Featured Winery: Fulldraw Vineyards

Fulldraw began in 2012 when Connor McMahon jumped on the opportunity to acquire a 100-acre vineyard site in the Templeton Gap of west side Paso Robles. Connor and his wife Rebecca work closely with crew members to follow organic and regenerative farming practices in order to best take advantage of the site’s demanding soil and extreme exposures.

Fulldraw creates a sustainable and healthy environment for each and every vine in order for the resulting fruit to translate into beautifully balanced wines that fully express the unique place that is their home.

Featured Wine: Purlieu Le Pich Sauvignon Blanc

Purlieu’s 2022 Le Pich Sauvignon Blanc has aromas of tangy passion fruit and creamy guava, enriched with dried pineapple and a subtle minerality. Juicy nectarine, sweet key lime and the warmth of dried ginger shine on the palate, with cool stony undertones to ground them.

Purlieu Winery is a boutique winery located in the heart of Napa Valley, California. Founded by winemaker Julien Fayard and his business partner, Lynette Fayard, Purlieu Winery focuses on crafting small-lot, premium wines that exemplify the unique characteristics of Napa Valley's renowned vineyards.

Featured Wine: Hunter Glenn Chardonnay

The 2019 Hunter Glenn Chardonnay has subtle aromas of apple blossoms, lemon balm and wet stones. On the palate are a glazing of Meyer lemon curd, which fades through to a Pink Lady apple slice and spritz of Elderflower cordial.

The 2020 vintage features blooms of Meyer lemon olive oil cake, and as it settles in the glass, a spiced Golden Delicious apple pie arrives. Flavors of bright, almost ripe pineapple shines first, backed by the distinct taste of Sicilian Almonds, Jasmine Tea and the perfect amount of flinty minerality.

Featured Wine: Fulldraw Vineyards Chopping Block

Pop and pour, Fulldraw Vineyard’s 2019 Chopping Block is well-rounded and balanced. The structure and flavor profile will only get better with air or a little time. This wine will not disappoint!

49% Syrah; 34% Grenache; 17% Mourvedre

Featured Wine: State of Mind Riesling Ranch

The 2022 Riesling from State of Mind wines is bright and fresh. Made at Zillah Ranch Vineyard in Rattlesnake Hills, this vintage is as serious of a white wine that can be made in Columbia Valley. Structurally similar to Alsace in style, while maintaining new world fruit. The soils (Riverstone, limestone, sand and calcium) allow for a great amount of vibrancy.

Featured Winery: Arkenstone Vineyards

Owners Ron and Susan Krausz purchased the property on Howell Mountain, Napa Valley in 1988. With the goal of producing the best wine possible from this beautiful site, in 2008 the property became a true Domain Estate, where an underground winery along with the Estate vineyards planted in 1998 allows the owners total control over all winemaking.

Using the best of old world practices along with the newest technology, Arkenstone Winery produces the highest quality vintages - from vine to glass! The Arkenstone winemaking philosophy is based on consistency and elegance. During harvest, they use gravity to move the fruit gently from the above ground crush pad into fermenters below, while natural temperatures in the cave allow for optimal fermentations and barrel aging.

Featured Wine: Weingut Bossert Gundersheim Riesling

The 2016 Gundersheim Riesling is visually brilliant with a shimmering gold color. Orange blossom, lime sour patch candy and flintstone. Very delicate approach with a fully textured mid-palate and lip-smacking acidity.

Featured Wine: 2019 La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon

A Cabernet Sauvignon base with a subtle blend of Petite Verdot, showcases the diversity and depth that Napa Valley’s Mediterranean climate has to offer.

Dark in color with aromatics of blackberry, deep purple prunes, crème de cassis, violets and graphite. Full-bodied with a silky texture from front to back with juicy, round tannins. Ripe black fruits and blueberries with impressions of tobacco and mountain herbs, and well-balanced acidity to carry the wine through a delicate and juicy finish. The 2019 has been cellared to enjoy upon receiving. It is opulent and will continue to age elegantly for the next 20+ years.

Philippe Melka

Philippe and his wife, Cherie, are co-proprietors for Melka Estates. Under Melka Estates are 4 distinct brands: Métisse from Napa Valley, Mekerra from Sonoma Valley, Majestique from sites around the world and CJ, also from Napa Valley.

Philippe learned winemaking and vineyard techniques from prestigious estates like Haut Brion, Chittering Estate, Badio O Coltibuono, the Moueix domains and Dominus. He began his career working at wineries in France (Château Haut-Brion and Château Petrus), Italy (Badia a Coltibuono), Australia (Chittering Estate) and California (Dominus and Ridge) before settling in the Napa Valley in the '90s.

In addition to founding his own winery, Philippe has consulted for notable brands including Fairchild Napa Valley, Cliff Lede, Hundred Acre, Seavy and Sosie. His style is a blend of his French influence with techniques like gentle harvesting, extended skin contact, use of new oak and his ‘American’ insights about artisanal farming as well as winemaking.

Philippe was born and raised in the Bordeaux region and graduated from the University of Bordeaux with a degree in geology in 1989 and then earned a second degree in enology in 1991, specializing in agronomy and vineyard soils.

Featured Wine: 2019 La Pelle Alluvium Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2019 Alluvium Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is from La Pelle’s St. Helena vineyard in Napa Valley. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is brought up in 70% new French oak barrels. This variety features red and black currant fruits, notes of spice, dried flowers, chocolate, and tobacco. Full-bodied and rich with moderate acidity and tannins make for a brilliant, ripe, plush Napa Valley Cabernet that can be enjoyed today or cellared for years to come!

Featured Wine: Marcel Hearts Rosé

Maison Marcel is crafted with love, where the grapes grow wild and the wine flows free. Their bottles are filled with body, flavor and soul.

