We archived some of our favourite news and events – over the years they will no doubt bring back some great memories. Check out some of the events below – if you missed them, maybe we see you at a future Clarus attended or organized event...
Watch 1st edition of "Grape Tapes" on YouTube featuring Patz & Hall...
July 28th, 2010
Hello everyone,
Ever the innovators, Clarus Wines are proud to bring you thier own video channel, courtesy of YouTube. The first edition "Grape Tapes" features a short (5 minute) video about the fantastic California Wines that come from Patz & Hall. Just click on the link, to hear about some great Pinot's & Chard's...http://www.youtube.com/user/RenaissanceWine
Bollinger RD select tasting back to 1959! - London, UK
July 16th, 2010
On July 13th the annual Bollinger press lunch was held in London at the superb Champagne Bar; Texture. The theme this year was celebrating half a century since the creation of RD by Madame Bollinger. It was she who was responsible for the famous quote "I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I'm thirsty." RD stands for "recently disgorged", denoting their special policy of seperating the wine from the enriching effect of the lees of the second fermentation much later than is usually the case. The initial RD was a vintage 1952 (at the same time in Jamaica, Ian Fleming would write his first novel Casino Royale…), released on the market in 1961, but we can actually track from internal documents that the initial thoughts of Madame Bollinger are dated from 1960. We tasted 6 wines, starting with the mythic trilogy of RD 97/96/95 (all so unique), followed by a timeless RD 88, an always sensationally fresh RD76 despite the historical heat wave that had struck France, leading that year to a very low acidity at the harvest, and we finished off with a truly exceptional RD59. We are happy to share with you Jancis Robinson’s comments on the event in the attached PDF file.Jancis Robinsons tasting of Bollinger RD
John and Doug Shafer win historic James Beard Foundation Award at Lincoln Center Ceremony in New York
May 5th, 2010
Download the press release here!
Andrew Will in UK Harper's Wine & Spirits
April 30th, 2010
Download the PDF to read the complete article
Alois Lageder - a northern Italian pioneer with natural winemaking
April 29th, 2010
Click here to see the video
Click here to visit Alois Lageder's website
New Shafer Chardonnay Video
April 21st, 2010
Shafer recently uploaded a new video to their website featuring Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay and images of its journey from the gorgeous Carneros vineyard through its bottling.
Click here to see the video
Chanson Wines in Decanter
March 26th, 2010
View PDF
Congratulations Patz and Hall
March 26th, 2010
Occasionally all the stars align and great reviews from the two big U.S. publications come to pass at the same time, for the same wines, from the same vintage. Congratulations to the team at Patz and Hall for these wonderful results.
Click here to see the Parker Review
Click here to see the Laube Review
Canadian Sommeliers visit Honig
March 5th, 2010
recently Honig Vineyard and Winery hosted a group of Canadian Sommeliers at their winery as part of a California Wine Institute tour. It is always a nice treat to escape the Canadian winter for a few days of California sunshine.
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Patz and Hall releases their much anticipated 2007 Pinot Noirs
March 5th, 2010
with consistently excellent reviews Donald Patz and James Hall have crafted a number of superb Pinot Noir 2007 wines from what is already being called a great Pinot vintage. Check out the Pinot articles recently written (February 2010) in the two top American wine publications; The Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate. Patz and Hall features prominently with a number of single vineyard offerings scored in the low to mid 90's. Keep in mind these are rare wines with limited availability.
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Duckhorn vineyards show quality and consistency
May 4th, 2009
One of the most impressive aspects of Duckhorn vineyards in St. Helena, California is the amazing quality and consistency throughout their entire range. Recently, vice president of sales, Pete Przybylinski, introduced us in Calgary to the new releases. At a gathering at the Clarus offices we tasted through the latest Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc and the Merlot. We also sampled the new Goldeneye Pinot Noir and the Paraduxx Red Table wine. In each case the quality in the glass was superb. It isn't just our opinion either. Duckhorn wines were recently featured at the inauguration luncheon for President Elect Barrack Obama (a copied is attached here). Pete didn't bring his fishing rod this time (he is crazy about fishing) but on the next visit we'll have to get him out on the Bow river for some world class trout fishing!
