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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$81.99
From The Winemaker
Alyce was my Mom and she was the life of the party.
There is a section of vineyard right in the middle of the North slope where the soils are very heavy adobe clay resulting in the vines struggling to produce a crop more than 1 ton to the acre. It is a field blend of clone 777 and 115. This minimal crop yield tends to produce wines that are big, rich, "over the top" flavors; perfect for "Alyce". The South Slope begins at the highest elevation and the furthest South of all of the vineyards blocks. Soils are predominantly sandy loam and the vines are all from Burgundy clone 777. Dark cherry, tobacco, cedar, dried autumn leaves and iron lend this wine tons of character and depth.
750 ml
Vinous.com Tasting Note (2019 Vintage)
93 Points - Antonio Galloni - "The 2019 Pinot Noir Cuvee Alyce is a dark, powerful wine. Black cherry, plum, cedar, lavendar, spice and menthol infuse the Alyce with notable depth. Dense and muscular, the Alyce is a decidedly potent, backward Pinot. All it needs is a bit of time to be at its best."
Robertparker.com Tasting Note (2018 Vintage)
96 Points - Erin Brooks - "Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2018 Pinot Noir Cuvée Alyce opens slowly to alluring aromas of smoked cranberries, red cherries and black raspberries laced with licorice, bergamot and dried lavender. The palate is medium-bodied and super silky with addicting freshness, absolutely packed with layered, detailed flavors, and it finishes very long and elegant. Wow! 1,012 cases produced."
Walter Hansel started out in the 1970’s planting everything. He loved to grow everything from kiwi to oriental pears. He also planted his first 250 Chardonnay vines on a half acre plot. Stephen Hansel, Walter’s son, planted additional acres in the late 1980s and built the winery in 1996, and made the first commercial vintage, 1996. To make better wines he enlisted the help of his friend, Tom Rochioli.
Today, Walter Hansel Winery farms about 80 acres located at the southern tip of the Russian River Valley near the Sebastopol Hills. All the vineyards in the estate are contiguous to each other. Each vineyard is planted with distinct Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones and only their fruit is used to produce Burgundian style wines. Stephen’s long-held belief is that you must listen to the vine; react to Mother Nature and ALWAYS compromise quantity for quality.
Kensington Wine Market is proud to be one of the exclusive Wine Stores to carry Walter Hansel since 2004.
$54.99
Yes, Pinot Noir from Spain. Check it out — it's fantastic. If it had a Russian River Valley appellation on the label, this thoroughly modern Pinot Noir would sell for a lot more than it does! You'll love its rich earthy full-blown Pinot character. Utiel-Requena is the Spanish wine region immediately east of Manchuela, a large growing area that is smack-dab in the centre of Spain. Pinot does well here due to the higher altitude which equates to a cooler climate, one best suited to the grape. Bassus is big in style and very satisfying. A Kensington Wine Market exclusive! Enjoy with seared duck breast, fois gras, creamy cheese or roasted chicken.
$79.99
Year after year, the Cahill Lane Pinot Noir offers a consistently delicious red, full of red fruit along with floral and spice notes plus a silky, elegant texture.
Stephen Hansel has this to say about Cahill Lane's Pinot Noir: "A blend of 3 clones, clone 114, clone 115, and the Rochioli Pommard clone, are grown each on its own one acre site. The vines were planted in 1989 and are in their peak, quality wise. The Rochioli pommard and the clone 115 contribute red berry and cherry flavors and the clone 114 adds a dimension of herbal flavors giving Cahill Lane an Old world character."
$74.99
While the Estate Pinot Noir from Walter Hansel utilizes barrels of Pinot from a variety of Hansel-owned vineyards, the heart and soul (and a majority of the Pinot) is usually harvested by hand from the legendary Meadows vineyard. The result is a Pinot Noir that is very approachable yet complex even when young but can also reward you if cellared.
$79.99
The North and South Slope vineyards of Hansel face each other, side by side, but show very different characteristics despite their proximity. The North Slope's Pinot Noir plantings are from clone 115. Stephen Hansel states "...115 exhibits the most fruit-driven flavors and appears more "New World" then French." This is might be the most expressive of the Pinot range, a lush, plush wine with notes of cherry, cranberry, spice and forest floor. It's a great example of Burgundy meets California, in other words the best of both worlds. The vibrant acidity will allow it to age gracefully for another decade but it's hard to resist right now.
