International Partners Masterclass (For Trade)

Join Owen Wood from Dhall & Nash for this masterclass alongside visiting international guests - Karl Coveney (APAC Director of Sales) of Duckhorn from Napa Valley, Jean-Luc Chapel (Sommelier) of Paul Jaboulet Aîné in the Rhône Valley and Joan Carreras (APAC Director) of Pares Balta from Penedes, Spain.

 

Duckhorn Vineyards:

Duckhorn Vineyards was established in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, it was one of only 40 Napa Valley wineries at the time. Dan and Margaret have been toiling away in the name of establishing Duckhorn as one of North America’s premier producers and have succeeded in crafting a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today.

Read More

 

Paul Jaboulet Aîné:

Having started with the small plot of land in Hermitage, Paul Jaboulet Ainé now has 120 hectares, across 26 Rhône appellations. It is a huge success story achieved through hard work and passion.

Read More

 

Parés Baltà:

A family-owned winery in the Penedes region with tradition that goes back to 1790, this forward-thinking winery has it’s roots in the past and it’s thoughts to the future.


David Nash's World of Wine Tour

David Nash's World of Wine Tour @ The Wine Room, Smith & Caughey's

A Hosted Tour of The Great Wine Regions of The World.

Join fine wine curator and master storyteller David Nash, alongside regional experts as they take you on a world tour from Champagne to Tuscany to Napa all from the comfort of The Wine Room at Smith & Caughey's Auckland.

Taste regional benchmarks, learn from the experts and take advantage of special offers on the night exclusively for ticket holders, including 10% off wines purchased during the event (while stocks last, please note Champagne and Spirits are excluded from the discount, unless otherwise stated.).

Join the standing, free-flowing event at The Wine Room by David Nash, with canapés to match.

• Champagne by Veuve Clicqout

• French wines from Burgundy to Bordeaux with specialist, Alex Hoinville

• Italian wine ambassador, Marco Nordio shares his favourite wines

• and our own Melissa Csigay, with iconic Californian pours including:

  • Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Zinfandel
  • Cristom Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
  • Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot
  • Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Karia Chardonnay
  • Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Hands of Time

Register today: Eventbrite

$99 per person
Thursday 6pm, 19 October 2023
The Wine Room by David Nash is located at Smith & Caughey's, Queen Street, Level 2.

A strictly R18+ event. Please drink responsibly.

 

 

 

 


Wave the Flag - it's the 4th of July

Wave the Flag - it's the 4th of July

12 Star-Spangled Awesome American Wines for Independence Day

It’s the 4th of July just around the corner — yessiree, Happy Birthday, America! — so what better way to celebrate than with a few fabulicious American wines.

Proudly, right from our earliest days, Dhall & Nash understood the bounty and calibre of American wines. We were amongst the first in NZ to hitch our wagon to the vinous rockstars of USA.

Our super selection from the great states of California, Oregon, and Washington is now considered to be as jaw-dropping as any 4th July fireworks display.

And what better way to celebrate with a full stars and stripes experience, than to team these wondrous wines with some All-American recipes for you’all to chow down for your Independence Day blow-out bashes.

Arguably the most famous 4th of July food tradition is the all-American barbecue, which brings many American families and friends together around a grill, not too dissimilar to our Kiwi Barbie! 

When we think of the perfect 4th of July menu, there’s a few things that come to mind. You’ve gotta have the classics, like burgers and hot dogs, ribs, and potato salads, of course, but let’s do a little kiwi-Americana mash-up to add some pizazz to your festive BBQ menu. Here’s some Dhall & Nash Independence Day inspiration! Have fun! 

We hope there’s something in our selection that’s tickled your tastebuds… if not search through our extensive wine catalogue for your perfect American wine – red, white, and blue-chip.

Cheeky Disclaimer – our D&N food and wine pairing “truth” is, you can eat pretty much whatever you want while drinking whichever wine you choose. So here’s some of our suggestions – but you go for it whichever way you darn well want!

Chili Dogs

  • 1 Can of Whole Tomatoes,
  • 1 tbsp. Chili Powder,
  • 2 tsp. Ground Cumin,
  • 1 medium Red Onion (finely chopped),
  • 4 Tbsp Tomato Paste,
  • Black Pepper & Salt to taste
  • 500g. Ground Mince
  • 4 Hot Dogs
  • 4 Hot Dog Buns
  • 1 cup. Grated Sharp Cheddar,
  • 4 Good quality Pickles

Place the tomatoes, paste and their juices in a large casserole pot or slow cooker, breaking them up as you add them. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, all but 3 tablespoons of onion, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; keep the remaining red onion for the top of hot dogs at the end.

Add the beef, break it up and stir to combine. Cook, covered, until the meat is cooked through, and liquid begins to reduce, about an hour (Or longer if you want a thicker sauce).

Fifteen minutes before serving, add the hot dogs to the top of the slow cooked mince and simmer, covered, until heated through. Divide the hot dogs among the buns and top with the chili, Cheddar, and remaining chopped onion. Serve with pickles, if desired.

First up to bat is the quintessential American Chilli Dog. We’ve paired this family fave with a Washington State dark-fruited Syrah. Equally as scrumptious, try this Hot dawg with the Cali classic Petite Sirah. It’s hard to beat California when it comes to PS that’s dangerously drinkable like this! Both these wines have flavours enhanced by bold spices like chili pepper, cumin, and rich tomato.

Columbia Crest Syrah 2019

“The aromas are unmistakably Syrah, with notes of plum and smoked meat. Plump, very primary fruit flavors follow, with a creamy feel from the barrel. It’s tasty and a good value to boot.”
89/100 points – Wine Enthusiast 

“Good typicality – violet and blackberry with plush notes. Nice expression of Syrah layered and structured tannins. On the sweet side but packed full of fruit and spice. Well made, very commercial and good value”
16/20 points – Jancis Robinson.com

Bogle Petite Sirah 2018

Although everyone adores Bogle Chardy, their reds are awesome too!  But don’t confuse this with Syrah; although they are related, genetically being a cross between Syrah & Peloursin – and btw it also goes by the name “Durif” in France.

“As deep as black hair dye in colour. Sweet clove spice on the nose. Very ripe fruit, but it doesn’t meld with the oak particularly well. Long, sweet-fruited finish. Not without a certain charm, but in a very loud-mouthed way.”
16/20 points – JancisRobinson.com 

“Delicious blackberry, blueberry and dark-chocolate flavors are wrapped in thick but soft tannins. This is a full-bodied wine, with a mouthcoating texture.”
91/100 points – Wine Enthusiast 

Buffalo Wings

  • 1kg chicken nibbles
  • 3 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 4 Tbsp your favourite Hot Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp paprika (smoked is best)
  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Marinate the chicken nibbles for 30mins and either bake in the oven or BBQ. Be sure to reserve some of the marinade to baste the chicken. Pair these with Blue Cheese Dip.

Hot tip – how to make ultra-crispy Buffalo Wings in the Oven… Here’s 2 cheeky secrets to follow:

  1. Baking powder (believe it or not – yes!) – pat dry your wings, then toss the wings in baking powder which draws moisture to the surface of the skin and helps make it crispy; and
  2. bake on low then high – usually, the fat under the skin is part of the reason why baked wings don’t get really crispy. So, the secret is to start at a low temp first which melts the fat under the skin, then crank up the oven at the end which makes the skin super crispy!

  • Blue Cheese Dip
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, mince

Blend all the ingredients and scrape into a serving bowl.

To serve – arrange the wings on a platter, add a side of the dip and serve with CELERY sticks – yes, it’s like the perfect way to reboot your taste buds in between each wing!! And remember, plenty of paper towels for sticky fingers.

