Latest / Sips, Suds, & Smokes / Is Hope a leadership style?

Transcript

Is Hope a leadership style? · Sips, Suds, & Smokes

• 0:00
  > Announcer>On the next episode of Sips, Suds.
• 0:02
  > Brent>And Smokes, here are the wines we're going to be discussing today. So we are going to be discussing the Austin Paso Robles Chardonnay Barrel 23, the Quest Cabernet Franc 23, the Triana Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 23, the Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2023. And from Alpha Omega, we have the Alpha Omega Cabernet sauvignon Huy Vineyard 2022, and the Alpha Ome Omega Era Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022.
• 0:38
  > Brent>Yeah, that doesn't. Yeah, I am, um, very aroused.
• 0:43
  > Brent>What's the guy with the F35 crash say? I'm telling you, Paso's killing him. And, uh, to the listeners, I've been.
• 0:52
  > Maury>Saying that for a while.
• 0:53
  > Announcer>We'll be right back after this. Brought to you almost live from the dude in the basement studios.
• 1:21
  > Announcer>Why? Because that's where the good stuff is. It sips, suds and smokes with your smoke and host the good old boys. M. And now it's sipping.
• 1:59
  > Brent>Hey. Yes. It's seven time again. Welcome to this SIPS episode where everything good in life is worth discussing.
• 2:05
  > Bob>Absolutely.
• 2:07
  > Brent>Pretty good day.
• 2:08
  > Bob>Very good day.
• 2:09
  > Maury>Nice day.
• 2:10
  > Brent>Any day that we're drinking good wine is a good day. So it was Made Man Bob joining me today, or good old boy Justin. Pleasure to be here, Bob and Made Man. Morning.
• 2:19
  > Maury>I am, um, excited to be here, Bob, in the basement. I will even put up with the dampness.
• 2:25
  > Brent>It is a good day in the basement. I keep the wine down here. It's nice and it's damp and it keeps the corks happy. So. Well, our sip segments are all about wine, distilled spirits, tea and coffee.
• 2:36
  > Brent>And here are the wines we're going to be discussing today. So we are going to be discussing the Austin paso Robles Chardonnay Barrel 23, the Quest Cabernet Franc 23, the Triana Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 23, the Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon Passerel Blaze 2023. And, uh, from Alpha Omega, we have the Alpha Omega Cabernet sauvignon Huyi Vineyard 2022, and the Alpha Omega era Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon 2022. Yeah, that doesn't. Yeah, I am, um, very aroused. What's the guy with the F35 craft say? Yeah. Yeah. So we're going to be tasting and discussing these fantastic wines and uh, rating them with our signature sound. So, Justin, why don't you pick one of one of our one to five sips and tell us about it.
• 3:36
  > Bob>Okay. Two sips. Nice Bubbles, but what else do you have?
• 3:42
  > Brent>Well, isn't that nice? Boy, we're old. We know who bubbles a chimp is. All right, well, Justin, why don't you go ahead and read, um, us all with this fantastic information about the Hope, uh, family.
• 4:00
  > Bob>Happy to do it. When the Hope family came to Paso Robles 1978 to grow apples and grapes, the area was little known and sparsely populated. But my, how has that changed? Paso Robles is now known in the winemaking world as one of the fastest growing wine regions in the U.S. the Hope family began making Paso Robles wines in 1996 when Austin Hope took the helm of the family operation. The Hopes have always been avid champions of Paso Robles.
• 4:34
  > Bob>They helped establish the Paso Robles AVA as well as the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. They also helped spearhead the recognition of the region's 11 sub AVAs, which further elevated the region's status on the global stage. They grow grapes in their estate vineyard located in the west side Templeton Gap district, and also source fruit from one of the many Paso Robles top vineyards. When Bob and I got to visit there the other day, I think the only regret we had is we didn't have a couple more days.
• 5:07
  > Brent>Yeah, Paso is fantastic. If you want to take a trip to wine country, I highly recommend it.
• 5:11
  > Maury>It's on my list.
• 5:14
  > Bob>We're going to talk about Austin. Paso Robles Chardonnay barrel 23, 13 and a half percent alcohol by volume, 92% Chardonnay, 5% Marsan, 2% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Viognier 20 barrel fermented and 74% in stainless steel. The fruit is sourced from three districts within the Paso Robles AVA.
