful sense of humor, and would light up a room with his smile and wit. His love of swing music lifted the spirits, and was frequently playing in the background. He was a well-traveled man, familiar with international cultures, yet was most comfortable at home with family.

PRESS ON!

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

- Calvin Coolidge

Time Posted: Jan 11, 2022 at 6:29 AM Permalink to Remembering Dear Ol' Dad | Jay Corley, 1931-2016 Permalink
Chris Corley
 
July 30, 2021 | Chris Corley

Founders Month | Happy Birthday Pop!

We're winding up Founder's Month here at the winery, and there is no better way to celebrate it than on our dad's birthday. Jay Corley was born on July 30, 1931, and today is his 90th birthday!

Happy Birthday Pop!

Of all of his interests, Jay was most driven by his love of Burgundian wines, which is what originally enticed him to Napa Valley in the late 1960s to establish our family winery in the Oak Knoll District. He had many other interests as well, and had a particular penchant for combining his interests with business. In business, he was a deeply strategic thinker; although on a personal level, he was a pretty straightforward guy, generally valuing simplicity over complexity. He had some simple pleasures in life, one in particular was enjoying a bowl of fresh popcorn.

With a strong business gene in his DNA, it was inevitable that Jay's enjoyment of popcorn would eventually manifest itself into some sort of business, and in the 1980s, the Napa Valley Popcorn Company was born. He procured gourmet kernels, and packaged them very elegantly in a flint burgundy bottle (of course, a burgundy bottle!). Capped with a gold capsule, and an image of a fully 'ripened' cluster of popcorn, these bottles were great additions to family movie night! Napa Valley Popcorn Company was based out of his old office at Vintage 1870, and I remember the popcorn bottle sitting on his desk for years as a kid. We would go with him to work plenty of times, and I spent a lot of time roaming around there, visiting the Connecticut Yankee, the toy store, having lunch at the Chutney Kitchen (now Bottega is in that space).

Even as a kid, I always admired how our dad seemed to find enjoyment in the things that he did and pursued. When I got older, I started to realize that he wasn't finding enjoyment, he was making it happen. That made me admire him even more. 

Those bottles of popcorn always tasted better to me because I knew who stood behind them, and I believe the same can be said for our wines. Popcorn and wine might seem like an unusual pairing, but the further I make my way through life, the more firmly I believe that its the 'unusual pairings', and the people that identify them, that actually make life interesting!

Today is our Pop's birthday, and to celebrate, we bought a classic popcorn cart to keep at the winery. We'll start serving up some complimentary popcorn on special occasions for our guests in celebration and honor of our Founder and Dear Ol' Dad.

Happy Birthday Pop!

Time Posted: Jul 30, 2021 at 8:27 AM Permalink to Founders Month | Happy Birthday Pop! Permalink
Chris Corley
 
July 24, 2021 | Chris Corley

Founder's Month | Library Selection | CORLEY Magnums 'Vintage 2014'

As we celebrate Founder's Month this July, we're pulling some wonderful wines from the library. Tasting back through these older wines truly reflects our long-thinking commitments to our stewardship of the land that our Founder Jay Corley started more than 50 years ago. These library selections were specifically made to improve over time, and to age gracefully for +20 years.
 
This week, we're focusing on the 2014 vintage, specifically our CORLEY selections bottled in magnums. Here is some additional information on this terrific vintage, including vintage commentary, general tasting notes, and some thoughts about aging wine in magnums. 

VINTAGE 2014 NOTES : The 2013/2014 winter was one of the driest on record in California and rainfall totals in the Napa Valley were approximately half of normal. However, the timing could not have been better : heavy rains in late February and early March gave a much-needed drink of water to the vines as they were emerging from dormancy and about to begin bud break. Furthermore, the spring was warm allowing vintners and growers to save water if needed for irrigation rather than using it for frost protection. And finally, while the vines used for high-quality wine production generally don’t need much water, a benefit of the drought is that berry sizes are typically smaller and have more concentrated flavors, which contributed to the overall quality of this year’s harvest. As it relates to Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-inspired blends, our wines from 2014 are some of the best of the last decade, deep in complexity, texture, flavor and aroma. In general, the wines have an appropriate balance of tannin which allows them to be approachable in their youth, but will enable them to age gracefully for 20+ years.