The conventional wisdom is that Pinot Noir pairs best with duck or mushrooms, but this grape is surprisingly versatile and will match a big range of different foods. Hence, we decided these two pinots will rock with old fashioned Buffalo Wings – who doesn’t love ’em. Even though they’re just kind of messy to eat, they’re totally worth it ☺ Btw – did you know that Buffalo wings are so called because they were first created in Buffalo, New York and definitely not made from buffalo meat!?

Bogle Pinot Noir 2020

On the 2019 vintage: “Rich black-fruit notes fill the aromas and flavors of this saturated and full-bodied wine. Gorgeous black cherry and blueberry flavors are wrapped in fine-grained tannins for a mouth filling effect.”
91/100 points – Wine Enthusiast
Voted #6 TOP 100 BEST BUY of 2021 Wine Enthusiast Magazine

“Heady scents of ripe summer strawberries make a lovely first impression, while hints of crushed violets and sweet dried herbs resonate on the nose. Refined and nuanced, the mouthfeel softens as layers of cherry fruit are wrapped in a comforting blanket of pipe tobacco and worn leather. The firm, yet lingering finish is perfectly balanced with touches of baking spices, fragrant fruit, and earth tones.”  – Winery Notes (This is an elegant, classic Pinot Noir at an extremely wallet friendly price!).

Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019

“The 2019 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is deeper ruby-hued and has pure, classic, textbook notes of ripe cherries, raspberries, spring flowers, and underbrush. The balance is spot on, it has ripe, present tannins, good freshness, and a great finish.”
93/100 points – Jeb Dunnuck

Cheesy Cornbread

  • 1 Cup yellow cornmeal (instant polenta ok)
  • 1 Cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 Tbsp sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 Cup milk or plain yoghurt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 Cup canned roasted red peppers, drained & chopped
  • 1 Cup grated cheese
  • ¼ Cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ Cup cooking oil

Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius and coat the inside of a 14x21cm loaf pan, large muffin tins, or a traditional cast iron skillet with non-stick spray (or butter for more flavour).

In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, cheese, roasted red peppers, and oil.

Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir just until everything is moist. Avoid over stirring. It’s okay if there are a few lumps.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top and edges are golden brown. Serve warm with lashings of butter.

Another perennial American rock star has to be Californian Chardonnay. The cosy and buttery flavours in cornbread mirror those in creamy oaked chardonnay for a match made in wine-and-food heaven.

Bogle Phantom Chardonnay 2019

“…entices with its rich layers. Green apple and pear transform into spicy flavors of freshly baked apple pie, while barrel fermentation imparts a creamy, luscious mouthfeel. French oak whispers sweet notes of vanilla and melted caramel.”
92/100 points & Gold Medal awarded – Sunset International Wine Competition 2021

Stag’s Leap Karia Chardonnay 2018

“This is an opulent, structured, and mineral-driven white wine, richly layered and robustly built with weight and ample body. Brioche, honeycomb, and baked apple meet a complement of fresh acidity and a lasting note of stone.”
91/100 points – Wine Enthusiast

“The 2018 Chardonnay Karia comes from a selection from throughout the valley and offers a light gold color as well as a rich, well oaked, buttery style that includes attractive orchard fruits, white flowers, vanilla, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. It has good acidity as well and is balanced and medium-bodied, all making for a certainly delicious Chardonnay geared for near-term drinking.”
90/100 points – Jeb Dunnuck

Cowboy Beans

  • 4 cans of Pinto beans, (or a mix of Red kidney, Black Beans or White beans – drained of liquid)
  • 1 tablespoon bacon fat
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 2 cups water
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 cups brewed coffee
  • 1 1/2 cups tomato-based barbecue sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapenos for garnish
  • Grated cheddar or similar cheese for garnish, optional
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion for garnish

Heat the bacon fat and the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed lidded pot over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and just beginning to brown.

Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Place the drained beans into the pot with the onions. Add the ham hock, the water, a little salt, and the coffee. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour. The beans should be soft enough to chew but not mushy soft.

Add the barbecue sauce and stir to combine. Cover and simmer on low heat until the meat from the ham hock begins to separate from the bone.

After an hour, check on the beans every 15 minutes. If the beans begin to break down, remove from heat. When the beans are done cooking, pull out the ham hock and strip the meat from the bone. Add the meat to the beans and discard the bone.

Add salt to taste. Add pickled jalapeños to taste for some heat, if desired. Serve with a little grated cheese and chopped red onion on top.

We’re going from the sublime to the ridiculous in this match up… the very classy super-smooth Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot juxtaposed against the very humble Cowboy Beans dish. But Merlot is a bit of a chameleon and because of this it is an easy match with a wide range of foods. Its dry, natural acidity combined with ripe red fruit flavours and leafy aromas make it an ideal pairing for full flavoured dishes. Not to mention silky tannins and a soft smooth finish make this bad boy combo a taste sensation.

Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot (Napa Valley) 2018

“Elegantly structured and featuring concentrated cherry tart and raspberry pastry flavors that are loaded with toasty richness. Creamy and spice-filled finish is backed by firm acidity and tannins”
94/100 points – Wine Spectator

As a testament to its status as the benchmark for New World Merlot, in 2017, the Wine Spectator honoured the 2014 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot as “Wine of the Year.”

“The Cathedral of Merlots, with imposing structure and a towering presence – a sheer joy to drink. Drinking Window 2021 – 2035”
96/100 points – Decanter

Once again, the famed Three Palms Vineyard has yielded a fascinating and luxuriously full-bodied Merlot. Aromas of huckleberry, black cherry, chocolate, and fig rise from the glass, followed by hints of graphite, graham cracker, bay leaf and sage. On the mouth-watering palate the flavors are intense and complex, with velvety tannins and voluptuous fruit balanced by earthy undertones and Three Palms’ classic minerality, all of which carry the wine to a rich and remarkably long finish. Blend: 89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Malbec (Winery notes)

There’s a Secret Ingredient in Cowboy Beans. Its Coffee! Legend has it that back in the day, cowboys added leftover coffee to their pot of beans because fresh water was not so easy to come by—a cowboy version of waste not, want not. Coffee adds a depth of flavour and a slight bitterness that keeps the sweet-spicy of the barbecue sauce in line.

Two-Step Texan Ribs

  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp celery salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Kgs pork baby back ribs
  • 1 Cup of your favourite barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C

In a small bowl, combine paprika, onion powder, cumin, celery salt, pepper, and brown sugar; rub seasoning mixture over ribs. Place each rack of ribs on a large piece of aluminium foil. Wrap foil securely, leaving room for steam to circulate, seal edges tightly. Place foil packets on a baking sheet.

Bake 2 hours, or until meat is fork-tender. Open packets carefully, as steam may be released. Brush ribs with barbecue sauce and place back in oven 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, or until sauce starts to caramelize.

Zinfandel wine is happiest when paired with anything from the meat aisle, from barbeque pork ribs, leg of lamb or a big, hearty meal. And it loooves spice! Here’s our D&N team favourite:

Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Zinfandel 2018

The bouquet reveals lush aromas of freshly picked blackberries, raspberries, and a hint of star anise. The palate is pampered by juicy plums, black cherries and freshly ground white pepper. Sourced from old vines in Amador County and cooler sites in Paso Robles and Sonoma, this wine comprises approx.90% Zinfandel with 10% Petite Sirah and was matured 10 months in French oak. The Petite Sirah further enhances the luscious strawberry jam, cassis and briar flavours that follow its perfume of dark fruit, sweet spice, and toasty vanilla. (Winery notes)

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil to sauté, divided
  • 2 kgs beef brisket
  • 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper, or to taste
  • 2 medium yellow onions, sliced into thick strips
  • 500g mushrooms, thickly sliced (leave some whole if you prefer)
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (not pressed) *
  • 2 cups chicken or beef broth/stock (or for fun an American-style pale ale)
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Generously season brisket with about 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Heat a large heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and when hot, add brisket (fat side down). Sear 4-5 minutes per side or until browned on both sides. Transfer to slow cooker with the fat side facing up.

