Lionheart Wines
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Tasting Notes

 Current Releases

 2006 The Angel's Share -- Saralee's Vineyard, White Rhone blend, Russian River Valley

Our first version of Angel Share is a blend of Marsanne (65%), Rousanne (30%) and Viognier (5%) from the Saralee's vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The wine has been aged in 25% French oak barrel to help the flavors marry and develop a nice level of complexity.

The wine is a deep lemon green color with noticable long thick legs.  The wine has a medium+ intensity nose of mineral, green fruit (green apple, kiwi, crenshaw melon and Asian pear), sweet spice, hint of black tea, and some white floral characteristics. The wine has a tart medium+ acidity, medium+ length and medium+ intensity flavors of grapefruit, green apple, mineral, hazelnuts, pears and vanilla.

Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.73
TA: 4.7 grams/liter
Bottling Date: December 3, 2007
Release Date: December 20, 2007
Total Produced: 25 Cases

2006 Syrah, Santa Barbara County

This Syrah is a blend of Syrah from three vineyards -  Stophlman and White Hawk vineyards in Santa Barbara county with a bit of Teldeschi Dry Creek Valley.  The wine is fruiter and jammier than the 2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah.

The wine is a bright, opaque ruby/violet with ruby rim color.  The wine has a clean pronounced intensity nose with aromas of black olive, jam, raspberry, baking spices(clove, allspice), orange peel, mineral, dark cherry, earth, smoke, hint of coffee/espresso, vanilla, violets, and pomegranate.  The wine has a tart medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, medium soft, fine-grained tannins with medium+ intensity flavors matching the aromas, and espresso with orange peel on the medium+ finish.   

Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.1 %
pH: 3.78
TA: 6.4 g/l

Bottling Date: March 13, 2008
Release Date: June 28, 2008
Total Produced: 37 Cases

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 

This is a blend of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Shikon, Vineyard X and Stagecoach vineyards plus a small amount of Napa Valley Merlot.  Shikon vineyard provides powerful, fruit aromatics while the Stagecoach vineyard provides excellent mid-palate and ageworthy refined tannic backbone. Vineyard X provides expressive, ripe fruit with an affinity for new oak aging.

The wine is easily identifiable as a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon due to the opaque ruby/black color and medium+ intensity nose of espresso, black olives, black and red currants, tobacco, plum, dark cherry, violets, blue berry and a hint of green leafiness. On the palate, the wine shows high acidity, medium+ length, medium+ fine-grained tannins with an pronounced intensity flavors of: black olive, espresso, black currant, white and black cracked pepper, tobacco, warm spices and an espresso red fruit finish.

Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.75%
pH: 3.76
TA: 7.0 grams/liter
Bottling Date: 
May 19, 2008

Release Date: 
June 28, 2008
Total Produced: 36 Cases

2006 Roaring Red - Proprietary Red Blend

Roaring Red is a proprietary value blend of quality red wines for your everyday meals.  The blend will vary from year to year depending on each vintages variation.  This year's blend includes Cabernet Sauvignon from four vineyards and Syrah from two vineyards.  It is an easy drinking red wine best served with Mediterranean food over the next couple of years.

The wine is a deep ruby/red hue; the medium+ intensity layered perfumed nose has earthy, espresso, black fruit (plum, black olive, cassis) and red fruits; on the palate, medium body, structured wine with velvety tannins showing aroma matching flavors ending in a long espresso and cassis finish.

Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.6%
pH: 3.8
TA: 6.8 grams/liter
Bottling Date: May 19, 2008
Release Date: June 28, 2008
Total Produced: 26 Cases
 

2007 The Angel's Share -- Saralee's Vineyard, White Rhone blend, Russian River Valley

This blend of Marsanne (66%), Rousanne (33%), and Viognier (1%) is an elegant, unique, almost "ethereal" wine - a secret to share with intimate friends on a warm summer day.  

Pronounced aromas of lemon, lime, mineral, white floral, hint of black tea, pear, kiwi, sweet spices and matching flavors with the addition of hazelnut with a creamy texture are layered over a firm acidity core mellowed by barrel aging in nearly neutral French oak for 8 months allowing the flavors to marry and develop enjoyable complexity.  50% of the Marsanne did not go through malolactic fermentation to help retain the natural acidity.  The wine was bottled early to retain the bright and lovely fruit characteristics.  The wine will improve in bottle over the next 2 to 3 years.

Leon recommends it with crab cakes, tequila chicken, shellfish, avocado chutney, seafood salad with viniagrette dressing, ceviche, or something a little bit spicy!

Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.14%
pH: 3.58
TA: 6.8 grams/liter
CO2: 715
Bottling Date: June 20, 2008
Release Date: July 19, 2008
Production: 74 cases

2007 McGinley Vineyard, Roussanne, Santa Barbara County

The warm afternoons and cool evening at McGinley Vineyard allow for a long growing season resulting in finely balanced fruit with rich flavors and excellent acidity.  The wine is barrel fermented and aged in a neutral French oak with 100% malolactic fermentation for an excellent creamy mouth feel.

The Roussanne is made with a delicious twist: lemon-green color; pronounced tropical aromas of key lime pie, pineapple, apricot, orange blossoms, pear, floral and Meyer lemon; flavors build upon the aromas adding oranges over a balanced acidity and creamy mouth-filling texture reminiscent of a cool dessert on a hot summer night. 

Leon recommends serving this wine with grilled fish and pineapple kabobs, tropical fruit compote, pork dishes, Hawaiian pizza or key lime pie.  It is ready to drink now with potential to age 2 to 4 years.

Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.47%
pH: 3.69
TA: 5.7 grams/liter
CO2: 800
Bottling Date: June 20, 2008
Release Date: July 19, 2008
Production: 26 cases

2007 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 

We love Pinot Noir as it a highly versatile food wine!  The best Pinot Noir is made from a blend of many clones to get layered complexity in the wine.  We cofermented clones 115 with 828 and 667 with 777 to give balanced blending components resulting in a wine with excellent fruit, tannins and acidity.   

This Pinot Noir is an opaque violet and ruby color; intense aromas of candied rose petals, smoke, earth, boysenberry, black and red cherry, currants, raspberry, allspice; flavors integrated with soft tannins matching the aromas adding blue berry with a long tart finish of strawberry and red cherry. 

Leon recommends serving this wine with sage rubbed turkey, duck burgers, braised lamb, and Osso Bucco.  It is ready to drink now but will improve with bottle age for the next 3 to 5 years.

Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.61%
pH: 3.5
TA: 6.5 g/l
Bottling date: July 29, 2008
Release date: estimated mid-November, 2008

2008 Rose, Sangiovese (33%)/Syrah (67%), Santa Barbara (2/19/2009)

Appearance: light violet core with ruby rim
Nose: clean, medium intensity with flavors of strawberry, slight bubblegum, pomegranite, red currant, black cherry
Palate: off-dry sweetness; medium+ acidity; light tannins; medium+ length, flavors of pomegranite, strawberry, red currant; medium+ alcohol

The rose is very good, balanced in aroma/flavor intensity with a complex, layered array of aromas and flavors.  The wine will be best served slightly chilled and enjoyed on a warm day/evening.  The rose will go very well salmon, most fish and chopped salads.

Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.17%
pH: 3.62
TA: 5.5 g/l
Bottling date: February 25, 2009
Release date: estimated May, 2009

2007 White Hawk Vineyard, Sangiovese, Santa Barbara (1/21/2009) 

Appearance: opaque ruby/purple core transitioning to ruby rim
Nose: clean, medium+ intensity; Marischino cherry, blue fruit, dried flowers, lavendar, sour cherry
Palate: medium soft tannins; medium+ length, medium alcohol; high acidity; cranberry, pomegranite, sour cherry, dried herbs, dark cherry

Blending notes: The final blend is 92% of the 07, 5% of the 08 Sangiovese and 3% of the 07 Young-Inglewood Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

2007 Teldeschi Vineyard, Syrah, Dry Creek Valley(1/21/2009) 

Appearance: opaque ruby/purple core transitioning into a purple rim
Nose: clean, medium+ intensity; earthy, black olive, slight floral, dark cherry, baking spices (allspice)
Palate: acidity: medium+; tannins: medium+ slightly chewy, length: long; flavors = blackberry, floral, mineral, black currant, olive temenade, pomegranite

Blending notes: The blended new and neutral barrels of syrah were blended with 6% 07 Eaglepoint Vineyard, Grenache, Mendocino and 3% 07 Catie's Corner, Viognier, Russian River Valley.  The grenache adds a lift to aromatics and adds spice flavor characteristics while the viognier enhances the aromatics with floral and mineral elements.

Future wines  

2008 The Angel's Fare, Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier,  Saralee's Vineyard, Russian River Valley

The wine has been bottled in shiners awaiting the labels to be printed.  I will be preparing the label romance label shortly -- need to let the wine settle a bit in the bottle. 

The chemistry on the wine is as follows:
FSO2 = 32 ppm
TA = 5.3 grams/liter
pH = 3.40
RS = 0.0 grams/liter
ML = 0.99 grams/liter
VA = 0.49 grams/liter
ABV = 13.92%
CO2 = 830 mg/l

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