Besides the excellent wines they receive periodically, Handwritten Wines’ Member Circle members enjoy several delightful benefits, including Complimentary “Classic Wine Tastings” each year and exclusive access to limited bottlings and special events.
For October 2022, Handwritten Wines is releasing an exclusive collection of white and red handcrafted wines for the Handwritten Member Circle members to enjoy.
The selections include a Carneros Chardonnay, Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir, Calistoga-sourced Cabernet Franc, and more.
Here is a brief description of Handwritten Wines’ current Members Circle releases, consisting of excellent 2021 whites and 2019 reds.
2021 ‘The Author’, Handwritten’s Proprietary White
Another excellent version of “The Author,” the 2021 vintage is expertly handcrafted from the previous year’s Sauvignon Blanc, beautifully blended with painstakingly cultivated Sémillon grapes. This signature white wine, Handwritten’s proprietary blend, continues to evolve with each new vintage.
This popular wine features tropical aromas from Sauvignon Blanc, including kiwi, papaya, and passion fruit that evolves from the glorious morning sunlight exposure at Handwritten’s Good Life Vineyard in Southeastern Napa. The richness of the Sémillon rounds out the delicious tartness of the Sauvignon Blanc.
Composition: 96% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Sémillon
Alcohol : 15.1%
2021 Carneros Chardonnay
With crispness and the luxurious flavors and textures of classic California Chardonnay, the 2021 Carneros Chardonnay is produced from grapes from Napa’s Truchard Vineyards. This bright, lively Chardonnay exhibits floral and citrus notes like a Moscato and projects aromas of fresh pineapple, lemon curd, and candied ginger layered with peaches and cream and lovely floral undertones. The rich and velvety palate of salted caramel and vanilla is balanced perfectly by crisp acidity.
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14.8%
2019 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
The Santa Rita Hills Appellation in Santa Barbara has gained critical acclaim as a cool-climate region noted for its fruit-forward Pinot Noirs.
A ten-mile corridor of mountains from the Pacific into a sun-lit valley, the Pinot Noir vines enjoy a warm micro-climate as blankets of fog roll in to cool down the vineyards in the evenings. This ideal terroir produces remarkably flavorful Pinot Noirs, noted for their richness and intensity.
The aromas of raspberries and smoked cherries gently mingle with baking spices and hints of leather and earth, resulting in wonderfully tart flavors of raspberry pie, herbs, and toasty caramelized sugar. Perfectly balanced with fresh acidity, this Pinot Noir is well suited for sipping and savoring on its own or with various food pairings.
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 14.9%
2019 Carneros Cabernet Sauvignon
Handwritten’s 2019 Carneros Cabernet Sauvignon reminds us that robust and exultant Napa Cabernets can also be elegant, understated, graceful, and wonderfully pleasing., With its certain rustic and earthy quality, this wine is often compared to its Old-World counterparts
Bright red fruit aromas of cranberry and pomegranate are complemented by delicate rose petals notes, followed by hints of pepper and cedar. Flavors start with cherries, cola, and cranberry, followed by a woodsy, toasted quality, slowly building to a crescendo and finishing with pleasing acidity.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%
2019 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon
Nested in the green foothills of the Vaca Mountains, the Coombsville AVA offers a unique terroir resulting in incredibly distinctive and flavorful Cabernets. This wine has become a “cult” hero for Handwritten Wines’ aficionados.
Cool breezes from San Pablo Bay flow into the bowl-shaped depression on the eastern slopes, lowering evening temperatures and extending the growing season. This topography and microclimate allow the grapes to ripen slowly in their volcanic soils, allowing naturally concentrated juices to develop, producing intensely flavorful Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dark fruits on the nose meet spearmint, spices, and earthy aromas, followed by pomegranate and raspberry on the palate, the texture gradually becoming silkier as the wine opens up.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%
2019 Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon
Handwritten’s Yountville AVA vineyard site is situated in the rocky hills adjacent to the legendary Stags Leap District. With peak temperatures reaching 90° in midsummer and nighttime lows dropping to the mid-50s, the region is known for excellent wines of exceptional balance and structure.
A lovely nose of blueberries, cherries, and wild blackberry bramble are accompanied by subtle hints of vanilla, leather, and forest floor over a rich and full-bodied wine. This wine may be considered the quintessential Napa Valley Cabernet, big and fruit-forward with grippy tannins and a meaty, smoky finish balanced by juicy acidity.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%
2019 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
The Diamond Mountain District AVA High is high above Calistoga in the Mayacamas. From this source, Handwritten Wines proudly presents the inaugural vintage of Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, an exciting new offering of Napa Valley wines sourced from a higher elevation.
This cabernet Sauvignon presents a mélange of cranberry, strawberry, and cherries aromas balanced by hints of lavender, wintergreen, and a bit of tobacco and worn leather. Black currant flavors accompany fresh spearmint and plush tannins, an expressive yet elegant structure of concentrated power surrounded by a smooth and silky texture.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%
2019 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Handwritten’s 2019 Howell Mountain Cabernet ranks among the most prized wines in its portfolio. This limited-production offering, perfect for collectors who seek the finest Cabernet Sauvignons, is a marvel of complex flavors, nuance, elegance, and grace.
Representing the true embodiment of mountain district terroir, the rocky volcanic soils of Howell Mountain produce smaller yet much more intensely flavored berries, resulting in some of the most highly concentrated and fruit-forward wines in the world.
Delightful red fruits on the nose meet lovely rosemary, cedar, and sage aromas over a lush and velvety palate of raspberries, cherries, and red plums. Layers of dark chocolate, espresso, and hints of vanilla follow, framed by surprisingly soft, smooth, and integrated tannins, accompanied by lively, high-toned acidity.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%
2019 Cabernet Franc
An elegant and fruit-forward version of Cabernet Franc, the source vineyard lies in the northernmost reaches of Napa Valley in the Calistoga AVA. As a result of the highest temperature variances between daytime and nighttime of all Napa Valley AVAs, Calistoga produces incredibly well-balanced wines.
This critical cooling effect gives the grapes a respite from the heat, allowing for higher acid retention, resulting in beautifully balanced wines. Jammy berries and soft floral aromas are complemented with hints of herbs, pepper, smoke, and tobacco, with a palate of flavors of raspberry, red plum, and touches of lavender. The wine finishes with pleasing dark cocoa and espresso notes framed by soft, silky tannins and bright acidity.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%
Join the Handwritten Wines Members Circle
To become a Members Circle member and have exclusive access to these limited offerings and more, prospective Members Circle participants should sign up for wine shipments of Handwritten Wines’ world-class offerings. These tiers of membership to this boutique wineries Members Circle include:
- Trilogy Club: Two 3-bottle shipments per year
- Anthology Six: Two 6-bottle shipments per year
- Anthology Twelve: At least one 12-bottle case shipment per year
You can learn more about the excellent benefits of joining the Handwritten Wines Members Circle by visiting the winery website at https://handwrittenwines.com/member-benefits/.