In the same pan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and sliced onions. Sautee 5-7 minutes or until onions are caramelized. Place onions over brisket. In the same pan, add more oil as needed and sauté mushrooms until softened (5 min). Place mushrooms into the slow cooker. Sprinkle chopped garlic over the mushrooms. Combine 2 cups chicken broth with 2 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce and pour mixture over the meat.

Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or until cooked through and easy to pull apart with forks. Turn off slow cooker and rest for 15 minutes with the lid on. Remove and discard excess fat from the top then pull the beef apart with forks and keep it in the slow cooker to soak up the juices which will add incredible flavor and keep the meat tender. Serve beef brisket and mushrooms, spooning the slow cooker brisket juices over the top.

***Cheeky trick to use the Beef Brisket as a burger filling – finish it off on the BBQ! When the brisket is tender but before the pull-apart stage, remove from the roasting pan or casserole. Oil the already medium hot BBQ grill. Place beef on the grill and brown on both sides.  Baste the beef generously with BBQ Sauce turning and basting both sides.  Continue to do this until there is a nice, caramelised glaze on the brisket.  You can then serve inside a burger bun with all the fixings & with extra BBQ sauce on the side. Boom! Multi-purpose brisket – yummo!

American Cabernet Sauvignon is a food-world favourite, and it’s easy to see why. Its tannic structure, coupled with its red- and black-fruit flavours compliment hearty dishes perfectly.

Spottswoode Lydenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

“A wine well worth purchasing and cellaring, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst sports a dense purple hue as well as classic Cabernet notes of blackcurrants, Asian spices, violets, licorice, and tobacco. Beautifully rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it’s one heck of a second wine that can be drunk today or cellared for 15-20 years.”
94/100 points – Jeb Dunnuck

Wines of Substance Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

“Juicy blue fruits, leafy tobacco, violets, and orange blossom notes all emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Cs and it’s medium to full-bodied, has a beautifully balanced, fruit-forward style, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s no simple fruit bomb and has notable structure, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. It reminds me of a top Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux and represents a stunning value. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years.”
92/100 points – Jeb Dunnuck

“Currants, flowers, and walnuts on the nose. Medium-bodied with a pretty core of fruit and fine tannins and a crisp finish. Lead pencil. Fresh. Compact. Delicate and delicious. Enjoy.”
92/100 points – James Suckling

Mac-n-Cheese

  • 125 g Bacon, thick cut pieces rindless
  • 2 cups Macaroni (Elbow or any short pasta)
  • 50g Butter
  • 3 Tbsp Flour
  • 3 cups Milk
  • ½ cup Cream
  • 1 cup any tasty cheese, like gruyere, cheddar, etc. grated, plus 1/2 cup extra for topping
  • ½ cup Breadcrumbs, white or panko

Heat the oven to 200C. Lightly grease a medium-sized oven-proof dish.

Lightly pan fry bacon pieces and set aside.

Cook the macaroni elbows in lightly salted boiling water according to the instructions on the packet, or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to arrest the cooking and set aside.

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat. Stir in the flour to form a roux. Allow roux to bubble gently, stirring continuously until lightly golden. Remove from the heat, add milk and cream to the roux, and stir or whisk until well combined.

Return to the heat and stir continuously until the sauce is shiny and thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, add the grated cheese and bacon lardons.

Stir cooked macaroni elbows through the sauce and season to taste with salt. Spoon into the dish.

Mix together the breadcrumbs and extra grated cheese and sprinkle over the macaroni cheese.

Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Actually, here in Godzone now, it’s too darn cold for the American 4th July classic Potato Salad or Coleslaw so we’re subbing in the all-time American fave Mac-n-Cheese. Easy to match with either a chardy or a warming red.

H3 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

“Compared with previous vintages, the oak has been pulled way back here. The aromas of blackberry and plum show a bit of reduction. Lightly sweet plum flavors follow. The tannins give a light grip. There’s much enjoyment to be had.”
88/100 points – Wine Enthusiast

Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry ‘Pops’

  • 125g unsalted butter, chopped
  • 125g good quality Baking Dark Chocolate, chopped
  • 3 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 335g (1 1/2 cups) white sugar
  • 115g (3/4 cup) plain flour
  • 30g (1/4 cup) Dutch cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract, Pinch of salt

Freeze-dried raspberry ‘crumbs’ as garnish with whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan and line with baking paper.

Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Stir with a metal spoon until melted. Remove from heat. Quickly stir in egg, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until just combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Set aside to cool completely.

And just because you can… why not top off your Independence Day partaaaay with the belle of the ball:

Joseph Phelps “Insignia” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

“A beautiful, focused wine with a tight center palate of blackberries, blueberries, and dark chocolate. Very subtle. Hints of mint and sage, too. Medium to full body and fine, racy tannins. A reserved and very pretty Insignia. Fresh finish. Hard not to drink now, but better in 2022.”
96/100 points James Suckling

“The 2017 Insignia is beautiful stuff that excels in the vintage. Revealing a dense purple color as well as stunning notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, and earth, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a silky, seamless texture, building tannins, and a great finish. It has the more linear, elegant style of the vintage, yet it’s balanced, has ample concentration, and is just a gorgeous wine that will evolve for 30 years or more.”
96/100 points – Jeb Dunnuck

COMING SOON!!!! The 2018 “Insignia”- 99 pts James Suckling; 98 pts Jeb Dunnuck; 97 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Finally, sweets time. It may seem counter-intuitive, but silky, velvety, and fruiti-licious wines can be chocolate’s best friend. And we love this combo of a rich red fruit forward blend with gooey dark chocolate brownies sprinkled with raspberries. Hmmmm!

Cupcake Red Velvet NV

A delightful blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Petite Sirah, sourced from the finest vineyards in California. “A very approachable style; the fragrant bouquet shows strawberry jam, raspberry, vanilla, cocoa, and cedar characters, leading to a supple palate that is fruity and smooth. The medium-full-bodied red is easy going with tasty flavours, finishing friendly and silky”
89 points – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

HAPPY 4th JULY!


Photo of Flowers wine bottle and wine glasses on table

Focus On: Chardonnay - The American Dream

July 27, 2021|In Focus On, Winery Spotlight, Wines

Focus On: Chardonnay - The American Dream

It’s as American as Mom’s apple pie.

Photo of Flowers wine bottle and wine glasses on table

Chardonnay is the wine people seem to love to hate. And yet, Chardonnay is still the most popular grape variety in the United States, and the most widely planted white wine grape around the world. It seems, for as much as Chardonnay may have its haters, hey, we’re talking about you guys – the “ABC” (Anything But Chardonnay) club – this world-famous grape is definitely having a major moment!

Globally Chardonnay has achieved a level of branding unlike any other wine. Surprisingly, though, what you get when you buy Chardonnay can differ greatly from country to country and even within one country as is the case in the vastness of the US. So much depends on many factors – such as on the microclimate where it’s grown, the terroir, when it’s picked, how it is vinified and aged, and more!

The diversity is apparent where in the cool climate regions Chardonnay tends to be fresh, crisp and minerally with apple, stone fruit, and lemon notes compared to the warm climate characters of rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones. Chardonnay definitely runs the gamut.

Luckily for us at Dhall & Nash, we are spoilt for riches when it comes to a variety of super sexy American Chardonnays. We have hung our hat on this from our early days of importing the luscious and ever-popular Coppola and Bogle wines. Now it is time to Focus On a few other ample beauties from our American collection.

Whether oaked or unoaked, Chardonnay is a white wine that is just as perfect on a beach in the summer as it is relaxing by the fire in the winter. Yet as much as we love or hate Chard, there’s still a lot that many of us don’t know about it which is really doing a disservice to this noble grape variety. Time now to see how American Chardonnays have come of age.

