Ghost Pines

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St. Francis Wild Oak Chardonnay 2005

The varietal: 100% Chardonnay

Why you should buy it: It’s about as Burgundian a California wine as you’re likely to encounter. The combination of an uncommonly cool growing season and some nifty tricks with malolactic fermentation resulted in a very crisp wine that is high in acidity.

What it tastes like: Tropical fruits, butter, lemon, a little vanilla…there’s lots of stuff going in there, baby!

What to serve it with: How about some grapes? Or is that just plain mean?

Say this and sound smart: The barrels this wine was stored in were stirred by hand three times a week to enrich the wine with viscous manoproteins and polysaccharides released from the fermentation lees.

The price: $25



Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

The blend: 80% cabernet sauvignon, 7% syrah,4% petite verdot, 4% malbec, 4% merlot

Why you should buy it: This new venture sources fruit from vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties … plus, did you see all those varietals in the blend – these guys are WORKING IT!

What it tastes like: If blueberry pancakes smothered in Aunt Jemima syrup were a wine instead of a delicious breakfast dish, it would taste like this. The Ghost Pines cab is a big fat dense beefy red that you can totally jam out to. Jam? Get it?

What to serve it with: Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.

Say this and sound smart: A Ghost, or Grey Pine, is a tree indigenous to Northern California.

The price: $23
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