New Places, New Faces, New Tastes

2016 has shaped up to be a stellar year for Frisson and we are only half way through!  So much has been happening, we haven’t had time to take a breath until now, so here is a recap of what has been going on with us.

We now have a tasting room in Napa Valley!

To be specific, we are now in a beautiful new tasting room in the heart of St. Helena.  The address is awesome… 1234 Main Street… easy to remember, easy to find because it is right in the middle of town where everyone comes to walk and enjoy all that Napa represents.  Art galleries, restaurants, Woodhouse Chocolates, fun shopping, and us!   We are proud to share this beautifully appointed and comfortable venue with Thorn Hill Vineyards.  Come see us for a fabulous tasting experience!  (Tell them you are a Frisson Seeker for a 10% discount on three bottles of Frisson or more.)

Meet the new face, our new winemaker, Paul Colantuoni!

With great excitement, we are proud to introduce you to Paul Colantuoni, Frisson’s accomplished and award winning new winemaker.  Where do we start?  Paul grew up in the states and in Belgium, and entered Princeton with the goal of becoming a doctor, but along the way succumbed to the love of wine making.  He graduated with a degree in romance languages and continued his impassioned education in winemaking in both the Old World and New, studying and working in Chateauneuf du Pape, Tuscany, and in premier wine houses in Napa Valley.  Paul has made 95+ rated wines, and attributes Ehren Jordan of Neyers with laying the foundation of his approach to winemaking.  States Paul, “I believe that 90% of great winemaking is done in the vineyard. It’s a fundamental principle. My job is simply to realize the full potential of amazing fruit.”  Paul is excited to work with our amazing fruit that we source for our Frisson cabernets, and we are thrilled to discover what he will do with them.

Meanwhile, we are sad to say goodbye to Wayne Donaldson, but he was made an offer he couldn’t refuse, and now travels the world as Senior Vice President for a large international wine importer and distributor company. This is a fabulous opportunity for Wayne and his family and we are very proud of his accomplishments and glad to call him friend.

Meanwhile, back in the barrel…

Recently we had the task of sampling all our 2015 wines as they rest peacefully, and were we ever blown away with what we have.  Ultra-premium fruit optically sorted(which is optimum) and gently stored in French oak barrels is a winning combination, and we can hardly wait until 2017 to show you what we have in store with our three mountain-top and one valley floor cabernet sauvignons. Diamond Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Stagecoach Vineyards (Atlas Peak) and Rutherford Georges III is what we’re talking about.

What a difference some rain makes.

Years of drought have been alleviated somewhat by a good season of rain, and Napa Valley has always had an ample aquifer.  However, for several reasons, yields were down as much as 30% last year.  The consensus for 2016 is that this will be an average year for crop size. However, grape costs are at an all-time high. Don’t be surprised to see higher wine prices in the future.  Maybe you should think about stocking up now!

The state of Frisson.

We now can ship direct in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New York,Ohio, Texas, and Washington.

Both Robert Parker and Decanter Magazine note that 2011 should not be missed, particularly those from mountain vineyards.  Frisson Napa Valley 2011 is a blend of 80 % Diamond Mountain and 20% Howell Mountain grapes, and is 100% drinkable right now, tasting of rich dark fruits and soft tannins, and lingering spice and chocolate.  Only 30 cases are left.  $60.

Using a little more oak than our sold out 2012 made our 2013 Dutton Ranch Russian River Chardonnay exactly what we wanted, and earned us a gold medal again at the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition.  $45.

Wine Spectator gave a great rating to our quickly-sold out 2011 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc, and our 2014 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc is every bit as good and ready to drink right now.  Cold pack shipping can keep it coming all summer long, so don’t be afraid to order.  We can get it to you, guaranteed. $25.  Use code word THRILL for a 10% discount on a case or more.

We are getting down to the last of our Double Gold winning 2012 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, and big case orders are depleting it as we speak.  Feedback and reviews have been so glowing, we are inspired to brag a little.  Gold.  Double Gold.  Did we say, it won Double Gold? $70.

Our first release of our 2012 Rutherford Georges III is really coming into its own.  That “Rutherford dust” nose and palate are speaking louder, and the bright cherry notes are singing along. Don’t miss this one. $95.

All wrapped up with a bow on it.

Well, no bow, but our gift box contains one of each of our current four releases, and is a fun way to try them all or share them with a deserving friend or client. Four Frissons in a box are four times the excitement!  $250.

New Releases Scheduled for September. 

Summer is a busy time for us, and lots of hard work is going on in the vineyard, in the winery, in the tasting room, in the warehouse… you get the picture.  Best of all, though, is sitting back and enjoying the light, smelling the scents, relishing the clean breezes, and visiting with all the people that make up the magic that is Napa Valley.  If you can get here, you should come.  We’d love to see you and share some of our Frisson with you on our back porch. Email Terry@frissonwines.com if you plan to be here this summer. If you can’t, don’t forget, we can ship with cold packs, guaranteed.

As always, we invite you to rate our wines on Vivino or on our website and “like” us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Come September we will be so excited to share with you our new releases.  But in the meanwhile, enjoy the summer, enjoy the wines, enjoy this time of our lives. 

Come see us!

terry@frissonwines.com