A 'Dolly Parton', An 'Audrey Hepburn' or an 'Angelina Jolie' – Take Your Pick!

Perhaps no other wine has such a flavour-forward reputation than American Chardonnay. It is often many wine drinkers’ first experience with a white American wine, and that experience was once typically punctuated by a mouthful of oaky flavour. Not gentle, dulcet tones of oak, but so much oak that one might find themselves inspecting their glass for wood splinters. Just jokin’! But it was true some of those early styles of white wines coming out of California were just too much oak for many of us.

Remember the context though – that was the bold and blaring ‘80s – big hair, big shoulder pads, big overblown oaky chardys drunk during big, long business lunches. Times have changed… Palates have evolved. What you liked a few years ago may be different than what you like today. Tastes change!

We have come to realise that that type of “butter bomb” Chardonnay is not always good with food either; too heavy, too cloying. However, with winemakers leading the charge and with consumers following, there has been a realisation that we wanted more acidity in the wines and more balance. But then defining balance (fruit, tannin, acidity, alcohol, structure, complexity) is somewhat akin to defining beauty – darn difficult and exceedingly elusive!

 

“Balance [in wine] exists, to some extent, in the eyes of the beholder.” – Rajat Parr (Acclaimed Sommelier & Co-Founder of In Pursuit Of Balance – wine movement)

To Oak or Not to Oak… Too Much of a Good Thing?

Firstly, Chardonnay is an aromatically neutral grape. Flavour-wise, Chardonnay is the ‘chicken’ (or ‘tofu’ for some folks) of the wine world. It is a blank canvas that winemakers are free to paint on. To oak, semi-oak or not to oak at all, to allow partial or full malolactic fermentation, or to add richness and texture by lees stirring – these are some of the factors a winemaker has to consider in choosing whether to create an angular ‘Angelina’ Chablis style of high acidity, no oak and minerality, or a voluptuous ‘Dolly Parton’ full-blown, buttery vanilla, richer style, or something understated and elegant in-between, an ‘Audrey’.

A disclaimer here though – quality is actually independent of style! Any Chardonnay, oaked or not, can be either awesome or poor. Yet it is the oaked style that tends to spark controversy mainly because some American winemakers haven’t always applied oak with a moderate hand.

 

“A kiss of oak is nice, but too much is the kiss of death.” – (Anonymous winemaker)

 

When oak is out of balance in Chardonnay, it sticks out in the form of toasty, sweet, caramelized aromas, and flavours, often with a strong hint of rich vanilla bean and coconut or even Bourbon! (if American oak barrels are used.)

There’s nothing wrong with those characteristics, of course, but all in moderation. How can a wine that sees a lot of new French or American oak maintain such balance? Experts believe it’s all about the vineyard and the intensity of the fruit it yields. Most vineyards simply don’t produce sturdy enough fruit to support a lot of new oak. Some more established vineyards have fruit with enough structure, natural acidity and hang time to support a certain level of oak. In other words, the more intense the fruit and the higher the acid levels, the more oak the wine can shoulder.

And guess what? “Buttery” Chardonnay has nothing to do with oak and everything to do with Malolactic Fermentation (MLF). That’s a process where Malic acid (think tart green apples) converts to Lactic acid (think rich creamy texture). If the winemaker allows this fermentation to occur – which happens after all the sugars have been converted to alcohol – you get a more “buttery”, creamy, and rounded texture. If they don’t, the wine is tarter and crisper. And of course, the winemakers can do varying percentages of MLF (called Partial MLF) dependent upon their fruit quality and style they wish to craft.

 

James Eyer, general manager at the renown Chardonnay specialist winery, Hyde de Villaine, said:
“As the wine culture of the USA and the world continues to grow, wine of elegance and distinction will become highly coveted … and consumers that believed they disliked chardonnay will be reintroduced to what I believe is the true expression of the varietal.”

Allow Us to Reintroduce You to American Chardonnay – Turning Down the Volume:

One aspect of the American wine scene we admire is its wonderful flexibility, and now, after a generation of big, oaky Chardonnay, there’s a quiet revolution going on as winemakers’, and consumers’, tastes evolve. All thanks to a gentle nudge from the now-defunct IPOB ‘In Pursuit of Balance’ movement started by internationally revered Sommelier Rajat Parr and winemaker Jasmine Hirsch. It was a catalyst for dialogue about minimal intervention, restraint, and elegance in wines.

Don’t get us wrong – we still looove those well-crafted rich Napa chardys, but at least for those of us who also like Chardonnay that emphasises elegance with a bit of grip and angularity, this is a timely rejuvenation.

No longer content with the turbo-charged chardys of the past, this American stylistic sea change is being driven by a generation of winemakers seeking to create wines that express every nuance of their terroir. These winemakers are ready to ‘turn the volume down’. They have started with the two most vital elements: clonal selection and site selection.

Without a doubt, both of these are of great importance when it comes to top-quality Chardonnay: lower-yielding clones, with small clusters grown in unique cooler climate areas. In California, the two most suitable clones were the heritage ones: Wente and Calera. For the conditions these have a high skin to juice ratio. For Oregon it was the French Dijon clones that worked their magic.

Guillaume Boudet, winemaker at the prestigious Hyde de Villaine winery, emphasized the importance of “selections naturally producing lower yields, small clusters and small berries, enhancing the true characteristics of the varietal and the site.”

In addition to pursuing vineyards closer to the coast and improving grape growing practices, vintners have undertaken a range of winemaking innovations. One of the key changes has been to move away from warmer extractions during fermentation to cooler and gentler techniques, allowing the characteristics of each vineyard site to shine more clearly in the wines. With this ever-increasing emphasis on viticultural and winemaking details, Chardonnays from cooler climate American sites have a role to play in continuing the region’s outstanding reputation and with inspiring a smidgeon of global influence too.

To help convert even the most ardent Chardonnay sceptics, we’ve pulled together a list of our Dhall & Nash faves from each of the West Coast regions.

Regionality - The West Coast Vibe:

American West Coast producers, from Columbia Valley in Washington State to the Willamette Valley in Oregon to Sonoma counties in California, are rethinking American Chardonnay. They may not be traditionally known for the grape when compared to the famous winemakers in Napa Valley who defined the now stereotypical buttery, oaky style for the white wine. But they are planting, producing, and experimenting with the wine – with a twist. They are skipping the big oak for a more restrained, Burgundian-inspired approach that values balance, freshness, and high acidity for a mineral-driven wine. This is more reflective of their terroirs. They aren’t trying to make a white Burgundy, but they are applying that French philosophy to the vineyard, winery, and cellar. The results are lighter-bodied wine that features tasting notes most wine drinkers wouldn’t necessarily associate with Chardonnay – oyster shell, Nashi pear, green citrus, flint, mineral – and it’s drawing in new consumers who claim to not drink the dreaded Chardonnay!

Photo of Columbia Crest vineyard
Columbia Crest, Washington State

Washington State:

Even with all the rainfall on the western seaboard of Washington state, it produces stunningly good Chardonnays. How? The Cascade Mountains cause the primary difference. This massive mountain range runs north-south through the state blocking the cool air and precipitation that head east from the Pacific. Here in the ever-warm Columbia Valley, is where the vast majority of the state’s wine grapes are grown. This region provides lush, ripe fruit flavours, while cool nights preserve natural acidity. This yields wines often fuller in style than their peers from Burgundy, but lighter and graced with more acidity than many offerings from California. As always with Washington, the wines can also provide incredible value!

Columbia Crest:

A Washington winery in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA within the Columbia Valley. Founded in 1983, Columbia Crest has grown from a small winery in a relatively unknown wine region to one of the most significant wineries in the U.S. and a major force behind Washington state’s emergence as a world-class wine region. Over the years, the winery has remained committed to the delivery of handcrafted, small-lot wines, as well as affordable, superior quality everyday wines.

