WTN: AhWines Bebame Red '08...(short/boring)

Fresh off the boat as of Mon, so couldn't wait to try:
1. AhWines Bebame ElDoradoCnty RW (13%; 65% CabFranc/35%GamayNoir) P&B by AhWines/FairPlay 2008: Med.dark color; beautiful very perfumed/fragrant/floral light herbal/CabFranc very spicy/peppery/tobaccoy/pipe tobacco/aromatic spicy/rosemary/thyme/tarry slight minerally bit black currants/black cherry some smokey/pungent/licorice very interesting complex nose; tart bit herbal/black curranty/black cherry rather floral/lilacs bit pungent/licorice slight mineral/chalky/earthy very exotic/spicy lightly tannic flavor; med.long bit herbal/black curranty/cherry cola light earthy/mineral very spicy/floral/lilacs light tannic lovely complex finish; a very exotic/perfumed/floral/aromatic wine. A steal at $23, let alone the Portland $18 price.
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. AhWines refers to the initials of the minds/behind this wine, Jayme Armstrong and Don Heistuman. The wine was made by none other than our very own...TaDa...SteveEdmunds. I believe it comes from the WitterVnyd. Don is/was Steve's distributor up in Portland, OR. The wine was made at their request in a lower-alcohol/Loire style. Think they hit it right on the money. It doesn't quite have the earthy/rustic/bit hard character that many Loire CabFrancs and the aromatics/perfume speak much more of Calif rather than Loire.
Most of the wine went up to the Oregon market, but a little of it stayed behind in the EastBay market.
Though Bebame is a traditional Scottish name, it is also the Spanish word for "drink me"...a reasonable admonition
Steve originally described this wine to me as "pretty". It is indeed that, and much more. The CabFranc gives an underlying herbal character and the Gamay gives it a hefty aromatic lift. It is a gorgeous/easy-to-drink red wine that probably will improve over the next few yrs. Lacking a high alcohol level, any obvious oak, and no "gobs of hedonistic fruit"; it is not likely to play well in Monkton. But, for me, it's a wonderful drinking red wine. Maybe...even....gasp...you could label it a "low brow" Loire red!!!
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2. Harumph: Rather strange that, with all those winos we have there in the EastBay area, these boards have to rely on some doofus out in the boondocks of Northern NewMexico to offer up the definitive TN on this wine. Maybe these EastBay slackers are not all they're cracked up to be!!! Maybe.
Tom

Most of the wine went up to the Oregon market, but a little of it stayed behind in the EastBay market.

And once again, those of us in the provinces are left without.

Are these wines made in the East Bay or up in Portland? (Just want to know where the opulent new Frank Gehry-designed winery will be located....)

Mike,
Actually, the wine was made right in your backyard...up in FairPlay. At PerryCreek as I recall.
For those of you in the provinces, you can order it from Vintage Berkeley.
Tom

This sounds like a fun wine. Nice to see some real grapes and some real blends coming out of California! Enough of that cabernet sauvignon stuff!

Mike,
Actually, the wine was made right in your backyard...up in FairPlay. At PerryCreek as I recall.
For those of you in the provinces, you can order it from Vintage Berkeley.
Tom

Good to hear, Tom. Will stop in there in a week when back in town.

Mark Lipton

Mark; you're in Berkeley soon?

Mark; you're in Berkeley soon?

Hitting town on Sunday, leaving with my mother on Tuesday for Xmas in Oregon, back on the 30th at the latest for my mother's 81st birthday. New Year's in the Bay Area then fly back out on Jan 2 to get the boy back for the start of kindergarten the next day *whew* Who said that the holidays are supposed to be a time for relaxation?

Mark Lipton