• 5:40
  > Bob>The San Juan Creek district, Creston district, and the Pomar district. Chardonnay grapes were whole cluster pressed into stainless steel tanks for cold settling at 30 degrees. The juice was then racked off the heavy lees into French oak barrels 26% and stainless steel tanks 74% for fermentation. The barrel fermented portion saw eight months of surly aging and the barrels were stirred monthly during the first three months to enhance the creamy nature of the wine. The blend was assembled in June of 2024 and bottled of September of 2024. On the nose I got like kind uh, of a Coppertone lotion note on the palate. I got Limoncello and the finish for me was oaky and smooth. Maury, what did you think?
• 6:35
  > Maury>Yeah, I really liked this wine. I thought it had just the right amount of malolactic fermentation.
• 6:41
  > Maury>It had a little hint of buttery and a little hint of oak. It was not to the extent of being cougar juice. Uh, I thought it was really nicely balanced. It was very enjoyable. I think for the price it's pretty unbeatable and I really thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the tropical notes on the nose. It's got a, a nice pale yellow color on the palette. Lots of melon, tropical flavors, some crisp acidity, hint of lemon zest. Finish was medium to long. I really thoroughly enjoyed this.
• 7:08
  > Maury>I really couldn't find anything negative to say about it.
• 7:12
  > Brent>I think it's absolutely delicious. It's um, you know, this is their entry level Chardonnay, you know, screw cap. Entry level. And a very well made wine.
• 7:21
  > Maury>Hey, good against screw caps.
• 7:23
  > Brent>I don't, I actually prefer them. I've never had a screw cap go bad in my life and I have lost so many good wines over the years. Faulty corks.
• 7:32
  > Maury>There are some high end wines. Plum check comes to mind. That does. Screw cap and uh, and cork and uh, you know, it used to imply bottom shelf. But I think today you should not be put off by the screw cap.
• 7:43
  > Brent>It's, it's, it's a lovely wine. Um, on this I don't get the copper tone, I don't get the coconut. Um, I definitely get the pineapple and.
• 7:53
  > Maury>The pineapple and the tropical fruit notes. I agree. San's coconut really is. Yeah, he's otherwise spot on.
• 7:59
  > Brent>Yeah, there's pineapple in here. Brioche, sweet warm tropical fruit. On the palate. Mhm. On the palate it's melons, tropical fruit. The acidity on this is very well balanced. I really enjoy it. Um, you know, it's, it's just enough. Gets the mouth watering, but it's not overpowering. Um, there's a nice lemon hint of Myers lemon hint in on the palate as well as on the nose. Um, it's got a pretty color to it, you know, very, very bright.
• 8:33
  > Brent>Um, you know, really well done. I mean for, you know, again, for an entry level Chardonnay, I think this one's a winner. Um, you know, is it, is it the best Chardonnay we've had? No. But is it a good chardonnay? Absolutely.
• 8:47
  > Maury>It's delicious and really very perfectly serviceable. I would never pour it out of my glass.
• 8:52
  > Brent>Oh yeah, you will. Straight down your gullet. I know you, so we're gonna give the option.
• 8:59
  > Maury>Don't tell anyone.
• 8:59
  > Brent>Yeah, I know. Well, I'm not telling. I'm not telling your wife. Don't worry about it. The Austin Passa robley Chardonnay barrel 23. A well deserved three sips.
• 9:10
  > Maury>Interesting.
• 9:14
  > Brent>So let's have Maury tell us about our next wine from the folks at.
• 9:18
  > Maury>Uh, thank you, Bob. So Quest is also another property owned by the Hope family or Austin Hope family, uh, vineyards. Uh, this is the Quest Cabernet Franc 2023, coming in at 14.5% ABV. It is 100. Yes, you heard that right, folks. 100% Cabernet franchise. This fruit is.
• 9:41
  > Brent>Thank you.
• 9:41
  > Maury>You read my mind on that sound effect. Thank you.
• 9:43
  > Maury>Thank you. Thank you, Bob. The fruit is harvested and fermented individually by vineyard lots and then aged nine months in used American oak lots, were racked twice during barrel aging, blended together, and put into 65% new American oak barrels for an additional three months, for a total time in oak of 12 months. The fruit came from the Creston district at 1100 foot elevation, the Genesco district, 1100 foot elevation, and the San Juan Creek district at 1200ft of elevation.
• 10:15
  > Maury>Quest was originally a blend of Cab Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. As they learned with microclimates and Paso Robles were best suited to make the best Cabernet Franc. They adjusted the blend each year, and this 2023 vintage marks the first 100% Cabernet Franc release. So with that, this is a beautiful, dark, brooding, purple, inky, opaque wine. It just is dense in the glass. On the nose, it's got just unbelievable notes of cassis and BlackBerry and a hint of graphite. And we'll be back.
