August Briggs Winery

     Thursday March 16, 2017

Reservations Closed
Course Pairing / Description Wine
Hors D' Oeuvres Curried Pork Cheek Sliders (Curry-Basil and Coconut BBQ Sauce with Roasted Onion Jam) Tostone & Cumin Crusted Jumbo Shrimp (Cilantro and Sweet Chili Aioli)
The August Briggs Chardonnay was produced from the great Leveroni vineyard located on the Sonoma County side of Carneros, just south of the town of Sonoma. This is year number 18 from which they have made wine from this acclaimed vineyard. The long, cool growing conditions of the Carneros produce lively apple and citrus flavors in chardonnay. The grapes for this wine were picked at 23.3 brix then whole-cluster pressed, cold settled, inoculated with yeast and racked to barrels for fermentation. Barrels used were 100% French, with 30% being new and 70% being a mix of two year old barrels from the previous vintage. After completion of fermentation the wine was inoculated with a malolactic culture, stirred weekly and sur-lees aged 8 months. 200 cases were produced. This is a classic Carneros Chardonnay. It is crisp and bright, the flavors of pear, green apple and honeydew melon mix with mild oak flavors and lead to a fruity yet bracing finish.
August Briggs Chardonnay Carneros 2013
Appetizer Course Charred Crimini Mushroom Brochette (Grilled Scallion, Chunky Tomato Ragout and Goat Cheese with Micro Herbs)
As this is August Briggs’ 19th bottling of Pinot Noir from the great Russian River Valley, this wine needs no introduction! The fruit for their 2013 vintage comes from the Dutton-Lorenzo Vineyard which lies to the south of Forestville in the very cool Green Valley of the Russian River Valley AVA. This area normally sees summer fog that burns off late which allows the grapes to thrive while picking up extra complexity from the Goldridge sandy loam soil. As always, this fruit was handled with the same ‘by-hand’ treatment of all our Pinot Noirs, which are de-stemmed into open top fermenters for daily punch downs which gently extract all the flavor and body. After a gentle pressing the wine was inoculated for malolactic fermentation and barreled down to traditional burgundian barrels. The barrels used were 20% new French oak and 80% two year old French barrels. The wine was aged in barrel for 9 months. 287 cases were produced. This is quintessential Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and shows off its true Burgundy character. Upfront effusive aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, pie crust and pine needles make the bouquet intoxicating. It is elegant and plush on the mouth feel with a mélange of red fruits and toast. The finish is long and lingers for a while which makes you want to take another sip.
August Briggs Pinot Noir Russian River 2013
Seafood Course Cast Iron Pan Blackened Cobia (Saffron and Nutmeg Infused Tomato-Leek Broth with Black Beluga Lentils)
The August Briggs Old Vine Zinfandel is a combination of two local historic vineyards and they are excited about the addition of the famed Canard Vineyard for their “Old Vines” bottling. The Canard Vineyard (formerly named Tucker Ranch) is one of the oldest in Calistoga and they sourced fruit from a mix of vines planted from the 1920’s and 1870’s! When they add that fruit in with their amazing 1906 Luvisi Vineyard Zinfandel, it’s simply dynamite in a bottle! The effusive aromas of this wine jump out and grab you, letting you know that your mouth is in for a special treat! The grapes for this wine were picked between 25 and 28 brix, de-stemmed into a small open-topped fermenter, and punched down by hand. After completion of fermentation the wine was drained, pressed and inoculated with a malolactic culture. Completion of malolactic fermentation was allowed while aging in 30% new hybrid French/American oak barrels and 70% two and three year old French barrels. Barrel aging lasted 16 months prior to bottling without filtration. 350 cases were produced. This wine is dark ruby in color with aromas of raspberry jam, boysenberry, clove and brambleberry. This is what you can call an old style Zinfandel. It's hearty and mouth filling and yet has a gorgeous sweetness to the tannins on the finish. This is a Zin that will drink well tonight but will improve with another 4-7 years of aging.
August Briggs Zinfandel Old Vines Calistoga 2013
Game Course Red Wine & Rosemary Braised Lamb Shank (Roquefort-Red Wine Emulsion with Sweet Corn Polenta and Charred Asparagus Spears)
The grapes for August Briggs’ Cabernet Sauvignon are sourced from the famed Napa Valley wine pioneer, Louis Martini, who purchased the vineyard in the 1930s and named it Monte Rosso (Red Mountain) after its red soils. The combination of mountain soils, cool breezes, elevation and good sun exposure give Monte Rosso its uniqueness. As with all their Cabernet, before de-stemming and crushing, the fruit was scrutinized cluster by cluster across our sorting conveyor, allowing only the best fruit to pass through. After a two-day cold soak, the must was inoculated with yeast and allowed to warm. A combination of punchdowns and pumpovers were employed to gently attain the maximum extraction from the skins. At dryness, the must was gently pressed, the wine inoculated with malo-lactic culture and put to barrel. This wine was barrel aged for 20 months (25% new American Oak, 75% 2 & 3 year old American and French Oak) prior to bottling. 225 cases were produced. This vintage is a spectacular version of the Monte Rosso Cabernet and the staff believes it is the best ever produced by August Briggs. The wine offers up a dark ruby color with complex aromas of crushed berry, currants, and smoky oak. On the palate, fruit flavors of mixed dark berries, plum, and vanilla integrate nicely. The velvety and smooth texture fools you into thinking this wine is not so rich, but you would be so wrong. It is powerful and dense with amazing body and length on the finish. The balance of fruit and oak ensure that this wine will age for years to come. Enjoy this vintage to the fullest; few are better than the 2012. This wine is big and drinkable now, but will mellow and soften with time. Drink thru 2020.
August Briggs Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso Vineyard 2012
Dessert Course Chocolate Decadence Cake & Dark Cherry Compote (Lavender Honey-Nutmeg Oat and Cashew Crumble with Clove and Basil Scented Whipped Cream)
The August Briggs Napa Valley Petite Sirah is sourced from the Meyer vineyard located in Calistoga. They have previously sourced Charbono from this vineyard and they thought the perfect foil to the rich but smooth Charbono would be to purchase some bold and decadent Petite Sirah grapes. From this vineyard, Petite Sirah can perfectly ripen due to the long, hot summers which bring depth of flavor, ripeness and bold fruit flavors that dominate a rich mouthful of wine. Not to be confused with Syrah, Petite Sirah is known as “Petite” due to the size of the small berries it produces. These tiny berries create a high skin to juice ratio that produces rich, intense wines. Petite Sirah is known for its deep color and powerful flavors and this offering fits the bill. This 100% single vineyard, single varietal, has an inky black color, with a hearty nose of rich black plum, boysenberry, molasses and roasted coffee bean. A solid blackberry fruit core is framed by oak and spice flavors, with tannins coming in on the finish. This Petite Sirah has great complexity, good tannins and is deep, dark and concentrated. Only for the bold! Just 100 cases were produced.
August Briggs Petit Syrah Calistoga 2013