right time...
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The numbers just work.
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I’ve swum across oceans of wine and have come to some conclusions. The first rule is this: A great bottle of wine doesn’t stand on its technical data. When a wine is well made and is priced fairly, then the logic is in plain view. Do the math.
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Here’s the formula:
- Top-
quality vineyards with proven results. - Modern winemaking practices.
- Plenty of collective brainpower and experience.
- Fair and transparent pricing.
(Simple math, really.)
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In the European tradition, I make wines to act as condiments, to encourage a wholistic
approach to dining. This produces bottles that can be consumed over the course of
several days. In July 2011, I blind tasted a group on a freshly-
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Simple Math is about being prudent and grateful, employing the Golden Rule. It’s
about forming a community in which everything’s done sustainably, from viticulture
to paperpushing, from cleaning and trucking to marketing, pricing, investing and
networking. It’s about breaking the wine talk down to one important thing -
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I hope you enjoy the output, even if it seems a little scarce. Those who’ve never
heard of “that one winery with the pi symbol” invariably love the wines when they
taste them. Sommeliers and restaurateurs embrace them stylistically. If you’re a
wine geek, look at the fruit. I source from Windsor Oaks, Sapphire Hill, Green Island,
Sangiacomo, Gap’s Crown, Pepper Bridge, Judge -
...right place, right time...
Current/Upcoming Events....
You could be the host of a private winemaker dinner. For details...
Feb 4, 2012 -
Past....in case you wonder where we met?
Nov 21 -
Dec 8th -
Nov 5th -
Oct 25 -
Oct 18 -
Oct 15-
Oct 13-
Oct 8 -
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Aug 21+22 -
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May 13th: Finished a red blend for Mustard’s Grill in Yountville.
May 11th -
April 21st -
March 9th & 10th -
February 26th -
February 19th -
This Just In....
Feb 4, 2012 -
Get an advance ticket (there are coupon rewards for doing so)...
Get a sampler bottle along with 5 other “Hidden Gems” to make a six-
Accolades:
These wines sell out faster than I take the time to submit to competitions. The best critics in the world are consumers. However, here’s some of what has gone on in the wine trade:
2010 Pinot Noir Windsor Oaks Vineyard Russian River Valley -
October 2011 -
2007 Convex Sonoma County – Outstanding. $30 3 stars
This wine is made with 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache sourced from three different Sonoma County Vineyards. Only 40 cases were produced and released early this year. It is a really nice Syrah blend with balance and flavor. Dark in color with just a tinge of amber at the edge the wine has a perfume of plums and spice with a faint smokiness. It has lots of fruit on the palate and shows lots of fruit with depth and very nice structure. It drinks beautifully now and should age very well.
2008 Locus Monte Rosso Vineyard, Sonoma Valley – Outstanding. $50 3 stars
The grapes for this wine came from Sonoma Valley’s Monte Rosso vineyard atop Moon Mountain in the Mayacamas range. The vineyards were planted here in the1880s. The wine is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Cabernet Franc, and 11% Syrah. Only 40 cases were produced. The wine is dark in color and has a great perfume of plums, berries and spice. The wine is structured and has depth and balance. There are layers of fruit that shows great purity and complex flavor nuances of spice and chocolate with an intriguing exotic tinge. This is a terrific wine that should evolve beautifully over time.
2010 Pinot Noir Windsor Oaks Vineyard Russian River Valley – Highly Recommended. $38 2 stars
Made from 100% Hillside Pinot Noir, there are only 73 cases of this Pint Noir. It was bottled in late June. The wine has a deep color and a great perfume of plum, spice and fig. It has lots of flavor and it quite rich with plum like fruit and an underlying spiciness with some tannin on the finish.
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Industry notables who likes these wines:
David Ramey (winemaker: Petrus, Dominus, Ramey, Rudd, Chalk Hill, Matanzas Creek)
Russell Bevan (winemaker: Showket, Dry Stack)
Victoria De Crescenzo (winemaker: Bevan Cellars)
Stephanie Trotter-
Tobe Sheldon (vintner: Sheldon wines)
Veronica Barclay (vintner: Barclay & Browning Wines)
Nils Venge (winemaker: Saddleback Cellars, Venge Family Winery, Plumpjack, Groth, Envy, Del Dotto)
Katie Wilson (chef: Auberge du Soleil, Katie’s Catering)
Adriano Paganini (restaurateur -
Thad Vogler (restaurateur
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Chris Beerman (restaurateur/chef -
Bill Sleeth -
Now, competitions and such:
2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot -
The Pinot Report is edited by Greg Walter (14 years with the Wine Spectator and eventually
becoming its president from 1988-
‘08 Napa and Sonoma Coast pinots each earned a Silver Medal at the 9th Annual Pinot Shootout.
2007 Sonoma County Cab earned a Gold Medal at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition. And it pulled 88 points from The Connoisseur’s Guide to CA Wine.
The Tasting Panel calls Simple Math Cellars Most Likely to Succeed in its “Class of 2010 roundup”, with regard to the ‘08 Napa Valley Cab. 90 points.
...from the American Wine Society’s 2010 commercial competition...
A tough one. East coast palates are demanding, and this native New Yorker should know! All judges are rigorously trained and totally impartial. I sent the whole inaugural release and got:
3 bronze medals and 2 “bronze-
Wine Enthusiast chimes in...
Napa Valley ‘08 Pinot -