• 10:59
  > Brent>Hey. And we're back. And Maury was just giving us his thoughts on the Cabernet Franc. There you go.
• 11:07
  > Maury>Uh, so the Cabernet Franc, as I was saying from Quest, is really interesting and delicious. Number one, Cab Franc, for those of you who are not aware, is typically used as a blending grape. It's often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and sometimes in other Bordeaux blends. It's relatively rare to find it as a pure, especially 100% cabernet franc.
• 11:28
  > Brent>But I love it.
• 11:29
  > Maury>It is great.
• 11:30
  > Brent>I absolutely love Cabernet Franc.
• 11:32
  > Maury>Very polarizing. It's either done well and it's fantastic, or it's terrible.
• 11:35
  > Brent>Yeah, there's an error. There's not an in Between.
• 11:36
  > Brent>But when you get one that's done well, it's. It's such a great grape on its own, and it's starting to come forward. You're starting to see more and more people do it 100%.
• 11:45
  > Maury>This is a beautiful, viscous mouthfeel. It's palate coating, it goes down nice. The finish is medium. I've got nothing but good things to say about this wine. I really think, uh, I'm quite frankly honored and happy to have tried, because it's not one that was in my wheelhouse or on my radar. But if you see the Quest Cabernet Franc 2023, uh, remember, only the 23 is 100% Cabernet Franc. I would buy it and enjoy it. Just give it some air and time in the glass.
• 12:14
  > Brent>Be patient.
• 12:14
  > Maury>Let it come up to room temperature. I think you'll be rewarded. Justin, what did you think?
• 12:19
  > Bob>This expression, for me had great structure and balance. Um, the mouthfeel was incredible. And we've had this bottle open for a few hours now, and there's no degradation.
• 12:34
  > Brent>Yeah, no.
• 12:35
  > Bob>In the structure of balance. So you could drink this by the fire pit. Four hours, and you're gonna enjoy the last sip as much as the first. That's my thoughts.
• 12:47
  > Maury>These Californian wines are all.
• 12:54
  > Brent>So good. I miss him. Yeah. Hans Gruber. We miss you, buddy. Yeah. This is a lovely one. I mean, I.
• 13:02
  > Brent>I've been a C. Frank fan for a long time. Um, it's just now really starting to come out. I mean, finding a cab Frank was hard, you know, even just five or six years ago. Um, but you're seeing a lot more people, you know, coming out with Cobb Frank, say, maybe not 100%, but, you know, 80, 90% confront, um, with the climate change. It's a great grape. It tolerates the heat better. In fact, it does better in the hotter climates. I mean, in the colder climates, it tends to turn a little bit. For me, you get too much of the green pepper on it for me, when it's in too cold of a climate. But the warmer it is, you know, it. It.
• 13:45
  > Brent>It holds up. So if climate changes, you know, continues, and it's a thing and all that. I, uh, think you might see more and more Cub Frank getting bottled on its own. But. But this one's extremely well done. We got to try this. When we were out in Paso at Austin Hope, um, the peppers are there, but they're just right where they need to be. Getting on the nose. There's dark red fruit. That pepper is on the back palette, green, uh, and red peppers, um, you know, a really nice backbone. The tannin on it is just right where it needs to be. This is a very, a very, very good Cabernet franc.
• 14:29
  > Maury>Yeah, I think this will go a mile, miles and miles, but it's certainly drinkable now, as long as you give it a little time to aerate and come up to room temperature.
• 14:38
  > Brent>It was tight when we opened it.
• 14:39
  > Maury>Yeah.
• 14:40
  > Brent>And I had aerated it, but.
• 14:41
  > Maury>And I think you can hide some of the flaws with some of the blending. It's even harder to do a great cab FRANC when it's 100%.
• 14:46
  > Brent>Oh, yeah, that's. Yeah, well, that's, that's the thing. That's why I think a lot of people did, did them as blends, you know, where, you know, I mean, I don't mean a blend, you know, 50, 50. We're talking, you know, 90, 85, 90% Cobb Frank and a few others in there to fill in the holes. But yeah, it's, uh. And I've. I mean, I've had this one in past years and it was always a good one, but this one is really hitting it for me.
• 15:08
  > Maury>So, yeah, I've actually sort of raised my intention. When it first came out, I really thought this was more of a middle of the road 3.