Bollinger Champagne Party
November 24th, 2008
It was a perfectly timed party; the release of the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace and the 25th anniversary of Renaissance and Clarus Wine & Spirits Ltd. On a balmy November evening (for Calgary) Champagne lovers sampled the new release of Commander Bond's favourite tipple, Bollinger Special Cuvee. The wine was flowing and there were plenty of Bond girls/boys including Pussy Galore, Gold Member and Dr. No. Loads of fun including some great Bollinger prizes given out and no one lost an eye.
Wine Spectator Top 100
November 17th, 2008
Clarus has three wines this year in the top 100 from the famous wine magazine, The Wine Spectator. At #25 is the 2005 Andrew Will Champoux vineyard. Chris Camarda has worked very hard at producing quality Washington state wines. All of his wines show a clear mastery of the art of the blend, like the craftsmen of Bordeaux. Then at #79, comes the beautifully expressive Mosel wine of Reichsgraff von Kesselstatt's Piesporter Goldtropfchen Kabinett. At #89, comes the clean and taught Chablis wine of William Fevre 1er Cru 'Montmains' from the 2005 vintage.
Bollinger Releases the 007 Bullet pack
October 31st, 2008
Champagne Bollinger, on the occasion of the upcoming release of the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace, has created the 007 Bullet Pack. To commemorate 30+ years of association with the famous English Intelligence Commander, only 200 Bollinger Bullets have been made with a retail value of CDN $6,000 per pack. The pack is an aluminum, highly polished 65cm bullet which opens to reveal a magnum of 1999 Bollinger La Grand Annee. Once the wine is consumed the bullet is transformed into a series of compartments where a modern gentleman can store his personal accessories. It is locked via a leather and aluminum key.
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2008 Harvest begins in California
September 4th, 2008
Considering that the average winemaker has only 40-50 harvests in his or her lifetime, picking grapes each year is a big deal. Now that we are all back from summer vacation the real work begins again. Donald PATZ from Patz and Hall in northern California sent us this shot of Pinot Noir grapes coming in to the winery last weekend. No information yet on the quality but everything looks good so let's hope for another fine crop of Pinot Noir from Patz and Hall.
Download our Price List
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Imagine a Hippo in a pink tutu!
August 21st, 2008
After tasting through what seemed to be hundreds of Zinfandels this past January 2008 in San Francisco, we fell in love with the wines of one supplier (the Gamba family) from northern California. The question that day was 'how could these wines balance massive ripeness, power and elegance so deftly?' We joked about Fantasia's dancing hippos in pink tutu's and it is still the best description we can think of. These are seriously BIG wines but with elegance somehow. Congratulations to Gus Gamba and family for these one of a kind wines.
Joe Cafaro embodies the term 'Family Winemaker'
August 21st, 2008
Being known as a 'family winemaker' most often adds to the integrity, individuality and 'do-it-your-selfness' of the wineworld - afterall, the entire family's well being, is often at stake. Unfortunately, this description is regularly abused for commercial gain by manipulating the meaning by massive companies posing as 'family'. Joe Cafaro personifies the family winemaker --- a guy who has enormous experience struggling mightily to compete and make individual wine and take care of his family. His Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is a delicious, violet scented wine with satiny 'Pinot noir-like' texture (this is good, a very good descriptor). We don't get many bottles for Alberta and when it's gone - it's gone. The 2004 vintage has just arrived and we love it.
Bouchard Pere & Fils 2006: White Burgundies arrive in Alberta
August 21st, 2008
the eagerly awaited single vineyard 2006 white Burgundies from Maison Bouchard Pere & Fils. have arrived. The vintage 2006 in Burgundy was a very fine year that many experts are saying is superior to 2005 for many whites. Fortunately, in early March 2008 we were able to attend LES GRANDS JOURS in Burgundy which allowed us to taste through literally thousands of Burgundies. The wines showed real class with bright fruit acids and soft, layered textures. This would be the third vintage in a row for exciting and age-worthy white Burgundies. Just remember 'M' for this vintage because the highlights have to include the Meursault wines, many Maconnais wines surprisingly, and of course the 'big dogs' from the various Montrachet sites.
