Annabella
Named to honor Michael Pozzan’s venerable grandmother, Annabella wines are hand sourced from select vineyards throughout the Sonoma and Napa valleys. Whether cabernet sauvignon, merlot or chardonnay, these wines are a toast to a spirited woman of remarkable grace. We remember her love of cooking for family and friends and we celebrate it to this day. Annabella wines represent a wonderful combination of quality and value.
2011 Annabella Platinum
98% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2% Napa Valley Malbec
100% Barrel aged in a combination of new and seasoned French oak for 20 months.
The color of this special Napa Cabernet is classic Bordeaux, deep plum with brick red edges. This wine continually improves with either decanting or after having been opened for a few days (with a cork in the bottle). The 2011 vintage was cool and finding good Napa Cabernets in this vintage are tough, but the good ones may be legendary (perhaps even this bottling). We decided to create this new bottling to demonstrate the quality commitment Michael Pozzan has to his craft by giving his best in a vintage where quality is hard to find. The wine itself is ripe with fresh and ripe cherry notes and generous cassis, backed with vanilla. The palate is alive with lively Rainier (white) cherries and framed with some dried Bing cherry and soft tannins. The palate is smooth with sweet cherry and cassis and backed with oak and grape tannins and folds subtly into a brown sugar core. This wine may be an ode to 1960s winemaking where the grapes were picked earlier with lower alcohols and the resultant wines were best after years of cellaring. 20 years would not be uncommon to find this wine’s optimum, but my suggestion would be to drink half of the bottle, cork it up and return either the following night (or better yet) the second day.
This wine as described can be contemplative, so perhaps a drink without food at first. Once you prove the logic on day 2 (or 3), serve with the finest aged bone-in Rib Eye steak with scalloped potatoes, roasted fingerlings or garlic mashed, and make room for some greens like wilted kale with roasted nuts and aged balsamic. And, yes this wine is a perfect match with chocolate in any form.
Drink now or hold through 2022
Annabella 2010 Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon
75% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
10% North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Napa Valley Merlot
5% Sonoma Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged in French Oak for 16 months
This medium plum colored Cabernet Sauvignon is from one of the most highly regarded places in the world for producing the varietal; Napa. The aromas are text book Cabernet Sauvignon from the fruit profile being dark cherry with ripe cassis notes, but this one also has some of that right bank Bordeaux pencil lead aromatically — a quality only from an ideal climate and well drained soils from that varietal. The palate is ripe with juicy ripe raspberry and spice with tobacco and black cherry that then fold into a supple crescendo of berry fruit and silk French oak tannins.
This wine would pair well with herb roasted chicken as well as a grilled steak with roasted potatoes and steamed asparagus with a béarnaise sauce.
Aged exclusively in French oak for 16 months; this wine is simply delicious now, but will drink well through 2021.
Annabella 2009 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Napa Valley
50% Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills AVA
25% Mendocino County Cabernet Sauvignon, Potter Valley AVA
Aged in French Oak for 14 months
This Cabernet Sauvignon has a medium brick red color which illustrates the length of barrel aging. This fine North Coast Cabernet is elegant in its forward ripe bing cherry profile. There is a fine sweet brown sugar note behind the fruit which provides depth before folding into some earthy peppery tones with leather and truffle notes. The palate is super rich and juicy with dark fruit flavors, cassis, plum and integrated cherry vanilla flavors which finish supple and silky.
Overall, the wine reminds us of many right bank Clarets and other interesting big reds such as Cabernet Franc from Priorat.
This wine pairs well with a juicy rib eye steak and pomme frittes or try a sirloin salad of arugula and fennel, dressed with a mushroom vinaigrette. The wine stands up to a rich chocolate cake for dessert as well.
This 2009 North Coast entry is a great wine to drink now while you are waiting for some of your cellar candidates to mature or to have before you pop the big bottle. Be prepared for it to taste better than the trophy you pull; you've been warned. Drink now through 2016.