• 15:14
  > Maury>But as it's sat in the glass over the last several hours and really opened and matured, I think it's, it's risen in its, uh, in its scores and in its.
• 15:23
  > Maury>My appreciation and complexity.
• 15:25
  > Brent>Yeah. Well, we're going to be giving the Quest Cabernet Franc 2023, a well deserved 4 SIPS.
• 15:31
  > Maury>That's classified.
• 15:33
  > Brent>So that takes you to our next wine from the Hope family people. And this is their Triana Cabernet sauvignon Passa Robles 2023. It's 14.5% ABV100 cabernet sauvignon AVAs Paso Robles. Extended macerations and carefully managed pumpovers enhanced, uh, the extraction of color and tannin.
• 15:56
  > Brent>The lots were aged separately for 10 months and a combination of 25% once and twice used French oak and 75% neutral French and American oak. The initial blend was assembled in early September 2024 and aged for an additional four months and 26% new French oak. The wine was racked only twice during its cellar life, with the final racking occurring just prior to bottling. So on the color here, it's got a nice deep garnet color in the center, edging out toward A light ruby on the rim.
• 16:32
  > Brent>On the nose, dark fruit, just a slight hint of oak. Just a little bit of a dusty note on for me on the tip of the nose and on the palette. Let's see. Mhm. On the palate, it's got a really nice mouth feel. Uh, black cherries, blackberries, plums, a little bit of a tobacco note, some old leather, kind of a dusty barn. And a pretty nice finish as well. This one stays with you for a little bit. I, I'm enjoying this.
• 17:19
  > Maury>You know, I agree with you Bob. I think it's, you hit all the points on it. Um, I agree with you 100% on the black fruit, the leather, etc. Uh, a little hint of black tea on the nose. But other than that I think you were spot on on on all the tasting notes. I agree. The feeding finish is medium to long. This uh, one too, you know, I, I was definitely a little less high on this wine when I first poured it. It was a little bit tight and as it sat in the glass for an extended period of time, this one probably, uh, I'm enjoying it even more. I'm really enjoying this. I think it's a beautifully made wine.
• 17:54
  > Brent>I think this one got a bigger change with time.
• 17:56
  > Brent>Yeah. Than the quest. Honestly.
• 17:59
  > Maury>I would say the same thing. I was thinking it was me, but uh, it's definitely improved. Justin.
• 18:07
  > Bob>Getting like a oolong tea note from it. I'm getting uh, faint fruit preserves. Um, the finish is very pleasant, very long and very mild.
• 18:20
  > Brent>Yeah, there's definitely a black tea in here.
• 18:22
  > Bob>Yeah, it's, it's a well refined, well refined expression.
• 18:29
  > Brent>Yeah, there's definitely a black tea. I, I don't get as much on the nose as I get it on the palate.
• 18:35
  > Brent>Mhm, mhm. On the back palate is where the tea comes in. Yeah, that's, that's really lovely. I'm, I'm enjoying that one a lot. So, so we're going to be uh, giving the Triana Cabernet sauvignon Paso Robles 2023. A well deserved four sips.
• 18:58
  > Maury>That's classified.
• 19:01
  > Brent>So that's going to take us to our next wine. I'm telling you, Paso's killing him. And uh, to the listeners, I've been.
• 19:08
  > Maury>Saying that for a while.
• 19:09
  > Brent>If you haven't been out, definitely go.
• 19:11
  > Maury>Not easy to get to, but worth the ride.
• 19:13
  > Brent>It's not easy to get to, but it is definitely worth the ride. And it's, and it's a beautiful drive. Whether you're coming down from San Fran or you're coming up from lax. But, uh, you know, beautiful country, beautiful drive, very laid back vibe. Um, a lot of great restaurants and, and all kinds of wineries making all kinds of different wines. It's, you know, it's not so. Napa makes Napa wine, Sonoma makes Sonoma wines. You know, it's, there's, there's a huge variety of wineries there. So, yeah, definitely hip Paso. And we'll be back. Talk about the last one. Hey, and we're back and we're just, we just finished talking about the Triana, uh, Cabernet Sauvignon Paso. And we're going to be talking about our last one from Paso.
• 19:57
  > Brent>We're going to have Maury. Uh, tell us about that one.
• 20:00
  > Maury>Thank you, Bob. This is the Austin Hope Cabernet sauvignon. Paso Robles 2023 comes in at a whopping 15% ABV. This one is Rick Flair.
• 20:12
  > Brent>Wax it.
