If, like us, you are on winery mailing lists you have received emails announcing spring release wines. It’s a welcome bright spot, especially this year when so little is normal for most of us. Today we are sharing two recent releases from Flora Springs that we received as tasting samples.
Spring wine releases this year will be especially important to wineries. A significant loss of sales will follow as tasting room doors close for most wineries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as one door closes, it’s important to remember there is another that remains open: direct to consumer purchases online. This is an opportunity to continue enjoying the wines you love, or try new wines you will come to love, when there are so many other things we can’t do right now.
Flora Springs has been a fixture in Napa Valley for more than 40 years. We told the Flora Springs story in a prior post and have reviewed several of their wines. Quality is the first description that comes to mind with regard to Flora Springs wine and family is the second.
Significant changes were announced by Flora Springs in early 2020. The 1880s-era stone winery with 58 acres of vineyard, office and home on the property were sold to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, owners of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte.
The Komes and Garvey families will retain the Flora Springs name, the tasting room and their other vineyards throughout Napa Valley. They will continue making their flagship wines Trilogy and Soliloquy sourced from the same vineyards.
2017 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley — dark ruby in the glass with generous aromas of plums, blackberries and delicate floral notes. Complex flavors of plums, dark fruit, dusty earth are supported by cedar and savory notes. Tannins are significant and drying, but not out of proportion in this medium-bodied wine. The finish is moderate+ in length. 14.2% abv. SRP $50. 3034 cases.
This wine is young, but still very drinkable. Its flavors are layered, balanced and very pleasing on their own. Pair this wine with a meal and it will really sing. Cabernet Sauvignon stands on its own in this wine, which was aged 18 months in French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels. The winery suggests it will drink well through 2029.
2017 Flora Springs Trilogy, Napa Valley — dense ruby in the glass with aromas of raspberries, blueberries and plums. Generous flavors of bright red fruit along with layered dark fruit flavors, cocoa, dusty earth and crushed flower stems. Tannins are grippy, but don’t stick out. The finish is medium+ in length. 14.5% abv. SRP $85. 5500 cases.
This wine has delicious lifted fruit flavors and complexity. Once again, this is a wine made to age, but it’s delicious now as well. It’s a gorgeous blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec aged 22 months, 92% French oak, 8% American oak. The winery suggests this wine will drink well through 2028.
Flora Springs couldn’t have made it easier for you to order wine and have it shipped to you. And they’ve made it cheaper too…try shipping included with your order. Check out the details here on the Flora Springs website.
Cheers!
