![]() It is a dark, jammy red blend loaded with bourbon-inspired flavors and aromas. How and why?Ĭooper & Thief is not your average wine. I detect vanilla and spice in Cooper & Thief Red Blend. Like a fine bourbon, Cooper & Thief Red Blend is smooth with fantastic balance, and has big bold aromas and flavors imparted by the barrel aging process with a long lingering finish. What are the challenges/considerations when making wine with this technique?Ī challenge that we face with spirits barrel aging is ensuring that the purity of fruit is maintained and that the tannins are well integrated. The barrels introduce aromas and flavor characteristics that you won’t find in other wines. ![]() Leamy: In addition to traditional barrel aging, we take a portion of the wine and age it for three months in used spirits barrels including bourbon barrels for our Red Blend, tequila barrels for our Sauvignon Blanc, and whiskey barrels for our Cabernet Sauvignon. What does Bourbon-barrel aged wine mean? How does this differ from normal wine aging? ![]() Here, he breaks down the bourbon barrel-aging concept, and explains what makes his brand unique.Ĭhris Leamy conducts a seminar on barrel aging. Leamy’s hope is that his Cooper & Thief wines get people talking, sharing and bonding. He enjoys all aspects of the winemaking process, especially its ability to bring people together. From there he transitioned to winemaking. Following a foray into beer brewing, he turned his attention to the wine world as a lab tech in Lodi, California where he found his true passion. He first worked as a microbiologist, developing a keen understanding of the technical side of the food & beverage world. His California based Cooper & Thief Cellarmasters celebrates doing things a bit differently, such as aging its full portfolio of luxury wines in not only bourbon barrels, but also in carefully selected spirits barrels, achieving bolder flavors not typically found in regular wines.Ī California native with more than 20 years of award-winning winemaking experience, Leamy graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Biological Sciences. Serving as ‘cellarmaster’ at one such wine brand is Chris Leamy. Typically featuring higher alcohol percentages than classic wines, bourbon barrel-aged wines are targeted to adventurous imbibers, those who enjoy experimentation and aren’t afraid to break with tradition. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil-as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.Bold and rich, bourbon barrel-aged wines seem to have found a permanent niche within the wine and spirits world. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.Ĭabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine.
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