• 20:12
  > Maury>Yeah. 100 cabernet sauvignon. Uh, this fruit is sourced from the Genesis, Geneseo, Estrella, Creston and Paso Roble Highlands, San Juan Creek and San Miguel districts. After harvesting the grapes, select vineyard lots were fermented individually in stainless steel tanks for 10 to 14 days. Extended macerations and carefully managed pumpovers enhanced the extraction of color and tannin. The lots were aged separately for 15 months in a combination of 25% once used and 75% two to three times used. French oak. The initial blend was assembled in January of 2025. As a whole, this blend was then aged an additional two months in 75% new and 25% once used. French oak.
• 21:01
  > Maury>The wine was racked just twice during its cellar life, with the final racking occurring just before bottling. This wine is special. It's got a dark, ruby color. It's just as opaque as you can imagine in the glass. On the nose, aromas, uh, of freshly picked black currants, ripe cherry, blackberries, and then some subtle hints of violets, mocha, even a little dried spice. On the palate, it's juicy fruit. Lots of cherry. Nuances of cedar, clove, nutmeg, and a hint of vanilla. There's perhaps even a hint of, uh, tobacco. The finish is long, smooth, full bodied. It's rich. The tannins are just soft and just caress your tongue and your palate. This wine is just delicious. It's got everything you want in a cab. It will rival some of the best of Napa Valley cabs. It's just ticking all the boxes for me. It's firing on all eight cylinders. And again, a wine I'm not particularly familiar with coming from Austin Hope, although I've had a number from Paso. This wine is delicious, and if you see it, grab it. You will not be disappointed. Justin, what'd you think?
• 22:18
  > Bob>So I got, uh, a lot of earthy notes from this. I got forest floor mushrooms.
• 22:25
  > Maury>You may use the further away nose technique. I put my nose right in the glass and got a lot of fruit.
• 22:30
  > Maury>But you and Harm were correct in that if you were to pull your glass much further away, you get some of those mushroomy umami earth floor notes. So thank you for bringing that up.
• 22:38
  > Bob>I also got star anise on the nose after time. And, uh, on the palate, I got, like, cedar, uh, cigar box. I got clove cigarettes, and, like, that Vanilla Bean coffee that, um, was, like, cinnamon.
• 22:57
  > Bob>Vanilla Bean coffee that Gavalia used to make in the late 80s, early 90s.
• 23:03
  > Maury>Are they gone?
• 23:05
  > Bob>Probably.
• 23:06
  > Brent>Well, because jerks went and got it and got the free thing but never bought anymore.
• 23:12
  > Bob>Oh, yeah, I resemble that.
• 23:14
  > Brent>Same reason why we don't have the people like you, why we don't have Columbia Record Club anymore, sir.
• 23:19
  > Bob>Yeah, yeah. You know, you could write. You void this contract. I'm 17 years old. And that. You don't get anything more from them after that.
• 23:27
  > Brent>Yeah, I'm so glad you put that.
• 23:30
  > Maury>Lot of greedy.
• 23:33
  > Bob>Oh, that was before the law degree, my friend. Uh.
• 23:39
  > Brent>Straight. Just. Just straight into the toilet. So.
• 23:43
  > Brent>All right, well, this one is dark. M. Dark, dark, dark. Ruby color. I mean, just beautiful color to it. It just. It coats the glass. Black currants, black cherries, plums, blackberries. Just a beautiful bunch of dark fruit in there. The violets definitely leap out that. That. Yeah, the violets. That floral nose is really nice on the palette.
• 24:18
  > Maury>Hold on. Hold my glass.
• 24:24
  > Brent>On the palate again. Cherries, plums, blackberries. Just a slight hint of oak. I definitely. I. I see what you're saying with the clove. I get that on the back palette. Just a.
• 24:39
  > Brent>Just a tiny touch. Not a lot. Um, I do get just a hint of vanilla. Um, the finish on this, I would say, is. Is medium to long. It's got a nice acidity. It's very well balanced. Sitting, um, out in the air. As long as this one's been open, because it's been open now for a couple hours, has really done this wine a great service. It was good before, but it's just gotten better. M. Yeah, this one's. This one's really, really nice. Hold on.
• 25:13
  > Brent>Yummy. Yeah, I think I, I think I just wish. I wish they'd said more than one. So we're going to be giving the Austin Hope Cabernet sauvignon, Paso Robles 20, 23. Four sips.
• 25:30
  > Maury>That's classified. Bob, you want to talk about, uh, Alpha Omega next? And, yeah, uh, Huey Vineyard.
