California Wine Merchant on Chestnut Street in San Francisco is a really cute wine shop that has a nice wine bar and a small offering of cheeses and breads to go along with the wines you taste, and they do tastings from time to time as well. Yesterday on offer were wines from Krupp Brothers Estate. The owner of the winery was on hand along with one of his operatives. Both really nice folks. The wines range in price from $54.95 to $109.95 a bottle, not generally in my price range, but they were definitely well-crafted and unique. We started with a Veraison 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was a fairly big wine with a bit of pepper that lingered on the palate after a sip. The Krupp Brothers 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stagecoach Vineyard was almost European big red wine in style, with alcohol being the main aftertaste. The Doctor, a blend of four grapes including mostly Tempranillo and Malbec, was slightly off in my opinion. Not fruity enough, but an interesting flavor combination for sure. We then tasted the Veraison 2004 Synchrony, Stagecoach Vineyard. Certainly more well-balanced than the previous selection, I enjoyed this wine but wasn't sure what food I would pair it with or if it would work on its own generally speaking. The last two selections were my favorites. A Black Bart 2004 Syrah, Stagecoach Vineyard, and a Joshua 2004 Syrah, Stagecoach Vineyard. The latter I thought was really special, but both exhibited nice fruit and good structure. At $15, the Monday tastings are a great way to sample wines you may not otherwise, and perhaps find a hidden treasure. Enjoy.California Wine Merchant
2113 Chestnut Street in San Francisco
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