Todays Deal ~ 2013 Six Sigma Diamond Mine Cuvée

winery priced at $21/bottle, NOW JUST $14.99 on 6+ bottles or more. . .a savings of nearly 29%.

 

As many of you may have discerned independently by now, I have decamped to the beach.  The last time I lovingly crafted an email to extoll my latest, greatest wine find was Christmas 2015.  Drew and Jay have done quite brilliantly without me since then, thank you.

But I was contacted recently by Christian Ahlmann, vice president of Six Sigma Ranch and Winery, who reminded me of the 2013 Diamond Mine Cuvée.  It is the estate’s red blend and one of Lake County’s perennial charmers.  We worked out such a fabulous deal on 26 cases that Trump’s transition team is shortlisting me for Secretary of Good Times.

Pressed back into service, I changed the oil of my marketing motor and sprayed a shot of ether into the carburetor.  Sucker cranked on the second pull, so here are the particulars:

My first encounter with Six Sigma was back in 2010 when I parked my Airstream at the Gregory Graham Winery and spent several days in Lake County.  I conducted a leisurely tour around the perimeter of Clear Lake, and one of my most notable visits was to the Six Sigma ranch.

As a fugitive from high tech, I’m probably among the few people in the wine industry who are aware that “Six Sigma” is an engineering process aimed at achieving no defects 99.99966% of the time for every million opportunities.  It is the ultimate demonstration of quality:  zero defects, or, quite literally, perfection.

And that’s the philosophy and discipline mathematician Kaj Ahlmann brought to viticulture, winemaking and marketing when he and his engineer wife, Else, purchased 4,300 acres to launch their winery.  Sixteen years later, the estate is maturing nicely.  It is managed by his progeny, and the operation has expanded to include raising beef.  And, fortunately, it escaped damage during the massive wildfires in the region earlier this year.

Christian sent me a couple of bottles of the 2013 Diamond Mine Cuvée, and I knew it would be an instant hit at Carpe Vino. . .and Drew agreed.  A boisterous blend of tempranillo, cab and syrah, this wine is dark, dense and ominous in the glass, yet it is amazingly approachable to sip.  Of equal importance, it is a delightfully agreeable pairing with a wide range of food, especially tender cuts of beef.

Last night, I was invited to a neighbor’s house for posole, and it delighted the assemblage of friends.  And that’s the best argument for bringing home six bottles of this wine for your holiday entertaining:  your guests will love it, even if they think they know something about wine.  At six-bottle pricing of $14.99, this cuvée performs like a much pricier wine.  Great fruit, cuts spices yet does not overpower. . .what more could you want?

Winery Tasting Notes: “A blockbuster of a Cuvée, this vintage ventures into elite Tempranillo territory with its Spanish majority blend. It is like an abandoned set from an action movie. A scent of smoke and loads of kinetic energy hidden in its darkness which has no boundaries. Go on in, cigars are lit and Italian espresso is served with a dark chocolate tart… who’s the double agent?”

Blend:  63 % Tempranillo, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah
Alcohol:  14.1%
Cases Produced:  1,375
Winemaker:  Sandy Robertson

So my friends, take the word of withered, aging wine merchant and jump on the “Buy Now” button.  It’s about time somebody takes me seriously again!

Cheers & Merry Christmas!
gary