Like all good stories, Maison Marcel’s begins with love. Mr. Marcel was a bon vivant who loved dry rosé. His darling preferred things on the sweeter side, and turned him down when he brought her a classic rosé bottle. That night, he spent hours coming up with the perfect recipe. Not too sweet, not too dry, just right. Darling took one sip of Macel’s creation and the rest was history.

The Maison Marcel NV Sparkling Hearts Rosé has notes of grapefruit, nectarine and bubbles to heaven. Grapes: Muscat, Aligote, Syrah.

Julien Fayard Winemaking

Originally from Provence, Julien Fayard is one of Napa Valley’s most respected consulting winemakers producing California varietals with French finesse. Formerly of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, he lends two decades of winemaking expertise to more than a dozen different brands, including the highly-rated Le Pich and Purlieu wines, as well as his own labels - Azur, Covert Estate and Empreinte.

At Julien Fayard, they focus 100% on varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc that are balanced and precise renditions of these noble varieties.

Olema by Amici Sparkling Brut Rosé

Gear up for the spring and summer seasons, where wine preferences shift a bit…rosé…ier.

Olema by Amici Sparkling Brut Rosé is delightful on the palate as it is at first sight. The Olema Sparkling Rosé is a salmon color with tiny bubbles that lead into a dazzling, effervescent nose and palate. Aromas begin with rose petal, ripe strawberries and fresh cream, leading into a palate with delicate red fruits and lovely effusive texture.

James Suckling - 90 Points

“A dry and creamy sparkling wine with cherries and peaches, as well as bitter-lemon character. Medium body. Friendly and delicious. Nice alternative to rosé Champagne. 80% cabernet franc.”

Trending Wine: Breaking Bread, Pét Nat

Pét Nat, short for Pétillant Naturel, is French for "natural sparkling." This method of making sparkling wine pre-dates the traditional champagne method, and instead transfers wine that is still in its first fermentation to the bottle, which allows the native yeast to continue fermentation within the bottle to produce carbon dioxide which creates the delicious bubbles we all love.

Passion fruit and Bing cherry come off the nose of this wine with a distinctive, wet gravel minerality. The palate on this wine evokes a traditional Champagne in weight and fineness of bubbles; however, the easy-drinking, fruit-forward youth of the wine makes it very quaffable.

Hossfeld Vineyards

We’re thrilled to announce that Hossfeld Vineyards is now carried by TWP Distribution! Hossfeld Vineyards is a family owned and operated, extreme hillside vineyard, perched high above the valley floor in the eastern hills of Napa Valley.  The Hossfeld family has been growing the five Bordeaux varietals at our vineyard estate since 1981.  Now under second generation leadership, they bring the same dedication to land stewardship and wine growing that has made the Napa Valley exceptional.  Their passion is producing superb quality grapes and wine while spicing up the valley with a ‘highlanders’ approach.

Andremily EABA (End All Be All)

Our featured wine this month is Andremily EABA, which stands for End All Be All. We carry both the 2018 and 2019 at TWP Distribution - read more about these deliciously decadent blends.

2019

The 2019 is a blend of 61% Syrah, 24% Mourvedre, 13% Grenache and is finished off with a splash of Viognier. The 2019 jumps from the glass offering loads of rich ripe blackberries, violets, charcuterie, pepper, and olive notes, possessing a rich full texture, super fine tannins, and a finish that goes on and on.

2018

The 2018 is a delicious blend of 59% Syrah, from Bien Nacido & Harrison-Clarke Vineyards, paired with 23% Mourvedre, and 15% Grenache, from Alta Mesa & Larner Vineyards, and finished off with a splash of Viognier for good measure. This beauty leaps from the glass offering a heady bouquet of black and blue fruits, white pepper, and herbs de provence.

Royal Prince Slam Dunk 2020

We’re kicking off the start of March Madness with Slam Dunk! Pure sun-ripened lusciousness, Slam Dunk showcases all the power and structure California has to offer. This lush, mega-hit blend knows how to turn up the volume!

Filled with aromas of dark plum, violet, shaved cocoa and black pepper. Long and persistent on the finish, the wine shows rich, polished tannins and an opulent care of soft vanilla oak.

Winemaker Carlo Mondavi, RAEN Winery

Carlo Mondavi, grandson of the renowned Robert Mondavi, is the proprietor of the Sonoma Coast’s RAEN Winery and of Sorì della Sorba in Barolo with his wife, Giovanna Bagnasco, who also comes from a prominent Italian winemaking family.

Carlo's grandfather Robert and his father, Tim, instilled in him a respect of nature, the land and how winegrowing is done from both a scientific and artistic perspective. His close connection to Mother Earth has inspired his dedication as a climate activist. Since 2017, Carlo noted that his harvests have been impacted by drought and wildfires - direct results of climate change. Wanting to make a difference with true action, Carlo and his his partners founded Monarch Tractors, a line of electric, driver-optional smart tractors that help make regenerative farming economical and effective. His ultimate goal is to stop the use of chemicals like herbicides and neoinciotinoids used in traditional farming methods.

Photo courtesy of Wine + Peace

RAEN Winery Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert Cuvee

RAEN Winery’s Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert Cuvee features aromas of fresh strawberry, crushed dark cherry and black plum fill the bowl. Wild berries, coastal rock and forest floor follow, delicately coming together with ripe, silky tannins and a bright acidity, giving way to a beautifully long persistent finish.

2020 Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon

The aromatics are effusive of freshly-baked mixed berry pie, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf, and sweet cacao nibs from the 60% new French Oak barrels. The wine's extended finish is enveloped with a welcoming intensity of medium-fine tannin.