2019 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay – “Sensationally Slurpable”

Opens with intense aromas of apples and melons, joined by signature characters of crème brulee, caramelized sugar and butterscotch. Ripe orchard fruit flavours are joined by creamy, buttery notes and balanced by lively acidity.

Oak regime: 78% fermented in French and American oak barrels. Matures for 9 months on the fine yeast. The remaining 22% is fermented and expanded in stainless steel tanks.

“Silky and seductive, with pear and spicy grapefruit flavours on a taut, polished frame, lingering with intensity and brightness on the glowing finish. Impressive for the price. Drink now.” 90/100 points, Wine Spectator

Photo of Cristom vineyard
Cristom Vineyards, Oregon

Oregon:

Sandwiched between California and Washington, Oregon’s classy efforts could be overlooked. Yet, as a much-lauded producer of world-class Pinot Noir, why couldn’t Burgundy’s iconic white wine grape also thrive in Oregon? In fact, it does.

Initially however, Chardonnay in Oregon got off to a less-than-impressive start. California-sourced Wente clones were widely planted, producing a thick, dull, early-ripening style of wine. But the state’s Chardonnays took a great leap forward in the 1990s, as a few winemaking pioneers began replacing Wente clones with Burgundian Dijon clones.

The similar Burgundian climate of the Willamette Valley has proven to be particularly suited to these new clones, and the resulting Chardonnays have a stunning energy. It is this intensity with subtlety of Oregon’s best Chardonnay versions that differentiate them from the crowded West Coast competition.

In Oregon, the grape’s inherent transparency and elegance punches up the aromatics, bringing nuances of soil and site, herb, and earth, along with crisp citrus fruit. Some winemakers try to enhance these qualities with all-stainless, concrete egg and clay amphorae-fermented wines, which prove that barrel ageing is only an option, not a requirement, for complexity.

Cristom Vineyards:

2018 marked the inaugural release of Cristom Vineyards’ Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay, featuring fruit from their own estate Louise and Paul Gerrie vineyards, as well as five other neighbouring sites in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Though they are no strangers to Chardonnay, having produced the varietal since their founding in 1992, this new release marks the expansion of Cristom’s Chardonnay programme, both through collaborating with extraordinary neighbouring winegrowers, as well as the expansion of Chardonnay plantings on the Cristom Estate.

2018 Cristom Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay – “Purity & Precision”

Rated “One of the Year’s Best Chardonnays of 2020” by Wine & Spirits Magazine.

Oak regimen: Aged in 31% New French oak barriques for 12 months. 13% alc.

“Restrained and delicate, this cool Chardonnay leads with dry lemon-lime scents. With its tart green-apple flavour, lemon-rind lift and talc-like mineral tang, it’s a Chablis-like Chardonnay for oysters.” 91/100 points, Wine & Spirits

“The 2018 Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills, aged 12 months in 31% new French oak, offers fresh orchard fruits with touches of almonds, white flowers, and baker’s yeast. The palate is light-bodied but surprising with its depth of fruit, with soft freshness and a long, delicate finish.” 91/100 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Photo of Flowers vineyard
Flowers Winery & Vineyard, California

California:

This is the state that invented Big, Bold, and Beautiful! More than 80% of the wine made in the USA is made in California, making it the fourth largest producer of wine in the world (behind Italy, France and Spain). California wine regions run the length of the state and have 139 American Viticultural Areas or AVAs. Each American Viticulture Area has a distinct “persona” that divides it from the other AVAs. The distinct “persona” is mainly categorized by climate, geology, and elevation. No surprise, Napa Valley was the original California AVA.

“California Chardonnay has swung from lush to skinny and back again in the past two decades, and finally the pendulum has come to rest.” – Elaine Chukan Brown

It has definitely been on a rollercoaster ride of changing styles and tastes. But more recently, winemakers have begun to find a happy middle ground, balancing mouth-watering flavour with respect for what the vineyard gives them.

Sonoma Coast AVA:

Sometimes called “Burgundy on the Pacific”. The two famed grapes of France’s esteemed Burgundy area – Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – have both found a new home in this part of California.

Flowers Vineyards & Winery:

The pioneers of the Sonoma Coast. When others said it couldn’t be done, in 1989, Joan and Walt Flowers were among the first to plant grapes on the first ridgeline off the Sonoma Coast. The extreme Sonoma Coast is a place of unique character with the Pacific Ocean less than two miles from the vineyards, generating cooling sea breezes and coastal fog, while the soaring elevations range from 1,150 to 1,450 feet positioning the vineyard above the coastal fog layer, thus allowing generous amounts of sunshine during the growing season. This unique combination of abundant sunshine and cooling fog rolling in and out of the vineyard creates an idyllic growing environment for elegant and nuanced Chardonnay showing bright fruit focus, complex minerality and crystalline acidity.

2018 Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay – “Masterful Elegance”

100% native yeast.

Oak regimen: Aged for 3 months on lees in stainless steel tanks. 100% French Oak (18% new) for 11 months.

“This classy 2018 has notes of musky pineapple, crushed citrus, and white flowers as well as a kiss of salty minerality. It has bright acidity, beautiful balance, and is just a classic, elegant Sonoma Coast Chardonnay that does everything right.” 93/100 points, Jeb Dunnuck

Russian River Valley AVA:

Also within Sonoma County, this is a highly regarded growing region for Chardonnay. Characterized by its cool climate and coastal fog that travels in from the Pacific along the Russian River, the Russian River Valley’s climate allows for a slow ripening of the grapes, resulting in wines of balanced acidity and complexity.

Kosta Browne:

Once again, we see the marine influence that follows the Russian River inland from the Pacific coast is a powerful attribute of this region. This is from the coolest parts of the Russian River Valley. Here, fruit is allowed to mature gracefully on the vine, which offers more intensely focused flavours and generous natural acidity.

Kosta Browne was informally founded by Dan Kosta and Michael Browne when the two pooled their tip money from restaurant work and bought some Pinot Noir grapes in 1997. The company has now become a bit of a cult winery commanding premium prices for their primo wines

This vintage Kosta Brown winemaker Julien Howsepian continued his pursuit in delivering exceedingly fresh and precise wines by incorporating traditional, and non-traditional French oak foudres into their Chardonnay winemaking. These larger vessels seamlessly weave complexity and purity into one, integrating the gross lees and the wine with slower and patient micro-oxygenation due to thicker oak staves and less wood to wine contact ratio.

Winemaker Howsepian describes the Chardonnays as “energetic in spirit but rich in body”.

2017 Kosta Brown ‘One Sixteen’ Russian River Valley Chardonnay – “Statuesque & Stylish”

Oak & ageing regimen: 34% New French Oak for 15 months / 30% Stainless Steel tank for 4 months / 18% Foudre for 9 months / 1% Concrete tank for 15 months / 2% Concrete egg for 14 months.

“A beautiful Chardonnay … brought up in 34% new French oak, the 2017 Chardonnay One Sixteen Russian River Valley sports a medium gold colour as well as a rich, powerful bouquet of caramelized citrus, white currants, toasted hazelnuts, and brioche. Deep, rich, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully textured, it has flawless balance, bright acidity, and is a profound Chardonnay that will stand beside the finest white Burgundies.” 97/100 points, Jeb Dunnuck

Photo of Duckhorn vineyard
Duckhorn Vineyards, California

Napa Valley:

No other wine region on the planet draws as much attention as Napa Valley. Its incomparable beauty couples seamlessly with generations of passionate winemakers behind some of the world’s truly exquisite wines. Here the combination of Mediterranean climate, geography and geology of the region are conducive to growing top-quality wine grapes. It is Napa’s great diversity, both in terms of climate and terroir, that has led to the creation of 16 smaller AVAs like Stags Leap District, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Oakville, and Mount Veeder, among others. Here Cabernet and Chardonnay still reign supreme.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars:

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, notably known for being the winery that won the Cabernet Sauvignon competition in the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris, was founded in 1970, and is considered a Napa Valley first-growth estate. They create wines of classic beauty – wines with balance, complexity, and harmony. Their signature style has often been described as “an iron fist in a velvet glove”, a reference to the artful balance between ripeness and restraint, softness, and structure, that yields Napa Valley wines of exceptional beauty and long life.