The Napa earthquake on August 24 was an exciting prelude for the vintage! While it created a lot of cleanup work for us leading into the harvest, it had no direct impact on the quality of the wines from 2014. This picture is the actual barrel room where we stored our barrels in 2014. Our barrels are not in this picture, we were fortunate to have had our barrels stored next to the wall on the north end of the building ... when the earthquake struck, most of our barrels were prevented from falling by the northern walls.

In upcoming posts, we're excited to share some more details about specific wines from the terrific 2014 vintage. In the meantime, for more information on availability of any of these special wines, please visit CORLEY Library Wines | Vintage 2014.

Time Posted: Jul 24, 2021 at 7:49 PM Permalink to Founder's Month | Library Selection | CORLEY Magnums 'Vintage 2014' Permalink
Chris Corley
 
July 16, 2021 | Chris Corley

Founder's Month | Library Selection : CORLEY Cabernet Sauvignon 'Reserve' 1999

As we celebrate Founder's Month this July, we're pulling some wonderful wines from the library. Tasting back through these older wines truly reflects our long-thinking commitments to our stewardship of the land that our Founder Jay Corley started more thn 50 years ago. These library selections were specifically made to improve over time, and to age gracefully for +20 years.
 
This week, we're focusing on the CORLEY Cabernet Sauvignon 'Reserve' 1999. Here is some additional information on this special wine, pulled from the original tasting notes, which I assembled when the wine was bottled in 2001. 
 
TASTING NOTES (Original) | Our Vintage CORLEY Cabernet Sauvignon 'Reserve' 1999 has fragrant aromas of rich bright black-fruits that are followed by superb black-cherry and blueberry flavors with spicy aromatics and elegantly presented in a rich and full-bodied wine.
- Winemaker Chris Corley
 
BLEND | 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 9% Merlot 
 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON | Tietjen Vineyard | Niebaum Lane, Rutherford, Napa Valley 
This 7 ½ acre vineyard on Niebaum Lane is a consistent favorite. The Cabernet Sauvignon from this vineyard shows a great core of berry fruit with tremendous brightness. It also adds an elegance and suppleness to the texture of the wine. 
 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON | Yewell Vineyard | Ehlers Lane, St. Helena, Napa Valley 
This small vineyard on Ehlers Lane was planted in the early 1970’s and produces cabernet sauvignon of great power and intensity that gives black-fruit character and rich texture to the wine.  
 
CABERNET FRANC | Knollwood Vineyard | Big Ranch Road, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley
Cabernet Franc clones #332, #312 and ‘Clone X’ are planted to this 30-acre vineyard site.  The Cabernet Franc from these plantings bring spicy aromas and a velvety texture to the wine. 
 
MERLOT | Monticello Vineyard | Big Ranch Road, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 
The Merlot in the wine comes from Clones #181 and #6 planted to #3309 rootstock.  The Merlot offers gorgeous blue-berry and red berry flavors and aromatics.  The bright fruit is accompanied by a suppleness that shows in the mouth-feel of the final wine. 
 
HARVEST & AGING | Harvested October 6-16, 1999 at 23.5 brix. Aged 24 months in French Oak.
 
VINTAGE CHART | Here is a terrific vintage chart from The Napa Vintners that graphically shows the growing season in 1999.
 
 
If you're interested in buying a bottle of this very special Library Selection, please call us at (707) 253-2802, email us at wine@corleyfamilynapavalley.com, or visit our website at CORLEY | Library Wines.
 
Cheers!
 
Time Posted: Jul 16, 2021 at 10:08 AM Permalink to Founder's Month | Library Selection : CORLEY Cabernet Sauvignon 'Reserve' 1999 Permalink
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