The mighty hand of Peter Wellington has slapped down many who would steal the crown of grapes about his brow. That's why he relishes the taste of victory. Today, he wants to share it with you.
If you've ever gotten the girl, or gotten the guy, or gotten a hermaphrodite, you remember that intense and complex aroma. If you've ever gotten a promotion, or gotten a raise, or gotten a negative test result, you remember that smooth and supple mouthfeel. These bottles of Victory deliver aromas like cherry, currant, kirsch, cedar and a symphony of other super smells. What could you pair it with? Perhaps the most victorious of all meats: Steak.
Even if you've never done anything right (and we find that hard to believe, you cool person, you) Wellington's Victory will teach you what those people high at the top of the world already know: that victory is delicious. Oh, but hey, please remember that this particular victory is a red, so it's best served at like 60 degrees or so. Yeah, vengeance is the one best served cold. No, no, it's an easy mistake to make.
Yes, you get the gift box
2006 Wellington Victory, Reserve, Sonoma County 750ml
Wellington Vineyards only bottles a Reserve when we can make a blend which is markedly superior to any of our individual Cabernet or Merlot bottlings. 2006 is the seventh time in 17 years we decided to bottle Victory.
2006 may be our best vintage to date of our Victory Reserve blend. We arrived at the final blend only after multiple tasting of various proportions of our finest batches of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The 2006 Victory consists of 45% Handal-Denier Vineyard Cabernet sauvignon, 10% Mohrhardt Ridge Vineyard Cabernet sauvignon, 17% Baron Vineyard Cabernet Franc, 8% J&J Vineyard Petite Verdot, 10% Sanders Vineyard Malbec and 10% Estate Merlot. These traditional Bordeaux varieties have complementary aromas, and each provides a different structural aspect in the final blend. Through careful blending we are able to achieve aromatic intensity and complexity and that elusive combination of power and finesse. A great wine should appeal to both our visceral and intellectual sides, providing pleasure on different levels, and we believe this blend fulfills that role.
There are so many things going on aromatically that you get something new at every sniff: cherry, raspberry, dark chocolate, licorice, violets, orange zest, cedar, tobacco, pepper, coffee, mint. In the mouth: smooth, supple entry, rich, concentrated flavors, but never heavy, with a seamless transition to a long flavorful finish that will only get better with time. Drink now only if you can’t resist. Cellaring will be duly rewarded.
2007 Wellington Victory, Reserve, Sonoma County 750ml
This vintage of Victory has intense and complex aromas of black currant, blackberry, kirsch, mocha, cedar, toffee, pipe tobacco, dark chocolate, violets, and anise. It has a smooth, supple entry, is rich but never heavy, has mouth watering acidity that leads to a firm, slightly chewy yet not harsh finish that promises great things to come. The fruit lingers on the palate long after swallowing.
This wine will show its best side at the dinner table – with tannins and acid that cleanse the palate and invite another bite of food. There are so many different layers of flavor that the food match possibilities are almost unlimited, but it will really shine with steak and with the cheese course.
It will be interesting to see how a wine develops over time after opening, but for those who like to decant, yes it will benefit from decanting (and you won’t have to worry about the sediment). Cellaring will be duly rewarded; there is no reason to doubt that this wine will develop nicely for several more years and hold long after that.
This is not a big, heavyweight “Parker style” wine. It is elegant and medium-bodied, with a creamy texture, moderate tartness, and firm but not harsh tannins. It is not a tannic monster that demands aging to be drinkable, but it is still a baby and has all the components that will allow it to age and develop beautifully for at least another decade.
Even though a lot of new oak was used in the blend, there is no obvious oak in the aromas. The oak does show up on the finish, and will continue to integrate with the other components of the wine during aging, adding length and richness to the finish.
2006 Wellington Victory, Reserve, Sonoma County 750ml
2007 Wellington Victory, Reserve, Sonoma County 750ml
2006 Wellington Victory, Reserve, Sonoma County 750ml
2007 Wellington Victory, Reserve, Sonoma County 750ml
Wellington Vineyards is owned Peter Wellington. Peter's father John purchased the winery site in 1986. At the time, it consisted of 20 acres of old vines and a few decrepit old fruit and nut trees. Replanting of part of the old vineyard and orchard started in 1988. The winery was completed in time for the 1989 crush. We grow approximately half the grapes we use and purchase the remainder, primarily from small, unique vineyards.
The estate vineyards consist of 21 acres, 8 of which are 85 to 117 years old. There are 24 different varieties in the old vineyard, with the most common being Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache and Syrah. In addition, there are 10 acres of eleven to sixteen year old vines that consist of Merlot, Chardonnay, Marsanne, and Syrah. We grow more Merlot than anything else. Three more acres were replanted in 2001, predominantly to Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache.
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