Annabella Special Selection 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Napa Valley
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged in French Oak for 14 months
This Cabernet Sauvignon has a medium dark plum color with a tinge of brick red suggestive of a fine Claret. This Napa Cab expresses deep Bordeaux aromas with cassis, plum, pencil lead and black cherry aromas. The palate registers with strong age worthy tannins and toasted oak and vanilla flavors, black pepper spice with heavily extracted black cherry flavors, black currant, and a faint rosemary spice.
This wine is great with a pot roast over parsnip-mashed potatoes with shaved black truffles. Also ideal with roasted chicken and rosemary, fresh Tombo Tuna with roasted fingerling potatoes, broccoli rabe and garlic and shaved toasted almonds.
Annabella is a brand that brings to the world the BEST of the Napa Valley at practically bargain prices. For those of you familiar with Napa, you will agree the value of these wines is unprecedented. If you haven't tried a Napa wine yet, here is your chance to try something that others charge twice the price or more. There are other choices, but none that offer the same value. Drink now through 2015. Total cases produced: 20,000.
Annabella Special Selection 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Napa Valley
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged in French Oak for 14 months
This Cabernet Sauvignon is dark inky plum colored with boysenberry stained edges. This elegant Napa Valley Cabernet expresses concentrated cassis and black cherry aromas with a refined toasted French Oak balance. The palate is supple and inviting with a ripe cherry vanilla coulis-like flavor profile and texture, and then slides into a soft and sappy core of plum, brown sugar, and sweet vanilla with interesting pipe tobacco notes and a hint of cedar spice. Present, but more in the background, are age worthy tannins of toasted oak and subtle vanilla flavors from French Oak barrel aging which is well integrated with the fruit tannins, typically mouth drying, but in this example, silky and smooth. This wine drinks well now, but will age well for 12–15 years.
Try this wine with braised veal shanks or classic Osso Buco served with risotto Milanese. It does well with winter stews or hearty soups. I often mention that a rich Cabernet such as this will compliment anything Chocolate; it's high time you tried it. Drink now through 2014. Total cases produced: 10,000.
Annabella Special Selection 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Napa Valley
84% Cabernet Sauvignon
13% Merlot
3% Cabernet Franc
Aged 22 months in French Oak
This medium black plum colored Napa Cabernet is dense with heavily extracted black cherry and boysenberry with integrated and refined French vanilla notes. The palate is rich with dark skinned fruit like cassis, black cherry and a hint of wild huckleberry on the back. The resolved tannins are firm on the mid-palate and balanced on the sappy and fruit packed mid-palate; the finish is delicate yet supple, soft yet dry. This fine composition was achieved by harvesting ripe and patiently aging the wine for 22 months in French Oak.
This wine is drinking excellent in it's youth, but as it is a wine that drinks better than twice it's price, you may want to get one or two for the cellar. Total production 8,200 cases.
Annabella 2012 Napa Valley Chardonnay
100% Napa Valley Chardonnay, Atlas Peak/Yountville AVAs
Fermented on French oak and aged Sur Lies for 6 months
This Napa Chardonnay has a medium golden straw color and ripe aromas of fresh mango, passion fruit and kiwi fruit with only a touch of oak in the background. The palate is more ripe apple driven with the flavors of fresh crushed apple cider and then slight butterscotch on the mid-palate which then folds back into baked apple pie flavors with trace cinnamon spices. The finish of the wine comes back to citrus flavors but still smacks of the apple butterscotch flavors giving this fine Chardonnay great depth and length.
Some of the finest Napa Chardonnays are from the Yountville district of the Napa Valley and are often highly ranked by critics. This wine pairs well with Lobster tail with drawn butter or grilled wild Salmon or Ahi tuna served with a citrus/mango sauce and garnished with cilantro.
Enjoy through 2018
Annabella 2011 Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay
51% Sonoma (26% Russian River, 25% Sonoma Coast), 49% Napa, Carneros
100% Barrel Aged in French Oak for 6 months
Partial Malolactic Fermentation
This Chardonnay is full flavored with medium body and a solid concentration of fruit. The wine has a rich, creamy style that serves up lots of ripe pear, honeydew melon, and apple flavors. The oak is not overpowering, which allows the fruit to build as the wine develops. The wine is pure and distinctive, and finishes clean and sleek. Perfect with grilled salmon, and chicken piccata. Drink now through 2018.
