We take an exceptional amount of pride in our Alpha Mare wines. That is because we take an extraordinary amount of care while producing them. With super small production levels, we can scrutinize every detail that goes into these wines. We laboriously barrel-ferment our Alpha Mare Red to intensify color, improve oak integration, and create complexity. We make our Alpha Mare White to age, modeled after the white wines of Bordeaux, this wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc clones and aged an extra year in light-toast barrels for exceptional depth and complexity.
Listen to what Master of Wine and Editor in Chief of The Wine Advocate, Lisa Perotti-Brown has to say about our 2015 Alpha Mare Red:
“Blended of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Malbec, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Alpha Mare is youthful with black and red currants, underbrush and black pepper notes plus wafts of bay leaves and cedar. Full, muscular, firm and chewy in the mouth, it has appealing freshness and an earthy finish. Give it a couple of years in bottle and drink it over the next 15+” 92+ points
This wine has now had a few years stored in our optimal temperature cellar, and now it is ready for you.
If you are in the Dallas Fortworth area, please contact us for preferential shipping options at: Info@RedMareWines.com
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Being allowed to make wine in the Napa Valley is a privilege. It’s a blessing actually, and one that we never forget here in the valley. This year I felt that keenly. Spring rains were consistent but not torrential, providing a fully refreshed soil profile when we started the season, which for a winemaker, typically arrives between the last weeks of March and the beginning of April, punctuated by the annual bud break. The dormant vines that have rested and re-charged during the winter start to feel the warmth of the soil; the sap rises and the buds swell. News of bud break spreads through the valley like a fever and the excitement of a new season begins.
Mother Nature was kind to us during bud break and early shoot growth, with mild temperatures and no significant wind events. It was a mail-order spring. May continued with moderate temperatures and our last dribbles of rain. We had one minor heat spike in June, but July and August were mild, with only one day breaking 100 in the middle of August. This consistent pattern of warm days and cool nights allowed for steady ripening of the grapes through veraison, the process by which the grape clusters change color and build sugar levels. With veraison behind us in early August, we slipped into a very lovey September which only broke 90 on 4 occasions. I picked my first whites on September 3rd. With maturing acid numbers and lovely flavor development, I was able to bring the whites in earlier this year, resulting in lower alcohol and beautiful natural balance. Nighttime temperatures began to dip a little into the 30s in October, with patchy morning frosts heralding the beginning of the end of the season. But temperatures remained kind. Daytime temps were lovely in the mid 80’s most days, even breaking 90 on October 24th, the day I picked my last Red Mare Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard. It couldn’t have been a better season. Making wine and living here truly is a blessing.
With the arrival of November, we saw our daytime temps slip into the 60’s and waited in anticipation of the seasonal rains, which we always pray will arrive before the fire season. That was not to be this year, as the Diablo winds and fires roared to life in the north and marched southward. We were fortunate that when the Kincade fire began, all of our wines were safe in the winery, but were very anxious at home as the wall of fire steadily approached and came within 3 miles of our front door. Finally, we with others on the property decided to evacuate, along with 14 horses, three dogs, several barn cats and anything else we could pack into cars and pick-up trucks. With our extended family of people and animals and a few vital belongings, we hunkered down at a horse barn further south in Napa. Cameron slept at the barn at night to make sure the horses were safe. For the rest of November, we prayed for rain and on December 1st, the fire season officially ended with some lovely downpours which, happily, were not overly destructive.
The details of the season are what makes a wine unique. Vintage does matter, even in Napa where we are fortunate to have relatively consistent seasons. As winemakers, being a weather junky is just part of the game. I believe 2019 is going to yield some outstanding wines. In early January I sat down with associate winemaker Jennifer Rue and we tasted through all of our 2019 wines. While some are still in their awkward phase mid or just post malolactic fermentation, they are all showing beautiful expressive characters that reflect the complexity of all that is bountiful and all that is challenging about the Napa Valley. We can’t wait to share their reflexion of 2019 with all of you!
If you want to be ensured the opportunity to acquire each unique vintage of Red Mare Wines, we encourage you to join our Allocation Club. We offer a spring and a fall shipment of our newly released or soon to be released wines. Some of the benefits of joining our club are:
10% discount on all wines all year
Complimentary shipping on club orders*
Invitations to club events
Annual Harvest Party in Dallas, TX
Concierge services for your Napa vacation
Special pricing on our wines for your private events
Haven’t gotten a gift for the wine lover in your life? We have a tasty and beautiful solution. Complimentary FedEx Priority Overnight Shipping valued at $100.00 Use Promo Code: HOLIDAYGIFT
We make a tiny amount of two very special wines. Alpha Mare is a nickname that I was given many years ago. I decided to lend it to our top tier wine. Everyting about this wine has been touched and retouched by me. I’ve been given “cart blanche” with fruit sourcing, barrel selection, fermentation style and packaging design.
6 bottles are beautifully presented in a gift box with my own artwork. When the quote came in to design the box that I wanted, I decided to try my own hand… I’m pleased with the result. It is a lovely, sturdy six pack lay down box designed with a tooled leather pattern from an old saddle.
The label of this wine features Paradigm, my own red mare horse. She had a photo shoot with Peter Samuels, a celebrated animal photographer in San Francisco. The back label features a photo of my mother, grandmother and aunt, all horseback in the Sierra Nevada mountains, a place dear to my heart.
We only made 234 cases of our 2015 Alpha Mare Red Wine and a scant 142 cases of our 2016 Alpha Mare White Wine. They are both unique, powerful and very special and would make a wonderful gift under the tree.
Learn more about these wines at our website and skip the holiday stress by ordering your own 6 pack box. You won’t even need to wrap it!
2015 Alpha Mare Red Wine 2016 Alpha Mare White Wine
Price Per Bottle - $168.00 Price Per Bottle - $72.00
Price Per 6-Pack, Gift Pack - $1,008.00 Price Per 6-Pack, Gift Pack - $420.00
We have decided to enhance our shipping for the Alpha Mare wines. Enjoy complimentary FedEx PRIORITY overnight shipping*
Promo Code: HOLIDAYGIFT
Order by December 20th to get in time for Christmas
Order by December 27th to get in time for New Year
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Please take advantage of our complimetry FedEx ground shipping* on
ALL our wines when you order 6 or more bottles.
Promo Code: HOLIDAY2019
Happy Holidays! http://www.redmarewines.com
Join us for a lovely night of amazing wines, festive menu and great conversation. Jim Striegel, owner of Red Mare Wines, will lead us through his premium wines while enjoying an elegant dining experience featuring top-of-the-line gourmet dishes in a fabulous, historic setting is all yours when you join us at Prime 47 - Indy's Steakhouse on Wednesday, October 9th.
Prime 47 is locally-owned steakhouse in Indianapolis, IN, that stops short of nothing when it comes to serving you the best meal experience you've had in a long time.
The Menu
1st Course
Red Mare Wines 2015 Chardonnay
Oysters Rockefeller
2nd Course
Red Mare Wines 2016 Alpha Mare White
Couscous Shrimp Salad
3rd Course
Red Mare Wines 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
Pan Seared Quail with a Berry Sauce
4th Course
Red Mare Wines 2015 La Vaquera...Our Cowgirl
Pork Loin Filet Seared & Wrapped in Bacon with an Apple Brandy Cream Sauce
5th Course
2015 Red Mare Wines Red Alpha Mare
Trio of Pie, Blueberry, Cherry and Apple
Call: 317-660-0720 to book your reservation!
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