With a tradition of mentoring that dates back to our founding in 1970, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars has been a springboard for many a celebrated winemaker’s career. This Chardonnay is a tribute to the alumni whose vision of crafting elegant and balanced wines has been passed down from teacher to student, and “through the hands of time”.

2018 Stag’s Leap Hands of Time Chardonnay – “Generous & Vivacious”

Ageing regimen: 6 months on lees, stirred every 2 weeks, 91% previously filled French oak barrels (9% new).

“This is an opulent, structured and mineral-driven white wine, richly layered and robustly built with weight and ample body. Brioche, honeycomb, and baked apple meet a complement of fresh acidity and a lasting note of stone.” 91/100 points, Wine Enthusiast

Duckhorn Vineyards:

Duckhorn has been making wine using grapes from the finest Napa Valley vineyards for over 40 years. Building on this rich history, their Napa Valley Chardonnay comes from the coolest regions. In the cellar, they have applied classic techniques of French oak barrel fermentation with lees stirring, resulting in a Chardonnay that balances the complexity and richness of Napa Valley.

2018 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay – “Opulent & Unapologetic”

40% malolactic fermentation.

Oak & ageing regimen: 10 months in French oak; 40% new oak, 30% 2nd vintage, 30% neutral.

“A full-bodied, creamy white, showing lots of ripe fruit on the nose with peach pie, baked apple, and mango, followed by hazelnut and custard pastry on the palate. Crisp acidity.” 93/100 points, James Suckling

“With grapes from such stellar sites as Hudson, Trefethen, Antinori and Stanley Ranch, this white is lush, seamless, and sound across the board. It is approachable and fleshy in apple, pear, and mango tones, accented by toasted oak and vanilla.” 90/100 points, Wine Enthusiast

Unlike the spiritual homeland of Chardonnay, Burgundy, the beauty of American Chardonnay is that there are no rules. Well, there are very few regulations let’s say, a wide range of terroirs and the local vintners are willing to explore all the stylistic possibilities appropriate to their land while keeping a close eye on the market.

As we know, in the end, it’s all a matter of taste. Consumers will decide for themselves the style of Chardonnay they like, unoaked, heavily oaked, or something heavenly in between. So, raise a glass to the resilience, creativity, and passion of America’s winemakers and enjoy this bounty of luxuriously luscious Chardonnays!


Slow braised brisket sliders

Recipe: Slow Braised Brisket Sliders

September 6, 2018|In Recipes & Pairings

Recipe: Slow Braised Brisket Sliders

This mouthwatering recipe from Duckhorn Vineyards is the perfect match for our Duckhorn Vineyards Three Palms Vineyard Napa Valley Merlot.

Slow braised brisket sliders

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients:

Brisket Sliders:

  • (3 1/2 – 4 lbs) Brisket
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups beef broth (you can replace 1 cup broth with red wine or beer)
  • 2 Tbsps smoked paprika
  • 2 tsps salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp ground pepper


Quick Pickles:

  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsps pickling spice
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 mini or pickling cucumbers – sliced
  • 1 medium red or other sweet onion – sliced thinly

Method:

Brisket Sliders:

Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl and rub all over meat. Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the brisket and brown on both sides 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a 6-8 quart slow cooker. Add broth to the pan along with any remaining spice mixture. Increase heat to high and scrape bits from pan. Cover and cook simmering 6-8 hours until meat pulls apart easily.

 

Quick Pickles:

Combine vinegars, sugar, salt and pickling spice in sauce pan and heat on medium for 2-3 minutes until salt and sugar are dissolved. Place cucumbers and onion in a jar and add warm vinegar mixture. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight. Serve with brisket sliders.

Top each slider bun with about 3/4 cup of brisket, add drained pickles and a dollop of garlic mayonnaise if desired. Enjoy!


Our recommended wine matches:

2015 Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot

2015 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot ‘Three Palms Vineyard’
Sophisticated notes of wet slate minerality add poise and definition to flavors of plum, molasses, cherry and crushed rose petals. Silky tannins carry the wine to a beautifully structured finish with hints of moist earth, cranberry and bittersweet chocolate.
The proceeding vintage to the astounding 2014 Merlot voted Number 1 Wine in the World


Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot

Duckhorn Vineyards: The Merlot that Dethroned Cabernet as the King of California

It’s no secret that Cabernet Sauvignon is revered the world over and frequently touted as being the King of red wine - particularly in its homeland of Bordeaux, but also notably in California. Since 1998 it has been the widest planted variety in the state and its reputation is nothing short of legendary.

All seemed to be mapped out for the (admittedly spectacular) California Cabernets - but recently there has been somewhat of a surprise challenger in the mix that has dethroned Cabernet as the king of California...

Duckhorn ‘Three Palms’ Napa Valley Merlot (2014) has made history by being named the Number 1 Wine in the World in 2017 by revered wine publication ‘Wine Spectator’, leaving everyone desperately curious to try wines of such calibre.

Duckhorn Vineyards is an estate in Napa Valley with more tricks up its sleeve than just its astounding Three Palms Merlot. Established in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, it was one of only 40 Napa Valley wineries at the time. Dan and Margaret have been toiling away in the name of establishing Duckhorn as one of North America’s premier producers and have succeeded in crafting a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today.

Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley CA
Gorgeous view of Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley CA

In 1978 they released their inaugural vintage alongside their original winemaker, Tom Rinaldi. 800 cases of Merlot from the now coveted Three Palms Vineyard and 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag’s Leap District and Howell Mountain - and it was only up from there.

In 2003, Renée Ary joined the Duckhorn team. Renée worked under then winemaker, Mark Beringer and was keen to learn every last detail of production from the vineyard, through to the labs and the winemaking.

 

Over the following years Duckhorn expanded its portfolio as well as its production. They released a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay as well as various blends of Cabernet and Merlot, and in 2014 after more than a decade learning all the ins and outs of Duckhorn, Renée Ary claimed the title of winemaker. And what a year to have as your inaugural vintage! A slew of 90+ point reviews for the 2014 wines as well as the revered #1 title for the Three Palms Merlot. Renée maintains that “there is no recipe or formula. My job is to let the vineyards speak and convey the soul of the wine… It’s important to approach a role like this with humility and with the knowledge that I am a part of an ongoing story - that I am contributing to the legacy of a great winery.”

The accolades and praise just doesn’t stop rolling in for Duckhorn. It was named in Wine & Spirits Magazine’s Top 100 Wineries for 2017, one of only 35 wineries in the U.S. and 20 wineries in California. A similar accolade is found in The Daily Meal who named Duckhorn as one of the Top 101 American Wineries for 2017, stating that “since its tightly focused early years, Duckhorn has taken flight…”. Even Forbes passionately weighs in on the Duckhorn phenomenon, citing all the way back in 2015 that they had “The Best California Merlot Ever”, and then reaffirming their opinions with an article in July highlighting their resounding successes.

Puneet wine tasting at Duckhorn Vineyards
Puneet & son Taj visiting Duckhorn Vineyards, 2018

And the praise doesn’t just come from high end journalism. Our own Puneet Dhall had this to say after visiting the winery in June earlier this year: “When you enter the Duckhorn Estate, just on the side of Howell Mountain – down the Silverado trail, just outside Rutherford, you begin to see how the super premium side works. Incredible landscaping, beautiful buildings, impressive cellar doors… They realised that the area that they were in was more elevated and with more loamy and volcanic soils – they decided to focus on Merlot. This really could be the best Merlot in our portfolio...

