Wednesday Wine Tasting 8/5

August 5: Cabernet Sauvignon

Come join us for a fabulous afternoon of wine tasting at The San Francisco Wine Trading Company! Whether you're a wine connoisseur or just looking to have a good time, this event is perfect for you. Sample a variety of exquisite wines and mingle with fellow wine enthusiasts. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to expand your palate and enjoy some delicious wines. See you there!

Dunn Vineyards was founded by Randy and Lori Dunn in 1979 after purchasing a rugged 14-acre property high on Howell Mountain, where five acres of Cabernet Sauvignon were already planted at nearly 2,000 feet in elevation. Randy, who had previously worked on Napa Valley's valley floor, immediately recognized the mountain's extraordinary potential. Alongside neighboring growers, he helped establish the Howell Mountain AVA in 1983, defining it as vineyards above the fog line at 1,400 feet, where cooler temperatures, longer sunlight hours, and rocky volcanic soils produce small, thick-skinned berries and wines of exceptional structure and longevity.

Today, Dunn farms 42 acres between 1,850 and 2,100 feet using organic and regenerative farming practices that promote biodiversity and long-term vineyard health. Little has changed in the winery's philosophy since its founding: restraint, purity, and age-worthiness remain paramount. The Howell Mountain Cabernet is sourced exclusively from estate vineyards and is aged for 32 months in 100% new French oak. Known for its firm tannins and remarkable longevity, the wine often displays Howell Mountain's signature notes of cumin, coriander, dark mountain fruit, and graphite.

Quilceda Creek is widely regarded as one of Washington State's benchmark wineries. Its story began after World War II when Alex Golitzin emigrated to California under the sponsorship of his uncle, the legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff. After relocating to Washington in 1967, Alex began making Cabernet Sauvignon in his garage before officially founding Quilceda Creek with his wife, Jeannette, in 1978, becoming just the twelfth bonded winery in Washington after Prohibition. Their reputation quickly grew when the 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon earned both a Gold Medal and the Grand Prize from the Enological Society of the Pacific Northwest.

In 1992, Alex's son, Paul Golitzin, became winemaker, further elevating Quilceda Creek into one of North America's most acclaimed Cabernet producers. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced primarily from Champoux Vineyard, in which the winery owns a 79% stake, along with Mach One Vineyard, a proprietary site developed and planted exclusively by Quilceda Creek. The wine is aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak, combining Washington's rich fruit with remarkable precision, depth, and structure.

Sassicaia is one of the world's most influential wines and the bottle that transformed Tuscany forever. Its story began with Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who moved to Tenuta San Guido during the 1940s and believed the estate's Mediterranean climate and gravelly soils resembled those of Bordeaux. Seeking the bouquet he admired in great French wines, he began experimenting with Cabernet Sauvignon in 1945, producing the wine privately for family and friends until the first commercial release of Sassicaia arrived with the 1968 vintage.

The success of Sassicaia gave rise to the Super Tuscan movement and forever changed Italy's fine wine landscape. Today, the estate remains family-owned under the third generation, continuing its commitment to quality and tradition. The wine is composed primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc, a blend that has traditionally hovered around 85% and 15%, respectively. It is aged for 20 to 25 months in French barriques, with a small proportion of American oak, creating one of Italy's most elegant and age-worthy Cabernet-based wines.

Located in the heart of Saint-Émilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Château Figeac is one of Bordeaux's most historic and distinctive estates. Spanning 54 hectares in a single contiguous vineyard, the property is unique for its three Günzian gravel ridges over blue clay soils, terroir more commonly associated with the Médoc than the Right Bank. Under the visionary leadership of Thierry Manoncourt, who managed the estate for more than six decades, Figeac became renowned for its unusually high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, making it one of the few Right Bank estates where Cabernet varieties define the wine's identity.

Today, the estate continues to produce wines celebrated for their freshness, elegance, and longevity. The 2018 vintage is a blend of 37% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Cabernet Franc, aged for approximately 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels. The gravel-rich soils and Cabernet-driven blend give Figeac its hallmark precision, vibrant acidity, and exceptional aging potential.