All I can say is "Get it while it's hot" because this one will go VERY
quickly. Why? This is Chris Ringland's first winemaking foray north
of the Equator and is an INSTANT collectable...a Napa Valley Cabernet
and Merlot called "Green Lion" for only $215.00/Case (6 bottles of
each)
Guys, wait till you see the label on this one...Remarkable!!!
South Australia's Wizard Winemaker Chris Ringland flew the big Silver
Bird all the way to North America's Napa Valley to grace us with his
mystical knack of turning wine into Gold. May I present his first two
offerings; 2005 "Green Lion" 100% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and
Napa Merlot...case of 12 (6 of each) $215.00...Over 10% Discount off
S.R.P.
It's hard to ignore averages like these...regardless of your opinion
of wine critics...
Check out Robert Parker's initial reviews of Chris Ringland's "R"
Winery Reds...it's pretty impressive. One "93", one "95", one "96",
one "98", two "99"s and FOUR "100"S. If you're keeping score, that's
an average of "98" points in TEN vintages. Even more impressive is
the average "93" point rating of the following FIFTY "R" wines which
he reviewed.
The magical Green Lion is Chris's first Napa offering
Chris teamed up with American Dan Philips (a well respected Aussie
wine authority, marketing genius and importer) to form "R Winery".
The company encompasses four familiar (to our readers anyway) labels,
Marquis Philips, 3 Rings, Roogle and Bitch along with 13 others
created especially for R wines. The packaging for these wines is
amazingly creative and you owe it to yourself to read the witty back
labels but more importantly, it's what's IN the bottle that counts and
these wines consistently OVER deliver from the low end to the
stratosphere (his "Longitude" Shiraz retails at $1,000/Btl).
Ringland and his minions kept their eyes peeled on the Napa Valley
from day one...this is not a wine which was "Phoned in" at any point.
(Maybe we should call this "NapOz"?)
2005 ranks as the largest grape harvest in Napa since 1997. Above
average cluster weight at harvest was the primary reason for the large
crop. Late in many north coast vintages, hot weather may quickly
reduce crop size by 20% simply through dehydration. In 2005 however,
moderate cool weather following veraison (the point at which grapes
turn from green to red) kept clusters fully hydrated. One key to
success in larger harvests is to insure the grapevine canopy is in
balance with the crop to insure even ripening. This requires a pricy
and labor-intensive oversight of the vineyards. Where crop levels
were not abused, the '05 reds show the same ripe, expressive fruit as
the famed vintage of 1997. The best wines are delicious from the
outset and will be delightful to drink at several points in the wine's
evolution of roughly 7-8 years before peaking.
"Food & Wine" compares the $19 Green Lion to the $70 Ladera...
The October 2007 issue of "Food & Wine" (the big wine issue...check it
out, it's well worth your time) printed a "Super Star vs. Super Steal"
feature. The copy begins with "The great wines of the world are
expensive and often hard to find, and (they should be) instantly
recognizable in the glass...at the same time, part of what makes a
great wine great is how well it expresses something larger than
itself...that is why it is possible to find-if you look hard,
enough-affordable wines that echo the characteristics of the truly
extraordinary." A terrific $20 Cabernet from an unknown property may
never achieve the complexity, depth and nuance of a top-level Napa
Cabernet but at the same time it can offer a hint, or MORE than a
hint, of what that much more expensive wine from the same general
region is like..."one trick for finding these bargains is to hunt for
famous grapes in unsung bottles." They then go on to compare the
Green Lion Napa Valley to the stunning Ladera Howell Mountain...
"This new Cabernet from Dan Philips (and Chris Ringland) is their
first foray into California-and a remarkable deal. Though not as
complex as the Ladera, It's juicy and bright, with similar black
currant notes" (They include photos' of both the Green Lion and
Ladera...you can't miss that label!)
Both the Cabernet and the Merlot are made from upper Napa Valley
vineyards mostly from the stretch of bale clay loam soils that extend
from Saint Helena to Calistoga. This region's fruit character shows
sweet raspberry and cassis fruit with moderate tannins. Ringland drew
structural elements from mountain sources, primarily Pritchard Hill
and Diamond Mountain. The wines are terrific representations of the
sub appellations of Napa valley and the ripe, harmonious fruit that
characterizes the 2005 vintage. Enjoy them now as they are classic
Napa Valley reds.
I think ya'll know by now that Chris can't make "thin" reds...every
wine he puts his signature on is BIG, complex, richly extracted and
powerful; a bang-for-your-buck beauty.
The Cabernet is full-bodied and sports that identifiable balance
inherent to the '05 vintage in Napa...that is, gorgeous blackberry,
ripe cherry and cassis fruit along with a hint of tar and licorice all
paired with integrated tannins and a rich, textured finish. The
Merlot is (typically of the Ringland style) hardly a wimp; ripe, rich,
deep and complex with black cherry and cocoa flavors followed by a
moderate zest of oak. They match well with red meats, stews,
roasts, full-bodied cheeses and Choucroute.
The FAX...100% Napa fruit from several old-vine properties in the
northern portion of the valley. Both the Cabernet and the Merlot were
aged in a mixture of French and American oak barrels for 16 months.
It would be a shame not to (at least try) describe this label because
it's a doozey. Here I go... A huge Green lion with yellow eyes and
red mouth holding (in his left paw) a golden trophy with a red-winged
warrior inside holding what appears to be a soccer ball. In his right
paw he grips a golden chalice with an Eagle tucked inside its wings
flapping about while it holds in its beak a gold medal. In the lower
left corner there is an owl in a purple dress (or chain mail) holding
a cricket bat and a red fish...in the lower right there is a monk
holding what appears to be a scale; there is an American Eagle in the
center below the Green Lion and a red heart with an eye in the middle
kind of like the one on a dollar bill. Fancy script on top reads
"Green Lion" in yellow, on the bottom "Cabernet Sauvignon" in red with
a tiny 2005 "Napa" in the center. Like I said...it's a doozey.
Due to our long-time support of the R Winery products I was able to
get the price down to $215/Case (average price of $17.92/Bottle).
(The SRPs' on the wines - $22.50 and $18.00)
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