The prized Three Palms Vineyard is one of seven estate-owned Napa Valley vineyards. Acquired officially in 2015, the vineyard has become a consistent benchmark for New World Merlot. 73.6 acres of Bale Loam, Cortina Very Stony Loam, Bale Clay Loam, and Riverwash soils - it’s producing, quite literally, the best wine in the world.

While the Three Palms Vineyard Merlot is the estate’s crowning jewel, it’s not the only arrow in their quiver. Alongside other stunning varietals they notably have a blend named ‘The Discussion’. So the tale goes that over three decades ago, before crafting the first Duckhorn vintage, Dan and Margaret had a passionate discussion with their winemaker at the kitchen table. Though they debated making a cuvée, they chose to focus on varietal wines. Even so, Duckhorn Vineyards has always remained fascinated by the artful blend of varietals from diverse Napa Valley vineyards and they ultimately couldn’t let it go. So in 2006 ‘The Discussion’ Red Blend made its debut, representing the pinnacle of the Duckhorn Vineyards portfolio and the ongoing dialogue that defines great winemaking.

Dhall & Nash are thrilled to have secured stock of 5 SKUs from this highly acclaimed producer, including The Discussion Red Blend and Three Palms Merlot alongside their stunning varietal wines. With wines from both the highly acclaimed 2014 vintage and its successors from the 2015 vintage, we’ve certainly been getting our ducks in a row with these ones.

 


 

2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot
"Plush and rich-tasting, with finely interwoven flavors of dark cherry, plum tart and blackberry accented by cocoa powder notes."
Wine Spectator (92 points)

 

2014 Duckhorn Vineyards The Discussion Napa Valley Red Wine
"For all its supple richness, it feels racy, a savory matrix of red and black fruit, salty mineral tones and oak smoke. The integration is impressive, suggesting it will develop into a complex maturity with cellar time."
Wine & Spirits Magazine (93 points)

 

2015 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
"This wine shows up with loads of black fruit, some oak, and even some boysenberries in its aromas and flavors. Its layered, satisfying, and crisp palate makes it a natural choice with a standing rib roast."
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com (93 points)

 

2015 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay
"This is a concentrated and deliciously lush white wine, highlighted in thick notions of honey, pear and swirls of caramel. Expressive and ripe, it does justice to the warm-vintage and focused winemaking."
Wine Enthusiast (91 points)

 

2015 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 'Three Palms Vineyard'
Sophisticated notes of wet slate minerality add poise and definition to flavors of plum, molasses, cherry and crushed rose petals. Silky tannins carry the wine to a beautifully structured finish with hints of moist earth, cranberry and bittersweet chocolate.
The proceeding vintage to the astounding 2014 Merlot voted Number 1 Wine in the World


New Producers from 2017

67 of the finest wine producers from around the World were added to our exclusive portfolio in 2017. We now represent over 200 Fine Wine producers exclusively. We are calling this our 'LONG TAIL'.
We include wines of all regions, styles, philosophies and price. From Natural and Organic wines to Orange wines to the Rarest wines in the World - the only rule is that it must be a fine (if not the finest) example of wine from that terroir - and of course WOW and delicious. Enjoy exploring our interactive map to see who they are.

Australasia

Australia

Clare Valley

Grosset
Grosset Wines’ philosophy has remained steadfast over thirty-seven years. The emphasis is on purity of fruit. The estate vineyards are hand tended (100% hand pruned, hand-picked) and each bunch of grapes is harvested at optimum ripeness. The winemaking process is gentle and uncomplicated. The result is the finest expression of variety and place.

Barossa Valley

Zema Estate
"Zema is one of the last outposts of hand-pruning in Coonawarra, with members of the Zema family tending the vineyard set in the heart of Coonawarra's Terra Rossa soil. Winemaking practices are straightforward; if ever there was an example of great wines being made in the vineyard, this is it."
- James Halliday

Yarra Valley

Mac Forbes
For many Australian wineries, technological advancements no longer define their wines, which brings them back to the age old question – “what makes our patch of dirt unique?”
And this is the Mac Forbes journey. They are committed to seeking out sites that they deem to be strong and unusual. Often the vineyards were unloved when discovered, however through listening to and learning from the sites themselves, they have been able to bring back the health of the vineyards and share their character through making extraordinary wines.

New Zealand

Wairarapa / Hawke's Bay

Bohemian
A brand close to our hearts at Dhall & Nash - Bohemian wines are independent both in name and in spirit. They are wines for those who love beautifully crafted things and for those who have creativity and individuality as their guiding spirit.

Central Otago

Aurum Wines
Aurum Wines is a boutique, organic winery in Central Otago, New Zealand. From the beginning, Aurum Wines has been committed to an environmentally aware philosophy.
Kalex Wines
In creating Kalex Wines, Holocaust survivor Alex Kaufman has used his incredible business acumen, and his ability to find and trust in the right people, to build a company. His passion, guidance and inspiration are the driving force behind the small, committed team at Kalex Wines.

America

USA

Washington

Hedges Family Estate
Where soil meets soul. Led by a passion for authenticity and a deep connection to the land they call home, the Hedges Family epitomizes the modern wine estate. A blend of rich cultural upbringings and a shared love for creating beautiful wine converge at the heart of bucolic Red Mountain, fostering a true homegrown approach to farming and viticulture.
K Vintners / Wines of Substance
Located at the base of the Blue Mountains in Walla Walla (Washington State), Charles Smith opened his first winery, K Vintners, in December of 2001. The first release, 1999 K Syrah from Walla Walla Valley, initiated the style of winemaking that Charles continues today: small lots of single vineyard Syrahs and field blends of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo, and Viognier, all of which are hand-picked, fermented with naturally occurring yeasts and basket pressed.

Oregon

Beaux Frères
The human element of our efforts coupled with the whimsy of Mother Nature as our muse make Beaux Frères wines distinct.
Erath
There is a place in Oregon wine country where EARTH and HEART intersect. It is called ERATH. As we enter our fourth decade of winemaking, Erath embraces its leadership role in producing Oregon wines. Regardless of season, regardless of year, Erath is a place for Pinot discovery.

Faust
Faust is the name given to the brand of the Huneeus family that pays tribute to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Duckhorn Vineyards
Duckhorn Vineyards has spent forty years establishing itself as one of North America’s premier producers of Napa Valley wines.
Opus One
Mondavi and Rothschild are two names synonymous with Bordeaux blends, and Opus one is their combined masterpiece, marrying the old world with the new.
Spottswoode
“The success of the Spottswoode brand is a testament to the flinty and determined character of the family.”
- William Cash, Spears Magazine
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, notably known for being the winery that won the Cabernet Sauvignon competition in the 1976 Judgment of Paris, was founded in 1970, and is considered a Napa Valley first-growth estate.

Sonoma Valley

Patz & Hall
Great wines capture the essence of great vineyards. For over two decades Patz & Hall has been seeking out the very best small, family-owned Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in California and establishing long-term relationships with the talented winegrowers who farm these world-class sites. Built on real friendships, and a shared commitment to quality, these partnerships have led to the rich diversity of the Patz & Hall wine portfolio, contributing to their acclaimed cuvées and these sought-after single-vineyard wines.

Ambyth Estate
AmByth has three magical chords that run through their core and shape their every thought, direction, decision and action: they are 100% dry-farmed, certified Biodynamic, and are natural winemakers.
L'Aventure
The L'Aventure winery reflects their commitment to excellence. All the equipment is state of the art, a perfect blend between technology and tradition.