Annabella 2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay
100% Napa Valley Chardonnay, Yountville AVA
Fermented on French Oak and aged Sur Lies for 6 months
This Napa Chardonnay has a light golden straw color and ripe aromas of fresh lemon custard and sweet tangerine aromas with a hint of Tahitian vanilla and a touch of clove spice. The palate enters with luscious tropical fruit notes and bold yet balanced acid profile which gives the mid-palate a juicy, almost nectary appeal as the flavors are balanced between ripe mango and sweet passion fruit. Overall there is a floral component reminiscent of jasmine, but not quite as pungent, more of a distant and pleasant fragrance. The final finish on the wine is generous with fruit and perfectly balanced with its acidity and understated oak making it an excellent aperitif and food friendly white. The floral components are subtle but transcendent, taking you some place tropical.
Some of the finest Napa Chardonnays are from the Yountville district of the Napa Valley and are often highly ranked by critics; take advantage of the opportunity to drink a pricey Chardonnay for half the price.
This wine pairs well with lighter summer time fare as well as a variety of seafood dishes. Try it with Sea Bream topped with seared fried leeks and goat cheese. Brinzano, Sea Bass or John Dory are other nice white fish choices and do well with subtle nage sauces and either summer or winter vegetables such as sun chokes or turnips. It's also a nice choice with Thanksgiving ham or turkey and as winter approaches, so does crab season. Enjoy through 2017.
Annabella Special Selection 2009 Chardonnay
100% Napa Valley
100% Chardonnay
Fermented on French Oak and aged for 12 months Sur Lies
This Chardonnay is medium golden straw colored with luscious tropical fruit notes ranging from guava and mango to passion fruit intertwined with jasmine and clove spice. The palate is juicy with silky, buttery caramel flavor with toasted French vanilla tones which then folds back into a tropical nectar.
This is a fine Napa Valley Chardonnay that contains the rich oaky buttery scents common in many quality Napa Chards, but this one is balanced with fruit making it much more complex and food friendly. While this wine makes a fine aperitif and pre-party sipper, food pairings are encouraged. This wine is rich enough to pair with Lobster tail or Foie Gras dishes. Try it with lighter fare such as an Arugula and Fennel salad dressed lightly with Mandarin vinaigrette and topped with Marcona almonds. Drink now through 2014. Total cases produced: 12,000
Annabella Special Selection 2008 Chardonnay
100% Napa Valley
100% Chardonnay
100% Barrel Fermented,
Aged 4 months
The mustard color of this Napa Chardonnay is vibrant with aromas that are very rich and generous with tropical fruit notes of guava and mango framed by rich creamy butter notes. The ripe palate explodes with blood orange, Key lime zest and a hint of jasmine and star anise on the finish folded into integrated creamy French oak flavors.
A fine choice for an aperitif wine; this wine also pairs well with tea smoked Chilean Sea bass with a soy-oyster mushroom reduction sauce and Jasmine rice. A natural with Peking Duck or grilled Scottish Salmon with light béarnaise sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed baby spinach. Total production 5,500 cases.
Annabella 2011 Napa Valley Merlot
100% Napa Valley Merlot, 100% Oakville AVA This generous Napa Valley Merlot is medium plum colored with brick edges and has aromas of sweet black cherry, coffee and subtle black olive notes. The palate is loaded with ripe cranberry and boysenberry fruit flavors backed with soft tannins from extensive aging in medium toast French oak barrels. The finish is long with a silky texture allowing the cherry-boysenberry notes to linger. Aged in French oak for 18 months, this wine will continue to develop through 2020.
This wine pairs well with pot roast and mashed potatoes, or served with whitefish served with sautéed snap peas and roasted fingerling potatoes.
4,000 cases produced.
Annabella Special Selection 2009 Merlot
100% Napa Valley (55% Pope Valley, 45% Oakville)
100% Merlot
Aged in French Oak for 14 months
This Napa Valley Merlot displays deep brick red color with a hint of purple-plum. The aromas of this wine open with ripe black cherry and a hint of dried plum, which then turns into a silky vanilla mid-palate intertwining the Cabernet-like tannin structure. Beyond the cherry vanilla core, the wine expresses dark chocolate and subtle coffee tones. The ultimate finish combines the balance of the cherry-plum fruit, structure from grape and oak tannins as well as plush vanilla, chocolate and coffee flavors.