• 25:38
  > Brent>This is, uh, this is like our last trip out to California. We started off in Paso for a couple of days, then we got in the car and we drove up to Napa for a couple of days. So, um, which was, which was a good trip? Oh, yeah. So the Alpha Omega Winery, we've. Anybody that if you actually listen to the show. Are you out there? Is anybody actually listening? Yes, hopefully. Um, we've done Alpha Omega before in the past. Um, great folks over there, great wine they're making. Beautiful winery. If you're out there, please, definitely go, go. Give it, go, give it a shot. Um, they're right across the street from the new Bella Union.
• 26:13
  > Brent>Yeah. Also another one to go see.
• 26:15
  > Bob>Nice.
• 26:16
  > Brent>Um, Alpha Omega was established by Robin and Michelle Bagot in 2006. Um, it's located on the Rutherford bench in the heart of Napa. Again, right across the street from Belle Union. You can't miss it. Big lake, beautiful fountains going up in there. They sought to create an estate comparable to the finest in the valley. So Robin began his wine career in 1988 as a grape grower, planting more than 750 acres of grapes. And in 1998, establishing Telosa Winery in San Luis Obispo. Back down to Paso. Several months into negotiations for the property that would become Alpha Omega, Sir Peter Newton of, uh, Newton Vineyards. Newton, I miss them. The fires took them out and it looked like they were shutting down. But, uh, the last news I heard, they're, they, they, they saved like two acres of vines, but they're replanting and they're going to reopen.
• 27:11
  > Bob>So they should call it Phoenix.
• 27:12
  > Brent>Yeah. So Sir Peter Newton of Newton Vineyard suggested to the Baggots that they talk to his winemaker and his assistant winemaker about joining their new winery project. How awesome is that? Where do you ever see somebody who's one of your competitors going, hey, these guys would probably be a good help to you. You know that that doesn't happen in any other industry. This team together had excelled at making award winning wines for Newton Vineyards in Napa Valley, and then left to do the same thing for the folks over at Alpha Omega. So we're going to be tasting right now the Alpha Omega Cabernet sauvignon Hui Vineyard 2022. So this is 15 ABV. I am very aroused. Yes. 100 cabernet sauvignon, 100% barrel fermented in French oak bricks, 75% new, 25% one year old. Age for 20 months in French oak bricks, 30% new and 70% one year old. Huyi is a mythical Chinese archer who saved the earth from the sudden appearance of 10 suns in the sky by shooting down nine of them. Hui vineyard is situated in the Pritchard Hill region in the heart of the Vaca Mountains. Viticulture on, um, Pritchard Hill dates back to the 1890s, and the region now produces some of Napa Valley's most dramatic wines. Perched at 1300ft, the family began developing the 22 acre Huyi Vineyard in 2010. So let's take a look at this thing. The color on this is a beautiful dark, medium to dark garnet with, like a light ruby rim on the nose. Let's see. What a great nose. Just beautiful ripe fruit. Black cherry, black cherries, blackberries, plums.
• 29:16
  > Maury>M don't forget some boysenberries and mulberries.
• 29:19
  > Announcer>Mhm.
• 29:21
  > Brent>It's got a nice mineral note to it as well. And on the back of the nose, it's got a hint of just sort of well worn, old soft leather. Beautiful nose.
• 29:35
  > Brent>And we'll be back. Hey. And we're back. And we are discussing the Alpha Omega Cabernet sauvignon hui vineyard 2022. Was just talking about the nose on this beautiful nose. So let's go to the palette, shall we?
• 29:53
  > Announcer>Hold.
• 29:57
  > Brent>M. M got a nice medium body to it. Plums, black cherries. It's got a nice, um, river stone mineral note to it. Sort of dusty barn and that, uh, the tannins on this thing are so well put together.
• 30:22
  > Brent>They're not. They're not hitting you over the head, but they're. The grip is. Is really exceptional. It's grabbing you and shaking you and letting you know it's there. It's. And it doesn't let go. The finish on this thing is. Is very long.
• 30:36
  > Brent>This one just keeps going and going. What do you think, Justin?
• 30:40
  > Bob>So I got a lot of dark fruit. I got, um, like, freshly burnt oak on the palette. I got more dark fruit. I got kind of a Perrier thing going on with the, uh, minerality, but, you know, a little on the flat side.
• 31:01
  > Brent>Okay, I'll go with it.
• 31:03
  > Bob>And the finish was mild, pleasant, and long.