Canada

Ontario

Norman Hardie Wines
Norman’s passion for fine wine is put to the ultimate test in his vineyards. He has chosen select sites in Prince Edward County and Niagara with a magical combination of clay and limestone. These mineral driven sites are ideal and allow him to craft Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and other cool climate varieties of exceptional quality and elegance. His wines tell a story of place developed from passion and experience.

 

Europe and the Middle East

Portugal

Douro Valley

Quinta do Vallado
Quinta do Vallado, established in 1716, is one of the oldest and most famous “Quintas” in the Douro Valley. It once belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, and still belongs to her descendants. It lies on both banks of the Corgo River, a tributary of the Douro river, near its mouth, close to the town of Peso da Régua.

Spain

Rioja

Bodegas Exopto
Exopto was a project started by Bordeaux-native Tom Puyaubert in 2003, who had travelled to La Rioja to increase sales for a French Cooperage and fell in love with the land and all it had to offer.

France

Bordeaux

Chateau d'Yquem
The pinnacle of dessert-style wines, d’Yquem needs little introduction. Thomas Jefferson purchased 250 bottles of the 1784 vintage stating “Sauternes, This is the best white wine of France and the best of it is made by Monsieur de Lur-Saluces”. The wine’s balance of acidity and sugar means its ageing potential is amazing, Robert Parker scored the 1811 vintage 100 points in 1996, well over a century since the grapes were harvested.

Gaillac

Causse Marines
Causse Marines is a domaine in Gaillac, France. It was named such after the local river that ribbons through the property (Marines,) and the limestone soils (Causse.)
On their vineyard of 12ha, Causse Marines strives to honour the native grape varieties that have historically been grown in the region of Gaillac.

Loire Valley

Domaine de Noire
The philosophy of the domain is to offer quality wines that accurately reflect the landscape in which they have been nurtured. As a result, all the vintages possess delicacy, elegance and character.
Domaine de Noiré and its respected wines are situated at Noiré, first classified as an area producing top quality Chinon wine at the beginning of the 20th century.
Domaine de Pothiers
The estate is located in Villemontais, in the southern part of has cultivated it for centuries. For the sake of quality and respect for the environment and the consumer, the whole vineyard is cultivated in organic and biodynamic culture.

Burgundy

Alain Gras
Alain Gras has been working passionately since 1979, with a great respect for the land.
Domaine Bertagna
Established in the 1950’s, this domaine is just a few hundred metres away from the Chateau de Clos Vougeot.
Chevalier Pere & Fils
Custodians of a family winegrowing tradition that has existed for five generations and over a century.
Domaine Dubreuil Fontaine
Located in the Côte de Beaune, using Chardonnay and Pinot noir to make up its wide range.
Domaine Trapet-Rochelandet
Trapet Rochelandet uses traditional Burgundian methods adapted to modern technology.
Frédéric & Michel Magnien
Frédéric Magnien is an alchemist of the Côte d’Or’, combining talent and terroir. He is the heir to the Domaine Michel Magnien.
Domaine Moissenet-Bonnard
Located in Pommard, Domaine Moissenet-Bonnard has been a family affair for eight generations.
Jean-Michel Gaunoux
Jean-Michel Gaunoux cultivates three Premier Cru sites within Meursault.
Morey Coffinet
From father to son, from father to daughter... their work animates their lives every day, every night, every meal.
Philippe Colin
Founded 2004.

Champagne

André Clouet
With the family's history in the region dating back centuries, the current generation of Clouet is making waves in the Champagne world. Described as an "upcoming rockstar" by Tyson Stelzer, the Chef de Cave is creating wines in Bouzy and Ambonnay which are coveted for very good reason.

Rhône Valley

Francois Tissot
After more than a decade of wine making for others, François Tissot couldn’t resist to the temptation to produce a wine to call his very own. The vineyard spreads over a little more than thirty terraces (called faysses,) and covers about 10 acres.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné
In 1834, a full 100 years before the introduction of the A.O.C. system, Antoine Jaboulet began to transform a sleepy region into one of the most important quality winegrowing terroirs in the world. Since that time, Paul Jaboulet Aîné has become the benchmark in the Northern Rhône, with the iconic Hermitage ‘La Chapelle’ being responsible for some of the greatest wines ever produced.
Champagne, France
Alain Gras
Alain Gras has been working passionately since 1979, with a great respect for the land.
Domaine Bertagna
Established in the 1950’s, this domaine is just a few hundred metres away from the Chateau de Clos Vougeot.

Italy

Piedmont

Josetta Saffirio
"For two centuries we cultivate our vineyards and let the territory tell its own story through our wines.we discover deeper and deeper our roots in the great lands of Langa."
In 1982 a Barolo of the highest quality, which has been the impulse that gave birth to the farm Josetta Saffirio, was born from some experiments.
La Stoppa
La Stoppa is an ancient company that with its vineyards climbs solitary on the slopes of the Trebbiola valley, not far from the Trebbia river, in the province of Piacenza. The low natural yields, due to the average age of the vines and the difficult soil, and the intrinsic quality of the bunches allow to obtain very characterized wines, born in the vineyard and not betrayed by excessive work in the cellar.

Veneto

La Marca
La Marca is named for the La Marca Trevigiana zone, located in the heart of the Prosecco region, where its grapes are grown Founded more than 40 years ago, it is a co-op representing over 5,000 growers farming over 17,000 acres in the Treviso area.
La Marca selects the best grapes to produce high quality wines, thanks to modern technologies in the vineyards and in the winemaking process.

Le Macchiole
In this magical place, where rolling hills are blanketed by forest, where vineyards and olive trees meet with the Tyrrhenian Sea, Le Macchiole has taken shape over time.
Petrolo
Petrolo doesn’t make basic wines, only great wines. The winery has been improving in recent years following this idea, only aiming towards offering labels that could speak of and guarantee high quality and, that could represent a coherent identity of the Estate.
San Felice
The San Felice farm with its 147 hectares of vineyards, in the Chianti Classico and in Montalcino, is an authoritative name in the territory and represents a model of respect for the environment and sustainability.
Its wines of great value are the result of the "San Felice Method", based on a rigorous scientific protocol born from the collaboration with different Universities and linked to the enhancement of native vines and Sangiovese.
Tua Rita
In 1984 Rita and Virgilio realized their lifelong dream purchasing the property that became Tua Rita. The landscape and buildings on this property were a mere setting for living in contact with nature whilst farming their beloved land. Their overwhelming passion for wine actually changed their plans...

Abruzzo

Cerulli Spinozzi
Every so often a region has a winemaking family or estate which acts as an engine, pulling the entire area upward and into the limelight of international recognition. The Cerulli Spinozzi family in Italy’s Abruzzo region, is doing just this - working with the native red grape, Montepulciano.

Germany

Rhineland-Palatinate

Weingut Huff
Since 1700, the Huff family has been growing wine in Schwabsburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Since her completion of the wine-growing studies in Geisenheim 2010, Christine has been responsible for the expansion of the wines. She is supported by her husband Jeremy, who moved from New Zealand to Rheinhessen. Winemaker Ekkehard Huff takes care of vineyards and farms, his wife Doris ensures the welfare of the customers.

Hungary

Tokaj

Demeter Zoltán
Owned by and named for legendary Hungarian winemaker, Demeter Zoltán. He obtained his professional winemaker status at the Budapest University of Horticulture, but also partly in the United States, France and in Great Britain.
Demeter has actively participated in the day-to-day wine activity of Tokaj-Hegyalja since 1993, launching and running foreign-owned wineries. After three years, he founded his own venture with the intent to take a full and active part in the recognition and rediscovery of Tokaj terroir.

Lebanon

Bekaa Valley

Chateau Marsyas
Deeply rooted in Eastern soil Johnny R. Saadé and his family translated their passion for terroir and vines into Château Marsyas, in the Southern part of the Bekaa Valley.