This wine pairs well with gourmet burgers. Try one topped with seared Foie Gras. Otherwise, St. Louis style dry rubbed pork ribs make a nice pairing. Obviously, if you want a steak; this is a fine wine choice. Select a lean cut like Filet Mignon and serve topped with a wild mushroom sauté and a side of balsamic braised brussel sprouts. Drink now through 2015.
Annabella Special Selection 2010 Napa Valley Merlot
100% Napa Valley Merlot, 100% Oakville AVA
This generous Napa Valley Merlot is medium plum colored with brick edges and has aromas of sweet black cherry, coffee and subtle black olive notes. The palate is loaded with ripe cranberry and boysenberry fruit flavors backed with soft tannins from extensive aging in medium toast French oak barrels. The finish is long with a silky texture allowing the cherry-boysenberry notes to linger. Aged in French oak for 18 months, this wine will continue to develop through 2020.
This wine pairs well with pot roast and mashed potatoes, or served with whitefish served with sautéed snap peas and roasted fingerling potatoes.
Annabella Special Selection 2009 Merlot
100% Napa Valley (55% Pope Valley, 45% Oakville)
100% Merlot
Aged in French Oak for 14 months
This Napa Valley Merlot displays deep brick red color with a hint of purple-plum. The aromas of this wine open with ripe black cherry and a hint of dried plum, which then turns into a silky vanilla mid-palate intertwining the Cabernet-like tannin structure. Beyond the cherry vanilla core, the wine expresses dark chocolate and subtle coffee tones. The ultimate finish combines the balance of the cherry-plum fruit, structure from grape and oak tannins as well as plush vanilla, chocolate and coffee flavors.
This wine pairs well with gourmet burgers. Try one topped with seared Foie Gras. Otherwise, St. Louis style dry rubbed pork ribs make a nice pairing. Obviously, if you want a steak; this is a fine wine choice. Select a lean cut like Filet Mignon and serve topped with a wild mushroom sauté and a side of balsamic braised brussel sprouts. Drink now through 2015.
Annabella Special Selection 2007 Merlot
100% Napa Valley
96% Merlot
4% Cabernet Franc
Aged 12 months in French and American oak
This Merlot is solid with wonderful structure and depth. Smooth and focused with juicy fruit flavors. There are hints of blackberry and currant along with delicious earthy plum notes complimented by the sweet oak. It has a long lingering velvety finish. This is a well balanced wine and would pair well with roasted meats and a full-bodied cheese. Drink now through 2012. Total production 5,500 cases.
2012 Annabella Carneros Pinot Noir
100% Pinot Noir, Carneros AVA
Aged in French oak and for 14 months, racked 3 times.
This Carneros Pinot Noir is deep garnet colored and medium bodied which expresses bright cherry notes and is backed with clove and star anise notes. The palate carries through with fleshy cherry and spices and is deftly balanced with the acidity. The flavors are multi-layered, with concentrated cherry including: Bing, Rainer and Montmorency. This Pinot also has a slight earthy, leathery mouth feel which makes the overall wine very complex with good depth and length. The wine finishes soft with generous vanilla and mocha notes, which present themselves in a very supple and elegant fashion and will pair well with many dishes.
This wine was aged on French oak for 14 months and is sourced in both the Napa and Sonoma appellations of Carneros.
This wine pairs well with mushroom raviolis in a truffle cream sauce or beet salads with goat cheese and roasted almonds with sea salt.
RB – 12/17/13
Annabella 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
100% Pinot Noir
100% Sonoma Coast
Aged 11 months in French Oak
Smokey, dried cherry fruit in the nose with a vibrant bust of blueberry flavors in the finish. Aromatically, the wine has sweet and sour cherry flavors, along with clove and cinnamon. The subtle oak overtones, makes this a perfect wine to pair with roasted garlic chicken, rigatoni tossed with an Abruzzi style lamb ragu, or an aged Camembert cheese. Medium tannins allow this wine to drink well now, but will improve over the next three years.