• 31:13
  > Brent>I'll take that. What'd you think, Morgan?
• 31:15
  > Maury>Well, I'd have to agree with you a little bit more than I agree with Justin on this particular wine.
• 31:19
  > Brent>Oh, that's.
• 31:20
  > Maury>I thought it was delicious. Uh, beautiful showing of 100% cabernet sauvignon. The French oak comes through, the dark cherry, the boysenberry, the fruit notes on the nose. There's lots of fruit on the palate. The tannins are well integrated, soft.
• 31:37
  > Maury>There is definitely some tobacco and minerality.
• 31:40
  > Maury>Nice long finish. I think it's a beautiful wine.
• 31:43
  > Maury>For me, this is. This is my perfect wine with a nice, big, thick, juicy ribeye. It's just ticks all the boxes. Extremely well made. Other people are sourcing grapes from the Hui vineyard, and I think it's one to watch out for because they're.
• 31:58
  > Maury>They're producing some really beautiful grapes.
• 32:01
  > Maury>Uh, love this wine. I think if you see it, buy it, try it, you won't regret it.
• 32:05
  > Brent>Yeah, this is just. To me, this is just enough for that steak. You know, I love a wine that's even more bold than this, but honestly, that I just prefer to drink on its own. This is just enough that it will challenge the steak, but it will not overwhelm it.
• 32:19
  > Maury>Correct?
• 32:20
  > Brent>Um, yeah.
• 32:21
  > Bob>Go prime, not choice on the steak. You need the fat to stretch everything out.
• 32:25
  > Brent>Fat is flavor, my friends.
• 32:27
  > Maury>Yeah, that's right.
• 32:28
  > Brent>100. So, yeah, this one is. This one is special.
• 32:31
  > Brent>So we're going to be giving the Alpha Omega Cabernet sauvignon hui vineyard 2022, a well deserved. Four sips.
• 32:40
  > Maury>Yeah, four plus for sure. Yeah, definitely. Uh, four bordering on five. That was really spectacular. And that brings us to our last wine, if I may. Uh, that would be the Alpha Omega Era Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022. This comes in a little lower at 13.5% ABV. This one is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot. It is 100% barrel fermented in French oak, 60% of which is new and 40% is one year old or one year old. Barrick's. This wine is aged for 20 months in French oak. Uh, that aging oak is 60% new and 40% one year old, similar to the barrel fermentation oak. Again, on the color, deep dark, inky purple, opaque on the nose. Just a lot of complexity, a lot going on. There's blueberry, BlackBerry, cassis, violet jumping out of the glass, a little hint of coffee, dark chocolate, and a bit of graphite. Uh, really something you could just smell all day. Uh, something that Bob likes to do. Just sit and sniff on the palette. It's full bodied. It's concentrated. The fruits are big and bold. Again, black cherry, some red currant cassis, hint of peppercorn, and a, uh, little hint of vanilla.
• 34:03
  > Maury>It's got a really long finish. This is my jam.
• 34:07
  > Maury>This is the, uh, other wine just stepped up a couple notches. Interesting that it's got a couple blending grapes in there. But it is predominantly a Cabernet Sauvignon. Again, a delicious wine would go extremely well with food, especially red meat. Uh, I thought it was, uh, one of my favorite wines of the day. And, uh, again, another kudos to Alpha Omega for making such a beautiful and delicious wine. Even the packaging is gorgeous.
• 34:31
  > Maury>The bottle is very simple. Simple. It's very heavy, beautiful wax seal, um, thick glass, deep punt, and very, uh, elegant, very classy. You will never be embarrassed by serving this wine. Bob, what'd you think?
• 34:46
  > Brent>I'm just embarrassed I don't have more. Yeah, this wine. Here's the problem. We have this one. If we didn't have this one, I'm convinced that the Hui vineyard would probably have gotten a five because we were very, very close to it. I mean, we just didn't quite get there. Um, this one, I think, honestly pushed it back because this one is absolutely fantastic.
• 35:10
  > Maury>Yeah, exactly. This one's just a step above the other. The other one was no slouch. And I would agree with you, had we not had this, we might have actually given the, uh, who even you're just a hit.
• 35:20
  > Brent>Yeah, I wouldn't complain having a case in my cellar of either one of these. In fact, I'd probably dance. But, yeah, this one is absolutely beautiful. It's. The nose is just. Oh, the nose is just one of those wines that I can keep coming back to over the course of a couple hours. And every time you put your nose in that glass, you smell something different. It just continues to evolve over and over and over again.
