Tag Archives: Buena Vista Winery

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2012 Arpad’s Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista

Blackberry, pepper, and spice–you get healthy doses of each in the 2012 Arpad’s Selection Zinfandel, a great red from Sonoma Valley’s Buena Vista Winery. This wine is named for the third son of Count Agoston Haraszthy, who credited his father for bringing the Zinfandel grape to Sonoma. Be glad the Count did, because this wine is excellent in quality and rich in fruit. His legacy is surely intact in the 2012 vintage.

I’m sure there is more than just blackberry in the mix here, because the 2012 Arpad has great subtleties interwoven throughout. My wife and I both remarked on its fantastic, easy finish and its spices when we sampled from our porch on Good Friday, and I (with more than some appreciation) enjoyed it again this evening. Buena Vista Winery made just 300 cases of this Zinfandel, and bottle #690 graced our home.

2012 Arpad's Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma Valley, California, USA.

2012 Arpad’s Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma Valley, California, USA.

The Arpad’s Selection Zinfandel first accompanied a local pepperoni pizza, and tonight a thick Angus steak seasoned with lots of freshly ground pepper and salt. Dinner included roasted baby potatoes (coincidentally suggested as a good pairing by the folks at Buena Vista) and asparagus, and the Zinfandel effectively complemented the sides. It was best, though, with the pepper and smoke of the steaks–each a solid inch in thickness.

The grapes for this 2012 were sourced from vineyards North East of the town of Sonoma. Quite a fantastic wine–this one you’ll see on our Top Reds list as well. Happy Easter everyone…

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2012 Pinot Gris, Count’s Selection, Buena Vista

After sitting on this crisp white for nearly two years, we finally broke out the 2012 Pinot Gris, Count’s Selection, Buena Vista this week while readying to move our home. it was already chilled, right, so why not crack open the top and give it a go? Particularly when you’re all parched from boxing up your life for an exciting shuffle down the road?

2012 Pinot Gris, Count's Selection, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

2012 Pinot Gris, Count’s Selection, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

It’s got an obvious pear scent to it, and is not overly sweet. You might even call it creamy? Buena Vista is situated in California’s Sonoma Valley, and this site has mentioned on many occasions the interesting flavors and notes produced by the unique terroir and climate of this AVA. We sampled this Count’s Selection with all sorts of odd meals; the white held its own whether consumed with dinner, as a nightcap, or even last night during the cocktail hour (when we actually finished it before the redbuds shown).

Here’s what the vineyard offers up for you: “This medium-bodied wine with fresh aromas of apple and pear. Displaying a great balanced mineralogy, flavors of Meyer lemon, white peach, and honeydew melon load to a crisp, clean finish. This refreshing white is perfect for sipping or as an aperitif.”

Buena Vista produced 500 cases of this Pinot Gris in this vintage, and I’m betting it did great business for them as a summer respite, as a party favor with the wine and cheese crowds, and among fans of even-keeled whites. Long-time readers of Notes will know I tread less frequently on the white roads, but this one was an enjoyable journey throughout the week.

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2012 Geza’s Selection Pinot Noir, Buena Vista

Great wine is often best paired with life’s big moments, and a Buena Vista bottle actually serves both requirements – effortlessly. Last night we pulled the cork on the 2012 Geza’s Selection Pinot Noir from Sonoma County’s Buena Vista Historic Winery in order to celebrate finding a new home for our family. We’re finishing it tonight, and before reading any further you should know this wine is simply amazing.

2012 Geza's Selection Pinot Noir, Buena Vista Historic Winery

2012 Geza’s Selection Pinot Noir, Buena Vista Historic Winery, Sonoma County, California, USA.

Long-term Notes readers, friends, and family all know our clear bias for Buena Vista wines, but the accolades are all well suited for this fragrant, luscious Pinot Noir. Throughout the winter we’ve been sampling California Cabernet Sauvignon and rich, Bordeaux-style red blends (a few Spanish reds are sprinkled in too), and the 2012 Geza is a fantastic counterpunch to them all. You don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to immediately recognize the brilliance of this wine. It’s soft, it’s nuanced, and it’s finish is beyond smooth. The team at Buena Vista comments, “The 2012 Geza’s Selection Pinot Noir is a testament to its terroir. It is a rich, ripe wine with soft berry flavors and a bright fruit finish that makes it the perfect pairing for garlic and herb roasted pork tenderloin or oven-baked salmon filets.”

Our accompanying meals, coincidentally, didn’t stray far from those recommendations. We had the 2012 Geza’s Selection with grilled steaks and with pork chops, and the wine was spot on in both instances. There is virtually no acidity, no lasting tannin finish, and only ample smiles resulting from tasting Geza’s Selection. If we had opened this on a weekend it wouldn’t have lasted overnight!

We received the Geza with our November 2014 Count’s Club shipment, but you can get your own through the Buena Vista website if you’re not able to drive to that beautiful vineyard. There are only 300 cases of the Geza’s Selection for this vintage, however, so don’t too long to make up your mind and do the right thing. We had bottle number 0504 so you’ll have to choose another ;).

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2013 Jovita’s Selection Chardonnay, Buena Vista

It’s Rivalry Week, and the best ticket in all of college hoops is unquestionably UNC/Duke–tonight their first matchup of the season. I’m winding down for the evening, pulling for the ‘Heels, and putting down the last of a 2013 Jovita’s Selection Chardonnay, from Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma County.

2013 Jovita's Selection Chardonnay Buena Vista Sonoma County California USA

2013 Jovita’s Selection Chardonnay, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

The folks at Buena Vista make a really fine Chardonnay, and this is one of them in spite of its youth. It smells full on the nose, a bouquet of citrus and maybe some vanilla in your glass. Of course it’s more robust than a Grigio, and this one is rich without being sticky or overly sweet. I’ve sample a glass over the last several nights with salmon, pork (a fantastic meal in and of itself), and even as a precursor to ground beef–Jovita stands tall with all of ’em.

I’ve got to return my attention to the ballgame but want to leave you with just one more nugget–the winemaker’s notes: “The 2013 Jovita’s Selection Chardonnay is a rich, unctuous wine with a beautiful, lingering acidity that belies its origins on both sides of Sonoma Mountain. Aromas of lemon zest and green apple lead to a palate delighted by flavors of gingerbread and a touch of vanilla on the finish.”

This is bottle #2187 of just 500 cases produced, and a great small production run at that. Excuse the brevity on this occasion–hope to have more to say about Jovita the next time she visits.