Annabella 2010 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
100% Pinot Noir
80% Sonoma Coast
20% Russian River Valley
Aged 12 months in French Oak
This deep raspberry colored Pinot Noir stems from some of the best Pinot Noir vineyards in California found in the Sonoma Coast AVA. The wine's aromas are reminiscent of a fine Gevrey Chambertin in that it contains bright cherry fruit but is balanced over an earthy, leathery texture. Similarly, the palate unfolds with exotic spice flavors of tea leaf, clove and star anise and then folds daftly into rich and generous French oak lactone flavors and textures while maintaining its age-worthy acidity within.
I like drinking Pinot Noir regardless of food; it is the sole noble varietal that when done well, needs nothing else. But, in the spirit of avoiding a really boring dinner party here is my pick: a slice of goat cheese tart with sun-dried tomato paste and a mesclun salad tossed with a champagne vinaigrette, caramelized onions and slivered mushrooms.
While drinkable now, this wine will age nicely through 2020.
Annabella 2010 Carneros Pinot Noir
100% Carneros, AVA
100% Pinot Noir
Aged 11 months in French Oak
This classy Pinot Noir has a beautiful light garnet color. The aromas are ripe with expressive bing and Rainier cherry notes and mingle with spice from clove and star anise. The palate is concentrated and ripe with a sweet and sappy core of fruit from the Pommard clone Pinot Noir. Extensive aging on French oak matured this wine with light handed oak influence, which backs up the fruit and allows the varietal character to show its best. The finish is long with ripe Montmorency cherry notes, light vanilla and sweet cherry/plum pit texture making it rustic and suggestive of the old world.
This wine comes from the Carneros district, widely known as one of the premiere AVA's for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay due to its very cool climate and optimal sunlight. It's also the only California AVA which shares counties with Napa and Sonoma. The basis for the shared territory underscores the importance of microclimate which in this case transcends county boundaries.
This wine pairs well with wild boar of New Zealand Lamb Chops with gremolata, couscous and heirloom tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic. While drinkable now, this wine will age nicely through 2020.
Annabella Special Selection 2009 Carneros Pinot Noir
100% Carneros
100% Pinot Noir
Aged 11 months in French Oak
This elegant Pinot Noir has a deeply colored Bing cherry hue. The aromatics of this Carneros Pinot Noir has a profile of toasted French Oak, earth, and truffle back drop onto which sits a complex matrix of ripe cherries which unwind with Rainer, Bing, and Montmorency. The palate is ripe with juicy cherry and raspberry coulis and finishes with cinnamon stick, cocoa, sweet cherry, and a slight cherry pit snap combined with layers of supple French oak flavors.
This Carneros Pinot Noir is from one of the finest coastal vineyards in California and is comprised primarily of Pommard Clone 4, known for good color and seductive earthy characteristics. A great value in the category with consistency delivered year after year.
This wine pairs well with smoked Duck breast and French lentils served with braised fennel. Try it with classic Cassoulet or wild game. Drink now until 2014.
Annabella Special Selection 2007 Pinot Noir
100% Carneros
100% Pinot Noir
Aged 14 months in French oak
35% new oak, 30% 1 year old oak, and 35% 2 year old oak
Rich and layered with savory well focused fruit. Good concentration of mixed wild berries, pleasantly earthy, with a touch of sage in the finish. A firm, well-structured, wine with dark fruit in the nose and palate. Drink now until 2012. Total production 7,200 cases.
Annabella 5 2010 Red Blend
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Syrah, 9% Zinfandel, 5% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc
Barrel Regiment: Aged 14 months in French, and American Oak
Annabella 5 is our proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. This wine has wonderful depth, ripe fruit upfront, and a long smooth finish. The aromas are intensely concentrated in its fruit aspects with juicy, over ripe black berry and jammy notes. Medium tannins allow this wine to drink well now, but will improve with future cellaring. The wine would pair well with smoked ribs or a juicy blue cheese burger.