• 35:45
  > Maury>Time has definitely been its friend.
• 35:46
  > Brent>And it's the same thing with the palate. You take a sip and hold on. Black cherries, currants, cassis, black pepper. Almost a, uh, almost like a toasted oak. Just really well done. But when you go back, let your palate clear, go back. I, uh, guarantee you'll find something else you didn't find the time before. There are so many layers to this onion and that. That's the mark of a truly great wine. That's. That's a wine That's a five is where you get one. That it just. It evolves. It evolves, and it just. You keep peeling back layers and finding the next thing and peeling back layers.
• 36:26
  > Maury>I agree with you. I think that's well said, and I think that's a good point. And Denise and I talk about this a lot. There's a lot of good, sort of one note wines, and they're just good and they're one note. But what makes these wines so special is those layers of complexity, the ability to peel back layers and see other nuances beneath the surface, on the side here, there, and everywhere.
• 36:47
  > Maury>Uh, they've really knocked it out of the park with this one.
• 36:50
  > Brent>What'd you think, Justin?
• 36:51
  > Bob>I would do a non. I mean, I think that the flavors and the nose were intense and balanced. I would do a non traditional pairing with these. I would do, like, a mocha latte and a croissant to clear your palate between each sip so that the intensity, these flavors can overwhelm you again and again through the enjoyment of the expression.
• 37:11
  > Brent>A nice buttery croissant and some very fatty cheese. Cheese, yeah, sure, that would be lovely.
• 37:17
  > Maury>I'm not sure about the mocha latte, but I would agree with the buttery croissant and some cheese.
• 37:21
  > Brent>Yeah. This one, this one's special. And like you said, there's. There's one note wines, and they're fine and they're good, and we drink plenty of them because we can afford them. And then there's very good wines that have many, many different flavor and sensory aspects to them. But the great wines are the ones that continue to evolve. You don't go in and find the 11 things. You find the 11 things and find five more, and then come back and find four more, and then come back and Find four more more. That's the mark of a great wine. So this is a great wine. So we're going to be giving the Alpha Omega, uh, era, uh, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 20, 22. I give it six. But we only go to five. Absolutely. Fantastic. Well, that's all the time we have for today, unfortunately. We can't just keep drinking wine like this all day. I wish we could. It would be a good day. Uh, I want to thank everybody for coming. Thank you, Justin.
• 38:17
  > Bob>Thank you. Pleasure to be here.
• 38:19
  > Brent>Yeah, it's always a good day in the basement, especially when. When we've got wine like this.
• 38:24
  > Brent>And thank you, Maury, Bobby.
• 38:25
  > Maury>Thank you. Another beautiful day in the basement.
• 38:28
  > Maury>I'm appreciative of, uh, the great wine and the fact that, uh, everybody kept their pants on today.
• 38:34
  > Brent>Come on, you got to miss Brent. Even without pants.
• 38:37
  > Bob>That, that would really cut into your income more.
• 38:40
  > Bob>Yeah, yeah, um, everyone kept their pants on all day.
• 38:44
  > Maury>Little zipper accident here and there never hurt anybody.
• 38:47
  > Brent>Yeah, well, you know, hey, it makes car payments, so. That's right.
• 38:54
  > Announcer>We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you're listening to us online, do yourself a favor and tap. Just tap it in the subscribe button.
• 39:02
  > Brent>Give it a little taffy. Tap, tap, taparoo.
• 39:06
  > Announcer>The easiest way to listen to our show is to ask Siri, Alexa, Google, Uncle Larry, or whoever it is that talks to you on your phone play podcast. Sip, Suds and Smokes. We love your feedback and you can reach us at info at sipsuds and smokes dot com.
• 39:21
  > Announcer>Our tasting notes flow out on Twitter and Instagram with our handle at Sip, Suds and smokes.
• 39:27
  > Announcer>And our Facebook page is always buzzing with lots of news. You'll also be able to interact with the thousands, millions of other fans on those social media platforms. Do us a favor, take the time to rate this episode. If you're listening to us online, that's a big help to us and we get to see your feedback as well. Come back, join us for another episode and keep on sipping.
• 40:05
  > Announcer>This has been a one tan hand production of Sips, Suds and Smokes, a program devoted to the appreciation of some of the finer slices of life.
• 40:14
  > Announcer>From the dude in the basement studios. Your host, the good old boys will see you all next time.
• 40:21
  > Brent>Sam.