2006 Spelletich Cellars SPELLwine Spellonu Red
Mission Codename: Blending Spells
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Revisit Spellwines, at Spelletich Cellars, and acquire their budget-minded 2006 Spellonu a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Spellwine the new generation of Spelletich Cellars
Wine Subject: 2006 Spellwines Spellonu (Spell on you)
Winemaker: Kristen and Barbara Spelletich
Winery Backgrounder: Today’s wine represents the new generation of wines from our friends at Spelletich Cellars. Guided by Kristen, the daughter of winemaker Barbara Spelletich, Spellwines are an exciting addition to the Spelletich lineup.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Dark garnet, with an opaque core and bold burgundy edges. After swirling the wine, tall, skinny legs start high up on the glass wall, before moving slowly downward.
Smell – Spiced black cherry candy, blackberry, dried cranberry, soft spice and sweet oak. These sit atop subtle dried violets, earth and young strawberry.
Feel – Plush and grippy across the entry, this wine moves quickly across the mid palate, gradually settling onto the entire palate, spreading a soft dryness from edge to edge.
Taste – Dark and dense, with overripe blackberry, smoky plum, braised fig, black cherry and boysenberry. These flavors gradually yield to dried violets, cocoa dust, dark bakers chocolate and spice.
Finish – Bold and full of flavor, the dark fruit goes medium-long, to be gradually replaced by spice, dark dried flowers, minerals and chocolate.
Conclusion – Decant this shy wine for best flavors and aromatics. Decant for at least thirty minutes, or spin it vigorously in your glass and be rewarded with more natural fruit flavors and richer, dark fruit aromas. This blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot fuses an intriguing blend of dark character from the cab, with brightness from the Merlot. The combination makes for a very flavorful wine that is also very food-friendly. Pair with a hearty stew or a grilled t-bone steak.
Mission Report:
WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER
SUBJECT: Barbara Spelletich
WINE EDUCATION: UC Davis
CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Cork & Bottle, Seattle Washington, Retail Store Manager. Taught Wine Classes, wine tasting and cheese; St. Michelle, Woodinville, Washington, Retail Sales Manager, Public Events, Tasting Room Zephyr Imports, Owner; Imported wines from Italy, France, Germany, Spain & Portugal; Whitwhams, Responsible for US sales. We were negociants for Cru Classe Bordeaux, Ports & Burgundies. Offices in Manchester England & Cenon, Bordeaux; St. Clement, St. Helena, CA National Sales Manager; Spelletich Cellars, Owner & Winemaker
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: As natural as possible.
WINEMAKER QUOTE: ” I do want to manipulate wine. I want to harvest when ripe, ferment cool to capture the fruit essence and age until the wine is ready to be bottled. The most important feature of my wine is that it smell and taste of the grapes it was made from. Simple.”
FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: Bodog Red 1993, Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 & Chardonnay 1994. All Napa Valley.
WINEMAKER INTERVIEW
AGENT RED: Greetings, Barbara. Welcome back! We are thrilled to be showing your 2006 Spellwines Spellonu Blend today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.
BARBARA SPELLETICH: I’m happy to be back with you, Red.
RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?
BARBARA: Yes, a trip to California when I was 18 years old. I tasted Cabernet Sauvignon at a dinner and that was it!
RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?
BARBARA: The list is long as I imported wine from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal & Spain for years. Angelo Gaja taught me to not compromise, Signore Gentini taught me to blend, Egon Mueller taught me to plant the right clone of grapes and keep the vines healthy. Each of the wines I exported to my company, Zephyr Imports, in Seattle Washington had a story, a style, a commitment to excellence & a creative curve.
RED: Who do you make wine for?
BARBARA: I make wine for customers. I make wines that are great with food. So my customers are also foodies who like wine. Same me & my family & friends.
- RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today.
- BARBARA: This is our 2006 Spellonu.. it has nothing to do with Harry Potter…or witching.. Kristen wanted to make a fun blend and call it what I wanted.. it’s a silly joke between us.. but it’s really plays into the SPELL.. like our last name.
RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?
WINEMAKER: This wine goes with about everything.. but my favorite would be.. I made an amazing turkey the other night, with sweet caramelized unions and a sweet mustard with spinach. It was amazing and they were perfect match.
RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?
BARBARA: Well, we are racking all 2011 wines right now and I am playing catch up we decided to take almost all of December off and it was great.. but now I am planning 2012 – and hoping to kick ass!!
RED: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?
BARBARA: Use your nose first. As a winemaker, I love the smell of wine. So the aroma is the first sense of any wine we taste. I like to swirl my wine to open it up and then take my first sip and roll this around my mouth a bit before I swallow. Sometimes we need to let a wine open up and show its personality before we really get it. Take your time with wine. The wait is worth it.
RED: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
BARBARA: Taste wines you have never tried before. You will fall in love. Again.
RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The approximate location of the Spelletich Cellarscan be seen in this satellite photo.
