WTN: Rare, Division vs. Mason, others

[Jenise]

From the past week:

2013 Rare Champagne Champagne Blend
Simply exquisite. Of course.

2024 Mason Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
Pale, transparent. Fresh and lively notes of raw green bean (if you don't specify 'raw' there are people in this world who will think you mean canned and no, not that, NEVER that), mild grass, mild gooseberry, mild citrus and cucumber. Beautiful acidity, no wood.

2025 Division Winemaking Company Sauvignon Blanc Division-Villages, La Frontiere Willamette Valley
Yellow-gold. Needed 24 hours in order to fully reveal all the layers. A fuller-bodied, ripe and fruity SB that shows quince fruit with green asparagus--no gooseberry, no grass. This isn't what Sauv Blanc lovers are looking for, and others liked more than I did.

2021 Aevitas Cabernet Sauvignon Koko Nor Vineyard Napa Valley
A big boy that sits a bit heavy on the palate but paired with the right food (we had pot roast), it drinks well. Decanted four hours in advance.

2013 Ross Andrew Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Red Mountain
Mature in a good way, with all those leathery old armchair flavors. That said, it's not improving from here. Drink up!

[David M. Bueker]

I was looking forward to a Division note until I saw Sauvignon Blanc.

[Jenise]

Well, you might like this one then. It's the opposite of what true Sauv Blanc lovers (me!) like me hope for. Blind, I'd never have guessed what it was.

I always thought that Piper-Heidsieck made a bad move when they separated their 'Rare' wine as a separate branding. The wine is very good of course.

[Jenise]

Bad for who, Bill? I didn't have a lot of interaction with the brand before Rare, but I admire the wine greatly inspite of the rather OTT packaging. It seems to have been a good move to establish it as a brand in it's own right.

[David M. Bueker]

From a marketing standpoint it's been a huge success to have Rare on its own. The P-H branding was dragging down Rare, rather than Rare picking up P-H.